Whitelisting vs. Boosting: Breaking Down The Differences & Benefits

We’re firm believers in the power of amplification in influencer marketing, but it can be tricky to figure out successful tactics. Let’s break down the basics.

Whitelisting, dark posting, boosting...if you’re in the digital marketing world, you’ve likely heard these terms before, but understanding what they all mean can be complicated. The world of digital ad amplification is still relatively new, and finding the pathways to success can be difficult for newcomers.

For Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram, there are two main methods of amplification: boosting and whitelisting, and in our opinion, one is far superior to the other.

Boosting

Boosting influencer content through Instagram’s Branded Content Tool is simple, but it’s options are limited.

The Limitations of Boosting

As we mentioned, boosting is a little too simplistic to create targeted ads that maximize reach and conversion.

For one, you cannot edit a post’s copy or imagery in order to run variant ads and figure out which ads are performing better and worth scaling. Another drawback is the inability to target lookalike audiences through boosted pos ts, and some features, like Instagram Stories, are not supported through Branded Content boosting.

Last, advertising partners can only access metrics of an influencer’s content for 14 days after the original posting date, making it difficult to run longterm ads and determine success over time.

Whitelisting

Whitelisting is where influencers will give brand partners access to their accounts in order to modify and promote content directly from their account.

The Benefits of Whitelisting

Brands can customize a post’s captions, images, and calls-to-action to target different KPIs and achieve various campaign objectives. Through whitelisting, brands can also create posts that appear to be shared from the influencer’s channel but do not appear on their feed.

In addition to customization options, brands also have access to a vast number of performance insights such as reach, engagement, impressions, and clicks.

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We love the customization opportunities and insights that come with whitelisting and definitely recommend it for your next influencer campaign. Have no clue where to start? Amplification is one of the many services Lytehouse can manage on your brand’s behalf. Let’s chat.