Putting together your Black Friday UGC brief? We've got a few ideas you might not have thought of, plus some interesting insights from creators themselves.
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Planning your Black Friday UGC campaign?
A well-written creator brief can make all the difference when you're juggling promotional offers, content deadlines and multiple videos for your paid social campaigns. But what should you actually include in a Black Friday UGC brief?
Beyond the usual product information and campaign goals, there are a few Black Friday-specific details worth thinking about, particularly if you want to test different creative ideas, keep your messaging flexible and make the most of your content after the sale.
We surveyed dozens of UGC creators about their experiences with Black Friday campaigns, and their feedback gave us some interesting insights into what brands could do differently.
Here are five things to include in your next Black Friday creator brief.
Nearly two-thirds of creators in our survey felt that Black Friday ads were too pushy or all looked and sounded the same, which is a good reason to experiment with content that gives people something more interesting to watch.
To avoid creators to opening every video with a sale announcement, think about how your product could fit into a relatable situation, personal recommendation or entertaining story.
A festive GRWM, a funny skit about justifying a purchase or a gift guide for someone who's impossible to buy for can all introduce your product naturally, with the Black Friday offer appearing as an added bonus.
If gifting is part of your Black Friday campaign, consider briefing creators around a specific recipient, such as a skincare-obsessed friend or a parent who already has everything. We've shared more ideas on using UGC creators for gift guides.
📝 Include in your Black Friday UGC brief: The creative concept, target audience, two or three key product benefits and how you'd like the promotional offer introduced.
There's a lot more to a compelling Black Friday offer than the size of the discount, and your brief is a good place to highlight what makes your promotion worth paying attention to.
In our creator survey, 40% picked exclusivity as an effective emotional trigger for Black Friday content, while 28% chose surprise and curiosity. It's an interesting reminder that shoppers can be drawn to more than a big percentage on the screen.
If you're offering early access, an exclusive bundle, a gift with purchase or a deal on a particularly popular product, tell your creators what makes it special. These details can give them something specific to highlight, whether that's showing what's included in a bundle or revealing an unexpected extra.
And if you're running a straightforward discount, that's useful too. Our survey found that 52% of creators preferred percentage-off offers, compared with 24% who favoured a fixed amount off, so it's worth being clear about the type of saving you're promoting.
📝 Include in your brief: The type of Black Friday offer, what makes it appealing and any genuine exclusivity, extras or savings you'd like the creator to highlight.
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One of the most useful things you can do when briefing Black Friday UGC creators is plan a few small creative variations that give you more flexibility when testing ads.
You could ask a creator to film different opening hooks, an alternative call to action or a few extra product shots. For example, a discount-led opening and a hook focused on a product benefit let you test two different approaches while keeping the rest of the video exactly the same.
It's also worth thinking about how quickly Black Friday messaging can date your content. If a creator mentions a specific discount or deadline halfway through the video, you're tied to that offer. Keeping promotional details in editable text overlays makes it easier to update the messaging or remove the sale references altogether.
A few thoughtful filming choices can help your content work beyond Black Friday too, particularly if you're planning Christmas campaigns. We've shared ideas on how to stretch Christmas UGC into Boxing Day and January, alongside practical tips for repurposing Black Friday creator content throughout the year.
📝 Include in your Black Friday UGC brief: Alternative opening hooks, an additional CTA, useful extra product shots and guidance on keeping promotional details editable, so you can test and reuse the same video without commissioning another shoot.
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Here's a finding worth paying attention to: 80% of creators in our survey felt brands didn't give them enough creative freedom.
It's understandable how that happens during Black Friday, when you've got campaign messaging, product claims and promotional details to fit into one video. Before long, the brief can start looking suspiciously like a script.
Creators still need to know what's mandatory, but giving them space to find their own hook, tell a personal story or add a little humour can lead to ideas your team might never have come up with. If you're sharing inspiration videos, explain what you like about them rather than asking for a remake. The whole point of working with different creators is getting different perspectives.
📝 Include in your Black Friday UGC brief: Your non-negotiables, a few creative references and an invitation for the creator to suggest their own approach.
If you're planning to use UGC for Black Friday, it’s worth thinking about how and where the finished videos will run before filming starts.
Alongside running UGC video ads through your brand's account, consider creator whitelisting, which allows ads to appear under a creator's handle rather than your brand's. This can help you reach new audiences while giving your ads a more natural feel online, along with another opportunity to test different hooks, audiences and ad formats during Black Friday.
It's worth discussing whitelisting before selecting creators so you can work with people who are happy to participate and agree on the necessary permissions.
📝 Include in your Black Friday UGC brief: Intended advertising platforms, video formats, and whether you'd like to explore creator whitelisting.
Before sending your brief, double-check that you've covered the creative concept, promotional offer, product details, content variations, filming deadlines and how the finished videos will be used.
If you'd like a starting point, our UGC brief guide covers the essentials of briefing creators, while a UGC platform can help you manage creator selection, briefing and content delivery when you're juggling multiple projects.
And if you're looking for more Black Friday creator marketing ideas, our Black Friday Creator Marketing Guide brings together additional findings from our creator survey, creative testing tips and a closer look at whitelisting.
Get the Black Friday Creator Marketing Guide →
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Twirl is your go-to partner for UGC. Whether you're a brand, agency or a UGC creator, we bring together 8000+ talented creators to produce authentic, scroll-stopping content for ads, websites, emails, and social channels.
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