How to Save 90% of Your Ad Budget with AI UGC

Short AI-generated UGC ads built in MaxFusion with three parts: a hook that stops the scroll (take ideas from current TikTok trends), a plain explanation of the use case, and a call to action to download. Example 1: an AI creator says 'Everyone keeps asking how people make those viral AI character videos. You don't need editing skills... open it, pick a character, type what you want them to say, hit generate... Download Cantina.' Example 2 (more obviously AI): an 'emotional support brick' that got a product launch video made in Cantina, ending 'Try it. Download Cantina.' The point is installs, so no cinematic production; cheap to make, so many angles can be tested on Meta.

Take a hook that already went viral (Cantina's: a guy tells his girlfriend he cheated on her, delivered via a hamster character) and feed the video plus images of different actors into the MaxFusion canvas to re-render the same hook with people who look different, or in a Pixar-like style, then test which version stops the scroll. Works with creator videos you already paid for if you hold the rights.

Across MaxFusion customers: AI ads get a much better response when they don't pretend the AI person is real. Use formats that are clearly AI: funny skits, jokes, Pixar-style or cartoon animation, absurd realistic characters (a guy in a huge Elvis wig with a buffed-up body), talking objects (a muscle screaming 'I'm tired! I'm dehydrated!'). Avoid fake transformations and testimonials ('here's me before and after the app'); these feel like lying and are illegal in some jurisdictions. A suggestive hook that makes no false claim is fine.

Prerequisite: budget to test Meta ads, since each ad you can afford to run is an angle you can afford to test. Don't start on the top video model (transcribed 'Seedlings 2.5', likely Seedance), which burns credits fast. Use cheaper models such as Minimax or Kling 3 (Kling 4 is a bit expensive) to replicate a TikTok hook, show the problem quickly, then a CTA. Treat the start as data gathering: you only learn whether it stops the scroll and gets CTR by spending.

Pixar-style, AI-generated musical drama ads aimed at people who don't yet know they have a problem or know the brand. Open with a shocking emotional hook (someone slaps his girlfriend; 'my husband is cheating on me'), then a full song telling the story (being cheated on, gaining weight), and only show the product at the end, sometimes after up to eight minutes. Openly AI, not disguised as real people.

Ad opens 'If you're pissed because you saw one of our ads, we owe you an apology', then lists every claim made before (six adaptogenic mushrooms, organic, third-party tested, helps with bloating and brain fog) and ends with 'there's one thing we didn't mention': a current bundle deal. Variants include 'We're sorry if you bought Ryze last week'. The open curiosity gap keeps people watching, which Meta reads as good content; it also adds social proof.

Host worked entirely in Claude via MaxFusion's MCP: uploaded the app icon, asked 'what would be some good ads for this type of app that's targeting early 50-year-olds?', kept the angles he liked, then asked for more by awareness stage (solution-oriented, or problem-aware: 'you should be doing something for mobility as you age'). Claude scripted the ads, added an end card on request ('Start your habit today. Try it for free.') and synced the videos. Guest's advice: start from a research layer of real competitor ads (hooks, angles by funnel stage, offers, CTAs) rather than asking a chatbot cold, which gives generic scripts. Result: 8 AI videos plus 2 team-made ones, to run on Sunday-Tuesday, the app's best days.

After working out the funnel, run a Meta campaign optimized for trial starts at $300/day and let it run. Give it at least 10 creatives (more coming from MaxFusion), because a previous attempt starved the algorithm of creatives. Put videos and statics together in one ad set and let Meta choose, rather than splitting them by format.

When a long paywall underperforms, remove the feature comparison table: it shows users what they can get away with for free. Lean on the best features and benefits instead, while new users are most excited and most likely to pay.

On a weekly subscription, offer a 3-day free trial rather than a 7-day one. Host's explanation (a hypothesis): a 7-day trial leaves more time for cancellations.

About 50 shared Slack channels with enterprise clients and agencies, where they raise pain points; the team adds requested features very quickly. The company also dogfoods: all of MaxFusion's own content marketing and ads are made with MaxFusion.