If you have been wondering how to get started in UGC as a complete beginner you are in the right place. Here is exactly what we are covering.
In this post you will learn:
- What UGC actually is in plain language
- Why women over 40 are genuinely in demand as UGC creators right now
- The exact steps I took to get started from scratch
- How to create your portfolio even with no experience
- Where to find your first UGC opportunities
I scrolled past UGC content for months before I actually stopped to figure out what it was. I kept seeing creators talking about brand deals and free products and paid campaigns and I honestly thought it was not for me. It sounded like something for people with big followings and ring lights and a whole setup I did not have.
Then I started digging. And what I found changed the direction of everything I am building.
If you have been curious about UGC but have no idea where to start this post is for you. I am going to walk you through exactly what it is, why it is genuinely one of the best opportunities for women over 40 right now, and the steps I took to get started from zero.
So What Exactly is UGC?
UGC stands for User Generated Content. It is content you create to promote a brand’s product or service. Photos, videos, written reviews. The brand pays you to create it and then uses it in their own marketing. On their social media pages, in their ads, on their website.
Here is the part that surprised me. The content you create does not live on your account. It lives on theirs. That means you do not need a following. You do not need thousands of people watching your videos. The brand is not paying for your audience. They are paying for your authentic voice and your honest experience with their product.
There are two ways brands use UGC content. The first is organic content which means your video gets posted directly on their social media feed. The second is paid ads which means your video gets used as an advertisement and shows up across social media platforms to reach a wider audience. Paid ad content typically pays more and is something to work toward as you build your portfolio.
Why women over 40 are in demand right now
This is the part I want you to really hear because it matters.
Women over 40 are in high demand as UGC creators right now because brands want content that feels authentic to their real buyers, and their real buyers are often 35 to 65 year old women. Companies are moving away from relying solely on young influencer style creators. They want everyday women who can speak credibly about products in areas like skincare, wellness, lifestyle, finance, and family. Our life experience and the trust we carry are major assets to brands that know their audience.
Follower count matters far less for UGC than it does for traditional influencing. That means women over 40 can land paid projects with a small or even no personal audience as long as they create clear, honest, relatable content. A straightforward phone shot testimonial from a real woman is often more effective for a brand than a polished production from someone half her age.
It is not too late to start. In many niches our age is the selling point, not the obstacle.
The steps I took to get started
Step 1 — Do your research first
I used AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to ask questions about UGC and understand how it worked. Then I went to Instagram, TikTok, and X and searched UGC, UGC content, and UGC examples. I studied creators. I watched their videos, listened to their tips, paid attention to how they pitched themselves to brands and how they edited their content.
Do not skip this step. Seriously. After doing your research you might decide UGC is not for you and that is a completely valid outcome. Better to know before you invest time building a portfolio than after.
Step 2 — Decide on your niche
Your niche is simply the type of content you want to create and the brands you want to work with. Wellness, fitness, beauty, pets, parenting, home, food. The list goes on. I chose wellness, fitness, and lifestyle because those are the areas I live in every day and the products I already use and genuinely believe in.
Pick something you actually know and care about. Your credibility comes through when you talk about something real to you and brands can tell the difference.
Step 3 — Create example videos with products you already own
You do not need to wait for a brand to send you something. Grab products you already use and love and start creating. Aim for three to five example videos that show different styles of content. A pitch video introducing yourself and what you offer. A testimonial video. A talking head. A green screen video. A b-roll clip with a voiceover.
These do not need to be perfect. They need to be genuine, clear, and well lit. Natural window light and your phone camera are enough to get started.
Step 4 — Build your portfolio
Your portfolio is how you show brands what you can do before they hire you. Think of it as your UGC resume. The free version of Canva is all you need to build one and when you create it make sure you use the website format not the presentation format. That gives you a shareable link you can send directly to brands.
Your portfolio should include a cover page with your name and contact details, an about me page where I would include your pitch video and a short paragraph about yourself, your example videos and any photo content, and a final page outlining what you offer and how brands can work with you.
Step 5 — Set up a dedicated business email and fresh social media pages
Keep your UGC business separate from your personal life from the start. Create a professional email address specifically for brand communications. Set up new social media pages if you plan to post your work publicly so brands can see your content style even if your following is small.
Step 6 — Start applying on UGC platforms
Once your portfolio is ready it is time to start applying for actual campaigns. There are a lot of platforms out there and not all of them are worth your time as a beginner. I have personally signed up for and spent real time on several of them and I have strong opinions about which ones are actually worth starting with.
I cover my full honest breakdown of UGC platforms in a separate post because it deserves its own space. What I will say now is start with one to three platforms and take time to understand how they work, and get your first completed campaign before you spread yourself across multiple apps or websites at once.
My first completed campaign was a text review for Lume deodorant through Cohley. It was not a big paid video deal. It was a text review. And it was enough to get me started, build my activity on the platform, and prove to myself that this was actually possible. You can read the full story of how that happened here.
One last thing before you start
UGC is not a get rich quick income stream. I want to be honest with you about that because you deserve a real picture of what you are getting into. It takes time to build your portfolio, get comfortable on the platforms, and start landing campaigns consistently. There will be applications that get ignored. That is part of the process for everyone starting out.
What it is, is a real and legitimate way to earn income online without a following, without a tech background, and without starting from anything other than products you already own and a willingness to show up on camera. For a woman over 40 who is building something new that is a genuinely low barrier entry point worth taking seriously.
I am documenting every step of my UGC journey in real time right here on the blog. Follow along and you will see exactly what works, what does not, and what it actually looks like to build this from scratch at 54.
All the best,
Antoinette