r/creative_advertising

One thing I've learned from managing UGC programs is that most creators completely misunderstand what brands are actually buying.

A lot of creators pitch us like they're selling a piece of art, for example, one polished video for $400.

The reality is that, especially for apps and tech companies, we're usually looking for something else. We're looking for creators who can consistently produce native content at scale.

If someone can:

• reliably deliver multiple videos every week,
• follow a proven format, test new hooks,
• hit deadlines without constant back-and-forth

They're infinitely more valuable to us than someone who creates one amazing video every few weeks.

The funny thing is, creators often assume this work pays less because the price per video is lower.

But when you're on a retainer producing content consistently, the numbers add up very quickly.

• For example, we pay a creator $20 per video, and they produce 100 videos in a month, that's a $2,000 base payout. Then we layer on performance bonuses for videos that hit certain view milestones. The creator gets predictable income with upside, and we get 100 opportunities to find winning content instead of betting everything on a handful of expensive videos. That's a much easier investment to justify.

And I know a lot of people are probably thinking, "there's no way someone can make 100 videos in a month", but they absolutely can.

The reason is that these aren't highly produced ads that take days to create. They're short-form videos built around simple formats. Once creators understand what works, they're not starting from zero every time. They're testing different hooks, angles, and variations of proven concepts.

Because the content is short and native, filming and editing can be done quickly, which makes producing high volume possible.

Looking to build a solid reading list around design, advertising, creative leadership, art direction, creative strategy, branding, and AI in the creative process.

What books have genuinely changed the way you think or work? Could be classics, hidden gems, or newer releases.

I’d love recommendations from creatives, art directors, designers, strategists, and copywriters.

P.S. I’ve been working in advertising and design for about 8 years (art direction/creative), so I’m not looking for beginner-level books.

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If you're running a creator program for a tech company (apps, AI, SaaS, software, etc.), the best setup is Canvas UGC + Tech UGC + High-volume UGC.

1. Canvas UGC is about where the content gets posted.
2. Tech UGC is just because you're selling a tech product.
3. High-volume UGC is about how you run the program: lots of creators, lots of videos, and constant testing of different hooks and ideas.

And companies outside of tech can still use Canvas UGC and High-Volume UGC. Those models aren't tied to software or apps; they're about how content is distributed and how creator programs are scaled.

So I don't really see these as three completely different models. It feels more like different pieces that fit together depending on the type of brand.

Does anyone else see it this way?

I don't think views are enough to tell you if a UGC campaign is actually doing well. Of course, views are important, if no one watches the videos, nothing else matters.

But after running bigger creator programs, views aren't the metric that tells you whether the campaign is actually working.

What I care about more is whether the campaign is becoming more efficient.

Are we testing enough creators? Are we finding better hooks? Are new videos performing better than the ones from last month? Is our CPM going down as we learn what works?

To me, that's a much healthier way to look at a campaign than celebrating one video that gets a million views. A good creator program should keep improving over time, and every batch of videos should teach you something, so the next batch performs even better.

That's why I spend more time looking at campaign-level metrics than individual videos now. Curious if anyone else thinks about it this way, or if you still mainly judge campaigns by views.

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I’m looking to interview women who currently work (or have worked) in fields such as:
Social media management/strategy
Public relations (PR)
Advertising
Brand marketing
Influencer marketing
Content strategy
Digital marketing
Creative direction
The goal of this research is to understand:
• What working in SPAM is really like behind the scenes
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• Advice for young women interested in entering this field
The interview will be a written Google forms interview with questions you can answer at your own convenience. It should take approximately 15–30 minutes.
Important: This is an independent research project, and participation is unpaid. I completely understand that your time is valuable, and I truly appreciate anyone willing to share their experiences and insights.
With your permission, selected responses may be quoted in my final Substack article. You can choose whether you would like to be credited by name or remain anonymous.
If you’re interested in participating, please comment below or send me a DM. I would love to hear your career story and perspective.
Thank you so much! ❤️