Module 19

Creators, UGC and video ads

13 lessons, 56 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: you can find and sign creators and run partnership ads (ads from a creator's own account). You can build an affiliate program that does not clash with your own offers. You can also make video ads that stop the scroll. You will learn to write hooks and scripts, pick formats, film and edit. You will also brief creators so they deliver what you need the first time.

In plain words

Stage: Attract (get seen by people who want what you sell). Every lesson below is tagged with its stage; see Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: How to work with creators and make video ads people watch.

Why it matters: Real people showing your product often sell better than polished brand ads.

Do this:

Find 3 small creators who already like your kind of product.

Send a short brief: the problem, the product, the opening line ideas.

Run their best video as a partnership ad and compare cost per sale.

Words to know:

Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.

UGC: Photos and videos made by real customers or creators instead of the brand.

Partnership ad: An ad that uses a creator's post or handle, so people see their name with yours. TikTok calls these Spark Ads.

Hook: The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 19.1: Why other people's faces sell your productAttract

In short

People trust people more than brands.

Do this now

Step 1: Read the four ways to work with creators in the table below.

Why this matters

People trust people more than brands. When someone like your customer explains why they switched, it feels more real than a brand praising itself. It also gives ad platforms the mix of ages, styles and reasons they need to find new buyers. UGC (user-generated content) means photos and videos made by customers or creators instead of the brand.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Read the four ways to work with creators in the table below. They are gifting, paid UGC, influencer or partnership, and affiliate.

Expected result

You know what each costs and what you get.

Tips

UGC: Photos and videos made by real customers or creators instead of the brand.

Good to know

Four ways to work with creators:

Way	What you give	What you get	Best when
Gifting	Free product	Maybe a post (not promised), sometimes raw video	You are early, the budget is low, or you are testing if they fit
Paid UGC	A fee per video (plus product)	Raw videos you own and can use in ads. They do not have to post.	You need lots of ad videos
Influencer or partnership	A fee, commission, or both	Posts to their audience, plus permission to run ads from their account	Their audience is engaged and matches your customers
Affiliate	Commission on each sale, and a discount code	Regular posts, often from many small creators	Products people buy again, with good margins

Lesson 19.2: Finding the right creatorsAttract

In short

Fit matters more than follower count.

Do this now

Step 1: Search your own tags and mentions on Instagram and TikTok for customers who already post about you.

Why this matters

Fit matters more than follower count. A creator with 4,000 engaged followers who already talks about your kind of product beats a 400,000-follower lifestyle account.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Search your own tags and mentions on Instagram and TikTok for customers who already post about you.

Expected result

You have a list of warm creator leads.

Tips

Want to click along? Use the campaign builder.

Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.

Lesson 19.3: Outreach and onboardingAttract

In short

Good outreach is personal, offers product first and makes the ongoing money clear early.

Do this now

Step 1: Send a personal first message that mentions a specific video of theirs (template below).

Why this matters

Good outreach is personal, offers product first and makes the ongoing money clear early. Creator videos can take several weeks to arrive, so start early.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Send a personal first message that mentions a specific video of theirs (template below).

Expected result

Each message names something they made.

Good to know

Hi [name], I loved your video about [specific thing]. We make [product], built for people who [problem]. I think your audience would get a lot from it. Could I send you one to try, no strings attached? If you like it, we would love to talk about a paid collaboration and our affiliate program.

Lesson 19.4: Deals, rates and usage rightsAttract

In short

Clear terms prevent disputes and let you use content the way you planned.

Do this now

Step 1: For each creator, agree the seven terms in the table below.

Why this matters

Clear terms prevent disputes and let you use content the way you planned. Seven terms cover every creator deal.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

For each creator, agree the seven terms in the table below. They are deliverables, usage rights, exclusivity, partnership ad access, payment, changes and disclosure.

Expected result

Every term has an agreed answer.

Tips

Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
Usage rights: Permission to use a creator's content in a stated place (such as paid ads) for a stated time.
Partnership ad: An ad that uses a creator's post or handle, so people see their name with yours. TikTok calls these Spark Ads.

