If you’re looking for work as a UGC creator, UGC platforms can be a great place to start. From Clip to Billo or Insense, these platforms provide a space where brands can discover UGC creators, review their work, and engage in collaborations. However, navigating UGC platforms can be overwhelming.
With hundreds of UGC platforms on the market, you can quickly lose days creating profiles, applying to tasks, and waiting for the jobs to come rolling in. But will they?
We’re testing the platforms, so you don’t have to. Today, we’re looking at Billo.
What Is Billo?
Billo.app, not to be confused with Billo.com, is an app that connects UGC creators with brands looking for content. Unlike many platforms, Billo is dedicated to user-generated content. It is not an influencer platform with UGC tacked on.
The process to start working as a video creator on Billo is straightforward and consists of a few simple steps:
- Download the Billo app, which is free.
- Upload a 30-second ‘video pitch’ to introduce yourself to brands.
- Pick a task or project that interests you from the available options.
- Products are sent to your door, and payment arrives in two weeks after uploading your content.
How Does Billo Work?
You apply to tasks via the Billo Creator’s app.
There are normally hundreds to scroll through, and more are added every day. The more tasks you apply to, the more chances you have of getting approved. By Billo’s benchmark, you need to apply to at least 25 tasks to get hired for one. So don’t be discouraged by pending applications. They rack up quickly, but that’s normal.
Usually, brands choose creators they want to work with within 3-4 days after they create the task.
Best Practices When Applying To Tasks:
Make sure you’re fit for the task: Check out the Creator’s preference and general task requirements to ensure that you’re the creator that the brand is looking for. This can give you a higher chance of getting approved for the task.
Read the brief: When applying to tasks, look through the scenes, mentions, and all other important details to make sure that you will be able to complete the task as listed.
Pitch: Once you click on “Apply,” You will see a confirmation page where you can write an optional text pitch to let the brand know why they should choose you. Use this. It’s a goldmine.
The Good: Billo Pros
✅ Billo is great for dipping your toe in the water and practicing creating content if you start as a creator.
✅ You get to work on branded content. Working on branded projects helps creators understand the intricacies of brand collaborations and provides valuable insights into the expectations and requirements of working with clients.
✅ You get paid to create your portfolio. Aspiring creators often struggle to find paid opportunities early in their careers, but Billo provides a platform where they can earn income while developing a portfolio of branded content. This allows creators to showcase their capabilities and attract more significant opportunities in the future.
The Bad (And The Ugly): Billo Cons
❌ The pay for Billo tasks is absurdly low. We’re talking $25-45 per video. This makes it challenging for talented creators to justify investing their time and effort into producing high-quality content and applying to hundreds of tasks to get the chance.
❌ You don’t know where the content is going. You don’t know whether it will be used for paid advertising or organic. In 2022, Anna Aleksandra created a video for a stock company. She got paid $25 for that video, and yet the brand is still running ads on the video to this day, and it has more than 2 million views. Who knows how many dollars in revenue that video brought them?
❌ You have to apply to so many tasks to get approved. I applied to 52 functions to get approved for 3. If we round the pay up to $50 each, that’s a lot of applying for $150 worth of work. If you can get it elsewhere, it might be worth proceeding.
❌ The products/services they are offering are minimal. Low pay might be ok if you’re getting free products, but if it’s difficult to find brands that align with your interests and expertise, that benefit might not exist.
With that being said, if you’re a new creator who isn’t getting paid work elsewhere, it’s difficult to turn your nose up at a platform that allows you to practice and take home some pocket money.
How To Succeed On Billo
Brands will hire you based on your video pitch, so it’s important to showcase your best. Include multiple scenes, including a direct-to-camera shot and some B-roll. Imagine it as a short montage of you and your skills on and behind the camera. Overlay this part with a voiceover. NOTE: make sure that your video footage is raw, with no added music/text/watermarks/filters. Script your video as follows:
- Who are you? Introduce yourself as if you are already a Billo creator.
- What are you passionate about? Perhaps you have a partner/pet/kids to film with? Have any cool hobbies or places to film in? Let the brands know the unique qualities that you have as a content creator.
CTA. End the video with “Hire me for your next video on Billo.”
So, What’s The Verdict?
While Billo has its limitations, it undeniably serves as a valuable starting point for budding creators looking to explore the world of content creation and brand collaborations. It allows creators to work on branded content, get paid for their efforts, and practice their craft, ultimately setting the stage for future success.
Use it to build your skills and expertise, then move onwards and upwards.
