I Am That Content Creator Podcast

Ep#90 The Power of Word-of-Mouth UGC: How Everyday Conversations 'Sell' Products (and How You Can Get Paid for It)

• Kristen Werner & Mia Steel

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Have you ever recommended your fav leggings, skincare, or boots to your friends without even thinking about it? Guess what  you're already doing UGC (User Generated Content)  you’re just not getting paid for it (yet).

In this episode, we break down how casual conversations between mums at school pick-up, in group chats, or over coffee are driving real sales for brands every single day  and how YOU can turn this into a paid UGC business.

We dive into:

✅ Why brands are finally waking up to the power of real, authentic word-of-mouth content


 ✅ How the "everyday influencer" is replacing polished, scripted ads


 ✅ Why most UGC creators need to challenge brands to stay authentic


 ✅ How your natural product recommendations are exactly what brands want to pay for


 ✅ The simple mindset shift to turn your daily life into scroll-stopping, money-making content

If you're a content creator, a mum who loves sharing your fave products, or you're curious about starting a UGC side hustle or business, this episode is your permission slip to dive in  authentically and profitably.

👉 BONUS: We also chat about how AI-generated content is creating even more demand for real, relatable creators just like you.

🎧 Tune in now and learn how to monetise what you’re already doing every day.

👀 WATCH our FREE UGC Workshop Right Here 👉 CLICK HERE

💃 How to Build A Powerful Personal Brand Online 👉 CLICK HERE

📝 UGC Contract templates GET THEM HERE [by @startupandrunning Lawyer]

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Speaker 1:

Are you ready to master the art of creating content that converts? Hey, I'm Mia, a mum of two who went from being a burnt out ambo to six-figure content creator in less than a year, all while navigating a late ADHD diagnosis. And I'm Kristen, also a mum of two and a former corporate branding queen turned entrepreneur. My dyslexic brain sees marketing very differently, and that's my superpower, and together we're showing women like you how to master video marketing and create content that generates income. Whether you're just starting out or ready to scale, we are breaking down everything from landing brand deals to building your own empire. Welcome to I Am that Content Creator podcast, where we turn scroll stopping content into serious income. No filters, no fluff, just real strategies from two neurodivergent mums who get it. So let's turn your phone into a video marketing machine and let's go. Let's go, guys, be professional, guys. I can't, I can't. Okay, there's that, I'm sure, done. Welcome to the I Am that Content Creator Podcast. We're cutting through the noise to show you exactly how to create scroll-stopping content, land premium brand deals and build a thriving online business. No BS, just proven strategies that help you scale. We nailed it. We hit record. Are we good to go? Mia, kristen forgot to record before and we're just chatting away doing the intro. It happens, it all happens regularly here. We're just so used to communicating via the screens that we don't always record this stuff. But that's okay. We're there now. We're there now. So, mina, what's crack-a-lackin' I don't know. We were just saying before, when you weren't recording, that it feels like we haven't done a podcast for a while because we batched a whole heap before school holidays and we took a few weeks off. So we're back in the seat. Yes, we've got some discussions to have. We've got some interviews that will be coming up. We've just, you know, planned, replanned, doing all the things, but today we have a little topic that, I, believe me, found an article that we thought was really interesting and something that you may not know you're doing, but it's part of how you can become a good content creator. Even I get it. So do you want to let everyone know the little article that you found so they can strap in and we'll discuss it? I reckon yes, and as I go through this, just think when was the last time you were at the school pickup?

Speaker 1:

You know schoolyard chatter with the mum, friends, and you've said to another mum or a friend or your mum or whoever that you recommended something that you're using currently and you love Constantly, literally constantly. Always do it. I'm like a fucking broken record. If anyone likes something, I'm going to tell you about it. Even if you didn't ask you give zero fucks I will tell you about it. Yep, yeah, same.

