Launching Your First UGC Campaign

What is a UGC campaign?

A campaign is a distribution job. You provide the creative asset (video, image, or music promo), a budget, and the instructions. Creators on the network broadcast your content to their audiences. You pay per verified view (CPM) or per post (flat rate).

Step 1 – Choose your campaign type

Before filling in your brief, decide which distribution model fits your goal:

• Standard (link-based) - creators post on TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, or Telegram Channels and submit a public post URL. You can pay CPM (per 1,000 verified views) or flat rate per post. View tracking is automated or manual.
• WhatsApp Status / Snapchat Spotlight (screenshot-proof) - creators post to their personal WhatsApp Status or Snapchat Spotlight. No public URL exists; views are verified by screenshot after a waiting period. These campaigns are always flat rate and must be set up as standalone campaigns - they cannot be combined with TikTok, Instagram, or other link-based platforms in the same campaign.

Not sure which to pick? Standard link-based campaigns are a great starting point. WhatsApp Status and Snapchat Spotlight are powerful when you want to reach personal contact networks in African markets where these platforms dominate daily content consumption.

Step 2 – Create a draft

Go to Create. Fill in:

• Title - a brief internal label (not shown to creators).
• Campaign type - Standard Video, Music Promo, WhatsApp Status, Snapchat Spotlight, etc.
• Target platforms - select which platforms creators should post to. Leaving platform selection empty defaults to all link-based platforms; WhatsApp and Snapchat require explicit selection and form their own standalone campaign.
• Assets - upload the creative files creators will broadcast. For WhatsApp Status, provide a clear image or short video optimised for mobile portrait format.
• Caption template - the caption you'd like creators to use (they adapt it to their voice).
• Required hashtags - include #ad and any brand-specific tags. The platform adds #ad automatically if omitted.
• Broadcast instructions - specific guidance (e.g. "include the tracking link in your Status caption", "keep your Status live until proof is approved").
• Conversion URL (optional) - a destination link your creators include in their Status captions for click tracking. Supported on WhatsApp Status campaigns when conversion tracking is enabled.

Step 3 – Set payout and budget

• For standard campaigns: choose CPM or Flat. Set your total budget and max slots.
• For WhatsApp Status / Snapchat Spotlight: Flat rate is mandatory. Set a flat fee per creator slot. This is what each creator earns when their slot is approved after view-proof review.
• Use the Reach Estimate tool to see projected creator count for your budget.

Optional: tiered flat-rate payouts

On a Flat-payout campaign, you can optionally set a view-count tier ladder instead of paying every creator the full flat fee regardless of reach. For example: under 500 verified views pays 50% of your flat fee, 500+ pays the full 100%. This rewards creators who drive more genuine reach without raising your per-slot cost cap - the flat fee you set is always the maximum, never the minimum. Tiers require verified views at approval time, so pair them with campaigns where you (or your creators) can supply a reliable view count. This is an opt-in feature - leave it off to keep paying every approved slot the full flat fee, as before.

Step 4 – Submit for review

Submit your draft. Our team reviews campaigns for policy compliance. Most campaigns are reviewed within a few hours.

Step 5 – Fund and go live

Once approved, fund your campaign from your wallet or via a payment link. The campaign goes live immediately after funding and creators can start reserving slots.

New to UGC? Create your advertiser account and launch your first campaign today.