finding-tiktok-ugc-creators-for-brands

Finding TikTok UGC Creators for Brands

Discovers TikTok micro-creators who produce authentic product content. UGC creators (1K–100K followers) deliver the highest ROI for paid campaigns — authentic feel, affordable rates, and high engagement relative to follower count.

Prerequisites

• APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set
• Optional: Apify MCP server installed

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Notes
startUrls	array	Optional	[]	TikTok URLs — user profiles, hashtags, music pages, search, locations
keywords	array	Optional	[]	Search keywords/terms to find posts
sortType	string	Optional	RELEVANCE	Sort order for keyword results: RELEVANCE, MOST_LIKED, DATE_POSTED
location	string	Optional	—	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for regional filtering (e.g. US, GB)
maxItems	number	Optional	Unlimited	Maximum posts to return across the run
includeSearchKeywords	boolean	Optional	false	Add the matched search keyword field to each post
customMapFunction	string	Optional	—	JavaScript function to transform each output object

Workflow

Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Search hashtags for niche UGC content
- [ ] Step 2: Collect creator handles from search
- [ ] Step 3: Enrich profiles
- [ ] Step 4: Score UGC fit
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver creator roster

Step 1: Build Hashtag Searches

Hashtags for niche: #[niche]review, #[niche]haul, #[niche]unboxing, #[niche]honest review,
                    #[niche]foryou, #ugc[niche], #[niche]tiktokmademebuyit

Example for skincare:

["#skincarereviews", "#skincarehaul", "#skincaretiktok", "#ugcskincare", "#honestskincarereview"]

Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):

# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}'

# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv

# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json

APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.

If Apify MCP is available:

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~tiktok-scraper"
Input:
{
  "keywords": ["#[niche]review", "#[niche]haul", "#ugc[niche]"],
  "maxItems": 200
}

REST API fallback:

curl -X POST   "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~tiktok-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{
    "keywords": ["#skincarereviews", "#skincarehaul"],
    "maxItems": 200
  }'

Collect unique authorMeta.name (handles) with > 2 posts in niche.

Step 2: Enrich Creator Profiles

If Apify MCP is available:

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~tiktok-profile-scraper"
Input:
{
  "profiles": ["https://www.tiktok.com/@[handle1]", "https://www.tiktok.com/@[handle2]"]
}

REST API fallback:

curl -X POST   "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~tiktok-profile-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"profiles": ["https://www.tiktok.com/@handle1"]}'

Step 3: Score UGC Fit

engagement_rate = (avg_likes + avg_comments) / follower_count * 100

view_to_follower_ratio = avg_views / follower_count

ugc_score = (engagement_rate > 5 ? 1 : engagement_rate / 5) * 0.35
          + (view_to_follower_ratio > 1 ? 1 : view_to_follower_ratio) * 0.30
          + (follower_count in 5000..50000 ? 1 : 0.6) * 0.20
          + (posts_in_niche >= 3 ? 1 : posts_in_niche / 3) * 0.15

UGC tier classification:

• TIER 1 (score ≥ 0.75): High engagement, consistent niche content — ideal for paid UGC
• TIER 2 (score 0.50–0.74): Good engagement, some niche overlap — worth testing
• TIER 3 (score < 0.50): Low engagement or single niche post — aspirational / monitoring list

Step 4: Edge Cases

• Brand accounts appear in hashtag results: Drop entries where bio contains "Official", "brand", "@company" — keep only individual creators
• Views from single viral video inflating avg: Calculate avg from last 10 posts; flag if std_dev > 3× avg (viral outlier)
• Creator posts in multiple niches: Track niche_concentration = niche_posts / total_posts; flag if < 30%
• Inactive creators: Skip if lastPostDate > 60 days ago

Output Format

# TikTok UGC Creator Roster: [NICHE]
Creators evaluated: [N] | TIER 1: [N] | TIER 2: [N] | Date: [DATE]

## TIER 1 — Prime UGC Creators
| Creator | Handle | Followers | Avg Views | Eng Rate | View/Follower | Niche % | Score |
|---------|--------|-----------|-----------|----------|---------------|---------|-------|
| [name] | @[handle] | [N] | [N] | [X%] | [X.X×] | [X%] | [0.XX] |

## TIER 2 — Worth Testing
| Creator | Followers | Avg Views | Eng Rate | Last Active |
|---------|-----------|-----------|----------|------------|

## Niche Hashtag Performance
| Hashtag | Posts Scraped | Avg Views per Post | Top Creator Found |
|---------|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|

Troubleshooting

Too many brand accounts: Tighten filter — drop accounts with follower_count > 500K and accounts with verification badge. Hashtag returns mainly brand posts: Switch to user-driven hashtags: #tiktokmademebuyit[niche], #[niche]recommendation. Creators found aren't making product content: Use hashtags that explicitly signal product review intent rather than broad niche tags.