DIRECT UGC

hi, I'm Ilya

Direct-response marketer turned CREATIVE STRATEGIST and UGC creator.

UGC for finance and SaaS brands, from someone who has run and directed $58K a month in Meta and Google ad spend.

Email me Book a call

No agency in the middle. You work with me directly.

+18%video ad conversions from testing hooks alone
$58K/moin Meta and Google spend I've run or directed
$300 → $50cost per booked call after a funnel rebuild
1,700+ads split-tested
Creative, copy and ads for BIGSHORT

Selected ads

What changes when your creator is also a marketer

A typical UGC order

  • You write the brief and the script
  • One video with one opening
  • Nice lighting, slow first three seconds
  • Files delivered, job done

Working with me

  • I write the angle and the script from your reviews, your offer and what's running now
  • Every concept ships with three hooks to test against each other
  • The first three seconds are built to stop the scroll
  • After spend, I read the numbers and write round two

My process

  1. Define the goal and where it will run

    First question: what is this video supposed to do, and where is it going to be used? Every platform needs its own small adjustments. I also decide whether it's a top-, middle- or bottom-of-funnel piece (TOFU, MOFU or BOFU), because someone who has never heard of you needs a very different video than someone who's ready to buy.

  2. Write the hooks, usually several

    Then I figure out the hook, and usually more than one. If the videos run as ads, you want variations to test against each other. At Thrive Courses Studio, testing hooks alone lifted our Facebook video ad conversions by 18%.

  3. Build the video on a proven structure

    For the flow of the video, I usually use this structure:

    HookReal problemEmotional journeyProduct as the solutionCall to action

    Sometimes a shorter one works better:

    HookStoryOffer

  4. Film, edit and read the numbers

    I film and edit everything myself. Once the ads have spend, these are the numbers I look at to decide what the next round should be.

    MetricWhat it tells me
    Hook rateDid the opening stop the scroll?3-second views ÷ impressions
    Hold rateDid the body keep them watching?ThruPlays ÷ 3-second views
    Link CTRDid the offer make them want more?link clicks ÷ impressions
    CPAIs it worth scaling?spend ÷ purchases, against your target

    High hook rate, low hold: the opening works, the body loses them. Rewrite the middle.

    Low hook rate, good CPA: the right buyers, a weak opening. Keep the angle, write new hooks.

Packages

Every package includes the strategy, the scripts, captions, raw footage and organic usage rights.

Test batch

For brands trying UGC for the first time.

  • 1 concept
  • 3 hooks on one body = 3 ads
  • 9:16 and 4:5
  • 1 round of edits

Quoted on the call

Creative sprint

For brands with a media buyer ready to test.

  • 3 concepts, 3 hooks each = 9 ads
  • Angle doc with the reasoning behind each one
  • Round-two script once results are in
  • 9:16 and 4:5, 1 round of edits

Quoted on the call

Always on

For brands spending on ads every month.

  • 4 new concepts a month
  • 12+ ads a month
  • Monthly creative review with your media buyer
  • Priority turnaround

Quoted on the call

Add-ons: paid usage rights (30, 60 or 90 days), whitelisting and partnership ads, extra hooks on any concept, 72-hour rush delivery.

Most people I've worked with call me their Swiss Army knife.

I've been doing marketing for 12 years. I started in affiliate marketing, then moved into direct response as a copywriter, then as a media buyer, and then as a creative strategist.

I've written sales pages, video scripts and ads for 200+ clients, ran marketing at Thrive Courses Studio, where I led a four-person marketing team, and advised B2B companies spending over $100K a month on LinkedIn and Google ads.

Today I run creative strategy and content for BigShort, a trading software company, and do fractional marketing for a few other brands. I've briefed the creators, managed the budgets and read the dashboards. Now I'm also the one on camera.

That's why I'll ask about your offer and your target CPA before I ask about lighting.

Questions brands ask

Do you write the scripts?

Yes. Strategy and scripts are part of every package. If you already have a script, I'll keep your message and rework the hooks.

Do I get the raw footage?

Yes. Every package includes the raw clips, so your editor can cut more versions without coming back to me.

Can I run these as paid ads?

Organic use is included. Paid usage is an add-on priced by length: 30, 60 or 90 days. Whitelisting and partnership ads from my account are available too.

How many revisions do I get?

One round of edits on every video. You approve the scripts before I film, so big changes rarely come up.

What do you need from me?

The product, your offer, any customer reviews or comments, and a look at what's running now if you're comfortable sharing it. Reviews are where most of my angles come from.

Do you work with agencies and media buyers?

Yes. I've managed media buyers and run the spend myself, so I'll follow your naming and testing setup and talk to your buyer in their numbers.

What kinds of brands do you work with?

Finance, trading apps and SaaS first. That's where most of my ad experience is. I also film physical products, courses and info products. If yours is something else, ask anyway.

Tell me about your product.

Email me or book a call, whichever is easier for you.

Email me Book a call