Taylor Lagasse on The Bottom Line offers the most useful framework for this problem: comparing actual influencer marketing to content from UGC platforms. The core idea is that an influencer has proven their content resonates on a given platform by building an audience. A creator on a platform, by contrast, may just be someone looking to make some quick money with their phone.
Applying this framework starts with changing your search. Instead of looking for a platform, you look for people. As Taylor points out in "Ep #010: User-generated Content: How To Get Authentic Content for Your Brand," these platforms are transactional marketplaces full of people who aren’t typically actual users of your product. He roasts his own fiancée for being on them just to earn extra cash, which tells you everything you need to know about the creator’s motivation. His co-host Cody Wittig puts the word “vetted” in air quotes for a reason. The bar for entry is often just having a phone and a pulse. When you seed product to a hundred of these creators, you might get one or two usable videos. When you seed to a hundred micro-influencers who you’ve found in the wild, your hit rate will be exponentially higher.
So, the first step is to treat creator discovery like customer research. Go on TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter and find people who are already making content in your category. Danil Saliukov mentioned on Ecommerce Coffee Break that he just goes to Twitter and searches for UGC creators directly. You’re looking for someone whose personal brand and aesthetic align with yours. Do their videos capture your attention in the first three seconds? That’s a key part of the 24-point vetting system mentioned on an episode of The Bottom Line. You can build your own, simpler version of this. Look at their portfolio. If they