
Your UGC is gorgeous. Professional lighting, perfect angles, beautiful backgrounds.
It's also performing like garbage.
Here's why: You optimized for aesthetics instead of psychology.
The Pretty Content Trap
Most brands brief creators like they're shooting for Instagram:
"Make it look aspirational"
"Show the lifestyle"
"Keep it on-brand"
But converting UGC isn't about looking good. It's about feeling real.
What Actually Drives UGC Performance
🎯 Authentic Problem-Solution Narrative Not: "Look how amazing my life is with this product" But: "Here's the specific problem this solved for me"
🎯 Relatable Imperfection Not: Perfect lighting and staging But: Real environments where people actually use your product
🎯 Specific Outcomes Over General Benefits Not: "This changed my life" But: "This saved me 30 minutes every morning"

A successful UGC ad from Native, where a user shares how their deodorant held up after 2 hours in the gym.
The UGC Brief That Converts
Instead of asking for "authentic content," try this:
"Show me the exact moment you realized this product worked. What were you doing? What changed? What would you tell someone who's skeptical?"
Performance Indicators
High-converting UGC typically has:
Lower production value but higher emotional resonance
Specific, measurable outcomes mentioned
Clear before/after or problem/solution structure
Creator talking TO someone, not AT the camera
The Reality Check
If your UGC could work for any brand in your category, it's not specific enough.
The best UGC feels like a friend texting you about something that actually worked.