Speaker 1:

She called me the other day and she's like oh Mia, have you tried Lululemon? I'm like, oh no, they're just too expensive. Like I've got a few Lorna Jane things. She's like, oh my God, they're so good, they're quality. And she just went on and on and on and on and I'm like, mum, you should be a Lululemon ambassador. The way you're talking about Lululemon, like now I'm gonna sprout and do exactly what we're about to talk about. Because when it comes to Lululemon, let me tell you they're expensive but it's like the money. I have Lululemon pants that I've bought for years. They're the only pants that suit certainly my figure. Like just because I hate it when they bunch up around your fanny. And yeah, she's like, it's got, so you don't have a camel toe, they've got like the seamless little. It's so good.

Speaker 1:

I had a girlfriend that was worked at lululemon and they've got like this incredible policy which you know, if they're listening, sponsor us. But also, if they're listening, they don't want me to tell you. I'm about to tell you that if you, they've got a lifetime warranty. So if you take them back, you're like I've got a hole because mine, my, I grind between my thighs, baby. It's always like what happens is I get holes, like where my thighs are, and I take them back and they're like, yeah, no worries, swap them over. I'm like bam, Be prepared. Jeez, that's good, because I ruin clothes.

Speaker 1:

I chuck everything in the dryer and I have noticed my Lorna Jane leggings. They haven't been too bad after I've chucked them in the dryer, but it's good to know that and you don't mind paying more if they're going to last and they got a lot of time. That's like the only reason why, like my girlfriend who worked there, she got me into them because I was saying I was like I'm not paying 120 for a pair of like athleisure wear and then I got them and I did my half marathon in them and then I was like never again, will I ever, ever buy anything but Lululemon, especially the pant version? Like amazing, I've come here for cheaper tops. I've got some of their tops, which are incredible, but when it comes to pants, I'm all in.

Speaker 1:

So, in case you weren't wondering, this is what we're talking about and this is the thing. You have conversations with people about products, and I saw on TikTok because I was looking out for them, after mum said, apparently they're having a sale this week. Because I was looking out for them, after mum said, because apparently they're having a sale this week, I know, and they do dresses and skirts and all this stuff. This is what we're talking about. You find something you love and you share it with someone without even knowing about it, and that is UGC. So I'll read you something that I saw on this little article here from Mumbrella. And so they have revealed a major shift in how brand trust is happening in 2025. And every brand targeting families needs to know this.

Speaker 1:

So one of the key stats was six out of 10 mums are organically promoting the brand they love online, whether that be Facebook groups or Instagram stories, whatsapp chats in there with your mums and it's just like this genuine word of mouth, and brands aren't really capitalizing on that. So this is where UGC comes into it all and it's so bloody amazing and you think of all these mums that are recommending things to their friends. They could be getting paid for it. So, and if you're already posting to your stories and you know whatnot, why not make a job out of it, even if it's just for a bit of side cash or whatnot, or a full-time career, like a lot of our creators turn it into? It's just this, like you're going to trust one of your mum friends telling you something about it, rather than a highly produced ad that you see on your Facebook feed. So think of a time that you've recommended something to someone face-to-face or on your socials and just think, wow, brands pay everyday people to do this. Yeah, and it's also one of those things that I think some brands are really good at it. Some are really slow to the party when it comes to benefiting off the back of this, like I think it's.

Speaker 1:

I don't know the stats, we should have looked it up, but I think, like the age group of, say, your mum, so let's just call us 30s to 60s, 70s, whatever we're the ones that are the biggest spenders. Like we have the purse strings, we make the decisions. We are the ones that decide usually where there's money spent, like in our household. I know my husband obviously he has a lot of say over things too but like his decisions, like we just bought a tractor, I'm like, did we? Okay, that's great. Where my decisions are, like the food, the bills, what the kids are wearing, where what they're eating, where they're shopping, what I'm buying, like I do the micro, if you want to call it, even though they're probably much bigger than that decisions around those things. So we have the greatest pull.

