How to Earn Money Creating Content for Brands — Even If You’re Not a Blogger with a Big Audience

19/ 10/ 2026

Listen to online Stop   Bohdana Pavlyshyna. Communications specialist and PR manager at M&P Communications You no longer need thousands of followers to make money from social media content. More and more often, brands aren’t looking to reach someone else’s audience — they need quality content for their own advertising, created by UGC creators and content makers. Bohdana Pavlyshyna, communications specialist and PR manager at M&P Communications, explains how much they can earn and how to get started in the field. Just a few years ago, the rule seemed simple: if you want to earn from brand collaborations, grow your account to a hundred thousand followers, hire a team and wait for brand managers to flood your DMs. That formula for success is officially on its way out. The reason is simple: TikTok and Instagram Reels have completely turned the logic of social media upside down. Reach used to be bought together with an influencer’s name (you pay the blogger, you get access to their audience). Now recommendation algorithms show videos to a broad audience, not just to the author’s followers. Reach depends not on the name, but on how well a video holds attention (retention rate) and on users’ preferences. Where clients used to ask for a blogger with 500,000 followers, over the past year we have increasingly been getting requests like “We need 20 volunteers to shoot videos for an ad.” Bloggers haven’t stopped working, but brands need content they can scale in Meta Ads — and buying it from creators with millions of followers would cost its weight in gold. On top of that, a growing number of consumers admit that content from ordinary people influences their purchase decisions far more than professional advertising or influencer recommendations. As a result, brands are increasingly buying not audience size, but quality content and trust. This is where UGC creators and content makers step onto the stage. Blogger, UGC Creator and Content Maker: What’s the Difference. Blogger UGC creator Content maker Sells their own audience. Their main asset is followers who trust them. The brand pays for an ad placed directly on the blogger’s page. Doesn’t sell their own audience (they may have as few as 100 followers). Sells ready-made video content filmed as an honest review from an ordinary person. The brand posts the video on its own social media, runs it as an ad or adds it to marketplaces. The classic example is “TikTok made me buy it” videos. Doesn’t sell their own audience. A specialist who creates visual content for a brand based on a specific brief: Stories, Reels, photos for the website, scripts or editing. The brand uses this content on its own channels under its own name. What UGC Creators Do. The term UGC originally described content about products and services that users filmed and posted for free and on their own initiative. Brands noticed that such reviews delivered a higher return on investment and better profitability than “polished” advertising. The next logical step was to start paying people to create videos like these. Typical formats: unboxings, testing a product on camera, reviews, ASMR, Get Ready With Me, an aesthetic morning routine with the product, etc. Main clients: e-commerce (cosmetics, clothing, gadgets, home décor), mobile apps, restaurants and leisure venues. Income level: in Ukraine, a beginner can charge from UAH 500–1,000 for one UGC video of up to one minute. Experienced creators charge from $50 to $150+ per video. With a pool of regular clients (4–5 brands ordering 5–10 videos a month), an income of $800–$2,000 is realistic. What Content Makers Do. While a UGC creator produces an individual video on behalf of a consumer, a content maker shapes the brand’s visual identity. Responsibilities: developing the visual concept (mood boards, references), organising and running shoots, editing and scriptwriting. Work formats: 1) freelance (working with several brands at once, with regular shoots a few times a month); 2) in-house (working on staff for one brand, producing content daily from the office or showroom); 3) agency (working in a team with a steady flow of clients and a clear division of tasks). Income level: the average salary of an in-house content maker in Ukraine starts at UAH 15,000–25,000 for juniors and reaches UAH 40,000–60,000+ for specialists with a strong portfolio. As a freelancer, comprehensive visual support for one brand costs roughly $300–$600 a month. Which One Suits You Better?. UGC is a better fit for you if you enjoy being on camera, speak easily in front of it and can convey emotions, but don’t want to be tied to a single project. It’s an ideal option for freelancing and a flexible schedule. Content making is a better fit for you if you prefer working behind the camera and enjoy building composition, planning a profile grid, choosing colour palettes and creating a coherent brand story. Can you combine the two? Yes — and it’s the most profitable strategy. Many specialists start out as UGC creators and later offer brands full social media management as content makers, raising their average fee. How Stable Is This Work?. This entire field rests on algorithms you don’t control. TikTok, Meta or any other platform could change its ranking formula tomorrow, and the format that “worked” yesterday will stop working. Still, that’s not a reason to avoid the niche — it’s a reason not to put all your eggs in one Reel. The most resilient position for a specialist is diversification: working with several brands at the same time; creating content for different platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts); combining UGC services with content making. How to Become a UGC Creator or Content Maker: A Step-by-Step Plan. A beginner’s biggest fear is: “I don’t have a professional camera or a portfolio with well-known brands. Who’s going to pay me?” The good news is that in this niche you can start with what you already have. Which skills should you develop? Video editing, coming up with scripts and expressing your thoughts clearly. Do you need professional equipment? Not at first (although eventually, to raise your rates, you’ll have to invest). To get started, a modern smartphone with a good camera (iPhone 11 or an Android equivalent) is more than enough. Instead of a camera, it’s better to buy two things: a lavalier microphone (good sound is 50% of a video’s success) and an inexpensive light (a ring light or a small LED panel). How do you build a portfolio without commercial cases? Take your favourite shampoo, the coffee you drink every morning, or your sneakers. Film an aesthetic UGC video or an unboxing as if you’d been paid for it. Make 3–5 such videos in different categories (cosmetics, food, clothing) — and there’s your first portfolio. Where do you find your first orders? Make a list of Ukrainian brands on Instagram whose content seems weak to you but whose product you like. Send them a DM offering to shoot your first video for free or for a token fee: politely, briefly, with your test videos attached. You can also find offers in Telegram job channels or on freelance platforms. And remember: the brand content industry is no longer a closed club for the chosen few. Today it values skills, an understanding of trends and the ability to film with sincerity. * * * Author works in agency PR and implements communication strategies for leading companies. Has experience working with brands such as Rakuten Viber, Lenovo, Kyivstar, Nova Poshta and others. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bohdana-pavlyshyna-13113a234/ https://www.instagram.com/xoxo.body/

