How to Find Brands That Work With UGC Creators
A repeatable research method to find brands already buying creator content — using public ad libraries, marketplaces, and social signals — plus a lead-tracking sheet.
The strongest sign that a brand will pay for UGC is that it is already running creator-style ads. You can see those ads for free in two official tools: the Meta Ad Library, which shows all active ads running across Meta's apps, and TikTok's Creative Center Top Ads, which collects high-performing TikTok ads by region and industry. Find brands there, qualify them with a short scorecard, find the right contact, and log everything in a lead tracker you work through every week.
Why a research method beats a list of "brands that hire UGC creators"
Lists of brands that "work with UGC creators" are popular, and some are sold. The problem is that a list is only a snapshot. A brand that bought creator videos last year may have since moved production in-house, switched agencies, paused ads, or hired a set roster of creators. A list also gives the same names to everyone who bought it, so those inboxes fill up fast.
That's why this guide gives you a method instead of naming brands. You'll end up with a list built from what brands are running right now, in your niche and your country, and you'll know why each brand is on it. That reason becomes the first line of your pitch.
Step 1: Define your search lanes
Before you open any tool, write down two or three lanes you can credibly film. A lane is a product category plus the kind of video you're good at, for example "skincare, talking-head reviews," "kitchen gadgets, hands-only demos," or "apps, screen recording with voiceover." If you're not sure yet, UGC niches and what each one expects covers the main options.
For each lane, list:
- 10 to 20 search words buyers use for those products (for example "retinol," "serum," "dark spots" for skincare).
- Phrases common in creator-style ads, such as "I tried," "honest review," "game changer," "before and after," or "you need this."
- Products you already own and use, because you can pitch those with real experience.
Step 2: Mine the Meta Ad Library
The Meta Ad Library is Meta's public ad transparency tool. According to Meta, people can "search for all active ads running across products from Meta." In the library, you pick a country and an ad category, then search by keyword or by advertiser name.
How to search it
- Go to facebook.com/ads/library.
- Set the country to United States (or the market you're targeting) and the category to "All ads."
- Search one keyword from your lane, for example "serum," or a creator-ad phrase like "honest review."
- Open results and note every brand whose ads show a real person talking to camera, demonstrating the product by hand, or filmed in a home setting rather than a studio.
- Click into each promising advertiser to see its full set of active ads.
What to look for in a brand's active ads
| What you see | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Several active ads with different people talking to camera | The brand already buys creator content and probably needs a steady supply |
| Many versions of the same concept with different opening lines | The brand tests hooks, so offering extra hook variations is a natural pitch |
| Only polished studio or product-shot ads | Possible opportunity, but you'll have to sell the idea of UGC first |
| Very few active ads | Small ad budget right now; lower priority |
| Creator ads that all look like they come from the same few people | A fixed roster may be in place; pitch a different angle or demographic |
Use the branded content search
Meta also states that the Ad Library "has a searchable database that displays all active, public branded content running on Facebook and Instagram with a paid partnership label." Brands that run paid partnerships are already paying creators, so this is a useful second source. Keep in mind that a paid partnership with an influencer isn't the same as buying UGC, but it shows the brand has a creator budget and a process for working with creators.
Write down the exact ad you noticed and why it works, in one sentence. "Your 'I tried it for 30 days' ad with the bathroom-mirror opener" is a far better pitch opener than "I love your brand."
Step 3: Use TikTok Creative Center Top Ads
TikTok's Creative Center is described by TikTok as "a free, public home" for creative resources, including Top Ads. TikTok's help center describes Top Ads as "a collection of high-performing creatives that can be filtered by Region, Industry, Campaign Objective, and more," and says all ads featured there "are authorized by advertisers inside TikTok Ads Manager." You may see a prompt to log in for a personalized experience.
How to use it for prospecting
- Open the Creative Center and go to Top Ads.
- Filter by your region (for example the United States) and the industry that matches your lane.
- Note every advertiser whose top ads are creator-style videos.
- Open an ad to see its engagement graph. TikTok describes "a second-by-second, frame-by-frame graph" that helps you find the most engaging moment. Use it to see which hooks and structures work in your niche, which helps both your pitch and your scripts.
Brands in Top Ads have proven that creator-style video works for them on TikTok. Many will be large, so treat this as a source of mid-size brands and as research into what's working, not only as a list of targets.
Step 4: Add other public signals
The two ad libraries show you who is spending. These signals help you find smaller brands and confirm interest:
- Tagged posts. A brand's tagged photos on Instagram or mentions on TikTok show whether it reposts customer content.
- Product pages with video. Customer-style videos on product pages mean the brand uses UGC beyond ads.
- "Creators" or "ambassador" pages. Many brands have a page or form for creator partnerships. Search the brand's site for "creator," "ambassador," "collab," or "partner."
- Briefs on marketplaces. On UGC marketplaces, brands post briefs that name their product category. Even when you don't win a brief, it tells you which kinds of brands are buying. See how the main UGC platforms compare.
- Job posts. A brand hiring a "creative strategist" or "performance marketer" usually runs ads that need a steady supply of new creative.