Speaker 1:

So if we're communicating in a way that is truly authentic and this is the part that if brands understand the power of this true authenticity, and if your UGC, especially, can leverage this true authenticity, that is where you're going to flourish. Because recently, with what we've been doing, mia, I've been doing some online scrolling around UGC and creators and just trying to kind of get, I don't know, in the vibe whatever you want to call it and I'm very put off by the over-polished, over-scripted videos. I always have been, as somebody that's in brand and market, that's been in it for over 10 years, I've always looked for how do you look outside that box, how do you push a boundary, and I think we had a conversation before that we'll share with you around. Don't ever be afraid, as a creator, to push back on a brand if you use their product differently and you see a different way of using it, you see a different way of scripting it, you see a different way that you could share, that, that you would share in your mum chat, in your friends group when you go out to dinner, that you would authentically richly share that content. Push back on a brand Because a brand. They've got their marketing team. They've got their strategies. They've got everything in their place there. The Q1s they've got their strategies, they've got everything in their place there. The q1s they've got a hit. They've got their kpis. They have all of that. But in that comes a lot of structure and a lot of strategy, which is great. But it also means that they're quite rigid in terms of well, that ad worked last time, copy paste, do that again. I want you to say this these are the benefits, this is what we need to sell, sell, sell, sell.

Speaker 1:

Where all of a sudden, you could turn around, and I did a TikTok about this the other day about my Merry People boots. So the only way I found out about Merry People boots, which is if you haven't seen them, they're amazing. I'm talking about them. They're incredible. They're rubber boot, but they're in colour, it's Australian made. They're beautiful. The only way I found out about them was my best friend sent me a link that was like obviously you'd be buying these and I was like I'm sorry, what pink gumboots? Did not even have to think twice, bought them instantly and then I was walked through the schoolyard and all these mums like, oh my god, where's those boots? Were they from? And since that moment, like whenever I bought them two years ago, the schoolyard is full of married people. I obviously didn't make the schoolyard full of them, but I know at least 10 or 20 mums that bought them because they saw them on me and even said, oh my God, I bought them because, like, I just love seeing all of you. Yeah, and my mum told me about them too, and it wasn't because I saw an ad or because I saw them on Instagram, it was mums. Yeah, you know, we've both got pairs now, and this is a good thing.

Speaker 1:

Like, there's lots of talk about AI now and AI-generated avatars and AI-generated ads. I can see it now People are going to get jack of it because it's not genuine. It's the brands creating and saying what they want to say. It's not a genuine person, it's not a real person. So I think people are going to really really need that authentic connection with another human to trust what they're saying, to go and buy that product. So, yes, there's going to be a big wave of these AI generated ads With Google Gemini's launch of their VO3, I don't know if you've seen that yet, but you can't tell that it's AI.

Speaker 1:

There are some I don't know what it's called. There's a thing that you can tell it's not a watermark that you can see, but there's something that you can tell that it's AI generated. I really hope that the government and Facebook and all this make you tag an AI generated ad as AI generated so you know that it's not real. People are going to see that and they're going to be like I'm not. Nah, that's fake, that's not a genuine person, that's not a genuine reaction, that's not a genuine opinion. So I think UGC is pretty safe in that regard and people are going to want that more Hearing from another mum who's just like me on the internet saying I fucking love this thing.

Speaker 1:

So the other thing I think is really important and from a brand point of view, but also you as a UGC creator. Brands need to be less scared of potential negative feedback that's created in an ad or a conversation. Like if I'm talking to my mom friends and I'm telling them about a brand that I use, that I love, I'll usually say look, it's really good, look, it's not that expensive, but it's not the cheapest. Like I'll give them that truth with it. Like if I don't like the product, I'm not going to share it, but then I'm not going to do UGC for that brand. So I'm talking a brand that you truly believe in. I'm going to give a little bit of positive, negative, little sandwich it, because that's true and authentic.

Speaker 1:

So I think the other thing that I noticed, certainly when I was in working with certain businesses they would really push back on any negative, any kind of inkling that it's not perfection and a hundred percent and they've got to have it. Like anything that you went, yeah, but hang on, what about? They're like no, no, it's got to say it's, it's perfect in every possible way. I call bullshit because nothing's perfect. And if I see somebody telling me you know, I use this skincare, it's fantastic, it's not the cheapest on the market, but it's been amazing, but I use this one and this one because I don't really like the four set process, like the three. I'm still potentially going to buy the four-step process because I'm like you know what, I'm going to try it.

