Tag: micro-influencers

The Top 20 Micro Influencers to Follow in Vancouver

Vancouver is a vibrant coastal city that’s filled with skilled creators, bloggers, and engaging social media influencers who can help maximize your business’s potential. That’s why we’ve created this guide to showcase some of Vancouver’s top influencers that are on the come-up that you should be following.

As well, If you’re a brand or small business that’s looking to work with more Vancouver influencers, you can use this article as a tool to find creators for your next collaboration.

Please note that this list is not a ranking of any sort. All influencers mentioned are listed in no particular order.

We’ve separated the creators into two categories— lifestyle and foodies. Additionally, rather than featuring mega-influencers and celebrities that anyone can find online, we wanted to showcase local micro-influencers who are creating quality content with an authentic presence.

You may find many of the creators in this list overlap in multiple categories. We encourage you to explore their social feeds for yourself, which are linked below.

Lifestyle Influencers in Vancouver

@jjoyw3 // 6.6k followers
Joy focuses on lifestyle and wellness-related content. She acknowledges mental and physical health and shares vital tips about both matters. In addition, she shares insight on her beautiful vacationing journeys with her audience.

@popsofgrace // 4k followers
Amy is a Vancouver-based family and lifestyle content creator. Her transparency regarding her personal life makes her stand out from the rest. Her Instagram consists of various images, ranging from adorable moments with her children to more serious topics and life updates.

Amy’s vast range and diversity of content make her unique. In addition, she makes a point to remain truly authentic to her audience.

@megkuang // 1.8k followers
Meg is a Vancouver-based creator and a recent UBC graduate. Whether she’s traversing Vancouver on her bike or sharing whatever’s on her mind, Meg never seizes to keep her followers intrigued.

Outside of creating content on social media, she also hosts a podcast called “in my twenties’! Hardworking, creative, and willing to offer her help to anyone who needs it, Meg is a Vancouver influencer that deserves your attention!

@tomilolavanna // 5.9k followers
Tomilola’s feed is a highlight of her captivating outfits on the daily. Along with showcasing her fashion picks, she also creates lifestyle content featuring her husband and their adorable toy poodle, Kabi.

@natasha_lu // 10.9k followers
Looking for fashion, food, or beauty inspo? Be sure to check out Natasha’s minimalist aesthetic.

Natasha’s account revolves around fashion, beauty, and lifestyle-related content. Her wardrobe and makeup tips are relatable, and we love her use of neutral tones in the photos she shares.

@walkerkylee // 10.3k followers
Kylee pairs various styles together to create a cohesive theme that’s authentically hers. Within her content, she also brings us along on her various vacation adventures.

@milansmama_ // 14.5k followers
Aiyna is a food, fashion, lifestyle and travel creator, as well as a mother to her adorable son, Milan! Her content gives her audience a window into her journey as a content creator and mom.

Being a family-oriented page, you can expect to see some healthy and delicious recipes, vacation moments, and fashion tips!

@sophieccollins // 10.3k followers
Sophie page is primarily centered around her family, vacation content + her other interests like health and fitness. She frequently updates her audience on her journey as a mom of two boys and as the co-founder of One Wednesday Shop.

Sophie’s content is inspiring for the working mom, and she does an amazing job of balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and her career as a content creator!

@chclaireh // 2.4k followers
Claire shares a mixture of fashion inspo, fitness and lifestyle content. She also features tons of outdoor scenic spots in the city to check out!

Claire’s passion for fitness does not stop her from sharing the delicious meals she prepares! You can also check out her new YouTube channel, where she frequently uploads vlogs and lifestyle-related videos!

@offshegoes_ // 7.5k followers
Jill’s passion for nature and travel, combined with her job as a flight attendant allows her viewers to be in a constant state of adventure!

Jill’s content is warm and comforting but still gives you wanderlust from all of the amazing destinations she visits. Be sure to follow her page for consistent travel recommendations and tips!

Food & Beverage Influencers in Vancouver

@ryanvancouvereats // 7.2k followers
Outside of balancing school as a university student, Ryan manages his foodie page to highlight his favourite eats! From beautifully captured food to critiqued restaurants, you can practically find Vancouver’s best cuisine recommendations from his account. In addition, Ryan’s honesty and unbiased take on each meal makes him an authentic and reliable food reviewer.

@teresaceat_ // 13.1k followers
Teresa and Canaan’s feed is sure to have you craving bubble tea and all sorts of sweet treats! You can find Vancouver’s most unique and authentic east Asian desserts on their page. Their in-depth reviews will be sure to convince you to grab a bite of anything they recommend!

@vancity.hungrycouple // 10.4k followers
Alex and Jen are a couple with a shared passion for food. Their Instagram feed is vibrant and will probably have you craving whatever they’ve featured on their page. You can expect to find a variety of new eats that will guide you through Vancouver’s best restaurants.

@forkthatdish // 16.2k followers
Nerrisa and Caleb are the masterminds behind Forkthatdish. Their account is a fantastic resource for any Vancouver foodie, especially if you’re into Asian food. They review multiple food joints in Vancouver honestly and unbiasedly.

They also host numerous giveaways with restaurants, which is another reason why you should be following them!

@yummybites604 // 7.4k followers
Stephanie is a food blogger and boba fanatic who knows how to work a camera! Her bubbly captions and ability to capture meals make her an awesome creator for any food brand or restaurant that’s looking to partner with influencers!

@keatsyvr // 4k followers
Follow Kerry as she uncovers Vancity’s newest eats and hidden gems! Her dedication to providing her audience with authentic reviews and recommendations is reflected in her day-to-day posts. We also love the variety of ethnic cuisines showcased on her page.

@nomsofvan // 6.2k followers
From street style to authentic East Asian cuisine, you can expect to find a range of delicious food on her account. She’s also created detailed guides to enjoying food in different areas of Vancouver!

@foodlees // 7k followers
Bonnie is not only an avid food blogger, but she’s also a talented photographer! You can find a variety of reviewed meals, restaurants and giveaways being showcased on her Instagram feed! And if you’re a dessert lover like we are, you’ll be sure to love her content.

@fatpantsforever // 6.8k followers
Vic and Winnie take us along their adventure with food tasting and reviews! In addition, they frequently travel and incorporate food and drinks from the destinations they visit. We love seeing the mix of foreign foods and local Vancity spots on their page!

@604.eats// 2.5k followers
There are thousands of restaurants across Vancouver, but Sophie does an awesome job of highlighting the foods you need to be trying! Her detailed reviews make for content that any local foodie can appreciate.

Final Thoughts

At Node, we’re building creator communities in cities across Canada and the United States, and we’ll continue to showcase up-and-coming micro-influencers in each region. If you’re a creator that’s interested in working with more brands and supporting local brands, we encourage you to sign-up for Node.

👉 See our list of the Top 20 Toronto Influencers

How can I find more Vancouver influencers for my business?

You can freely reach out to any of these Vancouver influencers by DMing them on Instagram. Many of them are also members of Node, which you can contact for collaborations through our platform.

Whether it’s through our platform or another, we encourage you to reach out to these micro-influencers for your next brand collaboration!

If you’re a business looking to collaborate with these influencers, contact us here.

April 22, 2022
3 DTC Brands That Are Killing It With Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing has become one of the fastest-growing marketing mediums, and today roughly 95% of B2C marketers have reported working with influencers in some capacity. Furthermore, roughly one-third of marketers prefer working with micro-influencer as authenticity and higher engagement rates have become the priority.

Let’s also consider that social distancing is creating a massive shift from physical shopping experiences to e-commerce.

Then it is no surprise that DTC online businesses will continue to leverage micro-influencers to build connections and establish a reputation with online shoppers. There’s already been a plethora of DTC brands that have scaled and built cult followings through micro influencers. In this blog we will explore 3 pioneers in this innovative marketing technique.

We’ve compiled a list of 3 brands who are doing amazing with their micro influencer marketing strategies.

Interested in learning about how brands have worked with Node micro influencers? Read more here.

