Whitelisting
What is whitelisting?
In influencer marketing, whitelisting means a creator gives a brand permission to run ads from the creator’s account (or using the creator’s identity) on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. The ads look like the creator’s posts but are targeted and paid for by the brand.
It is agreed in the contract, usually for a set period and an extra fee, because the creator’s name and face are being used in ads. TikTok’s version is called Spark Ads.
Why whitelisting matters
Ads from a real person often perform better than ads from a brand page. Whitelisting combines the creator’s credibility with the brand’s targeting and budget.
Related marketing terms
Spark Ads are TikTok ads that boost an existing organic post, a creator’s or the brand’s own, keeping its likes, comments and profile link.
Usage rights say where, how and for how long a brand may reuse a creator’s content, for example in ads, on its website or in email.
A paid partnership is a platform’s built-in label for sponsored content, showing viewers that a creator was paid or rewarded by the named brand.
A UGC creator makes natural, customer-style videos and photos that brands pay for and post on their own ads and channels.
An influencer contract sets out a creator deal in writing: deliverables, dates, payment, usage rights, exclusivity, approval and disclosure.