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UGC Community #62
Make Big Money with UGC: The Contrarian's Path
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📧 UGC Community #62 | September 16, 2025
Let's talk about the number that gets thrown around in UGC circles: $20,000 per month.
For many, it sounds like an impossible, mythical figure. But for the top 1% of creators, it's a consistent reality. How do they do it?
Here’s the contrarian truth: They aren't making 100+ videos a month. They aren't working 80-hour weeks. They simply stopped trading their time for money. They stopped being a freelancer and started being a business owner.
This week, we're breaking down the math and the mindset required to build a business that can scale to $20k/month and beyond.
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[THE DEEP DIVE]
The Contrarian's Path to a Making Big Money with UGC
First, let's look at the math. There are two ways to make $20,000.
The Freelancer Path (The Hard Way): 133 videos at $150/video. This is a direct path to burnout. It's physically impossible to maintain this volume and quality.
The Business Owner Path (The Smart Way): 4 clients on a $5,000/month retainer. This is not only achievable; it's sustainable.
The entire secret to scaling quickly is to stop selling videos and start selling retainers.
What is a $5,000/Month Retainer?
A retainer isn't just a big pile of videos. It's a high-value partnership where you become the brand's reliable, ongoing "creative engine." You're not a gig worker; you're a core part of their marketing team.
A typical $5k/mo retainer package might include:
8-10 UGC Videos: A consistent monthly supply of ad creative for them to test.
15-20 Edited Photos: Stills for their website, emails, and social media.
Monthly Creative Strategy Call: A 30-minute call to discuss what's working, what's not, and plan the next month's content.
Usage Rights: 3-6 months of usage rights for paid ads included in the price.
You're not selling deliverables; you're selling peace of mind and consistent results.
How to Land Your First Retainer Client
1. Identify Retainer-Ready Clients: Stop pitching to small brands with no ad budget. Use tools like the TikTok Creative Center or Facebook Ad Library to find brands that are already spending significant money on ads. These are the brands that have the budget and the need for a constant flow of new creative.
2. The "Foot-in-the-Door" Project: Don't lead with the $5k/mo pitch. Start with a smaller, one-time project for $1,000-$2,000. Your only goal for this project is to be the most professional, communicative, and effective creator they have ever worked with. Over-deliver.
3. The Proactive Retainer Pitch: The week you deliver the final assets for the initial project, you send this email:
Subject: Next Steps & Retainer Proposal
Hi [Client Name],
I’ve just sent over the final assets for our project! I absolutely loved working with your team on this.
Based on our success, I wanted to propose a more permanent partnership. To ensure you have a consistent flow of high-performing creative to scale your ads every month, I've put together a retainer proposal that outlines a monthly deliverable plan.
This would save you the time and effort of finding creators for one-off projects and give us the ability to build on our creative wins month over month.
Let me know if you're free for a quick 15-minute chat next week to discuss.
Best, [Your Name]
This is how you build a real business. You shift from chasing small gigs to building valuable, long-term partnerships.
The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it. That’s what The Marketing Millennials delivers: real insights, fresh takes, and no fluff. Written by Daniel Murray, a marketer who knows what works, this newsletter cuts through the noise so you can stop guessing and start winning. Subscribe and level up your marketing game.
💡 Pro Tip of the Week
We just ran a whole series over the last couple weeks on generating more business. If you don’t have any, or many, clients yet, use some of these guides to get your foot in the door before you start pushing for retainers.
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