Checked list + how to email them

Brands looking for UGC creators, with proof

Brands looking for UGC creators show it in their ads. Here are 12 that paid creators for video, and how to reach them.

Written by Marta Dexnis, UGC creator. Updated September 2026.

brands we track: 4,481
ran ads with creators: 886
ads last checked: Sep 23, 2026

Checked list

12 brands paying creators now

Beauty brands that ran Meta ads made with creators. 488 of the 2,411 beauty brands we track did. Here are the top 3 in each niche.

Skincare

266 of 1,420 brands ran ads with creators

RA
Ranavat
64 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 23, 2026
SO
Sky Organics
44 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
EV
Evereden
35 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Has a creator program
- Checked Sep 22, 2026

Makeup

44 of 231 brands ran ads with creators

BB
BK Beauty
At least 20 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Has a creator program
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
MB
MAKE Beauty
At least 18 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
VI
Vieve
18 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026

Hair care

87 of 423 brands ran ads with creators

RŌ
RŌZ
90 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
SW
Small Wonder
51 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
AM
amika
34 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026

Supplements

91 of 337 brands ran ads with creators

WH
wholier
134 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
SP
Sun Powder
106 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Has a creator program
- Checked Sep 22, 2026
TU
Tums
42 ads made with creators
- Ads running now
- Checked Sep 22, 2026

How we picked them: small and mid-size shops, the most ads made with creators first. Big household names are left out on purpose. They mostly hire through agencies, so your email is less likely to reach the person who decides.

“Ads made with creators” counts Meta partnership ads: ads that run with a creator's name on them. We check every brand again on a schedule, and the date shows when.

See every brand in your niche, with an email to write to

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Signals

What proves a brand pays creators

Some signs show a brand spends money on creator videos. Others only look like it.

Strong: ads made with a creator

In the Meta Ad Library, the ad runs from a creator's account or shows the creator's name next to the brand's. The brand paid a creator for that video, then paid again to show it.

Good: lots of video ads that look homemade

Phone-filmed videos of real people using the product. The brand buys this kind of video, from creators, an agency or its own team.

Good: a creator or affiliate page

An “Ambassadors”, “Affiliates” or “Collab with us” page on their site. They work with creators, though often for commission or product, not a fee.

Weak: big followers or a gifting form

A big account can be run fully in-house. A PR form pays in product. Neither shows money for video.

A signal is not a budget

Every signal here shows a brand paid creators before. None shows it has money for you this month. A brand can fit you, need videos now, read your email and still say no. So write to many brands at once, not one.

Do it yourself

Check any brand in 5 minutes

Any brand, free, on your phone. The Meta Ad Library shows every ad a brand runs on Facebook and Instagram.

1Open the Meta Ad Library and pick your country and “All ads”.
2Type the brand name and open its page.
3Look for “Active” ads that are videos filmed on a phone.
4Look for ads posted with a creator's name. Those are creator ads.
5Check the start date of the newest ad. Older than a few months? Put the brand lower on your list.

Open the Meta Ad Library

Doing this by hand takes a few minutes a brand. In ugcjobs.io the check is already done for every brand on the list.

How to email a brand that pays

Getting brand deals comes down to reaching the right person with the right video. Keep it short.

Write to a person

Look for whoever runs marketing, social or growth. A support inbox rarely reaches the person who buys videos.

Show one video that fits

One sample close to their product beats your whole portfolio. Make sure the link opens without a login.

Ask for one small thing

Offer one video or an idea first. A small yes is easier than a monthly package.

Send one reminder

No answer after 4 days? Reply in the same thread with one short line. Then move on.

An email you can copy

Subject: Video idea for [product]

Hi [first name],

I saw your ads with creators for [product]. I make short videos for [niche] brands, filmed at home.

Here is one close to yours: [link to one video].

Would a video for [product] help this month? I can send an idea first.

[Your name]

When a brand says yes, agree on 4 things

What you make: how many videos, how long, raw clips or edited
Where they use it: their page only, or ads, and for how long
When it's due, and how many changes are included
The price, and when they pay

Ad use costs more than a video for their page. Not sure what to ask? Our UGC rate calculator starts a first paid video at $100. Send your prices as a free rate card.

Small accounts

Brand deals for small creators

You don't need a big following for UGC. The brand pays for the video and posts it, or runs it as an ad. Your followers never see it. That is why brands that work with small creators are easy to find in the Ad Library: the videos run from the brand's page.

What you need is 3 good videos in one niche. Film them on products you already own. Our UGC portfolio examples show what to film first.

Followers matter for a different deal: ambassador, affiliate and sponsored posts on your own page. Brands that work with micro influencers usually say so on a program page. See our list of brand ambassador programs.

This list started with Marta, a UGC creator in Miami and our co-founder. Every email she sent used to start with an hour of searching, and most of those brands never bought creator video. Now the searching is done before you open the list.

Questions about UGC brands

Which brands pay for UGC?

Brands that already run ads made with creators are the safest bet. The 12 brands on this page did, and we checked the date. Across our list, 886 of 4,481 brands ran Meta ads with a creator partner, which means they paid a creator for the video.

How do I find brands to reach out to for UGC?

Start with brands whose ads you already see on Instagram and TikTok, then check each one in the Meta Ad Library for video ads made with creators. Keep the ones in your niche that ran ads in the last few months, and write to the person who runs their marketing.

How do brands find UGC creators?

Mostly through people they already know, creators who email them, their own social pages and creator platforms. That is why a short, well-aimed email works: many small brands never post a job, they answer the creator who writes first.

What is a UGC brand deal?

A brand pays you to make a short video about its product, and the brand posts it or runs it as an ad. You are paid for the video and the right to use it, not for posting to your followers.

How much do companies pay for UGC?

Our free rate calculator starts a first paid video at $100, before extras. Ad use, more videos, raw clips and short deadlines all add to the price, so agree on them before you say yes.

Do I need a lot of followers to get UGC brand deals?

No. For UGC, the brand pays for the video, not your audience, so a small account with good videos can get paid. Followers matter more for ambassador and sponsored-post deals.

How do I get brand deals as a small creator?

Pick a niche, make 3 practice videos on products you own, and email several brands that already pay creators in that niche. Send one reminder after a few days. Most brands won't answer, and that is normal.

What brands are looking for ambassadors right now?

Brands with an open ambassador, affiliate or gifting program on their own site. We keep a checked list of them on our brand programs page, with the date of the last check.

Which brands send PR packages to small influencers?

Many beauty and food brands send free product to small creators who ask. But a PR package is product, not money: it can help you film portfolio videos, and it is not a paid deal.

What brands are easy to collab with?

Small and mid-size brands, where one person often decides. They run ads, need new videos often, and read their own email. Big household names usually work through agencies and are harder to reach.

Is UGC a legit way to make money?

Yes, brands really pay creators for videos. But no list or tool can promise you a reply, a deal or a set income. It takes many emails, and pay depends on the brand, the video and how they use it.

Is UGC still a thing in 2026?

Yes. When we last counted, 2,558 brands on our list had Meta ads running, and 886 had run ads made with creators.

Find your brands and email them

Every brand in your niche that works with creators, with an email to write to. You send from your own Gmail.

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