Mejuri’s Stellar UGC Game

The early days of crowdsourcing:

User-generated content (UGC) was built into the Mejuri brand and marketing plan. Founded by 3rd generation Jordanian jeweler, Noura Sakkijha, the fine jewelry company was conceived using globally crowdsourced designs and the mantra to ‘make luxury a habit.’

This inclusivity defines the brand from the demand side. It appeals to the modern woman that doesn’t buy into the traditional sentiment that jewelry is to be received passively (in the form of a gift, from a man). The Mejuri woman is independent. If she wants a pair of gold hoops she buys them— “for her damn self.”

Lessons learned from supply-side collaboration:

While Mejuri has since moved to an in-house design model, lessons learned from the crowdsourcing days remain a fundamental aspect of the brand. Iterate often, and listen closely to customer feedback is part of the founding team’s philosophy.

In another departure from tradition, Mejuri has adopted a trend well-known in fashion but uncommon in fine jewelry. Instead of seasonal product lines, they release collections that ‘drop’ every other week through their online store. This creates a feedback loop between customers and the brand, which allows Mejuri to accurately gauge what customers want.

Growing up with the influencers:

One underrated aspect of the success of brands that were founded over the last 5-8 years is timing. Mejuri’s initial launch in 2013 and the corresponding 2015 re-launch coincided heavily with the rise of Instagram influencer marking. The Mejuri brand started working with what were low key micro influencers at the time, that has since grown to achieve celebrity status. This allowed the brand-influencer synergy to develop in an organic and natural way, which is key for success in the influencer marketing sphere.

An inclusive product:

Mejuri has created a product that is price-inclusive and that everyone wants to post on social media. Their tone of voice is approachable, rather than one of authority. The company uses “real life” and experiential marketing tactics such as their immersive pop-up in New York City, known as ‘The Vault.”

Mejuri understands online shopping and the company regularly activates its micro-influencer network to convey its message. For instance, for this year’s Mother’s Day sweepstakes, Mejuri encouraged people to nominate a deserving mother to receive a free product.

Efficacy of the crowdsourcing experiment:

Blurring the lines between customer and ‘part of the team’ is apparent on Mejuri’s social media. The company’s Instagram page has over 770k followers, and by the end of 2019 Mejuri was tagged in over 130k photos. This produces a great portfolio of user-generated content for their eCommerce store, but does it translate to conversions? With over 100,000 people on the waitlists for some Mejuri products, it appears they’re doing something right.

@Mejuri

@Mejuri

Daniel Wellington’s Fortuitous Budget Limitations

Daniel Wellington Watch Company

Founded by a Swedish watchmaker, named after an English backpacker:

In stereotypical Swede fashion, John Filip Tysander entered the watch business after high school.

The Daniel Wellington brand would come later – after Tysander graduated from university, and would be named after an Englishman that the millennial watchmaker would meet while backpacking in Australia.

The real Daniel Wellington was actually wearing a Rolex watch with a NATO strap. The simplicity of the design captivated Tysander and inspired him to create what would become a timepiece empire.

Inexpensive luxury:

The Daniel Wellington brand was created as an affordable watch brand with a minimalistic design that mimicked Ralph Lauren and the trending ‘preppy’ style. Although it may not seem, the actual product is made inexpensively in China. However, their nautical beach club design tells the story of a lifestyle based more in the alternative reality of life in squares.

PC: @joannejojobi

Budget restraints that encouraged experimentation:

Tysander founded Daniel Wellington in 2011 with $15k. Both the timing and the budget limitations of the brand’s debut as a company was fortuitous. As with Mejuri’s launch, influencer marketing was not yet really ‘a thing,’ and was happening organically at the time.

Had Tysander decided to raise venture capital and leverage Daniel Wellington’s digital marketing efforts, the company may have used more traditional advertising and celebrity endorsements.

Instead, the company pioneered what we now know as micro-influencer marketing. It gave free product to independent content creators in their target market who, in turn, produced fun and creative photos of the watches and posted them on their social media.

Creative liberty:

The company encouraged content creation with influencer campaigns such as their “Pic of the Day” contests, which gave its content creators full creative control. This birthed a variety of styles that fit together to create what we know now as the Daniel Wellington style.

#DWPicOfTheDay PC: @danielwellington

This signature collaborative look remains an important feature of the brand today. With almost 5 million followers, 95% of the content posted on Daniel Wellington Instagram account is UGC.

@DanielWellington

@DanielWelington

Outperforming Rolex in 3 years:

Tysander’s bootstrapped startup became the fastest-growing company in Europe in 2013 and held that title for 2 years. By 2014 they had sold 1 million watches, beating Rolex to this milestone by 108 years. The Daniel Wellington brand has become a blueprint for online retailers.

Reinventing the La Croix feeling:

La Croix Sparkling Water Company

From Wisconsin mom’s pop substitute to the “obsessed” Millennial’s Instagram feed:

You don’t have to necessarily be a new brand in order to become an Insta-famous. La Croix was established in 1981, and was popular for decades among Midwestern moms leading the budget-wise middle America ‘Anti-Perrier’ movement.

It was the re-brand that coincided with Insta-fame, as well as Americans’ movement away from sugary soda drinks (whose sales dipped to a 30-year low in 2015). This helped La Croix take over as the ‘all occasion beverage, ’and occasional cocktail mixer in the hands of the 5th largest beverage company in the United States.

Flavor as a feeling:

Check out La Croix’s Instagram feed and you will notice a mosaic of healthy and energetic faces. This is an effort to go beyond marketing La Croix’s tangible as a soft drink. 67% of Americans in 2018 claimed to prioritize health or social consciousness when making food purchases and La Croix wants to fit in.

@LaCroixWater

PC: @catiebergmanoutdoors

#HealthySips PC: @emmadaaniels

It is a brands’ job to connect the dots here – take that healthy feeling that consumers want to experience, translate it to a visual medium, and message that on social media. La Croix’s parent company, National Beverage did this using the bold and colorful designs “least favored by management,” but that resonated deeply with its audience.

#Whole30Approved:

La Croix’s induction as a Whole30 Partner in Health is like a stamp of approval on every single one of their Instagram posts. If you have any doubts about the soundness of La Croix’s narrative connecting their product with the health-consciousness movement, the Whole30 community is here to ease your mind.

PC: @beckyb.2.0

Whole30 also has virality built into the product that helped La Croix’s reach, as it encourages its dieters to share meal plans, recipes and success stories on social media. To date #Whole30Approved has achieved over 467k hits on Instagram.

Taking the time:

Brands that outperform on social media make an effort to connect personally with their customers— not just sell goods and services.

But La Croix is religious about staying connected with their audience. Former digital LaCroix strategist Alma Pantaloukas explained on LinkedIn that La Croix strived for 100 percent consumer involvement by acknowledging all comments about LaCroix and responding to our fans on a daily basis.

This is not a small feat, as La Croix’s has over 177k followers on Instagram alone.

Bottom-up approach to advertising:

La Croix doesn’t go out and seek celebrities or macro-influencers to promote their product. It has a much simpler, bottom-up approach that utilizes influencer seeding.

They look through their social media at the people that have already posted user generated content, tagging the La Croix brand. They share this UGC from these customers, regardless of their follower count, often sending gratitude gifts such as a voucher for a free case of La Croix.

Realization of the anti-Perrier movement:

The La Croix brand under its original owner was never able to overtake its European sparkling water nemesis, Perrier. However, it appears that its millennial side has finally seen its best day.

While National Beverage does not release sales records for its individual brands, it is projected that La Croix holds 30% of the sparkling water market share— double that of Perrier. #LiveLaCroix

#LiveLaCroix PC: @kennedy_taylor11

How Micro-influencers fits into your brand’s marketing strategy:

Now that we’ve heard the success stories, let’s look at how this idea can be replicated for your brand. The tactics we’ve discussed can be used whether you’re a small business or a national electronic commerce brand.

Tap into your existing market:

In order to find the most loyal influencers to work with, consider pooling from existing customers. Any brand active on social knows that the solicitations from would-be influencers are never short of supply.

The problem is that many of the solicitations come from content creators who don’t understand your product and are simply searching for opportunities to make money.

There is nothing wrong with paying influencers, but you should look first to the people who know and love your brand. Reciprocate support and build on an existing relationship.

