Influencer Whitelisting and Spark Ads: Using Creator Content in Paid Media

Written by Jacob Boe with the help of AI

Cover: Influencer Whitelisting and Spark Ads Guide

Influencer whitelisting means that a creator gives a brand permission to run paid ads using the creator’s content, name and account – so the ad appears to come from the creator rather than from the brand. On TikTok this is done with Spark Ads, and on Instagram and Facebook with Meta’s partnership ads. It works because people respond to creators they trust more than to brand messages, and paid media lets the best creator content reach exactly the right audience. Heading into 2027, the brands that get the most from whitelisting will plan paid usage from the first brief, agree rights and time limits in the contract, label everything correctly and measure creator ads separately from other creative.

The shift is already well under way. According to CreatorIQ’s Creator-Powered Funnel report, 92 percent of brands use creator content in paid media, creator content now makes up 44 percent of brands’ paid media creative, and 77 percent of marketers say it outperforms traditional branded ads. Here is how whitelisting works and what to think about.

What is influencer whitelisting?

The term comes from the way it was originally set up: the creator added the brand to a list of approved advertisers who could promote posts from their account. Today the platforms have built dedicated tools for it, but the principle is the same. The creator owns the account and the content; the brand pays for the media and controls targeting, budget and timing.

There are three common ways to use creator content in paid media:

Boosting from the creator’s account: the original post is promoted as an ad, keeping the creator’s handle, comments and likes. This is what Spark Ads and partnership ads do.
Running ads with both names: the ad shows the creator and the brand together, so it benefits from the creator’s credibility and the brand’s targeting.
Licensing content to the brand’s own account: the brand gets the right to use the video or images in its own ads. This is often called content licensing or usage rights rather than whitelisting.

How do TikTok Spark Ads work?

Spark Ads use posts from organic TikTok accounts as ads. According to TikTok, all views, comments, shares, likes and follows gained while the video is promoted are attributed to the original organic post. The creator authorizes the post with a code, and TikTok lets the duration of the authorization be adjusted to match the campaign, so access ends when the agreed period is over.

TikTok’s own figures show why brands use the format. Creator ads drive a 70 percent higher click-through rate and a 159 percent higher engagement rate than non-creator ads at the same CPM, and ads posted to a creator’s account have a 59 percent higher engagement rate and a 16 percent higher six-second view-through rate than those that are not. These are platform figures, so test them against your own benchmarks.

How do Meta partnership ads work?

On Instagram and Facebook, partnership ads let a brand run ads that feature the creator’s handle together with the brand’s, either from an existing post or from content the creator has shared with the brand. When Meta announced new creator partnership tools, the company said partnership ads deliver 19 percent lower cost per acquisition and 13 percent higher click-through rates on average, according to Marketing Dive. As with TikTok, these are Meta’s own averages.

Meta has also made the process easier to manage. This autumn, it merged its Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub into a single Creator Marketing Hub, where advertisers can discover creators, find content and activate it as partnership ads – with content-level permissions and expiration dates for the access, according to MediaPost.

Why does creator content work so well in paid media?

Does it really outperform brand ads?

In CreatorIQ’s research, 65 percent of marketers reported better click-through rates with creator content, 58 percent better conversion rates and 50 percent better CPM efficiency. The reason is simple: creator content looks and sounds like the rest of the feed, and it carries the trust that the creator has built with their audience.

Which creator content works best as ads?

Usually the posts that already performed well organically. Look for videos with high completion rates, strong comments and a clear moment where the product is shown or used. A recognisable personality can stop the scroll, while a creator with a specific niche can make the message more relevant. Many brands test several creators and scale the winners.

What should a whitelisting agreement include?

Rights are the main bottleneck. CreatorIQ found that 54 percent of marketers see securing usage rights as a major barrier. Negotiate paid usage at the start, not after the content has gone viral. A clear agreement covers:

Platforms and formats: which channels the ads may run in and whether the content may be edited, cut or combined with other material.
Period: how long the brand may run ads, and what happens when the period ends.
Markets: for example Sweden only, the Nordics or more countries.
Access: whether the brand gets a Spark Ads code, partnership ad permission or a file to run from its own account.
Fee: paid usage is usually priced separately from the organic post, and longer or broader rights cost more.
Approval: whether the creator wants to see ad versions, captions or targeting before launch.

In Sweden, the Act on Names and Images in Advertising also requires consent before a person’s name or image is used in marketing. A written agreement that clearly covers paid use protects both the brand and the creator.

How do you label whitelisted ads correctly?