Speaker 1:

So I think we need to be really aware of that as people in small business. If you're listening to this and you have a small business, it's okay if your marketing and your UGC has a little bit of pushback, because that is what creates that authenticity and that is what kind of pulls back the cover and goes oh, it's not bullshit, okay, I'm going to put my money in there because you've been brave enough to say, all right, let's give it a shot. So I think that's why we say push back if you're a UGC creator as well, and give a brand a solution. Don't just push back and be like I'm not going to do it your way, do it my way. Push back like have you tried this? This is how I use your product. Let's think about getting inside the customer's head and yeah, you're right, and I'll have to go and find it.

Speaker 1:

Three years ago, when I started UGC I remember this very clearly I made a TikTok about all this UGC coming out that just felt like ads. Ugc is not supposed to feel like an ad. It's supposed to feel authentic and genuine. So when you're creating your UGC ads, keep that in the back of your mind, like they're not actually supposed to look like ads. And if a brand gives you a script, like Kristen said, the brands that's all I think about. They're all in their head Say this, this, this and this.

Speaker 1:

And I had a brand recently say give me a script, and all it was was listing out all the unique selling points, the deal that they had going on and something else. And I'm like yeah, but the mom sitting at home doesn't care that it comes with an extra attachment or a 20% off. She wants to know how that's going to change her everyday life, how it's going to make her life easier. So, friendly, like yeah, yeah. So those are the sort of things like the psychological triggers, and we teach our students this inside our membership. You know I've got a list of 12 psychological triggers that are really effective in ads, because you're getting inside the head of the person who's potentially going to buy that You're not just talking about the product itself.

Speaker 1:

Basically, and don't be afraid to. You know, if you've got a UGC job and you do it scripted because that's what they've asked. You might do that, but then don't be afraid just to create another wholesome, even if you don't edit it. Just create a wholesome video that talks exactly about that product or service and watermark it and just send it to them and say, hey, look, this is just an option. I'd be really curious if you'd like to look into this one or challenge me on this one or something, because I think that's how you're going to potentially get more longer term clients. That's how brands are going to go. Okay, I see potential that you're not just going to be someone that's going to fit the bill, but you're going to push us, you're going to challenge us and you might be someone that they go. You know what we want you on a long term scale. We want you to help us look over our brand and marketing.

Speaker 1:

These are busy companies, small businesses that don't have resources to have 50 people look over this and create the scripts, and by doing that, you're actually going hey, here's a solution, I can help and it's going to help you as a UGC creator, to gain more jobs and build more trust and just be able to actually leverage one job into potentially a long-term client, which is incredible and UGC is designed to. You know you want that engagement on the ad. The more engagement an ad gets, you know, the more it's going to be pushed out as well. So if you can get people to have conversations in the comment section about it instead of just listing out the unique selling points, it's going to be a better ad and it's going to be more authentic. And even if some negative comments come up about what you're saying, that's kind of a good thing too. But still, people are talking, isn't it Like you're still getting eyes on your business. Yeah, yeah, that's it. So, yeah, everyone is doing UGC without even knowing it. Why not get paid for it? And if you can get really you know creative and think about it, you can actually.

Speaker 1:

You know, recently, with that job that I was just talking about, you know, I did the script that they wanted to do with all unique selling points, but then I also came back to them with three other concept ideas from a mother's point of view to test, and then I doubled the gig because they said, yeah, great, let's do those three videos as well. So don't be afraid to. Sorry, I was gonna say it'd be interesting to get feedback on those ads as well, when you can, and even we'll come back and kind of full circle. If I can love that an email, let's full circle on that one. Yeah, yeah, and that's the thing too. Like it's, it's important. I mean, a lot of brands won't get back to you because they're busy and they don't want to share their numbers, but it is a good thing to go back to and say, hey, how did that ad perform? How did that other idea that I had go? So yeah, and so it's one of those things that I think.

Speaker 1:

If you're listening to this and you're either a ugc creator and you're wondering how you can get more jobs, how you can maybe challenge the way that you create content, just maybe for the next day or so, just stop and think about. Or when you're in the schoolyard, when you're talking to your best friend, when you're in your WhatsApp groups, when you're talking to your mum, listen to how you speak about something you love. And if somebody tells you something, listen how they're talking to you about it and what your reaction is. And only recently we were again mum's school group at the playground. The kids are playing. We're all standing there talking we're all 40 plus.

