The Operators Podcast had Hudson Leogrande from Comfrt on this week - here’s the link.
Have you listened / watched? If not, you should.
Anyway, we’re in the middle of building out a UGC campaign for a client right now. And just landed another project that’ll be similar.
As we go through the process — briefing creators, writing scripts, planning the funnel — I keep thinking: this would've saved me a ton of time two years ago when I was building my eCommerce brand.
Whether you're doing it yourself or handing it off, this is how we recommend thinking about it.
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👋 Hey, I’m Brandon Blum. I’m the Founder and Managing Partner at New Edition - a Brooklyn-based creative agency that creates winning creative for emerging consumer brands.
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STEP 1
Identify The Pain (Before You Brief Anybody)
The biggest mistake brands make: handing a creator a brief before doing the strategic work.
You need to identify 2–3 core pain points your product solves — not features, pain points.
Say you’re a skincare brand, those might be:
The "tried everything" customer — nothing has worked, skin is still breaking out.
The ingredient skeptic — overwhelmed by labels, doesn't trust claims.
The "no routine" person — knows they should do better but finds it complicated.
Each pain point anchors a separate creative funnel.
You're not making one ad — you're making three bets on three different emotions.
Pro tip: Pull pain points from real customer feedback — product reviews, IG DMs, Reddit threads. The words your customers use are the exact words your hooks should use.
👇 HOW DOES A FREE AD CREATIVE SOUND?👇
STEP 2
Write a Script for Each Pain Point
One script per pain point. Same structure, different emotional entry point. Here's the framework and the prompt we use to draft fast.
FRAMEWORK
Script Structure (30 seconds total)
Hook (0–3 sec): Relatable statement OR bold claim — stop the scroll
Story (3–18 sec): The pain, and how your product solves it
Proof (18–25 sec): A result, stat, or social proof moment
CTA (25–30 sec): Soft and specific — tell them exactly what to do next
Tone: Conversational. First person. Not salesy.
Format: Talking to camera. No teleprompter feel.
Platform: Meta (vertical, 9:16)
PROMPT TEMPLATE
You are a direct response copywriter for paid social ads.
Context: I'm promoting [PRODUCT]. It solves [PAIN POINT] for [TARGET AUDIENCE].
Write a 30-second UGC script:
Hook (3 sec): Scroll-stopping statement about [PAIN POINT]
- Story (15 sec): Personal experience + how [PRODUCT] solved it
- Proof (7 sec): One result or social proof moment
- CTA (5 sec): Soft call to action — tell them to [DESIRED ACTION]
Tone: Casual, authentic, first person. Not salesy.
STEP 3
Find Creators
Here’s my advice here: leverage friends, family, customers, etc. first. Then explore some of the self-service platforms that exist.
The creator is the ad. If casting is wrong, the script doesn't matter.
What we look for:
Does this creator look like your customer? Skincare brand targeting women in their 40s? Don't cast a 22-year-old with flawless skin.
Go back to creators you trust. Unreliable creators can really impact a product launch or ad campaign. And trust me, there’s plenty of those.
Fair rates. Some UGC creators think they’re Beyonce, I swear. Negotiate respectfully. If you’re too far apart, just forget it.
Once you’ve exhausted your options (see above), here are the two platforms we typically recommend to clients:
Happy to make an intro to either of the above. Just respond to this email and I got you!
STEP 4
Brief the Creator
A bad brief gets bad content.
Here's a high-level template to work off of:
CREATOR BRIEF TEMPLATE
Brand: [BRAND NAME]
Product: [PRODUCT NAME + one-line description]
Your role: Talking to camera as someone who has used this product. Authentic. First person. No teleprompter.
Script: [PASTE SCRIPT FROM STEP 2 HERE]
Hook options (test all three):
A) [HOOK A]
B) [HOOK B]
C) [HOOK C]
Deliverables:
- Record the Script 2-3 times in full, so we can use the best lines
- Vertical (9:16), well-lit, clear audio
Vibe: Casual. Like a voice note to a friend, but on video.
Do NOT: mention competitors / show other brands on screen
The more specific you are about what you don't want, the fewer revision rounds you'll have.
STEP 5
Build the Campaign Structure First
Getting the content back and throwing it into Ads Manager is where I’ve seen founders drop the ball.
Structure matters as much as creative.
Top of Funnel: UGC videos to cold audiences — hook on a pain point, introduce the brand.
Bottom of Funnel: Statics retargeting warm audiences — specific offer, price, hard CTA.
In Meta: one campaign, one Ad Set per pain point, all 3 hook variations per Ad Set. Budget at the Ad Set level, minimum 3x AOV. Run 7+ days before drawing conclusions. Week 1–2 tells you which pain point wins. Week 3–4, double down.
Don't kill a creative too early. You need 3–5x your AOV in spend before you have a real signal. Turn it off too early and you'll never know what worked.
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IN SUMMARY
Here’s the 5-Step UGC Launch Playbook:
Identify 2–3 pain points from real customer language
Write one script per pain point: hook / story / proof / CTA
Cast creators who look like your customer — authenticity beats follower count
Brief tightly — raw footage, specific vibe, clear don'ts
One ad set per pain point, test hook variations, let data decide what to scale
If the campaign doesn't convert, you'll know it's the landing page, the offer, or the product — not the creative. That's a much better place to be than just throwing money at ads and hoping.
Your move: Block off 2 hours this week. Identify your 3 pain points. Write 3 scripts. That's step one done.
Need help building this out for your brand? Or just want to explore bringing us in? Respond to this email or email me directly at [email protected].
Until next week ✌️