Bohdana Pavlyshyna

Communications specialist and PR manager at M&P Communications

You no longer need thousands of followers to make money from social media content. More and more often, brands aren’t looking to reach someone else’s audience — they need quality content for their own advertising, created by UGC creators and content makers. Bohdana Pavlyshyna, communications specialist and PR manager at M&P Communications, explains how much they can earn and how to get started in the field.

Just a few years ago, the rule seemed simple: if you want to earn from brand collaborations, grow your account to a hundred thousand followers, hire a team and wait for brand managers to flood your DMs. That formula for success is officially on its way out.

The reason is simple: TikTok and Instagram Reels have completely turned the logic of social media upside down. Reach used to be bought together with an influencer’s name (you pay the blogger, you get access to their audience). Now recommendation algorithms show videos to a broad audience, not just to the author’s followers. Reach depends not on the name, but on how well a video holds attention (retention rate) and on users’ preferences.

Where clients used to ask for a blogger with 500,000 followers, over the past year we have increasingly been getting requests like “We need 20 volunteers to shoot videos for an ad.” Bloggers haven’t stopped working, but brands need content they can scale in Meta Ads — and buying it from creators with millions of followers would cost its weight in gold.

On top of that, a growing number of consumers admit that content from ordinary people influences their purchase decisions far more than professional advertising or influencer recommendations. As a result, brands are increasingly buying not audience size, but quality content and trust. This is where UGC creators and content makers step onto the stage.

Blogger, UGC Creator and Content Maker: What’s the Difference

What UGC Creators Do

The term UGC originally described content about products and services that users filmed and posted for free and on their own initiative. Brands noticed that such reviews delivered a higher return on investment and better profitability than “polished” advertising. The next logical step was to start paying people to create videos like these.

