By Ewen Ling, Co-Founder, Referwo | Ecommerce Growth Strategist
Last updated: November 2026
Quick answer: A UGC platform lets an Australian e-commerce brand get photos and videos from real creators without paying an agency. On Referwo, creators apply to your campaign, you request content usage rights at setup, and plans start at US$69 a month with a 14-day free trial. Zuluz Skincare received 304 pieces of content this way.
You need a steady supply of real content for your product pages, ads and emails. A UGC agency can make it for you, usually for a fee per video or a monthly retainer. The agency’s contract decides how much contact you have with the creators. Doing it yourself through direct messages is cheap in cash and expensive in time.
A UGC platform sits in the middle. This guide shows how the three options compare, which content rights to check before you pay, and how to work out your real cost per piece of content. You can see how campaigns run on our influencer platform for brands, or read how Zuluz Skincare built a library of 304 pieces of content.
Key facts
- 9.8 million Australian households shopped online in 2025, 82% of all households (Australia Post eCommerce Report, 2026).
- In Australia, a photographer commissioned for commercial photos generally owns the copyright unless both sides agree otherwise in writing (Arts Law Centre of Australia).
- The ACCC found 81% of 118 influencers it reviewed made posts that raised concerns under the Australian Consumer Law (ACCC, December 2023).
- Zuluz Skincare worked with 209 approved creators on Referwo, who published 304 pieces of content (Referwo case study).
What is a UGC platform, and how is it different from a UGC agency?
A UGC platform is software that connects your brand with creators who make content about your product, while you choose the creators and approve the work. A UGC agency can handle creator selection, briefing and editing for you, depending on the package, for a fee per video or per month. A self-serve platform can cost less, and you deal with the creators directly.
User-generated content (UGC): photos, videos and reviews made by customers or creators rather than by your brand. Brands reuse UGC on product pages, in paid ads and in emails, with the creator’s permission.
There are two kinds of UGC creator, and the difference matters when you compare platforms:
- Influencers post the content on their own Instagram or TikTok account, so you get their audience as well as the content.
- UGC-only creators make content for you to post or run as ads, and often don’t post it to their own followers.
Referwo is built for the first kind. Creators post to their own accounts, you get a unique discount code per creator to track sales, and you can request the right to reuse the content. If you only want videos to run as ads and don’t care about the creator’s audience, a paid UGC-only marketplace may suit you better. Our Hashgifted alternatives guide compares both kinds of platform.
Platform, agency or DIY: which fits your brand?
A platform can suit e-commerce brands that want regular content and have time each week for briefs, creator messages and approvals. An agency suits brands with a content budget and no time. Doing it yourself suits a first test with a handful of creators you already know.
| Option | Who finds and briefs creators | What you pay | Content rights | Sales by creator | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | You, by direct message | Product and postage, plus your time | Whatever you agree in each message | Only if you set up codes yourself | A first test with 5 to 10 creators |
| UGC platform (self-serve) | Creators apply to you; you approve | Referwo: US$69 a month (15 creator approvals a month) or US$99 (50 approvals a month), plus product, postage and any creator fees you set | Requested at campaign setup on Referwo | Included on Referwo; check other platforms | Brands wanting content every month |
| UGC platform (managed) | The platform’s team | Referwo Premium: US$399 a month, plus product, postage and any creator fees you set | Requested at campaign setup | Included on Referwo | Founders with no time for campaigns |
| UGC agency | The agency | A fee per video or a monthly retainer, so ask for a quote | Set by the agency’s contract | Depends on the agency | Brands that only want finished ad videos |
The biggest difference is what you keep after the campaign ends. With an agency, what you keep depends on its contract. On Referwo, you also see each creator’s content and code sales in your account, and you can invite the good ones back.
For a wider look at this choice across all influencer campaigns, not only content, read our influencer marketing platform vs agency comparison.
What content rights should you check before you pay?