Know when to give up creative control:

Part of having a brand is taking pride in the carefully crafted design of the product, the website, and the social media presence – the branding. But if you’re going to go for it with micro-influencers it’s important to know when to give up creative control in exchange for authenticity.

If you are finding influencers correctly, they should be representative of your market. Your influencers are your customers, which means that they know what your customers want to see from the brand.

If you’re a direct-to-consumer brand get your market research directly from your consumer:

Whether it’s direct from an internal representation or indirectly through your micro bloggers – put in the extra work to maintain an open dialog with your customers.

Ask what they want to see on the company’s social media accounts or in the product. Answer their questions and thank them for their support. After all, your brand only exists because of them

Get niche:

There are so many brands in the world, and they all exist on social media. The only way to stand out is to get a niche and encourage your influencers to do the same. Let them use your platform to express themselves – you’ll both benefit from this.

Be human:

The reason micro-influencer marketing works so well is that people trust other people. In fact, 84% of consumers say they trust peer recommendations over traditional advertising. Why invest in celebrity endorsements when you can tap into avid microinfluencers that your customers trust?

If you take this approach to branding make sure your in-house representatives stay human, as well. Don’t overuse chatbots and templated answers when influencers and customers inquire about your products.

Should I Hire a Micro-Influencer Marketing Agency?

You should be careful about working with PR agencies as they will essentially assume control of the relationship between your brand and the influencer community.

For most agencies, their business model does not incentivize them to spend time garnering stronger relationships between their individual client brands and influencers.

Bear in mind every brand faces challenges in measuring the gap between awareness and online sales. After all how do you truly quantify your customer relationships and word-of-mouth marketing?

Make sure to ask the agency exactly what goes into executing influencer campaigns and who will be responsible for communicating and shipping products to the influencers.

Benefits of an Influencer Marketing Platform

Influencer marketing can be effective for most businesses. But, it’s tricky to pull off. You need to find the right influencers, manage relationships, deal with influencer scheduling conflicts, and more. When you consider everything that goes into an influencer campaign, it’s not surprising that you may want to turn to an influencer platform instead.

Just sorting through the numerous search results on social media can be a full-time job in itself. That’s why it’s great to have an influencer platform help you handle those tasks so you can focus on building quality relationships with influencers

Influencer platforms are great— when they work. The challenge is finding the right provider that lets you streamline your influencer marketing workflow and generate content at an affordable rate that you can scale.

If you’re looking to launch an influencer campaign without spending a great deal of time or money, Node is a free service that connects you to valuable influencers who are willing to share content for products they like. The platform gives you the flexibility to choose your compensation, approve influencers and even launch campaigns across North America that influencers can respond directly to.

October 19, 2021
Influencer Marketing & Product Seeding: How It Works

Micro-Influencer Marketing

There’s no shortage of businesses that have built their brands through social media and the virality of micro-influencer marketing. Micro-influencers on Instagram and TikTok have proven to be extremely effective in building trust and awareness within niche communities.

Influencer marketing campaigns have typically been built around brands paying creators to post content, appear in events and provide endorsements. However, the rapid rate of expansion in the influencer marketing industry has created new challenges for brands.

Tracking ROI from an influencer engagement rate has always been an imperfect science. It’s no wonder that 90% of businesses aren’t confident about their ability to measure social media return.

To make it more difficult, brands have to factor the cost of their influencer deals against their overall social spend.

How do you maximize your budget and time with the growing list of influencers that are at your disposal?

What is Product Seeding?

Product seeding is when a business sends a free product to an individual without any obligation or ask. It may seem overly optimistic, but this is a highly cost-effective approach that more brands are taking.

Here’s a case study from product seeding campaign with Flourish Pancakes

Product seeding also allows you to scale your influencer relationships and identify brand ambassadors in the endless sea of micro influencers.

The idea is to work with creators that are passionate about your product— not just because they’re getting paid. Leveraging your product as compensation for influencer content also allows you to scale your campaigns while remaining cost effective.

However, it’s not as simple as sending free products to a list of randomly selected influencers. Successfully product seeding influencers requires research and diligence.

Product Seeding & Micro Influencer Campaigns

Typically with influencer collaborations, a brand would pay an influencer for creating sponsored Instagram or blog posts. Pricing can range from hundreds to several thousands of dollars.

This is especially true for macro influencers, which is why product seeding is most effective for working with micro influencers. While it’s still possible to work with macro influencers through product seeding, your response rate may take a hit.

Micro-influencers provide higher engagement rates and they’re also more open to creating content for brands they genuinely enjoy.

You should aim for influencers that put your brand before their compensation. Having a budget to pay influencers is a great way to build lasting relationships once you find the right group of content creators.

Through a product seeding campaign, you can find content creators and initiate a relationship to make sure they’re a fit.

Managing Expectations

If social media influencers are receiving products with no obligation, what can you expect in return from them?

A successful product seeding campaign should achieve at least one of three outcomes: content marketing, new sales or product feedback. If you’re not achieving any of these, you’re not doing it correctly.

As a digital marketer, you need to find micro influencers that are a natural fit for your products. When you can convert an influencer into a potential customer and receive a shout-out, that’s a double-win.

An influencer that’s not even willing to share an Instagram story might not be a great fit for your product. However, you can use that as an opportunity to objectively ask the influencer for their opinion and feedback about your product.

Your objective is to offer your product to influencers that could actually be your customer!

Graph from IZEA – State of Influencer Marketing Report

What Products Can be Seeded with Influencers?

Product seeding is effective for consumer categories such as food, fashion, cosmetics, and even technology.

It’s not exclusive to any particular industry. Brands such as Hello Fresh, NastyGal, and Audible have all built their own network of brand ambassadors through product seeding.

The biggest key is that you select a product that is aesthetically pleasing in photos and social media posts. When shipping your products to influencers make the package appealing and try to personalize as much as you can. A handwritten note is an easy and effective way to show your thanks.

Be aware of the associated product and shipping expenses when sending your products to various micro-influencer. Influencers are only one component of your digital marketing strategy and you can’t expect overnight sales.

How do I find micro-influencers to try my product?

Having more followers does not equal a greater return on investment. It’s important to find influencers that your target market actually follows. For instance, a children’s toy brand would most likely target influencers that are moms. Or if you own a Mexican restaurant you’d want food bloggers that actually eat Latin cuisine.

Keep in mind that social media marketing is always more effective when it’s perceived as authentic. Look for influencers that create content around products they actually use. Then evaluate whether their content and style is a fit for your digital media approach.

We have a roster of hundreds of micro influencers who generate content in exchange for free products! Find out how you can collaborate with them here.

Hashtags

Instagram’s hashtag search is the most common tool for finding influencers. Browse hashtags that are within your niche, but don’t be too broad or specific with your search. You should be seeking microinfluencers with the top posts for hashtags that have 10-100K posts

Competitors

Browse the tagged posts on your competitors’ Instagram page to see any micro-influencers they are currently working with. They may have already done most of your work for you by finding quality influencers in your niche.

It’s totally irrelevant if they are paying those influencers or not— your goal is to find brand ambassadors. If influencers are asking you to bid for their services, they might not have your best interest in mind.

Location

If you’re operating a physical business you can still seed influencers. You’ll just need to be more specific with your search parameters. Even if you’re shipping products, having some geographic boundaries for your influencer search will still save you shipping costs.

A great way to find influencers in specific regions by combining your hashtag search with specific locations. For a broader search, you can also browse by geolocation on Instagram.

Influencer Discovery Platforms

For marketers, influencer outreach can seem like a daunting task. Oftentimes brands seek influencers because they either don’t have the capacity to create the high-quality content that their consumer base has come to expect or they want to build brand awareness

You can also use an influencer discovery platform such as Upfluence or Social Bakers. These tools are great for validating micro-influencer engagement rates but you’ll need to analyze each influencer’s content yourself.

Sure, there are hundreds of platforms you can use for influencer marketing, but the problem is they are usually either too expensive, too unreliable, or you simply don’t have enough time

How Do We Tackle Product Seeding at Node?