• Typical formats: unboxings, testing a product on camera, reviews, ASMR, Get Ready With Me, an aesthetic morning routine with the product, etc.
• Main clients: e-commerce (cosmetics, clothing, gadgets, home décor), mobile apps, restaurants and leisure venues.
• Income level: in Ukraine, a beginner can charge from UAH 500–1,000 for one UGC video of up to one minute. Experienced creators charge from $50 to $150+ per video. With a pool of regular clients (4–5 brands ordering 5–10 videos a month), an income of $800–$2,000 is realistic.

What Content Makers Do

While a UGC creator produces an individual video on behalf of a consumer, a content maker shapes the brand’s visual identity.

• Responsibilities: developing the visual concept (mood boards, references), organising and running shoots, editing and scriptwriting.
• Work formats: 1) freelance (working with several brands at once, with regular shoots a few times a month); 2) in-house (working on staff for one brand, producing content daily from the office or showroom); 3) agency (working in a team with a steady flow of clients and a clear division of tasks).
• Income level: the average salary of an in-house content maker in Ukraine starts at UAH 15,000–25,000 for juniors and reaches UAH 40,000–60,000+ for specialists with a strong portfolio. As a freelancer, comprehensive visual support for one brand costs roughly $300–$600 a month.

Which One Suits You Better?

UGC is a better fit for you if you enjoy being on camera, speak easily in front of it and can convey emotions, but don’t want to be tied to a single project. It’s an ideal option for freelancing and a flexible schedule.

Content making is a better fit for you if you prefer working behind the camera and enjoy building composition, planning a profile grid, choosing colour palettes and creating a coherent brand story.

Can you combine the two? Yes — and it’s the most profitable strategy. Many specialists start out as UGC creators and later offer brands full social media management as content makers, raising their average fee.

How Stable Is This Work?

This entire field rests on algorithms you don’t control. TikTok, Meta or any other platform could change its ranking formula tomorrow, and the format that “worked” yesterday will stop working. Still, that’s not a reason to avoid the niche — it’s a reason not to put all your eggs in one Reel.

The most resilient position for a specialist is diversification:

• working with several brands at the same time;
• creating content for different platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts);
• combining UGC services with content making.

How to Become a UGC Creator or Content Maker: A Step-by-Step Plan

A beginner’s biggest fear is: “I don’t have a professional camera or a portfolio with well-known brands. Who’s going to pay me?” The good news is that in this niche you can start with what you already have.

Which skills should you develop? Video editing, coming up with scripts and expressing your thoughts clearly.

Do you need professional equipment? Not at first (although eventually, to raise your rates, you’ll have to invest). To get started, a modern smartphone with a good camera (iPhone 11 or an Android equivalent) is more than enough. Instead of a camera, it’s better to buy two things: a lavalier microphone (good sound is 50% of a video’s success) and an inexpensive light (a ring light or a small LED panel).

How do you build a portfolio without commercial cases? Take your favourite shampoo, the coffee you drink every morning, or your sneakers. Film an aesthetic UGC video or an unboxing as if you’d been paid for it. Make 3–5 such videos in different categories (cosmetics, food, clothing) — and there’s your first portfolio.

Where do you find your first orders? Make a list of Ukrainian brands on Instagram whose content seems weak to you but whose product you like. Send them a DM offering to shoot your first video for free or for a token fee: politely, briefly, with your test videos attached. You can also find offers in Telegram job channels or on freelance platforms.

And remember: the brand content industry is no longer a closed club for the chosen few. Today it values skills, an understanding of trends and the ability to film with sincerity.

* * *

Author works in agency PR and implements communication strategies for leading companies. Has experience working with brands such as Rakuten Viber, Lenovo, Kyivstar, Nova Poshta and others.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bohdana-pavlyshyna-13113a234/

https://www.instagram.com/xoxo.body/