Check who owns the content, where you can use it, for how long, and whether you can edit it. Don’t assume content is yours because you paid for it. For commissioned commercial photos, the Arts Law Centre of Australia says photographers “own copyright in the photos (unless they agree otherwise in writing)”, and the client may use them for the agreed purpose.
Ownership of video can be less clear-cut, so treat every piece of creator content the same way. Write down each use you have in mind and agree these points with the creator before they start:
- Where: your organic social posts, your website, emails, or paid ads.
- How long: a set period, such as 6 or 12 months, or with no end date.
- Edits: whether you can cut the video, add captions or combine it with other clips.
- Ads from the creator’s account: whether you can run ads that show the creator’s handle, which needs extra access from the creator.
- Credit: whether you tag the creator when you repost.
- Music and other material: whether the music or anything else in the video is cleared for the ads you plan to run.
On Referwo, you request content usage rights when you set up the campaign. Creators see the request before they apply. Still confirm each creator has accepted the specific uses before you reuse their content. If a creator wants a fee for extra use, such as a paid ad running for a year, agree it in writing before you spend money on the ad.
Content usage rights: written permission from a creator for a brand to reuse the creator’s content in agreed places, for an agreed time.
The creator also has to label the post as an ad when there is a commercial relationship, and a free product counts. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that 81% of 118 influencers it reviewed made posts that raised concerns, many for poor disclosure. In 2021, Ad Standards upheld a complaint about an influencer post for a major ice cream brand that was not clearly marked as advertising (Ad Standards case 0130-21). Our guide to influencer gifting rules in Australia covers the labels to ask for.
How much does UGC cost per piece?
Your direct cost per piece is what you spend on a campaign divided by the pieces of content you receive. On a gifted campaign, that means product and postage for each creator plus your platform fee. On a paid campaign, add the fee you set for each creator, and add any affiliate commission you pay on sales.
Here is a worked example for a gifted campaign on the Referwo Standard plan. It shows the sum, not a result you should expect.
- You approve 20 creators and gift each one a product that costs you A$30 to make and A$12 to post.
- Product and postage come to 20 x A$42 = A$840.
- Your Standard plan is US$99 for the month.
- Say 18 creators post one Reel each. Product and postage work out at about A$47 per Reel, before the plan fee.
- Add the plan fee, converted to Australian dollars at the rate you were billed, and divide again: (A$840 + the plan fee in A$) / 18 = your direct cost per Reel. Your team’s time, any editing and any extra usage fees come on top.
Three things change the sum the most:
- How many creators post. A creator who receives a product and never posts adds cost with no content. Creators who miss deadlines can be flagged on Referwo, and you see each creator’s reviews from other brands before you approve them.
- How many pieces each creator makes. A Reel plus Stories gives you more to reuse than a single photo.
- Paid fees. If you pay creators, you set the fee in the campaign. Brands pay no commission to Referwo on those fees or on sales. Creators pay a 15% platform fee on what they earn.
Keep this cost per piece separate from your ad spend. If you plan to run the content as ads, budget for the ads themselves as well, and judge each video on how it performs.
How do you brief creators so the content works in ads?
Tell creators exactly what format, length and message you need, and what to avoid. “Content” could mean photos, so specify video if you need video. If you need ads, write “vertical video Reels, 15 to 30 seconds, product shown in the first 3 seconds” and ask for usage rights at setup.
A short brief that gets usable content covers seven things:
- Format: Reels, TikToks, Stories or photos, and the number of each.
- Length and shape: for example, vertical video, 15 to 30 seconds.
- The hook: show the product, or the problem it fixes, in the first few seconds.
- One key message: the single thing you want viewers to remember.
- What to avoid: claims you can’t back up, competitor products, and anything your product rules don’t allow.
- The ad label and your discount code: so the post is clearly marked and sales that use the creator’s code are tracked.
- Dates and delivery: the posting deadline, how revisions work, and how you receive the video files.
Pick creators whose existing posts already look like what you want. Before you approve anyone, check their recent videos, engagement and audience location.