A whitelisted ad is still advertising and must be recognisable as such at first glance. Konsumentverket stresses that the recipient must understand that a post is paid even after a fleeting contact, and that the company has the main responsibility for the marketing published on its behalf. Use the platforms’ labels for paid partnerships, make sure the original organic post was labelled from the start, and avoid editing that removes the disclosure. Serious violations can lead to a fee of up to four percent of annual turnover.

How do Collabri’s campaigns use creator content in paid media?

Paid amplification works best when it is planned from day one. In the Swedish launch of Fazer Domino, Collabri combined creators on TikTok and Instagram with a paid strategy from the start, and the campaign reached more than 3.5 million views and 14,000 interactions. For Protein.com, content is optimized for both organic and paid media, and the strongest partnerships become long-term ambassadors – a natural next step once you know which creators perform.

How do you measure whitelisted creator ads?

Measure creator ads as their own creative category. Compare them with brand-produced ads on the metrics that match the goal: reach and completion for awareness, click-through rate and cost per click for consideration, and conversions and cost per acquisition for sales. Separate organic and paid results so you know which creators perform on their own and which videos are worth scaling. Measurement is still a challenge: in CreatorIQ’s funnel research, 58 percent cited it as their biggest obstacle.

What changes in influencer whitelisting toward 2027?

Four shifts are worth preparing for:

Creator ads become standard media. The IAB’s latest forecast puts US creator ad spend at 44 billion dollars, and in CreatorIQ’s latest State of Creator Marketing report, 52 percent of brands with growing creator budgets funded the increase from paid media or advertising. Whitelisting is how those budgets are put to work.
Platforms build rights management into their tools. Meta’s Creator Marketing Hub, with content-level permissions and expiration dates, and TikTok’s adjustable authorization codes make it easier to keep track of which content may run and for how long.
Live and new formats can be amplified. Meta has started rolling out live video ads on Instagram, letting brands amplify a creator’s live broadcast as a partnership ad, according to MediaPost. Expect contracts to cover more formats than single videos.
Transparency rules get stricter. The European Commission is expected to propose a Digital Fairness Act that covers influencer marketing among other practices. Clear labelling of creator ads will matter even more.

Key takeaways

Influencer whitelisting lets brands run paid ads with a creator’s content and handle – via Spark Ads on TikTok and partnership ads on Meta.
Creator content already makes up 44 percent of brands’ paid media creative, and most marketers say it outperforms branded ads.
Agree platforms, period, markets, access, fee and approval in writing before the content goes live.
Whitelisted ads are advertising: label them clearly, and remember that the brand has the main responsibility.
In 2027, expect creator ads to take more media budget and platforms to manage rights inside their tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between whitelisting and Spark Ads?

Whitelisting is the general term for running ads through or with a creator’s account. Spark Ads is TikTok’s format for doing it, where an organic post is promoted as an ad with the creator’s authorization.

Do creators get paid extra for whitelisting?

Usually, yes. Paid usage is normally priced separately from the organic post, and the fee depends on the period, the markets and the platforms covered.

Can a brand edit a creator’s video for ads?

Only if the agreement allows it. Specify whether the brand may cut, subtitle or combine the content with other material, and whether the creator wants to approve new versions.

Do whitelisted ads need to be labelled as advertising?

Yes. They must be recognisable as advertising at first glance, and the brand has the main responsibility. Use the platforms’ paid partnership labels and clear words in the caption.

Want to combine the right creators with paid media and clear usage rights in one plan? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Sources

CreatorIQ – Creator Content Now Powers 44% of Paid Media Creative (2026): https://www.creatoriq.com/press/releases/creator-powered-funnel-report-2026
TikTok for Business – Spark Ads (Help Center): https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/spark-ads
TikTok for Business – The Creator Advantage: How Creators Drive Real Brand Impact On TikTok (2025): https://ads.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/tiktok-creator-advantage
Marketing Dive – Meta streamlines brands’ creator partnerships with AI-powered updates (2025): https://www.marketingdive.com/news/meta-streamlines-brands-creator-partnerships-with-ai-powered-updates/807629/
MediaPost – Meta Launches Creator Marketing Hub, Live Video Ads (2026): https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/418022/meta-launches-creator-marketing-hub-live-video-ad.html
CreatorIQ – State of Creator Marketing 2026–2027 (2026): https://www.creatoriq.com/white-papers/state-of-creator-marketing-trends-2027
Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/
Riksdagen – Lag (1978:800) om namn och bild i reklam: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-1978800-om-namn-och-bild-i-reklam_sfs-1978-800/
IAB – 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report (2025): https://www.iab.com/insights/2025-creator-economy-ad-spend-strategy-report/
European Parliament – Legislative Train: Digital Fairness Act: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-protecting-our-democracy-upholding-our-values/file-digital-fairness-act

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.