Advertiser method. Meta does not publish this as a rule. The mechanics below come from Meta’s documentation; the method itself is common advertiser practice, and results vary.
How do you make UGC-style ads for Meta?
UGC-style ads give a brand message the look of everyday content: shot on a phone, vertical, with a real person speaking or using the product. Meta advises avoiding overly ad-like creative in favor of authentic, platform-native styles, and says showing real people using your product builds trust. UGC is an industry term for user-generated content.
You make UGC-style ads by giving your message the look of everyday content: shot on a phone, usually vertical, with a real person talking about or using the product. Meta advises avoiding overly ad-like creative in favor of authentic, platform-native styles, and says that showing real people using your product builds trust and adds a human touch. “UGC” means user-generated content, an industry term rather than a Meta format.
This approach fits products that are easiest to understand by watching someone use them, and brands that can get footage from customers, staff or creators. It fits less well when a claim needs exact, approved wording, when the product needs a controlled demonstration, or when you cannot agree how the footage may be used.
What does Meta say about native-feeling creative?
Meta’s guidance on Instagram video ads covers the points that matter most for this style:
- Native feel. Meta advises avoiding overly ad-like creative and using authentic, platform-native styles that blend in with organic content.
- Built for mobile. Meta recommends vertical (9:16) or square (1:1) video for phone screens.
- Sound off. Meta says most people watch with the sound off, so add subtitles for any audio dialogue and use clear text overlays.
- Brand and message early. Feature your brand and key message within the first 3 seconds.
Meta’s conversion-testing guidance also recommends promoting a single benefit and ending with a call to action and a consistent end card. What you can do: write the one thing you want the viewer to remember before anyone picks up a phone.
Where can UGC-style footage come from?
There are three common sources, each with a different trade-off:
| Source | What it gives you | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Your own team on a phone | Full control of message and timing | May still read as an ad if scripted tightly |
| Customers | Genuine voice | Less control over wording and quality; agree usage first |
| Paid creators | A brief you can steer, plus an audience of their own | Cost, and the need for partnership ad permissions |
For creators, Meta documents partnership ads: the creator’s account and/or yours appears in the ad header, and Meta lists working with creators on more authentic and engaging content as a benefit for advertisers. The entries on partnership ads and on running ads with creators cover permissions and setup, so this page does not repeat them.
How do you brief and shape it?
You can brief the message and the proof, then leave the delivery to the person on camera. A short brief can state the one benefit, the first thing to show, what must not be claimed and any words that must appear on screen. Shoot several short takes with different openings, since one recording can be cut into several ads. The entry on writing a video hook covers the opening seconds, and the entry on captions covers subtitles.
What are the trade-offs?
- Polish versus authenticity. Lower production can feel more native, but it can also look careless if the audio or lighting is poor.
- Control versus voice. The more you script, the less it sounds like a person.
- Rights. Partnership ads permissions from a partner let you boost their content into an ad. The terms between you and the creator or customer, such as how long you may use the footage, are a separate agreement you make yourself.
- Review. Meta reviews ads against its Advertising Standards, however the creative was made.
- Repetition. If one voice carries a campaign, plan new footage before it wears out.
FAQ
Is a UGC-style ad the same as a partnership ad?
No. UGC-style describes how the creative looks. A partnership ad is a Meta ad type that runs with a creator’s or partner’s identity in the header. You can make UGC-style creative yourself and run it from your own account, with no partner involved.
Does UGC-style creative have to be vertical?
No, but Meta recommends vertical (9:16) or square (1:1) video for mobile viewing. Check the placement preview in Ads Manager, and keep key content inside the Reels safe zone so it is not obscured.
Can I use a customer’s post as an ad?
Only with their agreement. For partnership ads, Meta says you need partnership ads permissions from your partners, granted at account level or content level. Treat that as the technical step, and agree the usage terms, such as how long you may run the footage, with the person separately.
Sources
- Best practices for Instagram video ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Creative tips from Meta (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Creative best practices for conversion testing (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- How to create a partnership ad (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About partnership ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About ads in review (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.