At Node, we provide a product-seeding platform for over 500 brands across North America. Brands using Node are able to push their own product seeding campaigns and get matched with hundreds of micro-influencers in minutes.

Feel free to request a demo If you’d like to check it out for yourself.

September 17, 2021
Top 20 Micro Influencers to Follow in Toronto (Part 2)

Toronto is a vibrant city with many talented bloggers, social media personalities and influencers who can help you get the best results possible. There are thousands of different creators and agencies to choose from so it can be difficult to work out the right ones for your specific needs. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of some exceptional Toronto-based micro-influencers who have proven themselves as authentic creators, nailing any brand collaboration that comes their way!

See Part 1 for the extended list of Toronto micro-influencers

Please note that this list is not a ranking of any sort. All influencers mentioned are listed in no particular order.

We’ve also separated the creators in two categories— lifestyle and food/beverage. However you’ll find many creators have content that overlaps multiple categories, and we encourage you to explore their social feeds for yourself.

Lifestyle Influencers & Creators in Toronto

@belnotbella // 7.4k followers
Specializing in lifestyle and fashion, Isabel showcases beautifully styled outfits and always makes a point to show her followers where she found her pieces. With a feed filled with trendy looks, she makes herself to be a fantastic creator to work with for fashion and lifestyle brands. She’s grown a large following through her unique sense of taste that lends itself to her captivating personal style.

You can also listen to Isabel on her podcast, Breaking Bel, where she shares funny and intimate stories from her own experiences as a 20 something-year-old creator.

@lokiexplore // 10.5k followers
With a uniquely curated and color-coordinated feed, Loki’s attention to detail is always reflected in her content. She shares a diverse range of content that includes lifestyle, travel, fashion and food.

Loki’s followers look up to her as a creator and photo editing expert, and she even offers image presets to help others edit their photos to perfection. She is perfect for luxury brands across a wide variety of industries and her content quality will exceed your expectations.

@simplycrystallee // 11.8k followers
Crystal focuses on style and fashion, making sure to inspire her audience through her outfits— but this doesn’t stop her from also sharing the occasional food or beauty brand! As an entrepreneur herself, Crystal runs a women’s apparel clothing store, so she understands what fashion brands are looking for when it comes to miro-influencer collaborations.

@sarahpsmart // 4.8k followers
As a travel influencer, Sarah shares experiences from various hotels and destinations. Trusted for her recommendations, she shares interesting tidbits about each destination she visits— giving everyone the travel bug! Sarah is an obvious choice for brands in the travel and hospitality space, although her content also lends itself well to collaborations in the food, beauty, and health sector.

@happilysneha // 34.8k followers
As the founder of Suga Holic Bake Shop, Sneha is an entrepreneur and influencer who shares amazing food, lifestyle and parenting content. Sneha’s brand collaborations are authentic and creative, often involving her adorable son. Her feed is diverse and engaging, perfect for food and lifestyle brands that are seeking family-oriented creators.

@livinlavidafam // 12.7k followers
Leslie and her 3 daughters will make you smile with their fashion, toys and food content! With a fun-loving and family-focused feed, this creator family is perfect for any brands that are catering to parents with young children. Leslie’s also a talented home-cook and her (kid-approved) recipes and meal inspirations look like they’re from a magazine!

@seasonsofstephie // 11.2k followers
Stephanie’s colorful and aesthetic feed showcases delicious recipes, stylish outfits, and her adorable twins! With tons of seasonal content, Stephanie is a fantastic influencer to work with if you’re looking to focus your campaign around a specific holiday or time of year. From her gorgeous photos to her engaging reels, Stephanie knows how to truly engage with her audience.

@heyhelenli // 11.5k followers
As a lifestyle and comedy content creator, Helen is not only killing it on Instagram but she’s also a TikTok creator (with 600k+ followers and 75M views) and a YouTuber. Hilarious and relatable, she gets super creative with her content and can bring a fun twist to any brand collaboration!

Helen has a wide reach and an awesome following, and that’s because she helps others, and she’s very genuine in it too — you can easily recognize this in her content and hearing her speak (you can catch Helen on Clubhouse too).

@happykryng // 13.2k followers
As a mom, nurse, and content creator, Yumi really can do it all! Yumi’s well-rounded lifestyle is reflected in her feed, with content around food, beauty, health/wellness and her family’s adventures. Her content is extremely versatile and is reflected in her style, themes and formats— and she always provides her honest opinions on products to keep it real with her audience.

@champagneang // 5.7k followers
As a marketing professional, Ang has an in-depth understanding of brand goals when it comes to micro-influencer collaborations. Her feed focuses on positivity, food, and her lifestyle, which she never fails to capture beautiful images of. Ang is gluten-free, and a passionate advocate for health-driven brands that have GF options. And as her username may suggest, Ang shares content surrounding delicious and bubbly drinks, making her the perfect creator for food and beverage brands.

Food & Beverage Influencers in Toronto

@linder_surprise // 6.9k followers
Bringing you amazing recipes through Reels and TikTok, Linda is a trendsetting and relatable foodie/lifestyle creator who is up-to-date on the latest social media content strategies. Linda also co-hosts Diary of an Asian Millennial podcast and has a presence of over 35k followers on TikTok!

@eatwithjacq // 10.1k followers
As a foodie and a mom, Jacqueline’s feed features mouth-watering dishes and snacks as well as her adorable son! Jacqueline’s everyday content makes her authentic, genuine, and highly trusted by her followers. Brands looking for content on day-to-day lifestyle products, baby gear, or anything food-related can be sure to count on her for her creative flare.

@mystylefoodpicks.to // 13.2k followers
Specializing in food, lifestyle and travel, there’s never a dull moment for Asa! Her feed features content from her adventures near and far along with tons of aesthetically pleasing recipes. Asa is not only a micro-influencer on Instagram, but she’s also a YouTuber/Vlogger, making her the perfect candidate for a multi-platform collaboration.

@thezeniairani // 12.8k followers
As a food and lifestyle influencer, Zenia not only shares exceptional content on her Instagram but also has a 2-time award-winning blog. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Zenia has encouraged her followers to support local restaurants that have been hit hard this past year. Zenia captures amazing content of dishes from various cuisines, as well as her (pre-covid) travel experiences!

In addition to her visual content as an Instagram influencer, Zenia’s blog provides thought-leadership and relevant info to people living with diabetes, which makes her a true advocate and resource for brands that are catering to this audience.

@foodie.famous // 18.8k followers
Linda’s colorful and aesthetic feed features a great balance between meals and desserts. Given her extensive attention to detail with her photography, her content is no stranger to going viral. With over 90k followers on TikTok, Linda shows off super satisfying recipe creations and tutorials.

@ieattravelwrite // 4.7k followers
Zak shares incredible travel and food content, with a unique blend of positivity and mindfulness. Zak often prompts followers with questions to respond to, such as “What are your fears, and how do you plan on overcoming them?” Or, “Share one of your dreams below.” This creates an intersection of engagement and authenticity, allowing followers to connect with Zak at a deeper level.

Zak not only creates stunning photos but is the perfect influencer to work with for brands that want to emphasize positivity and mindfulness in their marketing efforts.

@notsimplyacouchpotato // 5.3k followers
As her Instagram handle suggests, Ann is always on the go, trying plenty of new foods and sharing spots to recommend to her followers. Ann always maintains full transparency with her experiences (oftentimes going into extensive detail, but it’s always so entertaining) making her more relatable and personable to her followers.. it almost feels like you know her in person!

@nomwithsam // 3.4k followers
As a digital marketer and creator, Sam knows just want brands are looking for when it comes to influencer collaborations. With an amazing eye for colors and seasonal themes, her photos are always top-notch. If you’re a food or beverage brand that’s looking for aesthetic content, you should definitely give Sam a shout for your next influencer campaign!

@foodtographyviews // 6.6k followers
Hamza’s feed is a mix of both sweet and savory, with selections from a variety of cuisines such as Vietnamese, Italian and Turkish— just to name a few. Hamza’s content will inspire you to expand your palate and try new foods. Giving his audience an introduction to both trendy and local restaurants, his page is always bound to have recommendations for just about anyone!

