The first time a brand asked if they could “run ads through my account”, I was like…excuse me?? You want my password?? Not happening.
But turns out, they weren’t trying to hack me.
They were talking about whitelisting. And honestly? I wish I'd figured it out sooner because it’s basically the bonus level of brand deals.
Normally, when you collaborate with a brand, they’ll run ads from their own page, riiight?
With whitelisting, the ads run through your handle. Your name, your face, your vibe - but their money is the one pushing it out. And that’s why it works: it feels way more real, like a regular post from you, and audiences trust it way more.
Here’s the good part (aka why this should be on your radar):
I know what you’re thinking: “But what if they have too much control?” - completely fair.
The answer = contracts.
Once those boxes are ticked, it’s not scary at all and just another revenue stream :)
You don’t need to make it complicated but just drop a casual line in your email like:
“Alongside UGC and influencer content, I also offer whitelisting so you can run ads directly through my account.”
That one line = chef’s kiss. 9 times out of 10, the brand will ask for more details.
Whitelisting isn’t a scam. No, it’s not brands stealing your account - it’s you leveling up your value (as you should), extending your partnerships, and getting your content seen by waaaay more people.
If I could go back, I’d tell past me to stop panicking and start charging sooner. So consider this me telling you: don’t sleep on whitelisting. Future you (and your bank account) will thank you.
