Frequently Asked Questions

A fair question, that I receive often. Influencer is a newer type of job and a tricky one to explain, but I'll give it a try!

A content creator builds an audience around a specific topic by consistently posting content that people find valuable or entertaining. Over time, that audience grows and trusts the creator's recommendations. This is where the "influence" comes in.

In my case, I post about Calgary events, restaurants, and local experiences. People follow me specifically because they want that information. So when a local business partners with me to feature their restaurant or event, it reaches an audience that is already looking for exactly that kind of recommendation. To my audience it doesn't feel like an ad, it feels like a tip from a friend who always knows what's going on in the city.

Partnerships like these are also what allow me to keep producing free content for my audience. Most of what I post I'm not paid for, but the occasional collaboration means I can keep doing this full time. So it's a win for everyone: my followers get great local recommendations, I get to do what I love for a living, and your business gets in front of thousands of engaged Calgarians who are actively looking for something to do or somewhere to eat.

Getting discovered is half the battle for new businesses. Influencer marketing puts your business in front of new people in a positive, authentic way. I build the kind of awareness that leads to real customers walking through your door.

Think of me as your introduction to your next customer. I spark the interest, you take it from there.

We bring people to your door. You close the deal.

Think of me as the introduction — I get curious, engaged Calgarians excited about your business and send them your way. What happens next depends on what they find when they arrive.

If your Instagram is active, your website is easy to navigate, and your product delivers — you're set up to convert. That's why I don't guarantee sales but I am a warm, trusted introduction to your next customer.

Not all influencers are created equal.

If you're considering multiple influencers as part of your marketing strategy that's a great idea! But before you commit, Here's what to watch out for:

• Fake followers — your message never reaches a real person
• Non-local audiences — a large following means nothing if they're not in your city
• Low engagement — 200,000 followers with 50 likes per post is a red flag, not a reach
• Audience-content mismatch — if an influencer has never posted about your industry, a sponsored post will feel off to their followers
• Wrong demographic fit — follower count doesn't matter if those followers aren't your customer

Here's how I stack up:

• ✅ 95% of my audience is based in Calgary 
• ✅ Real engaged followers who act on my recommendations 
• ✅ Content focused almost entirely on local events, restaurants, and things to do
• ✅ I only partner with businesses I genuinely believe my audience will love — which means your message lands authentically, not like an ad

If your business is a good fit for my community, I'd love to chat.

Note, I am actually picky about who I choose to work with as it's important to me that I'm only delivering quality information to my audience. I receive a lot of requests but I only accept those where I feel I can have a real impact..

Both have their place, but they work very differently.

Instagram ads are great for broad exposure because they get your business in front of a large number of people quickly. They can also be useful for boosting content that's already performing well, like a popular contest or promotion. Where they fall short is trust. People know they're looking at an ad, and they scroll past accordingly.

That's where hiring a content creator makes a real difference. When I feature your business, my followers aren't seeing a sponsored post from a stranger. Instead, they're getting a recommendation from someone they already follow and trust. It's the difference between a business saying "we're great" and someone else saying it for them. The second one is always more believable.

An Instagram ad can get eyes on your business. A genuine recommendation can actually get people through your door.

Email is the best place. Please reach out to info@yycsociables.com  

(Note that DM's are a crappy way to communicate, it's basically text message but way worse because they get lost in a sea of messages never to be seen again.)

Here are the most popular options. If you have something else in mind, just ask!

• Video (TikTok + Instagram Reel) – The highest-reach option. Videos are served beyond just my followers, meaning your business can get in front of a much larger audience than my follower count alone. I post to both TikTok and Instagram Reels for maximum exposure — my most viewed TikTok has surpassed 1 million views

• Giveaway – Best for building followers and generating buzz. You provide the prize, and I handle the rest. My audience loves a giveaway and engagement is consistently high when I run them. Keep in mind that the number of new followers you gain will depend on the appeal and value of the prize.

• Website addition - I can add your event to my website event calendar. It's visited by Calgarians specifically looking for fun stuff to do in the city.

Honestly, there's no guarantee, and any influencer or advertiser who promises a specific return on investment isn't being straight with you.

