Freelancing | Social Media

How I Negotiated a UGC Brand Deal for $100 More Than the Original Offer (Case Study & Content Creation Process)

Ask for higher rates. You won’t know it’s possible unless you do.

A larger audience equals more views. Getting my content posted on a brand’s feed (of 267k+ followers) is exciting. My followers were only at ~400 last year, and I’m not the type of content creator who posts every day.

On my social media profile, I post content about arts & crafts, journaling, creativity, and leisure activities in Florida. So the company that discovered me — Sakura of America — was a good fit for me to make content for. As someone who already bought some of their art supplies in the past, I knew they were good quality.

How the company found me on social media

The Artist Relations Manager reached out to me in October 2023.

I came across your Instagram today while looking for crafting posts and love this one.

Would you be interested in guest posting on our Instagram in November or December?

Mind you, I found it surprising that someone noticed an OLD Instagram post from 2018. Five years later, SoA reached out to me, a content creator with a very small following.

It’s interesting how you might think a company is not paying attention if they don’t comment on a post you tagged them in. But you never know; someone might discover you long after the content is published.

Discussing the project deliverables: how much content to provide

According to their artist agreement contract, they required 3 posts. Enough to post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during one week.

For December, I chose to create 1 Instagram carousel (with 3 styled photos) and 2 reels.

The initial UGC brand deal offer vs. my counteroffer response for a higher rate

SoA offered $150 for 3 posts.

After taxes and fees, my profit would be even less.

First, I needed to confirm the intended usage rights. I asked the relations manager if the posts were organic or ad content. Ads are more valuable since investing money behind a boosted post results in higher reach/engagement (and hopefully more sales).

He replied that they intend for all three posts to be organic for their social media channels. With that confirmed, here was my counter:

Considering that the images and videos may be used on other social media platforms too, is it possible to round up the offer to $215?

- $65 for the image carousel (2–3 slides) - $75 for a vertical video - $75 for another vertical video

Note: There might be some holiday props involved to support the aesthetic of the content. In some cases, I shop for items that support seasonal themes.*

To help the posts get more views, I intend to share the content on my Instagram and Facebook stories and pin them on my Pinterest account of course.

Looking forward to hearing what your thoughts are on this.

SoA’s reply:

I just talked to my manager, and we can round up the offer to $250 for you to create the carousel post and two vertical videos.

We would like to have one post feature Gelly Roll Pastels. I can send you a Sakura package of supplies to use for the posts. What is your address?

Can you have the posts ready by November 20?

Are you as surprised as I am? They bumped up the value, which was great. I also knew I could submit my posts before the deadline, so I said yes.

Brainstorming sessions: coming up with holiday post ideas

Any creator will tell you that one of the most exciting parts of UGC is receiving free products in the mail. I was happy to get art supplies that would last beyond the project. I talked about it to supportive friends and family, who thought it was a cool perk.

So when it comes to brainstorming content ideas for your client(s), think of the intended audience behind it all.

SoA’s audience includes both beginner crafters who enjoy journaling and talented artists who are good at drawing and lettering.

I intended to create beginner-friendly projects that are not too complex. Ideas that are easy to replicate and follow. For viewers to feel inspired and not overwhelmed.

Among the products I received, I asked myself these questions for the deliverables:

• Two reels — What can I use with the multi-surface Pen-Touch Paint Markers? Ceramics would look nice. They have a smooth glazed surface, often available in white. Find holiday-themed ceramic décor.
• Carousel image one — How can I approach using the Sakura Gelly Roll Pastel Pens? Decorate gift tags to match pastel gift-wrapped boxes. (But, be careful not to make it look too much like Easter.)
• Carousel image two — How can I approach using the Micron and Watercolor Brush Pens? Doodle on a bullet journal page about a list of stocking stuffer ideas.
• Carousel image three — How should I use the Permapaque Markers? Take a photo of mini gifts wrapped in doodled paper.

Side note: Are you in the artistic mood? If you want to buy Sakura products, you can find a bunch of them here at BLICK Art Materials. (It’s not an affiliate link.)

Shopping for project supplies and decorative props

For the reels, I went to TJ Maxx and picked up a white ceramic house and a snowflake frame ornament. At only $5 each, they were the perfect blank canvases to doodle on with Sakura of America’s paint markers.

You can visit local dollar stores or buy second-hand items to use as props in your footage too. For instance, the white light-up tree and faux felt snow blanket set the scene for a winter X-mas village vibe.

Tips to keep in mind while recording UGC videos and writing Instagram captions

• Don’t show logos of other brands. Products from competitors draw attention away from your client’s products.
• Include branded company and product-named hashtags that your client requires. Add hashtags that relate to the season, audience type, or idea. For example, I used #sakuramarkers, #gelpens, #christmascrafts, #xmasdecorating, and #stockingstufferideas for the posts.
• Depending on the brand’s niche and product type, you don’t always have to be in front of the camera and show your face. In my case — in the arts & crafts industry— the products are the focal point demonstrated in creative projects. For other industries, like fashion retail, creators record themselves wearing the outfits and accessories so viewers can picture how they fit.

Whoops! Mistakes and missed opportunities I should have considered in the brand collaboration

Ladies and gents, do not assume that the brand will take care of video background music. I should have asked beforehand. Because I neglected to do so, one of them was just a silent video! (The views were fine, but I was concerned that people might get confused and think something is wrong with the video if no music plays.)

Perhaps you’re thinking “Well, duh”. I was so focused on other aspects, that I overlooked this part of it.

Some brands only have an Instagram business account. Not having a creator account limits their choices in the app’s music library.

I emailed my contact in SoA and asked if I could resubmit that reel with music. His reply was no; it was fine to leave it as is. In the past, some posts without music still performed well for them.

BUT I did re-do the second reel with royalty-free stock music, so that made me feel better.

I missed another part. I noticed that other creators posted their content on BOTH their accounts and SoA’s account.

I could have boosted my reach if I had done so on mine too. At least I shared the post to my Instagram stories feed though.

In short, if it’s allowed, add the brand as a collaborator during posting. Then your content will be viewable on two accounts at once.

One thing I don’t want to leave out: SoA stated they would send payment after the deliverables were received.

In the creator community, others would advise against that. It may risk being ghosted after putting in the hard work.

Normally, this is the part where it’s wiser to ask for at least half the payment upfront before starting a freelance project.

I didn’t do that, partly because I didn’t want to cause more friction on top of asking for a higher rate and I wanted to wrap things up before starting my part-time seasonal job at the time. (I will have to push past the hesitation of asking for a project deposit with brands going forward.)

Thankfully though, SoA did fulfill the payment in the end. 👍

And now for the UGC analytics results: curious to see the stats?

First, let’s start with the positive feedback!

I’m sharing the reels here so you can view them as UGC examples:

• Ceramic village house project with Sakura Pen-Touch markers
• Ceramic snowflake frame ornament with Pen-Touch markers

I hope this article inspires you to pursue UGC, even for those of you who have a smaller following like me!

Want to know how to make a UGC Portfolio? If you’re just starting in this field, here is the process of how to set one up in Canva.