@foodieonthelooose// 15.9k followers
Priding himself on helping people find the best places to eat in Toronto, Ori’s feed is filled with excellent local restaurant suggestions. Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ori has continued to build his brand by capturing exceptional photos of takeout items. With over 18k on TikTok, Ori goes even further into his local recommendations and captures the full essence of the foods he tries. Ori is also the host of The Edible Talk podcast, making him a well-versed foodie in every regard.

Final Thoughts

Our creator community at Node is constantly growing and we’ll be publishing more of these articles to showcase the top up-and-coming influencers in each city.

Whether it’s through our platform or another, we encourage you to reach out to these micro-influencers for your next brand collaboration!

Check out Part 1 of this article here!

If you’re a business looking to collaborate with these influencers, contact us here.

April 15, 2021
Top 20 Micro Influencers to Follow in Toronto (Part 1)

Toronto has become immersed with micro influencers, bloggers and content creators. We’re definitely not mad about it! We’ve rounded up a list of the top 20 of our favs and up and coming Toronto-based Micro Influencers that you should definitely check out.

Foodies are a growing niche when it comes to influencers, with more and more restaurants, bakeries and CPGs looking to collaborate with them!

Please note that this not a ranking, and this list was not created in any particular order.

@whatishangry // 3k followers
Focussing on Toronto, Markham and Vaughan, Anna’s feed is colourful and upbeat with a diverse selection of food content. She showcases breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks and beverages ranging from home-cooked meals and delicious recommendations from restaurants.

@meetandeats // 26.6k followers
Blogger, food maker and explorer, Alice started her journey in 2012. Not only does Alice capture bold food images but also has a website –meetandeats.com that goes more in depth of her food adventures and reviews!

@cfooodie // 34.4k followers
With a vibrant and mouth-watering feed, Carmen never fails to deliver quality content. Are you a bubble tea fanatic? Well Carmen’s page is the perfect place for you, as she has probably visited and reviewed every bubble tea spot in the GTA!

@markhamfoodie // 21.2k followers
Bonnie and Frank are Markham based foodies that spotlights a variety of great eats across the GTA. Their photos are consistent and well-lit. Plus. Plus, they actually take the time to write insightful reviews and feedback in their IG captions.

@feedmyphone // 49.3k followers
Patrick is a long-time purveyor of Toronto’s foodie scene and probably one of the first influencers to organize media events for restaurants in Toronto. Follow him to find good eats and insider-scoop on some of Toronto’s new restaurant openings!

@food.diva // 20.5k followers
Lifestyle and foodie influencer, Anna has a definite eye for detail. Her bright content is amazing, and her food flat-lays are a personal favorite of ours!

@foodelventures // 10.9k followers
When it comes to food, Liyan really knows what’s up! In addition to being a pioneer of the Markham food scene, she studies Food Sciences at the University of Guelph. You might run into her at some of the newest openings spreading good vibes and capturing mouth-watering photos.

@hungry.jo // 21.7k followers
Jo is a GTA Based foodie and one half of Jo-join Instameets. She’s no newcomer to Toronto’s food scene and has been working with restaurants to organize media events with influencers since 2017.

@theeverydayfoodie // 32.1k followers
Theeverydayfoodie is a digital content creator that loves to travel and blog about restaurants in Toronto. This content creator never fails to capture amazing high-quality DSLR shots, and has a range of dynamic shots of food in this feed that always leaves us hungry.

@devondine // 19.9k followers
Devon does not only shoots beautiful out-of-focus food content, but shares his photography tips in each post. He posts his daily tasting on his stories and gives us an experience as if we’re right there with him.

@foodie.fob // 24.9k followers
Whether it’s an acrobatic cheese-pull or the perfect syrup pour, Johnny never seizes to amaze us with his food choreography. This account is a must-follow if you’re looking to brush-up on your food photography and editing skills

@ajthetechnologist // 6.5k followers
A foodie who also shares some lifestyle and beauty content, AJ’s mouth-watering feed is diverse and versatile. Her collabs have ranged across different types of foods and cuisines, with beautifully-captured images that showcase the essence of every brand she works with.

@eatnmingle // 14.7k followers
Rey is a skillful photographer and food blogger with an eye for detail! From cheese pulls to action shots, Rey never fails to capture a clean and polished image.

@hangry_foodies // 13.9k followers
Anh has a keen eye for photography and an obvious sense for delicious tasting food. She often shares multiple high quality captures in a carousel post that gives us a close-up view at the food-filled moment.

@hypebelly // 10.3k followers
Hypebelly’s Instagram brings a different cool feel than most foodies. The high contrast tones add mystery to his photos. In addition, his unique style of photography is captivating and keeps us interested every-time!

@mrsocialeats // 12.4k followers
Kiefer is a talented photographer and a champion of the Brampton/Mississauga restaurant scene. He regularly visits local venues, capturing mouth-watering videos in his Instagram stories. You’ll also appreciate the motivational life-tips he drops occasionally in his stories.

@instantonium // 12.9k followers
Anthony knows how to work the camera, and you can tell from the close-up action shots, he’s no amateur. He often showcases a variety of options at each restaurant, while giving us an in-depth review of his personal favorites. We love hearing about the details!

@tofoodblogger // 38.8k followers
Getting perfect exposure is the key to capturing a crisp and detailed photo, and Ravi is an expert at capturing the perfect angles. His captions are also well-articulated, and often include an in-depth review of the dishes featured in his posts.

@ccarmen_ // 14.2k followers
Carmen’s vibrant page covers all things food and travel! As well, her captions are always informative and detailed. If there’s a new Toronto spot you want to check out, Carmen’s page is the place to get an early peek.

@boltonsbites // 31.6k followers
Bolton’s a true connoisseur of the Toronto’s restaurant scene, and he’s probably been to every Pho spot in the city. His Instagram photos are nothing short of mouth-watering, and you’ll never get bored browsing through his hilarious mukbang videos.

Toronto Influencers (cont’d)

When we created the first iteration of this list last year, it generated some great feedback from the influencer community. A few people noted that it wasn’t definitive – this made us realize that we need to make a more comprehensive list.

If we’re being honest, it’s nearly impossible to list all of Toronto micro-influencers, but we’re constantly growing our network at Node and being introduced to new creators. This list will change and grow as more influencers come to light.

See part 2 for an extended list of Toronto influencers to follow and contact for your next collaboration

March 19, 2021
Free Influencer Marketing Tools for Businesses in 2020

Are you looking for free tools that will help you with your influencer marketing campaigns?

We all know there is an endless amount of premium SaaS tools that you can use for social media and influencer marketing. But when you’re just getting started with a new marketing initiative, the last thing you want is some expensive software that you’re not even sure about using.

And if you’re an experienced marketer that’s looking to improve your influencer campaign management, you’re not alone.

According to a 2020 study, 32% of marketing professionals rate their management of new content creation as ‘fair or poor’, and a mere 8% think they’re generating optimal returns.

Please note that all of the tools mentioned in this article are products that I am either using right now or have in the past. You may find your own alternatives, but I have only included free products that I can personally vouch for.

Hootsuite

I use Hootsuite to manage our various social media pages from one place. Their free version allows you to set up a limited number of streams to view and interact with your social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc).

In addition to tracking posts and staying on top of comments and replies, I use Hootsuite to monitor hashtags and topics that are being shared by potential influencers.

For example, I’m tracking certain hashtags to identify active Instagram influencers in real-time. I also use this for tracking Twitter influencers and trending posts by topic or hashtag.

I was a freemium user of their software for over a year. Since we have several social streams that we try to keep active now, I’ve upgraded to their $29/month plan.

The paid version also provides some additional analytics features to track performance across our social platforms.

Social Blade

Social Blade allows you to view the engagement rate for any profile on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch. Best of all, their social media search and analytics tool come together in their free version.

Their free influencer analytic tool will provide you with a 30-day snapshot of content creators and their change in engagement rate. They also take a data driven approach to scoring each account with a grade— although it’s unclear how this algorithm works.

I regularly use Social Blade to double-check the engagement rate for influencers and spot accounts with fake followers.

It is a great tool for vetting creators before collaborating with them. Read about the in-depth process we take here at Node to vet our influencers here.