What I can tell you is how it works: people rarely buy from a business the first time they hear about it. Awareness comes first, then familiarity, then trust. Trust is what drives purchases. A single post can spark awareness, but consistent, positive exposure over time is what actually moves people to act.

If sales are your primary goal, I'd recommend thinking about this as a longer-term relationship rather than a one-off campaign. The more my audience sees your business featured positively, the more likely they are to show up when they're ready to buy.

What I bring is a warm, trusted introduction to thousands of engaged Calgarians. What happens after that depends on your product, your pricing, and your timing (all things that are ultimately in your hands).

It depends on the budget of the campaign, what the campaign is asking of me for a time commitment, and how well it matches my personal brand. (As you can imagine if you’re asking me to sell adult diapers I’m probably going to charge more! 😂)  

I've been doing this for 7 years, I am experienced and have a large local audience I've worked to build a relationship with.

Just three steps:

1. Reach out — Email info@yycsociables.com and tell us what you're looking for.
2. Review & approve — We create the content and send it to you before anything goes live. No surprises.
3. Go live — We post, and your business gets in front of thousands of engaged, local Calgarians.

You'll receive an emailed invoice at the start of the campaign and you can choose to pay via credit card or etransfer.  (I prefer etransfer to avoid fees, but whatever works best for you!).  

Yes, I have to. This is the government's rule and not my own! My business is registered.

Unfortunately, I can't take on work for free.

1. It's taken me 7 years to actively build up my community of followers. They didn't come to me accidentally or easily.  You're asking for valuable access to my community.
2. I'm a local small business too!! I use the money I make to pay my mortgage and put gas in my car and hire local freelancers to help me (i.e. website, graphics, branding, admin etc.). 
3. It takes real work to do what I do. It may not look like it, (why would it from the outside?) but a lot happens behind the scenes.
4. I have a niche skill set.  It has taken years for me to build up the skills to create content. I've taken courses on videography, copywriting, photo editing and social media.

I do sometimes accept gifts (provided there are no strings attached). However, because I have to prioritize the people who pay for promotion, any gifts I'm given are going to come second to that. I will only be able to fit in promotion of your gift if I have the capacity to do so. (Which I usually don't, so please don't be offended if I don't accept your gift! It is not personal! I'm sure your product is lovely.)

Note that "gifting" is different from an "exchange" (see next question).

I rarely accept an exchange as payment. In my experience businesses don't often see eye-to-eye in terms of the exchange value of products/services and one person usually feels shafted.  

Also note, if I agree to take product/service as payment I am required to claim it as income on my annual income taxes as the CRA considers it taxable income. Because I pay taxes on this payment, I have to be careful regarding my decisions surrounding accepting products/services as payment.

*IMPORTANT* Those who are experienced in the influencer industry rarely accept an exchange of services as payment, you may find someone who will agree to work with you but they will likely be new to influencing.  

Yes, of course I will, if you hire me! We'll discuss what you are looking for and you are guaranteed deliverables because it was decided in advance and to be posted by a specific date. The message I will relay will be positive and contain elements we spoke about in advance. 

If you don't have a budget, you can simply invite me as one human to another.  But note, this falls under "gifting" and I would not be required to post anything specific or even anything at all. (This avoid complications with the government and taxes). Note that I receive a lot of these types of invites so don't be disappointed if I'm not able to fit it in. It's not that your business isn't wonderful and worth visiting, trust me, I'd love to go to everything!  It's just that paying clients are my highest priority (as they should be) and everything else comes after and only if it fits.

Affiliate marketing means I'm not paid to advertise for you, but rather for every sale I make for you I get a small cut. 

I wish that someone had approached me with affiliate offers when I was a smaller account and not as busy as I am now because back then I would have loved to take on this type of work. However now I am so busy that fitting time to market affiliate items "in-between" my regular work just isn't realistic.  So while it sounds like a good deal for you (free advertising!) your item would always fall to the absolute bottom of my to-do list and simply never get advertised.

That said, what I can do, if you hire me, I will gladly promote a discount code to my audience as part of a full campaign. This service is included within my pricing and provides an extra incentive for followers to purchase.