Influencer Marketing for UK Businesses, Done by the Rules

When a creator post is an ad

In the UK, the rules come from two places. The CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), covers content where a brand has paid or given something and has some control over what is said. Consumer protection law, now in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 and enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), covers commercial relationships more broadly.

The ASA's guidance on recognising ads says a post must be obviously identifiable as advertising when:

• the brand paid the creator, in money or otherwise;
• the brand gave a free product or other incentive, even if it did not ask for a post;
• the creator earns commission through an affiliate link or code; or
• the creator owns, works for or has a stake in the brand.

A gifted product counts as an incentive, so "no obligation to post" does not remove the need to label.

How to label it: #ad upfront

The ASA prefers labels that plainly say advertising: "Ad", "Advert", "Advertising" or "Ad Feature", and its rulings point to "#ad" as acceptable. It says labels such as "sponsored", "gifted", "supported by", "in association with", "#BrandAmbassador", "#aff" or "#spon" are unlikely to be enough on their own.

Placement matters as much as wording. The label should be upfront, which usually means at the start of the caption. It must not be hidden behind "See more" or buried among hashtags. In a video, people should know it is an ad before they watch or at the very start. The label has to show on mobile, desktop and in the app, and each post must stand alone: a bio saying "brand ambassador" does not cover individual posts.

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube all have paid partnership tools. The ASA says these can help people recognise ads but may not be enough on their own. Our rule is simple: use the platform tool and put "Ad" at the start.

Why the brand carries the risk

The ASA's guidance says it will typically hold the brand at least jointly responsible for creator content, whether or not the brand saw the post first. Since 6 April 2025 the CMA has been able to enforce consumer law directly, with fines of up to 10% of global turnover, without going to court first. The ASA's influencer guide, currently in its third edition from 23 March 2023, notes it will be updated for the DMCC Act, but says the advice remains broadly correct.

The labelling rule is only the start. Any claim in a creator post must be one you could make yourself: no unproven health claims, no misleading before-and-afters, no prescription medicines, and the usual restrictions on alcohol, gambling and ads that might appeal to under-18s.

How we run a campaign

1. Goal and budget. Awareness, content for ads, or direct sales. Creator fees are agreed separately with each creator.
2. Creator search. We look for smaller, relevant UK creators and check where their audience is, whether engagement looks genuine, and what they have promoted before.
3. Brief and agreement. Deliverables, dates, key messages, banned claims, the exact ad label and where it goes, and usage rights so you can reuse the content.
4. Approval. We check each post before it goes live and again after.
5. Amplify. Strong posts can run as Instagram partnership ads or TikTok Spark Ads, which keep the creator's handle and the original engagement.

We track results with unique links and discount codes, so you see clicks and sales, not just likes.

Pricing

Influencer planning and campaign management is charged at £45 an hour + VAT, or as a fixed quote for a defined campaign. Creator fees, product costs and any ad spend for amplification are separate and agreed with you in advance. If you want ongoing paid amplification of creator content, that sits within paid social management from £150 a month + VAT plus ad spend. We do not promise follower growth or sales figures. See our pricing or ask for a fixed quote.

What you get

• Creator shortlist with audience location, age and engagement checks
• Written brief with key messages, claims you can and cannot make, and disclosure rules
• Simple agreement covering fee, deliverables, usage rights and labelling
• Pre-publication check of every post for an upfront ad label
• Spark Ads or partnership ads set-up using creator content
• Campaign report with reach, clicks, codes used and sales where trackable

How it works and what it costs

Google Ads management from £150 a month, social media management from £125 a month and email marketing from £95 a month, all + VAT. Ad spend is separate and paid to the platform. No long contracts.

1. Free review

   We look at your current ads, social, email and analytics, or your plans if you are starting out, and tell you plainly what we would change.

2. Plan and price

   You get a written plan with targets, budgets and a fixed monthly fee before anything starts.

3. Set up properly

   Tracking and consent first, then campaigns, audiences, content calendars or email flows, all in accounts you own.

4. Run and improve

   We manage it every week: search terms, bids, creative, posts and tests, cutting what does not pay and doing more of what does.

5. Report in plain English

   A monthly report on leads, sales and cost per result, not vanity numbers, with what we will do next.

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