As of October 2026, in my first four months of UGC I pitched about 150 brands by email (10 replied, 5 became deals), got 7 paid jobs worth $2,275 through creator platforms and 3 through Instagram DMs, and made 15 gifted and more than 15 paid videos. Month one was $400 plus seven gifted collabs, month two was my first $1,000, and now a new brand writes to me about every two weeks. I work 4–8 hours a day, at $100–$200 per video on average.
Every UGC “how I made $10k” video skips the boring middle. So here is the boring middle: every number from my first four months, including the ones that don’t look great. If you’re a few weeks in and wondering whether your numbers are normal, compare them to these, not to someone’s best month on TikTok.
The four months at a glance
| What | Number |
|---|---|
| Brands researched | about 350 |
| Brands pitched by email | about 150 |
| Email replies | 10 |
| Deals from cold email | 5 (plus 2 gifted-only offers I turned down) |
| Paid jobs from creator platforms | 7, worth $2,275 |
| Paid jobs from Instagram DMs | 3 |
| Gifted videos | 15 |
| Paid videos | more than 15 |
| Repeat clients | 2 (one has booked me 4 times) |
| Brands now writing to me first | about one every two weeks |
| Hours per day | 4 minimum, often 6–8 |
| Average rate | $100–$200 per video |
Now the story behind each line.
Month one: $400 and seven boxes on my doorstep
I started with 14 Instagram followers and three spec videos of products I already owned (the whole origin story). Month one ended with 7 gifted collabs and 2 paid videos: $100 and $300.
$400 for a month of work is not a salary. But those seven gifted collabs put seven real brand names on my portfolio in four weeks, and that’s what made month two possible. I’d do the gifted-first part again exactly the same way.
Month two: the first $1,000
The portfolio started working. Brands that saw real names on my page took me more seriously, platform campaigns started picking me, and month two was my first $1,000 month. Nothing dramatic changed in my videos. What changed was proof: other brands had trusted me first.
Cold email: 150 pitches, 10 replies
This is the number that hurts. I researched about 350 brands, pitched about 150, and 10 replied. Five became deals. Two more offered gifted only, and by then I said no, because I had enough names and wanted paid work.
That’s roughly one reply per 15 emails. If your reply rate looks like that, you’re not doing it wrong; that’s what cold email looks like for a new creator. What moved it most was emailing a real person instead of info@ (how I find them) and following up (my follow-up emails). Email is still worth it, because the brands you reach directly are the ones that become repeat clients.
Creator platforms: $2,275 from seven jobs
- Insense: $300, $150, $500
- Cohley: $175, $50
- Aspire: about 5 gifted collabs, then $500 and $600
Platforms paid faster than anything else, and the two Aspire jobs are still my biggest single payments. The $50 one I’d skip today, but at the time it was paid experience with a real brand. More on each in UGC platforms for creators.
Instagram DMs: 3 paid jobs
Three paid jobs came from Instagram conversations, mostly with small brands where the founder runs the account. I count this as the most underrated channel: if your Instagram looks like a portfolio, every DM comes with a free preview of your work.
Inbound: the part that changes everything
Around month three, brands started writing to me first. Now it’s about one new brand every two weeks, and some invite me to events. One brand has booked me four times; another came back for a second job.
Not every inbound conversation ends in a deal. A few brands agreed on a paid video, went back and forth on details, and then disappeared before anything was filmed. Nobody has ever failed to pay me after I delivered, but I don’t start filming until the brief and price are in writing.
Hours: this is a real job
UGC is my main job. I work at least four hours a day, and six to eight when briefs stack up. Roughly a third of that is filming, a third editing, a third emails, applications, approvals and invoices.
If you’re doing this next to a full-time job, scale everything above down, and expect month two to look like my month one. That’s fine.
What it pays: a worked example
Here’s how a normal month adds up now, using real rates (not a specific month’s statement):
| Source | Jobs | Typical pay | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct and inbound brands | 5 videos | $150 | $750 |
| Repeat client bundle | 3 videos | $150 | $450 |
| One platform campaign | 1 job | $500 | $500 |
| Total | $1,700 |
On average I’m at $100–$200 per video, and the platform jobs pull the total up. Experienced creators charge a lot more; the ranges are in my rates guide.
What I’d change if I started again
- Join two platforms in week one, not after a month of only emailing.
- Treat Instagram as the portfolio from day one: post every video I make.
- Decide my rate before anyone asks. My first “what are your rates?” was answered in a panic.
- Write the gifted rule down (“brands I’d buy from anyway, portfolio rights in writing”) so I know when to say yes and when to say no.
- Find someone a few months ahead to ask. I did all of this alone, and the hardest part wasn’t the work, it was never knowing whether something was normal.
The nine mistakes that cost me the most are in my beginner UGC mistakes.
If brands are starting to ask what you charge, my fill-in rate card template is the free download at the bottom of this page, with usage rights already built in.
Frequently asked
How much can a new UGC creator make in the first months?
My first month was $400 in cash plus seven gifted collabs, and my second month was $1,000. Results depend mostly on how many brands you pitch and how fast you move from gifted to paid.
How many brands do you need to pitch to get a UGC deal?
In my case about 150 cold emails produced 10 replies and 5 deals. Creator platforms and Instagram DMs brought in more paid work than email did, so use all three.
How many hours a week does UGC take?
For me, at least 20 hours a week and often 30–40, because it's my main job. About a third goes to filming, a third to editing and a third to emails and admin.
I post the actual collabs, behind-the-scenes and what brands reply on Instagram.
Anastasiia, NYC beauty UGC creator since spring 2026, with a stylist background. I make product videos for beauty, wellness, fashion, home and tech brands, and I write about how the business side actually works.
More about me →