Influencer vs UGC Creator: Which Should Your Brand Hire?

Hire an influencer when you want sales from their audience, and hire a UGC content creator when you want content for your own ads and socials. An influencer sells to people who already listen to them. A content creator has no audience to sell to: you pay them for the videos and run them yourself. For most growing Shopify brands, UGC creators found through Facebook groups and Instagram outreach are the cheaper, more reliable place to start.

This is the written version of the video above, taken from one of our live member coaching calls in September 2026, where the Ecommerce Academy team answered questions about finding creators.

What is the difference between an influencer and a content creator?

They are two different people doing two different jobs.

• An influencer has an audience you want your product in front of, and they persuade that audience to buy from you. The content usually lives on their own channel, but you can often use it on yours too, so it is a two-for-one.
• A content creator (usually called a UGC creator) makes videos and photos of your product for you. Some do it as a side hustle, some as a full-time business. They have no audience to sell to. You pay for the content and use it in your ads and on your socials. We use UGC creators heavily at Dosed.

What matters	Influencer	UGC content creator
What you are buying	Reach and persuasion with their audience	Content to run on your own channels
Typical cost	From about $500 for a small creator to $20,000 to $50,000 for a big name	Free product at first, then a paid rate per piece
Return	Can be huge, but not guaranteed	Depends on how well the content performs in your ads
Best for	Brands ready to pay for attention	Brands that need a steady flow of ad creative

Influencers can pay off: one member in the kids space paid an influencer around $20,000 and made about a million dollars. But returns are not guaranteed. Most influencers are in it for the payday, not the commission, so offering a commission alone rarely changes how hard they push your product.

Should you hire an influencer or a UGC creator first?

Decide whether you are trying to buy influence or buy content. If your real problem is that your ads need fresh videos, you are in the content game, and a UGC creator is the better use of your money. You can still work with influencers later, once you have the budget to absorb a campaign that does not pay back.

Where do you find good UGC creators?

Look on the platforms where creators already are. The two that work best for us are Facebook groups and direct outreach on Instagram.

1. Facebook groups. Search for "UGC creators" plus your country, for example UGC Creators Australia or a United States equivalent. The bigger groups have thousands of members. Post from your personal account: describe your brand and product, say who you are looking for (for example, people who love sport or have made content for sporting brands) and ask for portfolios. You will get a lot of replies, and most creators share a portfolio with the brands they have worked with and the styles they can shoot.
2. Instagram. Search for "UGC creator" plus your niche or country and message the ones whose page fits. Instagram is more admin than Facebook groups because you do the outreach one by one, but it is where we found our best creators.
3. TikTok. Use it as a search engine to find creators, especially outside Australia. There is no group to post in, so this is outreach too.
4. Creator platforms. Tools like Shopify Collabs and other creator marketplaces exist. Try them, but we still find the best people organically.

Once you start running UGC-style content in your feed, creators will start contacting you, so the outreach gets easier over time.

What should you look for in a creator?

Our longest-running creator at Dosed is a good example. Gab found her by searching Instagram for UGC creators in Australia and sent a simple DM offering free product to try. She was happy to take coffee in exchange for content because she genuinely loved it. More than two years later she is still with us, now paid, and moving to weekly content.

• They match your customer. She is a travel lover, which is exactly who buys from us. Someone who reflects the people who use your product makes far more believable content.
• They are reliable. Consistent delivery matters as much as talent.
• Their content feels real. Watch for heavy beauty filters that make videos look fake. Raw and a little imperfect usually works better.

Expect to try a few before you find the right ones. It is a bit like dating: we have paid for some completely unusable videos along the way. But once you have three or four good creators, that is all you need.

Can you use outsourced UGC content in Meta ads?

Yes, as long as your agreement with the creator allows it. Get every creator to sign a contract, even for organic-only content. It protects you from creators who take the product and never deliver, and it sets out exactly what they owe you.

How do usage rights work with UGC creators?

Every creator can come with different terms, and usage rights are where most of the negotiating happens. Professional creators often limit how long you can run their content as ads. One creator we liked recently offered three reels that we could only run in ads for one month, with extra fees to keep using them.

• Everything is negotiable. If a 30-day limit does not suit you, ask for 12 months or more.
• Simpler is better. I prefer content with no usage-rights limit at all. If an ad is crushing it, I do not want to be tracking an expiry date and paying again to keep it live.
• Professionals cost more, for good reason. They know which hooks work and how to edit and polish. Newer creators building a portfolio can be hidden gems at a lower price.
• Or pay a platform to manage it. One of our coaches uses a managed creator platform at around $150 to $200 a video, where creators are vetted and the usage agreements are handled for you. You trade money for time.

Should founders make their own content too?

Yes. AI can make content, but good human content still works better. Do not be afraid to get your own face on camera, even if you are not your typical customer. Founder content should not be all of your content, but it should be one of your content pillars. If you really do not want to, get your partner on camera and film them. For more on building content into your business, read becoming a content-first business and our guide to high-performing ad creatives.

Quick answers

How much does an influencer cost?

Anywhere from about $500 for a small creator to $20,000 to $50,000 for a large influencer. The bigger their influence, the more they charge.

Can you pay UGC creators in free product?

Often, yes, especially newer creators who love your product. Expect to move to paid content as the relationship grows.

How many UGC creators do you need?

Three or four reliable creators who match your customer is enough for most growing brands.

Questions like these get answered every week on our live coaching calls. They are part of the Ecommerce Bootcamp, so you can bring your own creator and content questions.