why your briefs are crushing creator enthusiasm

Your UGC brief reads like a legal document had a baby with a micromanagement manual. Three pages of brand guidelines, seventeen must-mentions, and a shot list that would make Scorsese weep. Then you wonder why creators ghost you after the first video.

Here's the truth: the best UGC doesn't come from better briefs.

It comes from better freedom. The more you constrain creativity, the more you get content that looks like everyone else's — safe, boring, and completely forgettable.

The paradox of creative briefs is that the more specific you get, the worse the output becomes. Creators aren't video robots executing your vision. They're storytellers who know their audience better than you ever will. Your job isn't to direct. It's to inspire.

Start with outcomes, not outputs.

Instead of "create a 30-second video showing our product in use with natural lighting and upbeat music," try "help your audience understand why this solved your problem."

See the difference?
One creates compliance. The other creates content.

The best briefs are actually creative springboards. Give creators a jumping-off point, not a prison. Share the emotion you want to evoke, not the exact words to say. Describe the transformation, not the transition effects.

Pick core messages and let them riff on scripts. The best UGC feels like a friend texting you about something cool, not a brand presentation.

Your brand guidelines should fit on one page. Not one PDF. One page. Colors, fonts, logo placement, done. Everything else is negotiable. The moment a creator has to reference a document while creating, you've already lost the authenticity battle.

Here's what actually belongs in a brief: the problem your product solves, who it's for, and why it matters.

Maybe a creative territory to explore. Perhaps a gentle vibe direction. That's it.

Everything else is tmi at best and creative oppression at worst.

The approval process is where enthusiasm truly goes to die. Set clear non-negotiables upfront (legal requirements, basic brand standards) and when approval time comes, you don’t have to dread it.

Respect the creative process or find robots instead.

Pay structures should reward creativity, not compliance. Flat fees for checking boxes create checkbox content.

Performance bonuses for engagement create engaging content.
Align incentives with outcomes.

The best brief is actually a conversation.

A DM that says "we love how you talk about morning routines — would you want to show how our product fits into yours?" beats a creative brief template every time.

Stop briefing creators like employees and start briefing them like partners.

Give them problems to solve, not scripts to read.

Share your goals, not your tactics.

Trust their creativity, or honestly, just make the content yourself.