In short: A good note on a UGC video says where the problem is, what to change and why, and separates what is required from what is only a preference. Twirl’s feedback guide gives the test for fairness: feedback becomes too much “when it changes the agreed concept.” Vidovo’s approval guide adds that a brief can separate firm requirements, such as disclosures and legal restrictions, from creative preferences like camera angle or setting. Below are ready-to-use notes for the most common reasons to say no, short enough to fit the note field on Usicri.
What a good note does
Twirl says each comment should state where the change is needed, what needs to change and why, with timestamps for edits. It also says to label subjective suggestions as optional and to consolidate all stakeholder comments into one response instead of sending them piecemeal. Vidovo makes the same point from the review side: one person should own the final feedback, because creators “should not have to decide which brand stakeholder has the final say.”
Collabstr’s briefing guide adds that deadlines, deliverables and revision limits should be agreed before the creator starts, which is also when the first note is easiest to write: you already know what the brief promised.
On Usicri the note is a short text field, up to 200 characters, that the creator sees when you reject a video. That limit is a feature: it forces one clear reason, which is what a creator needs to decide whether to film a corrected version.
Fair or too much?
Twirl’s test is whether the feedback improves what was originally agreed or asks the creator to produce something new. Fixing a caption, trimming a clip or adding a product benefit where suitable footage already exists is fair. A new requirement that was not in the brief, a new location, a different scene or a script rewrite is a new job. The guide adds that “the number of comments is not always the issue”; what counts is whether each comment stays inside the brief.
| Type | Example | Treat it as |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | Wrong product shown, missing disclosure, a claim outside the approved wording | Reason to reject |
| Technical | Dark footage, muffled sound, product out of focus | Reason to reject, easy to fix |
| Brief mismatch | The video does not show what the brief asked for | Reason to reject |
| Preference | Angle, wording, setting, a different outfit | Mention as optional, or let go |
Notes you can copy
Each of these is under 200 characters. Replace the brackets.
Wrong or hidden product: The product isn’t clearly visible. Please show [product name] in your hand in the first few seconds and again when you use it.
Claim outside the brief: The video says [claim], which isn’t in our approved wording. Please remove it or use the wording in the brief.
Missing disclosure: The brief asks for a clear note that the video is paid or the product was free. Please add it in the video itself.
Lighting or sound: The footage is too dark to see the texture and the sound is hard to hear. Natural light by a window and a quiet room would fix both.
Concept differs from the brief: The brief asked for [format], and this is a [format]. We can’t use it for this campaign, but thank you for the effort.
Not for this campaign: This looks like a portfolio sample, not a video made for this campaign. Please film it around the brief if you’d like to try again.
Keep notes about the video, never about the person. A creator who understands what to change can fix it in one take.
Corrected version or final no
On Usicri a rejected video can be resubmitted once as a corrected version, so the first note should say what the second attempt needs. If you do not want another attempt for this campaign, you can tick “Don’t offer a corrected version” under “More options”; the creator is told and cannot upload another video for the campaign. That is a final choice, so use it when the video is clearly off-brief, not when it is only close. If a video is a sample or an unrelated piece, “Doesn’t fit this campaign” tells the creator it wasn’t made for you. Leave it unticked if the video simply isn’t what you wanted.
Review once, review completely
Twirl advises reviewing promptly, collecting internal comments and sending one complete response. Vidovo suggests a simple structure that sorts feedback into brand, creative, technical and compliance. Before you press reject, read the video through once with that list in hand, so the note names the one thing that matters most. More on the review itself is in how to review UGC videos, and a quick way to compare several videos is in how to choose between UGC submissions.
On Usicri
On Usicri every video comes to you finished, and the decision is yours: you pay only for the videos you approve, and a video you reject with a short note costs nothing, with no platform fee on videos approved through December 31 and a platform fee of 15% after that. Creators on Usicri read your note, and a creator who knows exactly what to fix can film a corrected version in one take. After approval, brand and creator can rate each other from 1 to 5 stars. See how it works for brands, or create a free brand account.
For how much direction to give in the brief itself, read how much creative direction to give.