Improve your UGC Portfolio in a Day
Creators love to believe their portfolio is flawless. Clean, aesthetic, organized, and filled with work they are proud of. But inside Hive Haus, where more than 160 brands actively review portfolios every day, we see what actually matters. Most portfolios miss the mark in ways that quietly cost creators opportunities.
What performs on social platforms is not always what performs in a portfolio. Brands are scanning fast, looking for clarity, relevance, and proof that you understand performance. The portfolios that consistently lead to booked deals are the ones built with the brand’s decision-making process in mind, not the creator’s preferences.
Below is the exact structure we see brands respond to and the one we teach across the Hive Haus network.
What Brands Look For First
A clear photo at the top
Brands want to see your face immediately. They need to connect the creator to the content.
Your real name
Not your handle. Not a stage name. Your actual name.
An About Me section placed high on the page
This is where most creators go wrong. Brands want your name, location, and age right away. Location is one of the biggest deal breakers. If a brand needs someone in a specific region, they check this section first. When the information is missing, they move on.
Age and location also help brands filter quickly. Sometimes they reach out based on this information alone before even watching a single video.
Your email front and center
When brands are browsing fast, friction kills deals. Make reaching you effortless.
What Brands Look For Next
Your work, not your resume
The section titled Brands I Have Worked With can disappear. It rarely matters.
Brands want to see your videos, and not just any videos. They want the top performers. The videos that converted. The ones that ran in ads for months. The ones that produced results.
The highest performing content is not always the content you feel the most proud of. But performance is what gets you hired.
Ten to fifteen videos is the sweet spot. Enough to understand your range and skill without overwhelming the viewer.
What Closes the Gap
Reviews from brands
Short, straightforward testimonials signal reliability and professionalism.
Contact information repeated at the bottom
Email and socials are perfect here. Brands expect to see it twice on the page.
Should Rates Be Included
This conversation comes up weekly. Rates inside a portfolio look clean in theory, but in practice they limit your flexibility. Rates depend on deliverables, timelines, licensing needs, and campaign structure. Including them too early boxes you in and can scare off brands before a real conversation begins.
Keep rates out. Let brands reach out first, share their needs, and then price accordingly.
Use This Structure to Audit Your Portfolio
Creators often believe the issue is reach or performance or timing. More often, the issue is the portfolio. A clean audit reveals a lot. Use these ten prompts to evaluate yours based on what we see brands responding to daily.
- Your portfolio starts with a clear, professional image of your face.
- Your real name is listed at the top exactly as brands should address you.
- Your About Me section includes your name, age, and location in the first sentence.
- Your email is immediately visible without scrolling.
- Your videos are performance driven, not favorites.
- Your best converting content is placed near the top of the video section.
- You have between ten and fifteen videos displayed.
- You removed the Brands I Have Worked With section or moved it to the bottom.
- Your portfolio includes at least three short reviews from brands.
- Your contact information is repeated at the end of the page.
The Truth Creators Avoid
You can be talented, consistent, and incredibly strong on camera, but a poorly structured portfolio can block you from even being considered. Brands move fast. They make decisions in seconds. When your portfolio aligns with how they evaluate creators, you stand out immediately.
Most creators think, it is not my portfolio. But inside Hive Haus, we have seen creators double and triple their inbound opportunities simply by restructuring it. Auditing it regularly is not optional. It can be the difference between a year of steady paid work or a year of wondering why brands are passing.
Your portfolio is often your first impression. Make it one that works in your favor every single time.