Good to know

Term	What to agree	A typical starting point
What they deliver	Number of videos, length, raw files, hooks	1 video plus 3 different hooks
Usage rights	Where and for how long you can run their video as an ad	3 to 12 months of paid use
Exclusivity	No posts for competitors for a set time	Only if you pay extra for it
Partnership ad access	Permission to run ads from their account	Agreed in writing, for a set time
Payment	A fee, product, commission, or a mix	Small creators often start with product plus a modest fee
Changes	How many rounds of edits	1 round
Disclosure	A "Paid partnership" label plus #ad, easy to see	Required by law for paid or gifted posts (see FTC Disclosures 101, ACCC influencer guidance and the UK ASA influencers' guide)

Lesson 19.5: Affiliate programmes that do not cannibalise youAttract

In short

An affiliate earns a commission on each sale they bring.

Do this now

Step 1: Set up a sample offer.

Why this matters

An affiliate earns a commission on each sale they bring. Cannibalising means your own offers steal the sale from them, and when that happens creators stop posting.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Set up a sample offer. For example: 10% off for the creator's audience, and 15% commission on orders over $100 from new customers.

Expected result

The offer is live in your affiliate app.

Tips

Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.

Lesson 19.6: Partnership ads (whitelisting)Attract

In short

Partnership ads (also called whitelisting) are paid ads that run from a creator 's account.

Do this now

Step 1: Ask the creator's permission in writing and agree how long it lasts.

Why this matters

Partnership ads (also called whitelisting) are paid ads that run from a creator's account. They do not run from your brand page. People see a familiar person, not an ad. Meta reports they can lower cost per purchase when mixed in with your normal ads. Treat that as a reason to test, not a promise.

Step 1 of 90 of 9 done

Ask the creator's permission in writing and agree how long it lasts.

Expected result

You have written permission with an end date.

Tips

Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.

Lesson 19.7: Video ad formatsAttract

In short

The format is how a video tells its story: testimonial, demo, comparison and more.

Do this now

Step 1: Label each live video ad with its format from the table below.

Why this matters

The format is how a video tells its story: testimonial, demo, comparison and more. A healthy account has several formats live at once, matched to how well people know you.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Label each live video ad with its format from the table below.

Expected result

You can see your current mix.

Good to know

Format	What it looks like	Best for
Talking to camera (testimonial)	Creator talks to camera: the problem, the switch, the result	Cold audiences who know the problem
Problem then solution	Show the pain, then the product fixing it	Cold audiences
Demo or how-to	Hands and product, step by step	People comparing options; products that need explaining
Unboxing	First impressions, what is in the box	Gifts, premium feel
Before and after	A visible change (follow platform rules)	Products with visible results
Comparison	You versus the usual option, side by side	Crowded categories
Listicle	"4 reasons I switched"	Explaining several benefits
Founder story	Why we made it	Trust, launches, higher prices
Myth busting	"You have been told X. Here's the truth"	Buyers who research a lot
Street or customer interview	Real reactions	Social proof
Day in the life	The product inside a daily routine	Lifestyle products
Reaction or stitch	Replying to a comment or a one-star review	Answering objections
Still image and carousel	An image with a bold claim, review or offer	Warm audiences, sales, catalog

Lesson 19.8: Hooks that win the first three secondsAttract

In short

Every video has two hooks working together in the first 3 seconds.

Do this now

Step 1: Collect hook ideas from customer reviews, support emails and competitors' one and two star reviews.

Why this matters

Every video has two hooks working together in the first 3 seconds. One is what you see (the visual hook). The other is the first sentence (the spoken hook). They do not have to say the same thing. Hooks are what you test most.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Collect hook ideas from customer reviews, support emails and competitors' one and two star reviews.

Expected result

You have a hook bank of 10 or more ideas.

Tips

Hook: The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.

Lesson 19.9: ScriptingAttract

In short

A script turns a hook into a sale.

Do this now

Step 1: Draft your script in the five parts in the table below.

Why this matters

A script turns a hook into a sale. A simple five-part structure for 20 to 45 seconds works for most products, and rotating script ideas keeps ads fresh.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Draft your script in the five parts in the table below. They are the hook, the problem or setting, product and proof, answering a worry, and the call to action.

Expected result

You have a 20 to 45 second script.

Tips

Hook: The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.

Good to know

A simple structure for a 20 to 45 second video:

Part	Seconds	Its job
Hook	0 to 3	Stop the scroll
Problem or setting	3 to 8	Make viewers think "that's me"
Product and proof	8 to 25	How it works, why it is different, the evidence
Answer a worry	25 to 35	Price, quality, fit or delivery
Call to action	Last 3 to 5	What to do, and why now

Lesson 19.10: Shooting on a phoneAttract

In short

A phone is enough to shoot ads that work.