Also check the platform fits an Australian store. Referwo has 2,500+ vetted creators across Australia, New Zealand and the US, so you can choose creators you can ship to quickly. Shopify and WooCommerce stores connect on every plan, and brands on other store platforms can sign up as “Other brands”.
Try it on one product first. Post one gifted campaign with a clear brief and usage rights requested at setup. You can start a 14-day free trial on Basic or Standard, see which creators apply, and only approve the ones that fit.
What did Zuluz Skincare get from a UGC campaign?
Zuluz Skincare, a natural skincare brand, wanted more brand awareness and more real content showing its products in use. Through Referwo, 209 creators were approved and published 304 pieces of content. The Zuluz Skincare case study reports 305,000+ views, 35,000+ likes and 3,500+ comments.
Zuluz ran the campaign for awareness, so the case study reports views and engagement rather than sales. Awareness is a fair goal for a UGC campaign. If sales are your main goal, give every creator a unique discount code and judge the campaign on tracked sales as well as content.
Read the comments on your own campaign closely. Questions from viewers show you what buyers want to know, so answer them on your product page and in your next brief.
The Zuluz numbers are a past result from one brand, and yours will depend on your product, brief and creators. Across all brands, more than 1,000 pieces of UGC have been published through Referwo.
How does UGC help you build a creator community?
Each campaign adds creators to your brand’s community. You can invite the creators who suit your brand back for future campaigns, and the ones who love your product often bring their followers with them again. Over time you can build a pool of repeat creators and a growing library of content you have the rights to reuse.
When you launch a new product, you can invite the creators who did well last time before you look for new ones, and their discount codes keep tracking the sales that use them.
Brands love using Referwo to build a community of creators around their brand, and UGC is one of the clearest ways to see it grow. Start small and keep inviting back the creators who deliver. Each completed post adds to your content library. Our guide on how to build a community around your brand with micro-influencers shows how.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best UGC platform in Australia for e-commerce brands?
The best UGC platform depends on what you need. If you want creators who post to their own audience, sales tracked by discount code and content you can reuse, a platform like Referwo fits. If you only want finished videos to run as ads, a paid UGC-only marketplace or an agency may suit you better.
Do I own UGC if I gift the creator a free product?
Not automatically. For commissioned commercial photos, the photographer generally owns the copyright unless both sides agree otherwise in writing. For any creator content, agree in writing where you will use it, for how long, and whether you can edit it. On Referwo, you request content usage rights when you set up the campaign.
How much does a UGC platform cost in Australia?
Referwo costs US$69 a month on Basic or US$99 a month on Standard, both with a 14-day free trial (a card is needed to start). The managed Premium plan is US$399 a month and starts with a demo call instead. You also pay for products, postage and any creator fees you set. There are no lock-in contracts.
Can I use UGC in my Meta or TikTok ads?
Yes, if the creator has given you the right to use it in paid ads and any music or other material in the video is cleared for ads. Agree this before the creator starts, and say how long the ads will run. Ads shown from the creator’s own account need extra access from the creator. The ad still needs to be clearly marked as advertising.
Is a UGC agency better than a UGC platform?
An agency may suit you if you have a content budget and want creator management handled for you, though you still sign off the brief and the final content. A self-serve platform may suit you if you can manage campaigns yourself and want to deal with creators directly. On Referwo, each creator’s code sales are tracked and you can invite good creators back. Referwo Premium sits in between: our team runs the campaign for you.
Your next step
Agreed reuse rights help you get more value from every piece of content. Pick a platform where you agree the rights up front and can see the sales that use each creator’s code. If you want a library of real customer content that grows with every campaign, start your free Referwo trial and post your first UGC campaign.
Sources
- Australia Post, 2026 eCommerce Report, 2026.
- Arts Law Centre of Australia, Commissioned photographs and copyright ownership, read November 2026.
- ACCC, Scrutiny of influencers and businesses for misleading advertising and online reviews continues, December 2023.
- Ad Standards, Case 0130-21, 2021.
- Referwo, Zuluz Skincare case study, read November 2026.
