To find UGC creators that can scale, do not start with follower count. Start with product fit, camera clarity, consistency, audience match, market relevance, and the creator's ability to follow a brief while sounding natural. The best creators are not always the biggest creators.
They are the ones who help your brand test useful content repeatedly.
The Short Answer
A scalable UGC creator is not just someone who can make one good video. A scalable creator can:
- Understand the product
- Explain it clearly
- Film consistently
- Follow a brief
- Bring a natural delivery style
- Match the target market
- Adapt based on feedback
- Produce content that can become paid creative
If you only source for aesthetics, you may get nice videos. If you source for creative testing, you get learning.
Why Follower Count Is the Wrong Starting Point
Follower count matters for influencer marketing. It matters less for UGC. In UGC, the creator's job is to make useful content.
They do not need to bring a large audience if the brand plans to use the video on brand channels, creator-operated accounts, or paid ads. For 8x, the question is not: "Who has the biggest following?" The question is: "Who can help this product get understood, tested, and scaled through short-form video?"
What to Look For
Product Clarity
The creator should be able to explain the product quickly. For consumer apps, this means showing:
- What the app does
- When someone would use it
- What problem it solves
- What makes it worth trying
For DTC brands, this means showing:
- What the product is
- How it is used
- Why someone would care
- What objection the buyer might have
Camera Confidence
The creator does not need to be polished. They need to be watchable. Look for:
- Clear speech
- Natural expression
- Good lighting
- Clean audio
- Comfortable pacing
- Ability to hold attention
Consistency
A creator who can deliver one good video is useful. A creator who can deliver consistently is scalable. Consistency matters because a real UGC program tests many hooks and formats over time.
Market Fit
If your app targets students in Germany, creators in the US may not give you the right signal. If your DTC product sells in the UK, local creators may understand the language, references, and buyer expectations better. This is why 8x treats creator sourcing as market-specific when needed.
Brief Fit
Some creators are talented but hard to manage. A scalable creator can take direction without becoming robotic. They understand the product context and still make the content feel native.
Where Brands Usually Go Wrong
They Hire for Looks Instead of Use Case
Good UGC is not a casting exercise only. The creator needs to make the product make sense.
They Source Too Few Creators
One creator cannot tell you enough. Different creators reveal different angles. Volume creates better learning.
They Skip QA
UGC can feel casual, but product claims still need review.
They Do Not Track Creator Performance
If you do not track creator-level results, you cannot know who to keep, rotate, or scale.
How 8x Finds Creators
8x recruits creators for the brand's target markets and product needs. The goal is not to find random UGC talent. The goal is to build a creator network that can produce useful content repeatedly.
That can mean:
- Local creators for specific markets
- Creators comfortable on camera
- Creators who match the buyer
- Creators who can post through dedicated accounts
- Creators who can test different hooks and formats
The client provides product context and approves key inputs. 8x manages the creator operations.
Example: Consumer App
A language learning app should not only look for "education creators." It might test:
- Students
- Travelers
- Young professionals
- Creators learning a new language
- Creators in target countries
- Creators with strong routine content
The goal is to learn which user story works.
Example: DTC Brand
A wellness product might test:
- Routine creators
- Fitness creators
- Lifestyle creators
- Parent creators
- Local market creators
- Product-demo creators
The best creator is the one who makes the product feel easy to understand and worth trying.
