The balance
Over-edit UGC and it looks like a commercial. Under-edit it and people scroll past before the creator gets to the point. Good UGC editing sits in between: tight, clear, with captions and a few punch-ins, but still a real person talking to their phone.
How we cut creator footage
- Find the best opener. Creators often say the strongest line halfway through. We move it to the front.
- Trim the warm-up. "Hey guys, so..." goes. The first second should already be interesting.
- Show the product. B-roll or a product shot right when it's mentioned, so the viewer sees what's being talked about.
- Native-looking captions. Clean and readable, in a style that fits the platform rather than a heavy template.
- Mix and match. Hooks from one creator, a body from another, a CTA from a third. More combinations to test from the same shoot.
Before you send footage
Make sure you have the creator's permission to use their content in paid ads, on the platforms and for as long as you plan to run them. Send the raw files rather than the creator's own edit, plus your brand kit and any claims your legal team has approved.
Next
See how this fits into a wider testing setup in our ad creative editing guide. Ecommerce brand? Read ecommerce video ads. Then send us a brief.