Speaker 1:

And one of the mums said to me she said what skincare product do you like? Your skin's looking really lovely like that. And I was like stop it, number one, stop it. Have you got 20 minutes? But also don't. And I just said to her that I'd recently started using GoToSkincare and I started explaining that and the reason I started using it is one of our very close family friends. She started using it and said to me she's 40, she's like 50, and she said to me oh my God, like she doesn't spend much money on any kind of cosmetics. And she was like mate, this is the only three products I'll ever spend money on. Like well, money, money, well spent. Like under 150 bucks. Like blew my mind. And she's also been in um makeup and stuff like that. She was a makeup artist for a while, so I was like she knows her shit. So I bought it because she told me it was incredible and I trust the hell out of her. I don't spend much money at all on skincare. I bought it. I've been told two mums. One of the mums said send me a photo when you get home. She's bought it. I've been told two mums. One of the mums said send me a photo when you get home. She's bought it. And one of the other mums said to me the other day can you send me the same photo? So that is our, and so that brand has now just. Yeah, that brand has now just collected three or four long-term customers that are going to keep coming back, and those three or four are going to be their three or four.

Speaker 1:

I suppose what we want to leave you with and challenge you to do is to actually just think about that. So, if you are a small business, please put this in the back of your mind or front of mind. Okay, how can I better connect with content creators that will challenge my business? Like, am I listening on social media? If I'm being tagged, what are people saying? And if I'm being tagged and shared, what are their comments saying and who is the person that's tagging and sharing me? Because they might have potential to leverage my brand if I put a, you know, if I back it with a Spark ad or if I engage them with UGC. So, as a small business, if you're listening to this, then let's step into those shoes. If you are a creator and you're a UGC creator, or you're curious, or you're just a freaking mom. That's like I want to do this.

Speaker 1:

I challenge you just to listen and be in those moments for a bit, like hear what people are saying, look at comments on social media, who's being tagged, and notice when you go I'm going to click that because that sounded amazing. I'm going to click those pants. I'm going to click that top. I'm going to click that product. Why did you click? And if you're clicking because somebody said something that made you feel, something that made you continue to go down there and or buy it, if you can do that, or if you already do that with your friends or family or whatever, you'd be amazing at UGC and you can do it differently, your way, and I think you know we teach that inside our community. So we've got a free workshop. Come along, we're going to get hands on with this all the details in the show notes but we would really encourage you to do that.

Speaker 1:

And if you're already a creator and you're struggling or you're wondering how to be different, really lean into how you're feeling, how you're sharing products that you're not getting paid for, yeah, and just understand how valuable your content is to these brands. One piece of your content could make them thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. So your content is to these brands. One piece of your content could make them thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. So your content is valuable, especially if you can evoke a feeling or get someone to click and take action. Yeah, amazing.

Speaker 1:

Well, mia, we're going to do a little love don't love, and I feel like I've dropped a few loves so I'm going to drop them again, just so you can totally have them. Yeah, you don't, you know it. So what are your loves don't loves, mia? All right, I'll start with my don't love is the bloody dentist. Oh, my god, my son has had a few trips recently. I nearly fainted in one of the trips, like I can't believe that you did that.

Speaker 1:

My son went under to get his done and when you told me I was like, oh no, I couldn't even take him. Yeah, and I'm a nurse and an ex-ambo, like I've seen some shit. But when he had to get a tooth extracted, the poor kid, and they did it in the chair and the nurse had to help me because I went all pale and sweaty and I was trying to be strong for him and he was a little trooper. But, oh my god, and I know I've got a cavity and I've had it for a while and I just can't bring myself to go to the dentist. Yeah, you just push yourself in there, be like mummy won't go, but you can do it exactly. Yeah, I'm just like, oh my god, I need valium before I go to these places. But, um, yeah, dentist, oh no, can't do it. Very lucky that I haven't had many problems with my teeth, touch touch wood. But don't blame you, don't blame him. Kids are involved. It's all over red rover and yeah, and he's like, mom, maybe, maybe I should do 100 days without sugar. I'm like, yeah, cool, I'll do that with you. So it's been a good lesson for him to, yeah, not want freaking lollies all the time, but that's what I don't like.