Step 5: Qualify each brand with a scorecard
Not every brand you find is worth a pitch. Score each one quickly so you spend your outreach time on the best fits.
| Question | Yes means |
|---|---|
| Is it running creator-style ads right now? | It already has a budget and a use for your videos |
| Is the product in one of your lanes? | You can film it credibly |
| Do its ads show people like you (age, setting, style)? | You match the look it already buys |
| Does it ship to you, or can you buy the product easily? | A project is practical |
| Is there a named person to contact? | Your pitch can reach a decision-maker |
| Have you used the product yourself? | You can pitch from real experience |
A hypothetical scoring rule: one point per "yes" above. Pitch brands with 5 or 6 points this week, keep brands with 3 or 4 points for later, and drop anything under 3. If you find 20 brands and 6 of them score 5 or more, those 6 get your personalized pitches first.
Step 6: Find the right person to contact
A generic info inbox is the last resort. At small brands the founder often decides. At larger brands, look for these job titles on LinkedIn or the brand's team page:
- Creative strategist or creative lead
- Performance marketing, paid social, or growth marketing manager
- Influencer, creator, or partnerships manager
- Brand or content marketing manager
- Founder or head of marketing, at small brands
Use the contact routes the brand publishes: a creator form, a partnerships email on its site, or a professional message on LinkedIn. Avoid scraped or purchased email lists. Cold email to businesses still falls under US commercial email rules, which are covered in the pitch email templates guide.
Worked example: from one search to one pitch
Everything here is hypothetical, including the brand. A creator's lane is "kitchen gadgets, hands-only demos." In the Meta Ad Library (United States, All ads), a search for "kitchen gadget" turns up a small cookware brand running several active ads. Two are people chopping vegetables at a home counter, and three are versions of the same demo with different opening lines.
Scorecard: creator-style ads now (yes), in her lane (yes), people like her (yes), easy to buy the product (yes), named contact (the founder lists a partnerships email on the site: yes), used the product (no). Score: 5, so it goes in this week's pitches.
Tracker note for "The ad you noticed": "Garlic-press demo that opens on the peeled clove, tested with three different hooks." Pitch opener: "I noticed you're testing hooks on your garlic-press demo. I film hands-only kitchen demos and can send three new openers for that concept."
That opener works because it shows the brand you watched its ads and offers something it already buys. For the rest of the email and the follow-ups, use the pitch templates.
Lead tracker template
A spreadsheet is enough. The point is to remember why you picked each brand and when to follow up. Copy these columns:
Brand | Website | Lane | Where found (Meta Ad Library / TikTok Top Ads / other) | The ad you noticed (one line) | Score (0-6) | Contact name | Contact title | Contact route (email / form / LinkedIn) | Pitch sent (date) | Follow-up 1 (date) | Follow-up 2 (date) | Status (no reply / interested / not now / booked / opted out) | Notes
Two rules make the tracker useful:
- Fill in "The ad you noticed" before you pitch. If you can't, you haven't researched the brand enough.
- Mark "opted out" right away when someone asks you to stop, and never contact them again.
A weekly prospecting routine
Prospecting works when it's routine. A simple weekly loop:
- Research: run a few keyword searches in the Meta Ad Library and one industry filter in TikTok Top Ads. Add new brands to the tracker.
- Qualify: score them and find a contact for the top scorers.
- Pitch: send personalized pitches to your best-qualified brands, each one referencing a specific ad.
- Follow up: send follow-ups that are due from earlier weeks.
- Improve: if a lane gets no replies after several weeks, look at your samples. You may need a sample video that matches what those brands run. See sample video ideas.
When a brand does book you, the next job is to turn one project into ongoing work. See how to get repeat UGC clients.
FAQ
Do I need an ad account to use these tools?
No. The Meta Ad Library is Meta's ad transparency tool and is open at facebook.com/ads/library, and TikTok describes the Creative Center as "free" and "public." TikTok may prompt you to log in for a personalized experience.
Do small brands work with UGC creators?
Often, yes. Smaller brands may not have an in-house video team, and their founders frequently read their own inboxes, which makes them reachable. Search the Ad Library with specific product keywords rather than broad category words, and you'll surface smaller advertisers alongside the big ones.
Is there a way for brands to find me instead?
Yes. On UGC marketplaces, brands browse creator profiles and post briefs, so a strong profile works while you prospect. See how to write a UGC creator profile that gets you hired.
Can I pitch a brand that doesn't run UGC ads yet?
Yes, but it's harder because you have to sell UGC as a format as well as yourself. Lead with one specific idea and a sample video in their category.
Should I buy a list of brands that hire UGC creators?
We don't recommend relying on one. You can't verify when it was compiled or whether those brands still buy UGC, and everyone who bought it is pitching the same names. The ad libraries show current activity for free.
Sources
- Meta Ad Library tools — Meta Transparency Center
- What is the Meta Ad Library and how do I search it? — Meta Help Center
- About Top Ads — TikTok Business Help Center
- About Creative Center — TikTok Business Help Center
CreatorsUGC publishes this guide. We run a UGC marketplace, so we have an interest in the topic — we link to independent sources for facts and label illustrative examples.