Webstagram

Webstagram was the original influencer analytics tool that I was using back when I managed an agency in 2018. They still offer the same core features but have completely revamped their front-end dashboard.

Webstagram allows you to search for analytics for specific influencers. Their free version is similar to Social Blade, except the interface is more modern-looking. They also provide some additional engagement data on recent posts.

Note: I recommend using an adblocker when you visit Webstagram.org. Since their product is completely free to use, most of their revenue comes from banner ads.

Hunter.Io

Hunter is a tool that’s most commonly used for lead generation and sales, as it essentially allows you to find addresses. Using the free version you can make up to 100 searches per month.

Hunter is particularly useful for scraping email addresses from websites and blogs. Sometimes it can be a challenge finding the right contact information when you’re reaching out to an influencer.

You can also use hunter to confirm if you have the correct email address for any influencers in your list.

Their free version also offers a chrome extension that allows you to pull accurate email information directly from websites that you are browsing.

Hubspot

Once you find the right influencers, you need a way to manage all of those relationships and track correspondence. This becomes especially difficult when you have multiple team members working to scale your micro influencer marketing campaigns.

Hubspot is one of many free CRM tools you can use to manage and organize your connections with influencers efficiently.

I strongly recommend using a CRM as opposed to Google or Excel spreadsheets to manage your influencer relationships. If you prefer spreadsheets, Hubspot still lets you rearrange and view your contacts tables, as well as export to CSV.

Hubspot’s CRM tool provides you with all of the features you need to manage your contacts, track correspondences, and even set custom properties to categorize influencers in your database.

For Gmail users, you can even install their integration to automatically log and track your emails. This means you’ll have an accurate record of all of your email conversations without any manual data entry.

What about Influencer Search and Discovery?

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a free influencer marketing platform that is reliable for discovering relevant influencers in your niche. I welcome you to reach me if you know of a free influencer marketing platform that should be mentioned in this list.

Based on my experience, most of the influencer platforms that advertise free trials are teasers that don’t offer much up-front value.

There are hundreds of different influencer marketing platforms available, yet 61% of US marketers have reported that it’s challenging to identify the right influencers for their brand.

Whether you’re a brand or agency, your best outlet to search for influencers is the old fashioned way—by browsing social media and searching within your existing customers.

Read my article on product seeding to learn more about finding micro-influencers for your brand.

May 28, 2020
Restaurant Recovery: Leveraging Influencer Marketing During a Downturn
It’s day 30 of the California quarantine and still none of us are used to the desolate scenes that were our lively downtowns just one month ago. Everyone is suffering in some way or another, but America’s fastest-growing sector— our service industry — was hit first, foremost, and hardest.

Restaurants around the world have either been reduced to takeout menus or shuttered completely. Our hearts go out to those who have spent a lifetime creating the atmospheric and gastronomic experiences where we go to spend time with friends and family.

Humans are a resilient species, always innovating and adapting. We all want to find a silver lining where we can. People in the restaurant industry tend to be particularly resistant to turmoil, whether it’s a cause or an effect of the nature of the game – the long hours, chaos, and the inherent risk of their endeavors.

Watch our video to see how we have helped businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why Your Restaurant Should Use This Time to Build Relationships with Local Influencers

In the midst of all of the suffering and setbacks, those in the service industry with fortuitous timing and or economic circumstances have been able to use this unfortunate and unexpected free time to do various projects that would otherwise take a back seat to the daily grind that is stereotypical of the business. Here are some things that workers in hospitality have been doing to fill the gaps:
- Remodeling, or just ‘sprucing up’ their spaces
- Inspecting and rewriting their processes
- Revamping menus
- Doubling down on their delivery and takeout options
- Marketing their brand
Building & Maintaining Customer Engagement

While marketing may seem like a strange thing to do when you’re not even allowed to let people in your store, this is actually the perfect time. Marketing is about building relationships and connecting to your customers. Yes, the end goal is to sell, but while you’re not really allowed to make sales, you can refocus on getting to know your customers better.

Marketing is largely digital these days, even for physical operations, and what better time is there to improve your brand awareness on the internet than when you’re not allowed to leave your home? If you’re not a photographer you can still create amazing content through influencer collaborations, and now is a better time than ever to do it. Here’s why:
- Restaurants, influencers, and customers all have extra time right now
- Micro-influencers can provide strong local reach within the city or region that you serve.
- Screen time is up, but influencers’ rates are down
- Restaurants are leveraging discounts in order to maintain a revenue stream (albeit at much lower profit margins)
- You can use this time to form relationships that will continue through the opening of the economy.
Let me explain.

Restaurants, influencers, and customers all have extra time right now

In the absence of endless resources, marketing budgets are a balancing act between time and money – whichever you have more of, relative to the other, dictates your marketing plan. Right now, we have more time and less revenue than is usually the case. Many restaurant owners have time to reach out to content creators and engage with customers online that they’ve never had before. Content creators have more time to create content. And customers have more time to spend on social media, consuming that content (also known as scrolling through their Instagram feed).

Statista, 2020

Screen time is up, while influencers’ rates are down

In the most isolated period of modern history we are turning to social media to connect with our quarantined brethren. For better or for worse, screen time is up, with Instagram engagement on sponsored content increasing as much as 40% and influencers reporting more engagement on their posts. At the same time, influencers’ collaborations with brands have largely been scaled back.

While reasons for this are obvious – supply chain disruptions, social contact being required for many collaborations, marketing budgets being halted, and having limited studio space – one thing worth noting is that takeout food is easy to shoot solo and doesn’t require studios or models. Influencers’ rates have decreased, but their content is effectively more valuable because consumers are spending more time viewing it. If you have the means and the upper funnel objectives, you should take advantage of this market gap.

Pro-Tip for Restaurants

Instagram is making it even easier for customers to order takeout from you, with their new ‘food delivery’ sticker, rolled out on April 15^th. click here for more info

Restaurants are leveraging discounts in order to maintain a revenue stream:

One of the extremely difficult choices that restaurant owners and managers are being forced to make right now is when to stop running operations – potentially at a loss – in order to keep their employees on staff. Steep discounts can keep customers coming in but at a cost that may be unsustainable to the business. If your restaurant is engaging in this balancing act, try directing some of these short-term losses to your long-term marketing budget by offering these discounts to influencers who will market for you in return.

Another Pro-Tip for Restaurants

In addition to browsing Instagram for influencers, you can use Node App to leverage your product for shoutouts and posts from local micro-influencers. Click here for more info

Node App’s influencer marketing platform (free for restaurants through June 1st) uses only product as payment, so your existing discounts can be leveraged for free advertising.

You can use this time to form relationships that will continue through the opening of the economy:

If you think that influencer marketing is something that could benefit your restaurant, use this time to form relationships with content creators, local influencers and your customers – and gain valuable marketing content. Worst case you get free exposure. Best case, you gain new takeout customers and build relationships that will continue to when take-out returns to dine-in.
April 29, 2020
Does Influencer Marketing Work? Here Are The Stats:
As a business, you might be re-vamping your marketing strategies and be stuck asking yourself; does influencer marketing work?

As social media has become one of the necessities of marketing today, influencer marketing has grown exponentially over the past decade and has become one of the fastest-growing channels.

We turn to influencers for recommendations on the best local eats, facial cleansers that can work miracles & everything in between. Despite this, some of us can still be skeptical on whether influencer marketing works.

Now I know the social media channel can be daunting and skeptical for some, but brands and agencies are increasingly investing more into influencer marketing— and there’s a reason why.

Authenticity is Key

According to a study done by The Keller Fay Group and Experticity, 82% of consumers were likely to take the recommendation of a micro-influencer.

Micro-influencers are influencers, often within your local community who specialize and identify in a specific market niche which can range from fashion to food & everything in between.

We look to them as a source for reliable recommendations because of their authenticity, knowledge and transparency that they have with their followers. These content creators are able to show products and services as part of their everyday lifestyles. In turn, we trust their solutions and recommendations as we relate to them much more than celebrities.

Another study from eMarketer found that 78% of millennials would not purchase or are indifferent to make a purchase from a celebrity endorsement.