Speaker 1:

My love this week is this is just going to be a little promo, not not an affiliate for this software, but there's an app called glide app and you can build yourself a little no code app based on a spreadsheet information inside a spreadsheet. So I developed an app that I've been selling on my adhd page and people are loving it and it was so easy. The software that's out there right now to help you build digital products. It's insane. It's so easy Like I can't believe that you can just do this these days. Think past your little Canva guides. Like. We're in that space where you can build no-code apps and lots of different things. Have, have a look at it and, if you've got an idea that could potentially be a little app, glide up super easy.

Speaker 1:

Noise, noise. How about yourself? Well, yeah, I'm gonna just go with the love of the go-to skinwear, skin products. Like I'm gonna have to buy it. Yeah, like insane, I've always I've never spent much money on skincare just because, like, I chop and change, because every time I read a box I'm like I'm going to have like a facelift if I use this cream once. It doesn't work ever. But the reason that I love this even more is one it's a beautiful product. I love Zoe Foster Blake. I love the way that she markets her business. I think it's so clever and all that. So that is a massive tip. But the product itself is incredible.

Speaker 1:

But it wasn't until I said to my husband come Mother's Day, I was like, don't buy anything, but if the kids have to buy something, I'm going to buy a whole new rain like the go-to again because it needs to get more. And he was like yeah. I was like so I'll just order that you give that. And he's like um Must be good if he noticed it, I know. I was like thanks. And I was like I actually sent you. I was like thanks for noticing. He was like yeah, it's looking really good. I was like, oh, wow, all right, I'll be getting on the road. My husband's noticing it. I mean, so many skincare brands, it's hard to know until you hear someone else say this is amazing, try this.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I don't love, I don't really know, but I'm going to say this because it may hit somebody else and be feeling that way is just the and we've said this before it's the consuming content. I just get to the point where I'm consuming content and I'm judging it more, not on what I'm consuming and learning, but like, oh, I need to edit it that way and do this, and I should put this in CapCut and do this font and this and this and this and this, to the point where then I don't create. And so I haven't loved that about the way I've been consuming social medias, which has stopped me, and we've had millions of conversations about that. It stopped both you and I, but it stopped me actually creating content. And yesterday we both said to ourselves log off Slack, go and do some content, fuck off, don't talk to me.

Speaker 1:

And so I recorded six videos that I just let verbally diarrhea out of my mouth. Then I put it in TikTok. The fucking fonts in there shat me to tears, but I just posted them. I got them all out and so I just went back to the messy that was and I think what did I say to you? I said remember, kristen, I've earned multiple six figures with messy as fuck TikToks. The fonts didn't match. Like I know, branding is really important, but when you overthink it and it stops you from getting the content out, it's like and I also think cause this is another bit we might do a whole episode on this one day.

Speaker 1:

But my biggest thing, which I've realized I did a TikTok about it and a few people commented that they agreed is because the content is really curated now, especially on Instagram, where it's the cat cut and the fonts and the zooms and the this and the fucking everything's. I'm not there for consuming that information, to take it and go fuck, that was helpful. I'm looking at it going, okay, what fonts, what'd they do that or how'd they do that, I might do that. I'll say that Is that the trending song, and a lot of people said that's now how they feel about it. They're not actually enjoying the content for the content, giving me more value in my life, but rather going, judging myself that I'm not doing it like that. And how did they do it? So I'm wondering, like, just check yourself If that's something, just create the content.

Speaker 1:

And I know we say this and me and I get in ruts, but I enjoy creating the content and this morning I edited it all. I got up at five when I get up and I edited it all and punched it all out on TikTok and I was like, okay, fuck, that feels better. So it's just a little side note. Yeah, don't overthink it, don't overconsume, because it definitely puts a handbrake on what you're trying to do. Yeah, all right, team. No-transcript.