Influencer Marketing in Canada, Robin Ryan’s Strategic Outlook 2026

What Actually Matters (from where I’m sitting)

A Perspective from Robin Ryan, SVP Sales Operations | JONES Collective

Influencer marketing in Canada has grown up a bit.

People aren’t looking to be impressed anymore. They want help making decisions. Creators are spreading trust across multiple platforms instead of relying on one. And brands are finally starting to plan around how people actually behave, not just where they post.

This is how I see 2026 shaping up.

Influence here is layered, not platform‑first

The biggest mistake I still see is treating platforms as interchangeable.

They’re not. Each one does something different, and when you treat them like a stack instead of a competition, things work better.

TikTok is where discovery and usefulness happen. People use it to find recipes, product advice, travel tips, and shortcuts. Especially younger Canadians, who treat it like search more than social.

Instagram plays a different role now. To me, it’s identity and consistency. It’s where people check if you’re real and if you show up the same way over time. Saves, shares, and comments matter more than likes, and consistency matters more than flashes of hype.

YouTube is where confidence gets built. Shorts grab attention, but long‑form is where people slow down, hear the nuance, and decide what they actually believe.

LinkedIn is the authority layer. It’s quieter, but it compounds. Newsletters and longer posts are how a lot of decision‑makers figure out who they trust before they ever reply to an email.

I don’t think the question anymore is “Which platform should we use?” It’s “What job is this platform doing for us?”

Social search is just normal now

A lot of people, especially Gen Z, don’t start with Google anymore. They start with creators.

TikTok gets used like a search engine. People are actively looking for answers, comparisons, and recommendations there, not just scrolling for entertainment.

That’s why problem‑solving content consistently outperforms vibes. When creators explain options, compare products, or answer real questions, that’s what gets saved and shared. Those signals matter way more than views.

YouTube is the trust layer in Canada

In my experience, YouTube is where interest turns into belief.

Shorts bring people in. The scale is massive. But longer videos are still where people go when they need reassurance, context, or proof.

The smartest way to plan for YouTube is to think in pairs. One short piece to earn attention. One longer piece to earn trust.

In categories like tech, beauty, wellness, travel, finance, and automotive, Canadians often check YouTube before they buy, even if TikTok or Instagram sparked the idea first.

Instagram didn’t die, it just changed jobs

Instagram isn’t the growth engine it used to be, but it’s still very much a credibility check.

I see it working best as a portfolio. Clean grid. Clear positioning. Stories for answering questions. DMs for closing the loop.

It’s not about posting pretty things anymore. It’s about showing up consistently and being useful once someone decides to look you up.

LinkedIn quietly compounds

LinkedIn almost never feels exciting, but it works.

Newsletter consumption and long‑form posts keep growing, especially with Canadian decision makers. People use this content to evaluate expertise long before a pitch hits their inbox.

The trick here is playing the long game. One useful chart. One lesson learned. Consistent beats viral every time.

Smaller creators and UGC win on relevance

This feels especially true in Canada.

UGC and smaller creators often outperform because they feel closer to real life. Regional voices, niche expertise, and familiarity matter here more than flash.

The best setups I see look like a bench. A few flagship creators across the country, a steady group of micro and mid‑tier creators, and UGC filling in gaps where it makes sense. Add geo‑targeted media and it stops being spray‑and‑pray. The right people get the right message, in a voice that feels like it’s for them.

What I’d focus on for 2026

If I had to simplify this into something actionable, it’d be:

Map your influence stack and be clear about what each platform is supposed to do.
Design content around real questions people ask, not campaign slogans.
Pair short‑form reach with long‑form reassurance whenever possible.

The takeaway

Influence here isn’t about moving fastest.

It’s about lowering uncertainty over time.

TikTok creates momentum. YouTube turns that momentum into confidence. Instagram and LinkedIn reinforce credibility.

When brands understand how those layers work together, they don’t have to chase every new feature. The system starts doing the work for them.

— Robin Ryan

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