Solved: TikTok Ads Sourcing - Ripped, AI, or Custom UGC?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your question about TikTok ads. It's a really good question because on TikTok, more than any other platform, the creative is pretty much everything. Get it wrong and you'll just be throwing money away, but get it right and the results can be fantastic.

You've basically listed the three main ways people are sourcing creatives right now: ripping them from elsewhere, using AI, or getting custom User-Generated Content (UGC). The short answer is that a solid strategy often involves a bit of all three, but in very different ways and with a heavy, heavy focus on one of them. Let's break it down properly.

I'd say you need to understand the platform's DNA first...

Before we even talk about where to get the ads, you've got to get your head around what TikTok is. It's not Facebook. It's not Google. People aren't there to shop or see polished corporate messages. They're there to be entertained, to discover something new, to see what other real people are up to. The golden rule is 'Don't make ads, make TikToks'.

What this means in practise is that your content has to look and feel like it belongs on the platform. It needs to be native. If it screams "I'm an AD!" from the first second, people will scroll past it without a second thought. This is why the whole creative sourcing question is so critical. The TikTok algorithm is incredibly powerful at finding your audience, but you have to give it the right fuel. The right fuel is authentic, engaging video that doesn't feel like an ad.

This also means you need a lot of creative. Creative fatigue is a massive issue on TikTok. An ad that works brilliantly for a week can suddenly die overnight. You need a constant stream of new videos to test, which is why just ordering one expensive, polished video is often a terrible strategy. You need a system for generating ideas and producing content at scale, without it costing the earth. Your question is the starting point for building that system.

We'll need to look at custom UGC first, as it's the best option...

Let's start with the undisputed champion of TikTok advertising: User-Generated Content, or UGC. This is content made by real people, that looks like it was filmed on their phone, because it often is. It's the most powerful type of creative because it's authentic and builds instant trust and social proof.

Think about it. Are you more likely to trust a slick, corporate video with actors, or a video of a regular person like you, genuinely excited about a product they've just used? It's the latter, every time. UGC cuts through the noise and feels like a recommendation from a mate, not a sales pitch from a faceless company. It's the closest you can get to digital word-of-mouth.

I remember one campaign we worked on for a software app in the sports and events space. We used a constant stream of simple, effective UGC-style videos we tested on TikTok and Meta. They just looked like normal posts, not ads. We managed to get over 45,000 signups at under £2 each with this strategy. The performance difference between those and more 'professional' looking ads was night and day.

So, how do you actually get this magical content?

-> Do it yourself: Honestly, this is the cheapest and fastest way to start. Grab your phone. You don't need a fancy camera or lighting rig. In fact, that often makes it worse. Film a simple video showing your product or service. Talk to the camera. Show a problem and how you solve it. Keep it raw and real. If you're not comfortable on camera, get a friend or family member to do it.

-> Ask your customers: If you have existing customers who love what you do, they are your best source. Reach out to them. Offer them a discount, a freebie, or even cold hard cash in exchange for a short video testimonial or them using your product. The authenticity here is unmatched.

-> Hire UGC Creators: This is the most scalable option. There are now thousands of people who specialise in creating UGC for brands. They're not 'influencers' with huge followings; they are everyday people who are good at creating authentic-looking video content. You can find them on freelance sites, on Twitter/X, or on dedicated platforms that connect creators with brands. You send them your product and a brief, and they send you back a batch of videos ready for you to test. The cost is far lower than traditional video production, and you can get a lot of variety to test.

What makes a piece of UGC good? It's not about production quality, it's about the idea and the structure. Here are some common formats that work well:

• The Unboxing: Simple, effective. Someone opens your product and shows their genuine first reaction.
• Problem/Solution: "I used to struggle with X... then I found this." A classic direct response formula that works brilliantly in a short video.
-"TikTok made me buy it": A trend-led format where the creator shows off a product they "discovered" and now love.
• A Day in the Life: Showing how your product or service fits into a person's daily routine.
• How-To / Demo: A quick, straightforward demonstration of your product in action, showing how easy it is to use and the result it gets.

The key for all of these is the first 3 seconds. You absolutely MUST have a strong 'hook' to stop the scroll. Something that grabs attention, asks a question, or presents a bold statement. Without a good hook, even the best video is useless.

You probably should be very careful with 'ripping' ads...

Now, let's talk about the dark art of 'ripping' or 'swiping' ads. Yes, people do it. In some corners of the internet, like dropshipping, it's almost standard practice. The idea is simple: find a competitor's ad that is clearly performing well (you can see this from lots of engagement), download it, and run it as your own.