Brands are able to reach greater audiences through the millions of followers that celebrities have, but the lack of trust that they have within their endorsements greatly affects their engagement rates.

It’s a Trusted Strategy

63% of influencer marketing budgets will increase in 2019. (Influencer Marketing Hub)

The digital era has paved its way into all of our lives and if you can’t embrace it, you might just be missing out on reaping the benefits. The influencer market is not only growing, but the conversions from influencers are clearly worth the investments.

Additionally, according to Influencer Marketing Hub, 82% of marketing agencies believe that the quality of customers from influencer campaigns are better than from other forms of marketing.

Linked hand in hand with their ability to curate authentic and transparent content, influencers also shine in being able to drive quality customers to partnered businesses. Quality customers are typically higher paying and cost less in comparison to attracting new clients. This is relevant to all businesses when it comes to focusing on new audiences and honing in on a regular clientele.

Return on Investments

A huge reason why there’s so much skepticism behind influencer marketing is from the ambiguity of being able to measure the impact of influencers. It doesn’t have to be difficult though. Be sure to establish KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to measure how well influencer campaigns are doing for you. Common KPI’s include:
- Engagement rate (likes, comments, mentions, shares)
- Referral traffic (sign-ups, creation of account)
- Growth of your audience (increase in followers/members)
- Reach & awareness (views, clicks, impressions)
Other important criteria included views, impressions and content type. We often attribute social media marketing to not having any tangible proof of whether our strategies worked or not, but this just simply isn’t true!

Features such as Instagram analytics show you that the proof really is in the pudding. You can view your interactions on a daily basis that include total profile visits, website clicks, and emails along with your total reach & impressions on new audiences.

If you’re looking for top of the funnel marketing, Instagram is the prime network to be using. You can even take a look at your core demographics along with the growth of your account.

Additionally, 89% of marketers say that the ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels. (Big Commerce)

The ROI metrics aren’t equivalent amongst all social media channels. With different platforms come different engagement rates, analytics and methods of measuring them. Both Instagram stories and posts are able to provide measurable ROI through:
- The link that can be provided in stories by “swiping up”
- Providing a promo code/promoting an offer in-stores
Prior to running your campaign, be sure to identify your goals and targets for the social media platform and format that you plan to use.. which brings us to our last point.

Learn more about how you can measure the ROI on influencer marketing campaigns here.

Instagram Leads the Way

78% of brand collaborations that happen on social media are on Instagram. (TechJury)

With visually stimulating content, it’s no wonder the influencer market on the app is worth $1.8 billion as of 2019. It’s blatantly clear that this is the app that brands need to be on, with blogs coming in at a distant second at 16%.

Of all of the social media apps, Instagram’s user base has continued to consistently grow as the fastest social network since 2017. The return on social media marketing has greatly outpaced print marketing.

According to Mediakix, 89% of marketers said that Instagram is strategically important to their influencer marketing strategy.

Participants were able to select multiple networking sites, yet Youtube came in second at only 70%. Marketers are increasingly seeing the value in the influencer space, with more and more itching to build partnerships.

15 MIN VIDEO: HOW INFLUENCERS HAVE TRANSFORMED MODERN MARKETING

Key Takeaways..

Influencer marketing can be likened to a smaller-scale version of celebrity marketing. When loyal followers see recommendations from micro-influencers they’ve grown to know and trust, they’re more inclined to visualize them implementing the product into their own lives.

With the market steadily growing over the past few years, the opportunities to expand on your marketing strategies are endless. Here’s a round-up of the key takeaways from this article:
1. We as consumers tend to trust people we relate to in some way or another. Whether that’s having a similar taste in food or appreciating someone’s fashion tastes, audience alignment is important. This is where micro-influencers come in.
2. Marketers rely on and can vouch for influencer marketing. It’s become an effective strategy for this day & age.
3. Instagram is where the magic happens. With posts, stories and trackable links, the visual social platform can tell new audiences a whole story.
4. Measuring your ROI isn’t as complicated as you might think. Analytics tools (especially on Instagram) can help you with tracking the progress of your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, create more content or increase web traffic, there are always tools in place to help you see if you’re on the right path.
How do Node Brands Work with Influencers?

We’ve facilitated influencer marketing campaigns for hundreds of brands. See our case studies to learn more about our recent campaigns.
October 16, 2019
5 Influencer Marketing Ideas for Restaurants
Brainstorming new ways to leverage influencers for your brand or venue?

Since releasing the Node beta, over 200 influencer campaigns have been created by our restaurant partners in Toronto, resulting in over 4000 unique Instagram posts from influencers.

Based on what we’ve observed, we’ve rounded up effective campaign strategies that you can execute with the Node App.

Ongoing Campaigns

Don’t have the time to collect more photos and videos for your social accounts? An ongoing campaign puts your content creation on auto-pilot and grows your visibility on Instagram.

Benefits:
- Requires little oversight. Set-up your campaign once per month and let the content flow-in!
- Receive a wide variety of photos with different action shots and angles.
- Continuously reach new audiences by having your brand regularly shared by influencers.
How to create an ongoing campaign:
1. Select a Date Range spanning 3-6 weeks. (you can exclude certain days/hours)
2. For your node Offering, indicate the items available. Allowing more options = a wider variety of photos.
3. Indicate any Exceptions to your offering. If your node is only available on specific days/hours— indicate the time or date here.
4. Influencer Targeting/Radius: Select a wide range to receive more visits and posts.
Things to keep in mind:
- If you’re hiring new staff at your venue, be sure to inform them that influencers will be visiting through the Node App.
- You can always log-in to the app to track posts and repost the influencer content as you see fit.
Media Events

Generate content overnight with a one-time media event. Events are perfect for promoting seasonal items and new openings.

Benefits:
- Get your venue buzzing overnight with a wave of influencer posts and stories.
- Show-off your venue’s aesthetic with staged photos and action shots.
- More control to plan and curate the experience in advance.
How to create an influencer media event:
1. For your Date Range, select a single day spanning 1-3 hours. For weekdays, we recommend scheduling your media event in the evening.
2. In your Offering, indicate that you’re hosting a media event and mention the items being showcased and offered for tasting.
3. Scheduling your node 1-3 weeks in-advance will provide guests with more time to RSVP for your event.
4. Visit Limit: Select the total number of influencers you’d like to host. If your goal is to pack the venue, we recommend allowing additional guests.
5. Use a unique hashtag to track the engagement from your event on Instagram.
Things to keep in mind:
- If you don’t want to stall your regular business-hours during a media event, you can section off a part of your venue for the 1-3 hour duration.
- Use this opportunity to network and connect with your influencer-guests on a more personal level. They might have great feedback to share with you.
Staged Photography

Seeking the perfect photo, but don’t have the time or equipment to capture it yourself? Node can help with that!

Benefits:
- Save money/time on photography.
- Get the perfect shot for a specific item.
- Requires very little planning or preparation.
How to plan staged photo-shoots:
1. Choose a Date Range that you would like for the influencers to visit your venue. Keep in mind it can take up to 7 days after their visit for the photo to be posted.
2. For your Offering, indicate the item(s) that you’re looking to have photographed.
3. Select the Visit Limit based on the number of photos you’d like to obtain.
Things to keep in mind:
- To have your photos to be captured with a specific theme, mention it in the Content Requests.
- If you have any special props or backdrops, you can ask influencers to include that within their content.
Grand Opening Event

You just opened a new venue, you’ve got the food and service figured-out— now it’s time for a grand-opening event. While it may seem like a simple concept, your grand opening is an opportunity to create momentum and drive early success.

