We’re in the position where we’ve built a solid influencer practice locally, and now we’re thinking about scaling UGC work. One of my biggest questions is: where do I even start when we’re trying to scale UGC in a market we’re still learning—the US, in our case?
UGC is different from influencer work. It’s more about finding creators who can produce high-quality, authentic content for brands at scale. The economics work, the demand is there—but I’m overwhelmed by where to start. Do I build my own UGC creator network first? Do I tap into existing platforms? Do I find strategic partners who already have creator networks?
And here’s the real question: what actually drives success with UGC? Is it the quality of the creators I can access? The speed of turnaround? The ability to scale volume? My hunch is that it’s some combination, but I want to be strategic about where I invest first.
For those of you scaling UGC work—especially across borders—what’s been the biggest lever for growth? And how did you approach building or sourcing creator capacity when you were starting out?
UGC is actually my favorite because it’s so much about relationship building. Here’s what I’ve learned: success with UGC isn’t really about finding the biggest creator network; it’s about finding creators who understand your client’s brand deeply and can produce on deadline. Start small and deliberate. Identify maybe 20-30 UGC creators who get your brand voice. Develop relationships with them. Do a few projects. See who delivers great work, who’s responsive, who’s affordable. From that cohort, build your go-to list. The creators who want to work regularly with a consistent partner? Those are gold. They’ll become more efficient, more aligned with your clients, and honestly, more invested in doing good work. For new markets, I wouldn’t try to build a massive network upfront. Instead, find a smaller number of really good creators and use them across multiple clients. Quality and reliability matter more than volume when you’re starting. Also, connect with other agencies or marketers in that market—they often have creator referrals they’re willing to share. Communities like this one are perfect for that. You’d be surprised how many people will introduce their favorite creators if you just ask thoughtfully.
Please listen to this: the agencies that are winning in UGC are the ones who treat it like a real collaboration, not just transactional work. I do UGC work alongside my influencer stuff, and here’s what makes me want to work with an agency repeatedly: clear briefs (like, absurdly clear about what the brand wants), fair pricing, quick feedback, and actually using the content. There’s nothing worse than producing UGC that never sees the light of day. For scaling, I think the biggest lever is creator retention. If you build a stable of creators who know you, know your clients, and trust you—those people will produce faster, better content because they understand the context. They’re not starting from scratch every single brief. For new markets, I’d advise: start by finding 5-10 creators who are excellent, who respond quickly, who have the vibe you want. Use them heavily. Build your process around them. Once you’re moving efficiently, expand from there. Also, pay fairly. I know agencies are trying to scale volume, but underpaying quality creators leads to lower quality work. Invest in good relationships.
From a data perspective, UGC success depends on three variables: (1) Creative quality—how good is the actual asset? (2) Time-to-production—how fast can you get content into the market? (3) Volume—how much content can you produce at acceptable quality? When scaling into a new market, I’d analyze which of these is your constraint. If you’re constrained by quality, invest in creator sourcing. If you’re constrained by speed, invest in process and tools. If you’re constrained by volume, invest in creator network. My guess? You’re starting constrained on all three, so pick your priority. I’d start with quality and speed—get a few creators producing excellent work on deadline—then scale volume. Here’s the data: agencies that maintain high quality while scaling perform better long-term. It’s tempting to throw volume at the problem, but it backfires. For sourcing, I’d track several metrics: creator delivery rate, revision rate, quality scores. Use this data to identify your best performers. Then allocate more budget to them. Over time, you’ll see efficiency gains because your top creators get more familiar with your brand guidelines. That’s a flywheel you want to build.
We scaled UGC pretty aggressively, and here’s what surprised me: the biggest lever for growth wasn’t the number of creators; it was the efficiency of the brief-to-delivery process. When we streamlined that, we could handle way more volume with fewer creators. Here’s what we did: (1) Built a template brief—every UGC request goes through this template, which forces clarity and consistency. (2) Created a simple creator onboarding. Creators fill out a form about their strengths, equipment, turnaround time, pricing. We use this to match them to the right briefs. (3) Standardized our revision process. One round of feedback, then final. That’s it. Fewer revisions = faster turnaround. For new markets, I wouldn’t build a massive network upfront. I’d find 2-3 strong creators, nail your process with them, then expand. Speed of scaling matters, but consistency matters more. Every bad UGC asset that goes out damages trust. So I’d rather scale slowly with good work than fast with mediocre work. Also, use platforms like Billo or Creator.co if you want some infrastructure—they can help with creator matching and payment. But honestly, building direct relationships with creators winds up being more efficient long-term.
UGC is becoming a serious revenue driver for me, and here’s the practical reality: you need both quality creators and efficient operations. The balance is critical. On the creator side, I focus on finding people who: (1) Can produce on deadline, (2) Understand brand guidelines from a brief, (3) Adapt their style across different brands, (4) Price reasonably. These are your unicorns. Find them and use them heavily. On the operations side: clear briefs, fast feedback, reliable payment. That’s it. Sounds simple because it is. For new markets, I’d recommend this sequence: Month 1—source 5-10 creators, do 1-2 test projects with each, see who you want to work with again. Month 2—start running multiple projects with your best 3-4 creators, nail your process. Month 3—expand creator pool gradually based on demand. This approach lets you build quality relationships while scaling. Also, don’t use platforms unless you absolutely need to. Direct relationships with creators are cheaper and better. They’ll work harder for an agency they know and trust. Platforms take a cut and add friction. Finally, consider whether you want to build this yourself or partner with someone who already has UGC infrastructure. Some agencies specialize in this. If that’s not a core competency for you, partnering might be smarter than building from scratch.
UGC scaling comes down to systems and data. First, be clear about what success looks like: revenue per content asset? Volume produced per month? Quality consistency scores? Define it. Then measure it. I’d approach this systematically: (1) Segment creators by tier. Tier 1: your go-to people, used frequently, get priority pricing. Tier 2: solid performers, used regularly. Tier 3: trial creators. This structure helps you think about where to invest. (2) Build a scoring system: speed, quality, revision rate. Use this to identify top performers. (3) Create a simple brief template that removes ambiguity. Brief quality directly impacts content quality and revision cycles. (4) Track economics per creator: lifetime value, CAC (cost to onboard and maintain), margin. This tells you who’s actually profitable to work with. For new markets, I’d start with a pilot: 20-30 UGC projects with identified creators, measure outcomes, identify your top performers, then scale from there. This prevents you from building infrastructure for low-performing creators. Finally, automate what you can—payment, feedback collection, asset delivery. This frees up your team to focus on relationships and strategy rather than logistics. The agencies winning in UGC are the ones that treat it as a business system, not an art form.