This year, I did something I had never done before in my business: I hired a whole batch of people to create user-generated content for Retainly.
But instead of looking for polished, full-time UGC creators, we intentionally went to people who were already genuinely using Retainly in their businesses. I wanted content that wasn’t scripted, overly produced, or salesy. I wanted real users talking about their actual experience.
And I still stand by that decision.
But hiring people who don’t create UGC professionally comes with a learning curve.
I learned very quickly that things I thought were obvious (where to look when recording on your phone, how many takes to film, what raw footage to send, and how specific the creative brief needs to be) weren’t obvious at all.
And then, of course, there was the lawyer side of the equation.
Because regardless of whether you’re hiring a professional UGC creator, a micro-influencer, or one of your actual customers to create content for your brand, you need to be VERY clear about the legal terms surrounding that content.
Inside this episode, I cover:
- Why we chose real Retainly users instead of polished professional UGC creators
- Why clarity on the front end made the content we received dramatically more usable
- The simple camera direction that made videos feel warmer and more personal
- Why I started asking creators to record three takes instead of one
- Why continuous raw footage can give a business more hooks, CTAs, and usable clips
- Why casual Instagram Stories became some of the highest-value content we received
- How I approached the initial call and creative strategy with each creator
- Why every UGC relationship should have a written contract
- How to address revision rounds before the creator starts recording
- Why licensing and usage rights need to specify exactly where and how the content can be used
- The difference between purchasing content outright and licensing it for a specific period
- Why the contract should clearly define the term of your usage rights
- Exclusivity, whitelisting, territory, renewals, termination, and kill fees
- Why disclosure requirements for paid, sponsored, affiliate, or gifted content also belong in the contract
Links & Resources
Get the UGC Creator Contract here
Follow Jessi Jean: https://www.instagram.com/jessijeanhome
Additional Links and Resources:
👉 Try Retainly free for 30 days at getretainly.com.
Need 1:1 legal support for your business? https://griffithsuazolaw.com/
Join the TLP Facebook Community, a safe space to ask any questions related to the law or your business: https://tlpfacebook.com/
Visit The Legal Paige for contract templates, blogs, and additional legal resources: https://thelegalpaige.com/
Follow me on Instagram: instragram.com/thelegalpaige
