After 300+ delivered videos for 150+ European brands (115 of the best are published in my portfolio), I can tell you the least popular truth in UGC: the format decides more than the creator does. A mediocre creator with the right format beats a great creator with the wrong one, because the format determines whether the first two seconds earn attention at all.
I am Benthe, a Dutch UGC creator and co-founder of an international consumer brand. I spend my own money on Meta and TikTok ads, which means I get to see which of my formats survive contact with a real ad account. These are the twelve that keep earning their budget, with the script skeleton for each. You can see most of them in action in my portfolio.
1. Talking-head review
One person, camera at eye level, talking to you like a friend who just found something good. The workhorse of UGC.
Script skeleton: Hook (2s: the problem or a bold claim) → what I tried before → what this does differently → one concrete result → CTA.
When to use it: Best all-rounder. Works cold and warm. If you test only one format, test this one.
2. Problem-solution
Open on the problem in-picture: the stained shirt, the chaotic drawer, the tired morning face. Then the product enters as the fix.
Script skeleton: Show problem (no talking needed) → frustration line → product in action → after-state → CTA.
When to use it: The strongest cold-audience format for products that solve a visible problem.
3. Product demo
The product doing its job, close up, real hands, real home. No fluff.
Script skeleton: One-line promise → demo with 2 or 3 beats → the detail shot that sells it → CTA.
When to use it: Great for kitchen, home and gadgets. I used this for brands like Brabantia and Tomado.
4. Unboxing
First contact with the product: opening the box, first impressions, honest first reaction.
Script skeleton: Arrival → open → first touch and reaction → one surprise detail → verdict.
When to use it: Works for premium packaging and gifting products. Weaker as a pure cold ad, strong organic.
5. Before and after
The transformation format. Show the starting state honestly, then the end state.
Script skeleton: Before (hold it long enough to feel it) → process, compressed → reveal → CTA.
When to use it: Interiors, beauty, cleaning, lighting. My before/after work for Lightexpert and Livom is in the portfolio.
6. POV lifestyle
The product inside a real moment of life, shot first-person or observational. Less selling, more living.
Script skeleton: Scene-setting → product appears naturally → small emotional payoff → soft CTA.
When to use it: Premium and lifestyle brands. This is how furniture and kids brands keep it authentic.
7. Three-hook test
Not a format but a delivery structure: one video body, three different opening seconds.
Script skeleton: Hook A / B / C (2 to 3s each) → same body → same CTA.
When to use it: The cheapest performance upgrade in UGC. Always order hook variations with your video.
8. Comment-reply ad
The video answers a real question or objection, styled like a creator replying to a comment.
Script skeleton: Show the question on screen → direct answer → proof → CTA.
When to use it: Retargeting gold: pick the objection your support inbox hears most. I shot this format for Dreamfully.
9. Founder-style
The person behind the brand tells one honest chapter of the story: why it exists, what went wrong, what changed.
Script skeleton: The moment it started → the struggle → the insight → where it is now → invitation.
When to use it: Builds trust like nothing else. Works because I genuinely am a brand co-founder; audiences smell fake founder stories instantly.
10. ASMR / b-roll
No talking. Textures, sounds, satisfying process shots, strong captions carrying the message.
Script skeleton: Sound-led open → process → text overlay for the message → end card.
When to use it: Beauty, food, home. Also perfect filler between talking formats so a feed does not feel repetitive.
11. Testimonial-style
Like a review, but structured around one specific doubt the buyer had, and how it resolved.
Script skeleton: I almost did not buy because... → what changed my mind → result → who this is for.
When to use it: Strong mid-funnel. More believable than five-star praise because it starts from doubt.
12. Day-in-the-life
A compressed daily routine where the product has a natural slot. The softest sell in the list.
Script skeleton: Morning → the moment the product fits in → rest of the day → loop back.
When to use it: Awareness and organic growth. Pair it with a harder-selling format in the same campaign.
Which format for which funnel stage?
| Funnel stage | First choice | Also strong |
|---|---|---|
| Cold (never heard of you) | Problem-solution | Talking-head, before/after |
| Warm (knows you, has not bought) | Comment-reply | Testimonial-style, demo |
| Retargeting (visited, no purchase) | Testimonial-style | Comment-reply, founder-style |
| Organic / brand building | POV lifestyle | Day-in-the-life, ASMR |
10 hooks you can steal
- "I almost returned this. Then I did one thing differently."
- "Nobody tells you this about [category]."
- "POV: you finally fixed [problem]."
- "I tested the cheap one and the expensive one. Surprise."
- "3 things I wish I knew before buying [category]."
- "This is why your [product] never works."
- "My [partner/kid/dog] is the real reviewer here."
- "Day 30 with [product]. Honest update."
- "The comment section asked, so here it is."
- "Stop scrolling if your [problem] looks like this."
One warning from the media-buying side: a hook that overpromises trains the algorithm on clickers, not buyers. The best hook is the strongest true sentence about your product, not the loudest one.
How to put this to work
- Pick one format matched to your funnel stage from the table above
- Order it with 3 hook variations (the cheapest test you will ever run)
- Let the winner run, then expand the winning message into 2 or 3 other formats
- Refresh hooks before you refresh bodies; fatigue almost always starts in the first two seconds
Frequently asked questions
What is the best UGC format for cold audiences?
Problem-solution and talking-head hooks work best cold, because they earn attention from people who have never heard of the brand. Demos and testimonials perform better on retargeting, where the viewer already knows the product.
How long should a UGC ad be?
15 to 45 seconds for most paid placements. The first 2 seconds decide whether anyone stays; after that, keep one message and one call to action. Longer only works when the format demands it, like a transformation or a mini vlog.
How many formats should I test at once?
Start with one video body and 3 hook variations rather than 3 completely different videos. It is cheaper, and it isolates the variable that matters most: the opening seconds. Once a body wins, expand it into other formats.
Do these formats work outside TikTok?
Yes. All 12 formats run on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Feed and YouTube Shorts. Shoot vertical 9:16 and you can cut placements from the same material.
Benthe Colen creates bilingual (Dutch and English) UGC for EU brands. Watch 115 published examples, read what UGC creators charge in 2026, or learn more about working together.