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With TV it鈥檚 obvious when you鈥檙e getting the hard sell on a brand of washing up liquid, but it鈥檚 not always as clear on social media.

Social media influencers 鈥� users with authority in an area who often have large followings 鈥� are becoming a vital part of brands鈥� advertising strategies as they look to hit a younger, engaged audience.

However, this can make it hard to know when something鈥檚 an ad and when it鈥檚 genuine opinion.

Shabnum Mustapha is media and public affairs manager at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). She says that there are already clear rules in place for advertisers, which also translate onto social media.

鈥淚f you鈥檝e gone into a commercial relationship with a brand and they鈥檙e controlling what you say, that鈥檚 an ad,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f they鈥檙e not controlling what you鈥檙e saying it鈥檚 not an ad. Even if they鈥檝e sent you a freebie or paid you it鈥檚 editorial opinion and you鈥檝e nothing to worry about.鈥�

Ads need to be easily identifiable to avoid followers having to 鈥榩lay detective鈥�, says Mustapha. It鈥檚 also in the best interest of the influencers who鈥檝e worked hard to create a connection with followers. However the ASA doesn鈥檛 get a significant number of complaints about influencers, says Mustapha. When they do get flagged the responsibility falls with the advertiser, although influencers need to be aware.

鈥淭he brand or talent and PR agencies are the ones that should know better,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut there is also a responsibility for the influencer, especially if they鈥檝e been around a while.鈥�

However Andrea Cheong, a luxury lifestyle blogger called The Haute Heel with nearly 23,000 followers on her @fleurandrea Instagram account, believes this is genuinely the reason some influencers get caught out.

鈥淵oung girls start taking selfies on Instagram then get followers and realise they can make money,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 go into it from a business mindset. Even for those doing it more professionally the guidelines can be quite blurry, whereas in the US the approach is always 鈥榡ust put #ad on it鈥�.鈥�

Cheong says what the product is and how the brand interacts with her are factors in choosing who she works with. 鈥淚f someone sends something and I post it it鈥檚 because I genuinely want to,鈥� she says.

鈥淚鈥檝e made it extremely clear as soon as you tell me how to photograph something or what to say that鈥檚 an ad and you have to pay, but 80 per cent of brands are happy to let me do my thing.鈥�

The fact that many influencers will only endorse brands they already like may be one reason followers don鈥檛 mind influencers doing paid-for content. 鈥淭here鈥檚 data showing millennials and Gen Z don鈥檛 care if something鈥檚 an ad because they already expect it,鈥� Cheong adds.

Rohan Midha is MD of digital influencer marketing agency PMYB. He says there are tools coming from tech platforms that will identify when something is an ad, much like Instagram鈥檚 鈥榩aid partnership鈥� button.

He also believes being sparing with paid-for content is a benefit to influencers.

鈥淲e鈥檝e identified a new type of super-influencer called a 鈥榗hromo-influencer鈥�,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in the top three per cent because they rate highly against 46 different factors, including whether they endorse brands all the time. We鈥檙e after real influence 鈥� it鈥檚 not just about reach.鈥