Gemma Louise has transformed a personal blog into a flourishing career in user-generated content (UGC). 

As a mother of two, she’s spent nine years developing her expertise in the creator economy, demonstrating how consistent effort and strategic adaptation can lead to sustainable success.

“I got into blogging at University studying Graphic Design, and I didn’t have the confidence to do YouTube,” Gemma recalls, adding that her initial content creation emerged from her visual arts background, beginning with blog photos on Instagram.

When video content gained prominence, Gemma faced resistance to change. “A few years ago, when it all started to become very video-heavy, I hated it – I didn’t want to do video content, and I hated that photos were taking a backseat,” she admits. 

The introduction of TikTok, however, shifted her perspective. “Weirdly, I just came to absolutely love it and the freedom it gives me with content creation,” she states. “I now create videos for my platforms almost daily.”

“I first started sharing photos from my blog on Instagram, and then I started to develop a following which made Instagram a large part of the journey,” Gemma explains. “It was all photo-based back then, so I got very into photography and loved sharing pretty photos.”

Strategic Business Development

In 2018, Gemma made a data-informed decision to pursue content creation full-time. “I had been earning money from content creation for a while, and the money I was making was so much more than how much I was earning as a freelance designer,” she explains. 

“UGC is a bit more of a new area, but it developed from the content that I was already creating online, and the emails were flooding into my inbox weekly, so that was how I knew it was the next big thing for me in my career,” she adds.

Her creative process combines structured planning with artistic expression. “When I’m getting ideas, I love Pinterest and TikTok for inspiration,” Gemma shares, adding that the idea lists she makes help her develop her own concepts. 

“For scripting, if it’s a voiceover, I tend to film my content and add the voiceover afterward,” she continues. “I’ll always write this out on notes first and then see if it works with my content and adjust it where I need to.”

The process brings personal satisfaction. Gemma’s favorite part is having clear video ideas in her head before she starts shooting. 

“I usually have to do a deep clean of the house first and sort my hair and makeup, but it’s great once I’m ready to hit the film button on my camera app,” she says. “I love the editing process afterward, as I see it all come together, even if I sometimes get imposter syndrome and worry it’s not good enough!”

Managing Professional and Personal Responsibilities

Balancing content creation with family life presents ongoing challenges. 

“I had a baby two years ago, and my content took a hit for a while, but that’s real life, and I’ve just had to work the hours I can,” Gemma shares. “I still find it challenging to work around nursery hours and school runs, but most brands understand I have little ones.”

She cautions against misleading industry promises: “There are so many misconceptions with UGC; I hate these scammy courses that people sell on earning thousands a month from UGC, normally from people who haven’t posted a single piece of real content creation on their own channel,” she states firmly. 

“It’s just a money-making scheme for themselves. UGC takes time; you need lots of practice to develop the skill, and it takes a long time to build a solid client base,” Gemma adds.

“The most attractive thing a UGC creator can do is to fill their social media page with good content and put themselves out there,” she advises. “The brands will then come!”

Technical Excellence Through Simplicity

Gemma’s equipment remains intentionally minimal. 

“A good tripod is key,” she says. “Amazon has a rake of good options for under £20 (~$25). Besides that, you just need a phone with a good camera. I’ve never filmed a UGC video on a camera, but I know others who do and have great success. It definitely isn’t essential, though.”

Her platform strategy adapts to each channel: “I focus on TikTok and post longer content there, and then I’ll re-edit the same content to make it shorter for Instagram. Up-to-30s videos seem more favorable on TikTok, and 10s or under seem more favorable on Instagram for me.”

Regular engagement proves essential: “Keeping fairly active really can’t harm. I personally try to post daily, which doesn’t always work out when you have a family, but it’s my aim! Aside from that, I engage with my comments, engage with other accounts, and return comments where I can. Having that sense of community online is nice; the bonus is that it helps your engagement.”

Cultivating Brand Partnerships

Gemma highlights sustainable pricing and flexibility for long-term success. 

“The key is charging reasonable (but without underselling yourself) fees, doing package deals, and just generally creating good content for the brand,” she advises. “It helps to be open to feedback from them too, and to make edits here and there if they ask for them, without fighting them. But mostly, just be pleasant to work with.”

Her collaboration philosophy prioritizes creative independence. She prefers to work on jobs where the brand wants her creative input, which she claims is more natural and easy to create. 

“I do find it tricky when brands are very specific about what they want, as it’s such a creative process, and if I can’t have that creativity, I just know the content isn’t going to be as good as it can be,” Gemma points out. “I tend to decline the latter job types, but I rarely have to as brands normally reach out to me as they like the content I’ve already put out there.”

A comprehensive portfolio drives business growth. “I don’t think brands can have any idea what kind of content you create without a portfolio, so I think having one is essential,” Gemma emphasizes. “I think a portfolio stands out if you focus on creating authentic content for your own channels.”

Her pricing approach reflects industry experience: “Honestly, I’ve winged it since the start. Speaking to others and finding out what they charge is the most helpful thing that I’ve found, but it’s not as easy as just asking someone.” 

“I would never just message another creator and ask such a bold question; I’ve only found it by making friends online with other creators, etc. Once you have a rough idea, you must assess your worth and charge fees you’re happy with. As I’ve grown, I’ve increased my fees to suit, and it’s worked out for me for over nine years now,” she adds.

Future Aspirations

While specific targets remain flexible, Gemma maintains clear professional objectives. “There are plenty of brands on my dream-to-work-with list, and my focus is constantly bettering my content, renovating my house, and working towards getting on those brands’ radars,” she reveals.

“It took years of hard work and dedication,” Gemma reflects. “Enjoying it plays a big part because if you’re only in it to earn money, you may as well stop now. Creating unpaid content daily is, quite literally, a full-time job in itself, but without it, the work just doesn’t come in. So you do have to have that passion for creating.”