In short: A good UGC brief is one page: what the video is for, the facts about the product, the single message, the format, the things to avoid, the rights you need and the dates. Give creators the message and the points to cover — not a script. Below is a template you can copy, a filled-in example for a fictional product, and the beauty-specific points that separate a usable video from a reshoot.
Why the brief decides the video
The creator only knows what you tell them. A vague brief (“make something authentic”) gets you generic footage, and a brief that scripts every sentence gets you a video that sounds like an advert rather than a person. The most useful briefs do two things at once: they are specific about the goal and constraints, and they leave the creator free in how they film, what they say and how they say it.
One beauty-brand guide makes the same point about goals: “awareness” is too unspecific to brief. Say where the video will run and what it should make a viewer do.
The template
Copy this, fill in the brackets and delete anything that does not apply. Keep it to one page.
1. Objective
This video will be used for [product page / paid social ad / email / brand feed]. It should make the viewer [understand how to use it / see the texture / picture it in their routine / see how it fits].
2. Product context
[Product name and what it is.] For [who it is for — skin type, concern, occasion, size range]. Key facts from our packaging and product page: [ingredients or materials as listed, how to use, what is in the box]. Realistic expectations: [for example “used daily, most people notice X after Y” — only if you can support it].
3. The one message
If the viewer remembers one thing, it should be: [single sentence].
4. Format
Vertical video, [15–30 / 30–60] seconds. Natural light, clear audio. Deliver as [file type]. Show: [application / unboxing / try-on / texture close-up / packaging]. Face on camera: [required / optional / hands only].
5. Creative direction
Tone: [honest, casual, informative]. References: [links to two or three videos whose feel you like — not to copy]. Open with a hook of your own choosing.
6. Creative freedom
You choose the setting, the words and the order. Please do not read from a script.
7. Do’s and don’ts
Do: [show the product being used; mention only the claims listed in section 2; say if the product was gifted]. Don’t: [medical or treatment claims; comparisons with named competitors; filters that change the product’s colour; unlicensed music; other brands’ products in frame].
8. Rights
We will use the video on [channels] including [paid ads]. Licence: [state it — on Usicri it is set by the platform terms].
9. Timeline
Submit by [date]. We will give feedback within [24–48 hours]. [One / two] revision rounds included.
Example: a filled-in brief (fictional product)
This is invented to show the level of detail — the brand and product do not exist.
Objective: A 20–30 second demo for the product page and paid social. Show how the cleanser lathers and how it is used in an evening routine.
Product: “Brand X Gentle Cleanser”, a fragrance-free gel cleanser for everyday use. From the packaging: 150 ml, suitable for daily use morning and evening.
Message: A simple, no-fuss cleanser that fits into an existing routine.
Format: Vertical, 20–30 seconds, bathroom or bedside light, hands and face optional.
Do: show the pump and the texture on your hand; describe how it felt to you; say the product was gifted. Don’t: say it treats, clears or prevents any skin condition; use before-and-after footage; use music you do not have rights to.
Timeline: submit within 7 days; feedback within 48 hours; one revision round.
Beauty-specific points to include
- Lighting and colour. For colour-sensitive products such as foundation, tinted products or lipstick, say that colour must look true to the product, and list the shade range so creators can say which shade they used.
- Ingredients and how you talk about them. Beauty briefs often include an ingredient callout. Give creators the ingredient information from the pack and let them explain it in plain words rather than in marketing language.
- Realistic timelines. If a product is meant to be used for a few weeks before you would expect to see any difference, say so — and only ask for before-and-after if it is genuine, unfiltered and does not imply a guaranteed result.
- Skin type and concern. Say who the product is for. Guides on choosing beauty creators point to skin type, tone and concerns relative to the audience, and to variety across the creators you brief.
- Claims. Give creators the claims they may make, and forbid the rest. What a cosmetic video says about the product’s effect has to be truthful and supportable — see skincare and cosmetic claims in UGC. If a brand asks a creator for an effect the product cannot document, the brand takes on responsibility for that claim.
- Disclosure. Tell creators how paid or gifted content has to be labelled where it will be published. See UGC disclosure rules.
Timeline, revisions and feedback
State the submission date, when you will give feedback and how many revision rounds are included. One or two rounds is a common norm, and it helps to separate small changes (a caption, a trim) from a re-shoot. Consolidate your feedback into one message instead of sending it in pieces. Contract guides suggest turning around approvals within 24–48 hours.
Brief several creators, not one
A beauty-UGC guide recommends three to five creators per product per campaign cycle and two or three brief variants across them — so the same core message appears with different hooks, different skin types and different settings. That gives you variety to run and protects you when one video tires out. See UGC video ideas and hooks for variants.
Common brief mistakes
- “Awareness” as the objective, with no destination for the video.
- Several messages in one video.
- Scripted lines and word counts instead of points to cover.
- Requirements that appear only in feedback after the video is filmed.
- Asking for claims that the packaging does not make.
Using this brief on Usicri
When you create a campaign on Usicri, paste the brief into the description, set the payout per approved video, choose whether you provide the product and how many videos you want. Creators see all of that before they start. You watch each submission before you pay, and can approve it or decline it with a note explaining why. More on finding creators and what to pay.