TikTok UGC Brief Template (with Real Behind-the-Scenes Examples)

TikTok has gained a reputation for being a place of creativity.

The most successful case studies of our TikTok marketing experts are based on funny, insightful ads that reap the full meaning of that word – “creativity.”

That’s even truer for TikTok UGC, which is, by definition, authentic, spontaneous, and raw.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t need a battle plan for your TikTok advertising, especially if you are working with content creators.

This brief doesn’t have to be daunting for either of you.

Read this guide below, and we’ll show you how to write the perfect brief based on templates we use at inBeat. Yes, we’ll share all our in-home tips to spare you hours of work.

Bonus: We’ll include an easy template you can copy for TikTok.

TL;DR

• TikTok UGC briefs are essential for successful TikTok advertising with content creators.
• Briefs organize information, outline expectations, and save time for both parties.
• Sections in a TikTok UGC brief include: “About” to introduce the company, deliverables, ad creative examples, creative storyboard, talking points, do’s and don’ts, hook ideas, and hashtags/links.
• Hooks are crucial for catching users’ attention quickly on TikTok ads.
• Hashtags and links can enhance ad visibility and conversions.
• Best practices for a TikTok UGC brief: Keep it concise, organize sections effectively, balance colors/fonts, use clear language, and provide a creative brief template for guidance.
• Pro tip: use an advanced UGC marketplace to find your best TikTok UGC creators.

Why Have a TikTok UGC Brief?

Let’s explain. Having a brief is essential because:

• It organizes all information for the creators you work with seamlessly.
• You can outline your expectations.
• Influencers understand the do’s and don’t’s within this campaign.
• You can include ideas that creators can look for.

And all that saves you lots of time and resources in the future because:

• Influencers understand what’s expected of them, so they complete the work faster.
• It’s easier to assess your influencers’ performance based on this brief.
• You will need to make fewer edits.
• You won’t strain your relationship with your content creators.

As a result, your clients will get their stellar deliverables on time. They’ll be happy with your work and more likely to work again with you in the future, recommending you to other potential prospects.

TikTok UGC Brief Sections

It’s true that one tiny brief can help your company flourish. If it’s written properly. Here are some of the best sections to include in your brief based on our experience:

An ‘About’ Section

This section quickly introduces the company so your creators can get a good idea of who they’ll produce content for.

We prefer to:

• Include this section in the upper left-side corner of our briefs for increased visibility.
• Use white font on a brown background to draw the creator’s attention.
• Focus on the brand’s unique selling points and competitive edges. This gives influencers some insights and potential talking points.
• Be concise – less is more.

Here’s how that looks in the brief below:

Deliverables

We position the deliverables section right below the “About” section. We make this box a dark gray color and use white fonts to make it stand out.

Other tips you can follow are:

• Focus on the main three or four points that these deliverables should include.
• Use bullet points for a clearer outline.
• Stick to the main points.

Ad Creative Examples

The ad creative examples are positioned right below the deliverables. We include three of the best examples that our influencers can copy.

Remember:

• Ensure the creators can play the ads easily.
• The ad thumbnails should be suggestive.
• The ads should be relevant to your current campaign.

Creative Storyboard

The creative storyboard is in the upper-right corner to ensure influencers read it. That’s because it has more information than the other sections, and placing it lower would decrease the chances of being read.

Notice: Our creative storyboard gives influencers enough structure without compromising their creativity.

We focus on general expectations, such as:

• Having a hook and being lively in the opener.
• Approximate ad duration.
• The preferred CTA that the creator has to end with.

Pro tip: Don’t cram a lot of info in this section. If the subject is sensitive or you want to structure the content more, include a “Talking Points” section.

Talking Points

As you can see, this section is missing from our Luxbox brief because the creative storyboard is giving influencers enough info. However, we included this section in a brief for Aura Parental Controls.

Advertising this app is a more sensitive topic because it addresses a significant fear for parents: their kids being unsafe on the internet.

So, we had to approach this matter more sensitively, giving more precise directions.

Still, we:

• Focus on a few important ideas.
• Give precise indications using short sentences.
• Outline some key phrases and moments that should be included in the content.

Do’s and Don’ts

The do’s and don’ts sections appear below the Creative Storyboard section. Notice how the Luxbox do’s, and don’ts are more technical, focusing on the technical side of filming. However, the indications for Aura are more about the content ideas and style that the influencers must use.

So:

• Use catchy emojis to catch your content creators’ attention.
• Structure what’s permitted and what’s not in a few short sentences.
• Adapt these pieces of advice to the campaign.

Hooks Ideas

The hook ideas section will help the content creators craft the best hooks – sentences that catch people’s attention fast.

Remember: Good hooks are essential for TikTok, where users can swipe on your ad after just one second.

Insider tips:

• At inBeat, we’ve discovered that we can increase watch time by testing various hooks before publishing these ads. We typically ask each creator to deliver three hooks that we can try.
• A lengthier watch time is also connected to the other variables used in a TikTok UGC campaign, such as cost per action and conversions.

Notice: The Aura brief doesn’t have a hook section because these ads should feel more raw and related to the creators’ personal experiences. That’s why we didn’t want to constrain them too much.

Hashtag and Links Section

This section is optional, but it can be important in some cases.

• Include branded or campaign hashtags if this ad is part of a campaign.
• Add hashtags related to specific categories to make the ad more visible for that precise audience. If people click on that hashtag and discover your ad, this will also increase your organic traffic.
• If you want to send people to your product pages or Amazon shop, include specific links for that. These links can increase your conversions significantly during the BOFU* part of your customer’s journey.

*BOFU (bottom of the funnel) refers to the part of the customers’ journies where they’re ready to take action and purchase.

Here’s the example we used for Chin-Su Foods:

TikTok UGC Brief – Best Practices

After analyzing our TikTok UGC briefs, you already have a fairly good idea of what to include and what to steer clear of.

Let’s organize that knowledge:

• Restrict your brief to one page to ensure your creators read it.
• Organize the indications in specific sections that attract attention.
• Ensure each section is concentrated on the key requirements.
• Include or remove sections as needed, according to your specific campaign.
• Balance the colors and fonts to direct the creator’s attention.
• Use straightforward, easy-to-read sentences.
• Outline your expectations using bullet points, colored text, and spaces.
• Don’t clutter your document with useless fluff words.

You will also find a creative brief template that you can use below. If you need additional help planning your campaign, you can always schedule a FREE strategy call with us.

We’re always available and happy to make new friends.

Until then, here’s the creative brief template we promised: