In short
- Brands prioritise the style and communication skills of the UGC creator over price and sociodemographic profile.
- Brands generally use UGC content on their own channels, not creators on their social media.
- To secure recurring work, it’s important to understand the brand’s tone, communicate naturally, and take care with editing.
In this article
I’m Miguel, co-founder of HICARI, and this is mainly aimed at UGC creators who are just starting out in UGC or have been doing it for a while and aren’t quite sure what to focus on to attract more brands. Because there’s a widespread and mistaken idea about what makes a brand choose a creator. And the data from the I UGC Study Spain makes it quite clear.
Other summaries of the 2026 UGC Study:
First things first: UGC isn’t for you to publish yourself
Before getting into what brands are looking for, here’s a platform statistic that will change your perspective if you still think of UGC as “content for my profile”: less than 10% of the requests we manage at HICARI are for creators to publish on their own social media.
The rest—the vast majority—is content that the brand receives and uses on its own channels: owned social media, ads, and website. This means something important for you: you aren’t being hired because of your audience. You’re being hired for what you can do in front of a camera. And that completely changes what you should be prioritizing on your profile.
What a brand really looks at (and what it barely looks at)
We asked brands directly what they value most in a UGC creator. Here’s what they said:
- Style and how they communicate: 95%
- Editing quality: 68%
- Price: 21%
- Sociodemographic profile (age, gender, location…): 16%
Style and editing quality account for practically the entire decision. Sociodemographic profile—which many creators believe is the first thing brands look at, as if it were an influencer casting—barely carries any weight. And price, which can feel so daunting when you’re starting out and don’t know what to charge, matters even less.
In simple terms: you aren’t hired for who you are. You’re hired for how you communicate and how you edit.
Why brands get frustrated with UGC (and how to avoid being the reason)
When we asked brands about their biggest challenge with UGC, 79% pointed to content quality or finding the right creator. And here’s the interesting part: in practice, these are the same problem. A creator who is poorly matched with a brand almost never produces good content, no matter how talented they are—the match matters just as much as the skill.
If you want to be hired again, it’s not just about recording well. It’s about understanding the brand’s tone, adapting the way you communicate to what they need, and not forcing your personal style over the message they’re asking you to convey. Brands aren’t looking for a creator who “is completely themselves” at all costs; they’re looking for someone who knows how to communicate their message naturally.
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How brands are finding you, creators
In case it helps you understand where to focus your efforts:
- Platforms such as HICARI: 84%
- Direct contact with creators: 58%
- Through marketing agencies: 16%
Most combine platforms and direct contact. In other words, although they find new creators through platforms, once they’ve worked successfully with someone, they tend to go back to them directly. Consistency and doing a great job the first time matter more than anything else when it comes to securing recurring work.
About AI: no, it won’t take your work away
We also asked from the brand’s perspective: do you think AI-generated video will replace human creators? None of the brands surveyed believe it will. 68% think AI will complement UGC, not compete with it. That makes sense: if what you’re buying is someone who knows how to communicate authentically, that’s precisely what an AI-generated video still can’t offer.
If you’re starting out in UGC (see UGC video examples) or want to improve your hiring rate, forget trying to fit into a specific demographic profile or competing on price alone. Focus on two things: communicating well and taking care with editing. By far, those are the factors that weigh most heavily in a brand’s decision, and they’re the only things on the list that depend entirely on you.
If you want to see the rest of the study’s data, real prices, performance, and how brands in Spain buy UGC, here’s the full report:
HICARI · UGC Study 2026 Download the complete study, free of charge 1,012 real platform requests and a survey of leading brands such as Iberdrola, Flexicar, MasterD, and Impress, all in one report. Download the study for free →
Frequently asked questions
What do brands value most when choosing a UGC creator?
95% value the creator’s style and communication skills, while editing quality also carries significant weight. Price and sociodemographic profile have considerably less influence.
Where do brands find UGC creators?
Platforms such as HICARI are the most common route, followed by direct contact with creators. Brands also turn to marketing agencies, although less frequently.
Will artificial intelligence replace UGC creators?
None of the brands surveyed believe that AI-generated video will replace human creators. 68% think AI will complement UGC, not compete with it.
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