Do this now

Step 1: Face a window for natural light, and avoid overhead light only.

Why this matters

A phone is enough to shoot ads that work. Light, sound and extra shots matter more than gear.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Face a window for natural light, and avoid overhead light only.

Expected result

The face is evenly lit with no harsh shadows.

Lesson 19.11: Editing for performanceAttract

In short

Editing decides whether people watch past 3 seconds.

Do this now

Step 1: Cut every 1 to 2 seconds at the start and remove pauses and filler words.

Why this matters

Editing decides whether people watch past 3 seconds. Fast cuts, captions and several hook versions are what lift results.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Cut every 1 to 2 seconds at the start and remove pauses and filler words.

Expected result

The opening moves fast.

Lesson 19.12: The UGC briefAttract

In short

A clear brief is the difference between videos you can use and wasted product.

Do this now

Step 1: Copy the brief below and fill in brand, product, link, who you are and who it is for.

Why this matters

A clear brief is the difference between videos you can use and wasted product. Send this one-page brief to every creator before they film.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Copy the brief below and fill in brand, product, link, who you are and who it is for.

Expected result

The top of the brief is complete.

Good to know

UGC BRIEF
Brand: ______  Product: ______  Link: ______
Who we are (2 lines): ______
Who it's for: age ___, situation ___, the problem they feel ___
Goal of this video: [cold ad | warm ad | free post | sale]
Key message (one sentence): ______
Proof points to mention: 1) ___ 2) ___ 3) ___
Must say: ______   Must not say or claim: ______
Format: [talking to camera | demo | unboxing | listicle | other]
Hooks to film (film each one separately):
  1) ______
  2) ______
  3) ______
Script outline: hook / problem / product + proof / answer a worry / call to action
Call to action: ______  Offer or code: ______
Deliverables: ___ videos, ___ seconds, 9:16, raw files + edited, captions [Y/N]
Extra shots (B-roll) list: ______
Do: natural light, clear audio, show the product in the first 5 seconds
Don't: competitors' logos, copyrighted music, claims you cannot prove
Usage rights: paid ads for ___ months; partnership ad access [Y/N]
Deadline: ______   Payment: ______   Disclosure: required
Examples we love: [links]

Lesson 19.13: Make new ads every week, on a scheduleAttract

In short

A weekly ad-making habit is a steady weekly supply of new ads.

Do this now

Step 1: Aim for 4 to 8 new ads a week at small to medium spend.

Why this matters

A weekly ad-making habit is a steady weekly supply of new ads. Accounts that keep winning are the ones that never run out of fresh, well-briefed creative.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Aim for 4 to 8 new ads a week at small to medium spend. Make more as spend grows.

Expected result

You have a weekly creative target.

Tips

Creative: The ad itself: the picture or video plus the words.

Self-check

A creator's code gives 10% off but your pop-up gives 15%. What happens, and how do you fix it?
What are the two hooks in every video?
Your video gets lots of views but few sales. Name two likely causes.
When should you pay a creator a fee instead of only sending free product?
Where do partnership ads belong in your ad account?

Answers

Shoppers use the bigger public code, so the creator earns nothing and stops posting. Match the offers, or give creators something only they can offer.
The visual hook and the spoken hook.
A weak or missing call to action, or a hook that attracts people who will not buy. Also check the landing page matches the ad.
Once their content has tested well, or when you need raw footage, hooks and usage rights by a deadline.
Inside your normal sales campaigns as a batch of ads, judged by the same rules as other ads.

Words to know in this module

UGC: Photos and videos made by real customers or creators instead of the brand.
Partnership ad: An ad that uses a creator's post or handle, so people see their name with yours. TikTok calls these Spark Ads.
Creative: The ad itself: the picture or video plus the words.
CPA: Cost per acquisition: how much ad money it took to get one sale.
Creator: A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
Hook: The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.
Usage rights: Permission to use a creator's content in a stated place (such as paid ads) for a stated time.
Break-even CPA: The most you can pay in ads for one sale before that sale stops making money.
Pop-up: A box on your site that asks visitors for their email, often with a small reward.
Bundle: Two or more products sold together, often with a small saving.
Campaign: The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.
Hook rate: Out of everyone who saw your video ad, the share who watched at least 3 seconds. Meta has no built-in column, so you add it as a custom metric.
Landing page: The page someone lands on after clicking an ad.
Angle: The reason to buy that an ad focuses on, like saving time or looking good.

All words to know