Benefits:
- Create local interest in the community.
- Showcase your venue as a fun and exciting spot for social gatherings.
- Build a strong relationship with prominent influencers in-person.
- Generate a gallery of creative Instagram posts and stories overnight.
How to create a grand opening event:
1. For your Date Range, select a single day spanning 1-3 hours. We recommend scheduling your media event 3-6 days before your official grand opening to the public.
2. In your Offering, indicate that you’re hosting a grand opening event and offering an exclusive invitation to influencers for an early tasting. Scheduling your node 1-3 weeks in-advance will provide guests with more time to RSVP for your event.
3. Visit Limit: Select the total number of influencers you’d like to host. If your goal is to pack the venue, we recommend allowing additional guests.
4. In the Content Requests, be sure to ask influencers to mention the date of your public grand opening in their Instagram posts and stories. Use a unique hashtag to track the engagement from your event on Instagram.
Things to keep in mind:
- Including a special offer or promo during the early hours of your opening is a great way to create a lineup that gets onlookers excited.
- You can ask influencers to mention your grand opening promo for their followers to see.
- First impressions are everything. Make sure your staff are prepped for a grand opening.
Design Your Own Unique Influencer Campaign

There aren’t any rules to how your create your influencer campaigns, and these are just some of the techniques we’ve seen gain traction with brands that are using the Node App.

You can even combine some of these tactics to create your own hybrid influencer campaign to align more closely with your specific objectives.

If you have any suggestions that you think should be mentioned in this article, please give us a shout!
April 29, 2019
New Kids on The Menu: Here’s why successful restaurants work with influencers
Savory close-ups shots, witty food puns and eclectic reviews have become the secret to a creating a buzz-worthy restaurant. But how exactly has the trend of Instagrammers turned food reviewers, revolutionized the food and beverage scene?

5 KEY Stats on How Influencers Are Affecting Our Dining Decisions
1. 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on a social media references. (Source: Stackla)
2. Three out of four customers have used Facebook or Instagram to decide on a dining spot, based on comments and photos from others. (Source: Emphathica)
3. 30% of millennials would avoid a restaurant if they didn’t like their Instagram page. (Source: Zizzi)
4. The average 18-35 year-old spends over 120 hours each year browsing photos and videos of food on Instagram. (Source: Buffer)
5. 69% of millennials have photographed their meal at a restaurant. (Source: Maru/Matchbox)
Photo: @eatnmingle

Instagram Decides The Special of Today!

People rely on reviews and food influencers more than ever, and it’s largely due to accessibility. Restaurant goers are no longer reading magazines or newspapers to find new dining spots.

Instagram has become the new food and drink guide. Simply search a restaurant’s location on Instagram, and within seconds you’re able to view a plethora of food photos and reviews from influencers that have visited the venue.

Influencers are pushing the conversation when it comes to where to eat and drink. And most often , where we eat can be swayed in the spur of the moment — there’s no denying that craving when you see a mouth-watering sandwich shot, oozing with deliciousness.

The Beyond Burger’s arrival at Shamrock Burger being presented by @johnxree.

Using Instagram to Sell An Experience

Food critics have become a thing of the past, and fewer people are reading publications. The food business has become about not just promoting taste and value, but also highlighting an experience.

Food influencers are experts at selling an ‘experience’, and the good ones know exactly how to entice their audiences to convey feelings of curiosity and appeal. It’s no secret that foodie pages on Instagram are embellished, but there’s also no denying how perfectly it ties with promoting a restaurant, bar or cafe.

Consumers are more likely to believe a recommendation from someone they can relate with and a photo speaks a thousand words. That’s why reviews on social media have become more important than ever.

Influencers Reach Niche Audiences

Influencers are unique and so are their followers! Everyone has their own distinct preferences, eating habits and dietary restrictions. Food bloggers can appeal to different audiences depending on their content and geographic location.

There’s passionate foodies and influencers in every city of the world. As well they may focus on specific themes or topics. Popular food-related themes for influencers include health and fitness, vegan/vegetarian, halal and so many others!

One technique for restaurants is to target specific demographics of bloggers to build credibility before launching an advertising campaign or opening a new location. Everyone has their favorite blogger that they trust, and influencers have dispelled the trope that all critics are the same.

Cluck Cluck’s and Burgers N’ Fries Forever frequently work with influencers to create traffic for their limited-time menu creations. Photo: @cluckcluks & @burgersnfriesforever

Social media has changed the way we shop, dine and socialize as a whole. Instagram has over 800 million active users, and it’s been found that the 65% of top-performing posts have featured a product or brand. Over half of the posts shared on social media are intended to promote brands, products or experiences.

People are ready to try new places if the content speaks, and influencers are the primary vehicle for delivering content in an authentic way.

Learn some more tips and tricks for restaurants using influencer marketing here!

Node is a private platform that connects food and beverage businesses with talented influencers that are looking to collaborate. Interested in joining Node? Contact us to learn more about how you can get involved.
January 30, 2019
How To Create An Engaging Instagram Feed
Having trouble curating and producing photos that are ‘Instagrammable’? Keeping up with the current trends in social media can be difficult. Especially when you’re trying to model generate engagement similar to the likes of an inlfuencer. Here are some tricks of the trade, that Node has found to be the most successful in producing quality content.

Having an engaging feed is key for influencers and content creators when it comes to getting product sponsorships and partnerships. Learn more about how you can get more brand collaborations as an influencer here.

Organization is key

It’s important to conceive a clear plan and theme that will represent your brand. You want to plan out your goals with your content in mind. Think about questions like:
- What is your target audience? (Think: the who, what, and where of your content!)
- What are you trying to achieve with your content?
- What do you want your content to really say about you/your brand?
These questions can be difficult to answer, but it’s all about focus. You need to figure out how exactly how you intend to represent your brand visually.

Another important aspect of organizing is making sure your content follows a clear theme. Think: your content is your message, and your theme is the most effective tool to make your message as cohesive as possible for your audience. Your theme consists of color schemes, POV, photo ideas, caption ideas, etc. Basically, everything that you need to aesthetically stay on brand and on topic. I recommend using apps such as Planoly, Feedr, or Unum, to help drive your brand forward!

Using the Right Editing Tools

Editing is a powerful tool to help you produce content that will resonate with audiences. Often times people equate editing to erasing all the imperfections – but that is not always the case!. With editing tools you can create consistent tones and color palettes that will define your brand identity to audiences. Some of our favorite editing apps are VSCO, Snapseed and Adobe Lightroom.

Photo: eatandtreats

Photo: eatandtreats

How to Shoot Content

For many, the most time-consuming aspect of creating content is the process of shooting and making use of angles, lightning, and ambiance. Today, we will be talking about two categories; lifestyle and food.

Food Photography

In most cases, enclosed detailed shots are the best for shooting food. Because food is usually still, and can involve a lot of shadows the best photos are captured with natural lighting. You should reduce shadows and make sure your food is on a neutral backdrop. Shadows and clusters can be distracting and messy and can really take away from the content that you present. That’s why it’s usually best to avoid flash for food photography.

Lifestyle Photography
Lifestyle shots on the other hand can be more fun and versatile. The trick is to create unique content that is eye catching and different. If you want your instagram photos to be engaging, then you need to be original and stay true to your brand.

The atmosphere needs to really get across in your photo, and your surroundings and location can play a huge role in that! If your brand is targeting city-dwellers, and on the go types – maybe you want to shoot content focused in the city.

If your brand focuses on wellness and being holistic, maybe you want to try shooting in the wilderness or out in nature. That is all to say that, it is important to have lifestyle shots that accurately reflect the brand and audience you’re targeting.

Photo: @sarahmian

Write Engaging Captions in Your Posts

On social media, most of your content will be judged in the view-time of a fraction of a second, and that goes for what you write as well. When your audiences scroll through their feed, your visual content will peak their interest, but your written work is what will keep them engaged.

You want to make sure your caption assists in maintaining viewership as best as you can. It’s best to keep your audience engaged in a way that makes them feel like the time they spend looking at your content and reading it, is not time wasted. Asking questions, or leaving room for comments, directed towards your followers is a sure-fire way to get responses and gauge interest! Another helpful tip is maintaining relevance.

Keep a flare of your personality – whether that be your humor, or inquisitive nature. Anything that demonstrates that you have taken the time to truly think about your content, will help show your audience that you put in effort into create quality content that you believed they would like most.

Stay Authentic with Your Brand

These are just a few things to keep in mind when exploring ways to create quality content. Making sure you stay on brand and true to yourself is what is of the utmost importance! If you have any tips or tricks yourself that you would love to share with me, please comment below and let me know what has worked best for you!
January 15, 2019