Types of UGC videos
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Almost all UGC videos start from the same idea: a real person naturally sharing their experience with a product or service. Knowing the most common types helps you understand what a brief is asking for, choose what to upload to your portfolio and suggest ideas to brands.
The most common types
| Type | What it is | What the brand uses it for |
|---|---|---|
| Review or testimonial | You talk to the camera about your experience | Building trust and creating ads |
| Unboxing | You open the product and talk about what you find | Launches and online stores |
| Tutorial | You explain step by step how to use it | Answering questions before purchase |
| Demonstration | You show the product in use | Products with a visible advantage |
| Before and after | You show the change it achieves | Beauty, home or fitness |
| Storytelling and POV | You tell a story or situation from your point of view | Organic social media |
| Trends | You adapt a trend, audio or sketch to the brand | Organic reach |
| Ad with hooks | Video designed for Paid, with several openings | Testing what works in ads |
Review or testimonial
It’s one of the most requested formats for ads: in just a few seconds, you present a need and explain how the product solves it. It works best when it sounds like a sincere recommendation rather than a script being read.
Unboxing, tutorial and demonstration
- Unboxing: show the package, open it calmly and react genuinely. Highlight two or three details that catch the viewer’s attention.
- Tutorial: break the process down into short steps and show them on screen. Ideal for products that raise questions.
- Demonstration: show the product in real use and focus on the main advantage requested in the brief.
Before and after
Record both parts with the same lighting, framing and background so the change is clear. Don’t exaggerate the result: it has to be credible.
Storytelling and POV
A short story with a beginning, problem and solution. It works very well organically and for service brands, like this video for a car dealership:
Trends and entertainment
Comedy sketches, trends and current audio adapted to the brand. They usually work very well for gaining organic reach. Example of a video for a musical:
Ads with hooks
The hook is the first few seconds of the video—the part that determines whether someone keeps watching. For ads, brands often request extra hooks: the same video with several different openings to test which one works best. They may also request extra formats (vertical, horizontal or square). You charge separately for both extras: you’ll find out more in Levels, rates and extras.
Want to know what you grant the brand with each video? We explain it in Usage rights.