The appeal is obvious. It's free, it's fast, and you're using something that's already 'proven' to work. It takes the guesswork out of creative. But, and this is a massive 'but', it's a definately risky and short-sighted strategy. I'd strongly advise against just straight up stealing someone else's video.

Here's why:

-> Copyright & Getting Banned: This is the big one. It's not your content. The original creator or brand owns it. They can (and do) report your ad for intellectual property infringement. This will get your ad taken down, and if it happens repeatedly, it will get your entire ad account permanently disabled. Trying to get an ad account back from Meta or TikTok after a ban is a nightmare. It's just not worth the risk to your business.

-> Brand Damage: What happens when a potential customer sees your ad, and then sees the exact same video promoting a different store five minutes later? Your credibility is instantly destroyed. You look cheap, untrustworthy, and like a scam. You can't build a long-term, sustainable brand by using other people's assets.

-> It Doesn't Always Work: An ad is more than just a video file. It's a combination of the creative, the targeting, the landing page, and the offer. What worked for another brand's audience might completely flop with yours. You're also always a step behind, riding on someone else's coattails rather than innovating.

So, should you ignore what competitors are doing? Absolutely not. You should be doing what I call 'smart ripping'. This isn't about stealing the video; it's about deconstructing it to understand why it works. Look at the top-performing ads in your niche and analyse them like a detective:

• What is the hook in the first 3 seconds?
• What is the core message or value proposition?
• What is the script structure? (e.g., Hook -> Problem -> Agitate Problem -> Introduce Solution -> Call to Action)
• What visual style are they using? (e.g., selfie-style, point-of-view, screen recording)
• What sound or music are they using?
• What is their Call to Action?

Once you've broken it down, you have a blueprint. A formula. You can then use this formula to create your own, original piece of content. You give that blueprint to a UGC creator as a brief, or use it to film your own version. This is how you use competitor research for inspiration, not for theft. It's a sustainable, safe, and far more effective strategy in the long run.

You'll need a realistic view on AI ads for now...

Finally, let's touch on AI ads. The hype is huge, and the technology is moving at a terrifying pace. Tools like Sora promise a future where you can just type a prompt and get a photorealistic video. But we're not there yet, and for the specific demands of TikTok, AI is currently more of an assistant than a replacement for human creativity.

The problem is that most AI video generation tools today still have that slightly wierd, uncanny valley feel. The movements can be a bit robotic, the faces lack genuine emotion, and the whole thing can just feel a bit 'off'. A savvy TikTok user can spot it a mile away, and it has the same effect as a polished corporate ad – it breaks the native feel and triggers the "this is an ad" response. It's the opposite of the authenticity that makes UGC so powerful.

However, that doesn't mean AI is useless. Far from it. You just have to be smart about how you use it. Right now, AI is an incredible tool to assit and speed up your creative workflow:

-> Ideation & Scripting: Use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm dozens of ad ideas, hooks, and angles in minutes. You can feed it information about your product and your target audience and ask it to generate 20 different 15-second TikTok video scripts. It's an amazing creative partner to get you past a blank page.

-> Voiceovers: AI voiceover tools are incredibly good now. If you need a quick, clean voiceover for a demo or screen recording video, they are a fantastic, cheap option.

-> Editing: There are AI-powered video editing tools that can automatically generate captions (essential for TikTok), find the best clips from longer footage, or even create simple slideshow-style videos from product images. This can massively speed up the post-production process.

-> Simple Animations: For some very simple ads, you can use AI to create basic animations or motion graphics from static images. This can be better than just using a static image ad, but it's still not going to beat a proper UGC video.

So think of AI as your production assistant, not your creative director. Use it to make the process of creating authentic, human-led content faster and more efficient. As the tech improves, its role will expand, but for now, the human element is what sells on TikTok.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Pulling all this together, it's not about choosing UGC or AI or ripping. It's about building a system. You use competitor analysis ("smart ripping") for inspiration, you use AI to streamline production, and you use UGC creators (or yourself) to produce the final, authentic content. It's a creative engine. This is the main advice I have for you:

As you can probably tell, this can get quite complex and time-consuming. It's not just about making a few videos; it's about building a whole system for creative strategy, production, and high-tempo testing. This is often where working with a specialist can make a real difference. We've got the frameworks and the experience. For example, for a software app in the sports and events space, we managed to get over 45,000 signups at under £2 each by using a constant stream of simple, effective UGC-style videos we tested on TikTok and Meta. We can manage that entire process for you, from developing the strategy and finding creators to analysing the data and scaling the winners.

It's a lot to take in, I know. But getting the creative right is the one thing that will truly move the needle for you on TikTok.

If you'd like to chat through your specific situation in more detail, we offer a free initial consultation call where we can help you map out a proper strategy. Just let me know.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh