Cat’s out of the bag: I earn money from posting sponsored content on my Instagram account and blog. Shocking. I’m sorry to sound so sarcastic, but I want to get real with you guys. I want to contribute to an open dialogue around sponsored posts and influencer marketing because it’s what I do for a living.
It’s been a little over 3 months since I left my full-time job as a corporate lawyer of 9 years (!). I took the ultimate risk and decided to pursue my passion as a full-time blogger/content creator and entrepreneur – another shocking fact not all of you might have known. No in between, like transitioning to working part-time while blogging. Like, full on, quitting my day job and jumping in FEET FIRST!
It’s not at all something I’m ashamed of or have been trying to keep a secret. I’ll explain why I decided to quit my corporate law job in another blog post (HINT: it wasn’t for the money).
Now that blogging is my full-time job, I feel it’s important for you to understand what I do, why I do it, and to generally address a lot of the SHADE that people throw at this industry. When I post a photo on my Instagram account with a caption that ends with #ad or #sponsored, DON’T HATE. And let me explain why…
Outfit Details: Shirt & Skirt – H&M (purchased) // Boots – Geox Etienne Chelsea boot (gifted)
First, What Exactly Is Influencer Marketing?
There’s been lots written on the subject, so I won’t explain in detail. In short, as part of my job as a blogger, brands approach me to promote their products and services on my social media accounts and blog for money.
Lauren of This Renegade Love wrote an excellent post on this very topic, which I’d encourage you to read here.
Influencer marketing is part of a brand’s digital marketing strategy. Just like advertising in print or on TV, it is meant for the purpose of communicating a message to consumers and is worthy of respect as a viable form of marketing.
I consider brand content creation to be a privilege – something that I am fortunate to be able to do because brands and PR companies hopefully understand what my own brand is about, and the hard work that I have put into building my organic audience over the last year and a half.

Created for Liberté Canada Greek Crunch yogurt
Why Does Influencer Marketing Get Such a Bad Rap?
Now that influencer marketing has been around for a while, the negativity has started to surface – the misconceptions, assumptions, judgements, and internet trolls. There is a stigma.
Why? First and foremost, because of the oversaturation of the blogging industry.
Bloggers post a highlight reel of their lives and create beautiful imagery. People see this and assume it’s easy, so everybody and their mother wants to be a social media influencer. That, coupled with the increasing number of brands working with influencers and not doing their research first or letting things slip by quality control, could make for a bad combination.
It’s an easy formula to understand:
More bloggers + the normalization of influencer marketing in brands’ marketing strategies = more ads being promoted on Instagram
So, hey, I don’t blame you for feeling like every time you scroll through your Instagram feed, ads are being shoved down your throat! It’s because they are.
There are other reasons influencer marketing gets a bad rap too, like celebrities and bloggers not disclosing their relationships with brands, which has led to a lot of mistrust. There’s also some really, really BAD influencer marketing out there, and partnerships that make no sense whatsoever. Like, if I see one more overly staged picture of a former Bachelor contestant holding up a FabFitFun Box, I swear I’m going to lose it!
Common Myths about Being an “Influencer”
These are some of the common misconceptions being cast on bloggers these days and my response to them:
1. You’ve sold out because you do brand partnerships.
Why? Because I’m able to make a living by doing work that I’m passionate about and because I endorse products that I already use and love?
If a product doesn’t align with my own personal brand and story and vice-versa, it’s not worth it for me to put my credibility on the line. I’ve said no to many more offers than I’ve accepted – everything from activated charcoal teeth whitening to invisible bras, even including clothing and beauty products that I don’t wear or know anything about.

Created for Maille Canada. I use Maille products regularly. I also consume everything pictured here (well, maybe not the olives), and as someone who regularly blogs about food, this makes sense.

Created for Grey Goose. As someone who regularly enjoys alcohol, this also makes sense, and I consider myself lucky to be able to work with one of my favourite alcohol brands.
2. You’re only in it for the money.
Only about 15-20% of my content is sponsored. I post twice a day on my Instagram account and have been blogging about 2 times a week since going FT, including weekly recipes just because.

One of my favourite recipes and examples of food styling to date, and all completely not sponsored.
That means, I’m producing a hell of a lot of non-sponsored content! Why? Because it brings me happiness! Because it’s my passion. Because I love cooking. Because I love photography, and want to get better at it. Because I want to share with you, and I genuinely love connecting and engaging with my audience (just take a look at my Instagram account and you’ll see that I try to respond to every comment).

One of my favourite things to do is post restaurant interiors because I like to show my, predominantly Toronto-based, followers beautiful places in the city. Most times, I am not invited to these places and I spend my own money.
3. You don’t work hard.
When I was practicing law, I used to spend all of my free time on weekends and evenings creating content and blogging. And guess what. Now that I blog full-time, I STILL work hard. Whether it’s part-time or full-time, bloggers work really hard. Period.
There is a lot of planning and behind the scenes work that goes into content creation – waking up early on weekends to shoot, going out to different locations and restaurants, investing money in food, clothes, and don’t even get me started on how much money bloggers spend on equipment, like cameras, lenses, lighting, props etc. It takes a lot of time and lots of things can and do go wrong.
I, personally, will work even harder when producing sponsored content because I want to impress the brand and show the brand and my followers what I’m capable of producing.

Created for Boursin cheese. We had to drive outside of the city to borrow this bike, and while I was at my friend’s house, my phone fell in her toilet. I had to bring the bike with me on the subway because it couldn’t fit in my husband’s trunk. I also hired a professional photographer, Laura Clarke, to capture this image, and did all of the creative direction before shooting, including styling our outfits, buying the food, flowers and other props. It also was pouring rain before this, but we still went out to shoot on the wet ground and grass.
So for this reason, whenever I see another blogger posting sponsored content, I make sure to like and comment because I know and appreciate the hard work that probably went into creating it.
There’s also the social aspect of blogging, like attending events and networking to build relationships and connections (which can be tiring as hell!). And then there’s the whole business aspect of blogging, like pitching, the admin and accounting, managing the sheer amount of emails, and negotiating contracts. Bloggers simultaneously wear multiple hats and should be respected for it. I don’t even know how all the mommy bloggers out there do it! It’s truly inspiring!
So, Here’s What I Want You to Understand about Influencer Marketing
There are some bad apples in the industry, but don’t let that ruin it for all the other hard-working bloggers. Bad apples and cheaters aside, someone doesn’t become an “influencer” over night. Someone becomes an influencer because he or she has worked really hard to build his or her influence and is a great creative storyteller.
Take Elise of A Piece of Elise and Daniel of Mr. Daniel Ocean – two of my favourite content creators – as an example. I swear to god, any time either of them post sponsored content, I’m either like, “I want to buy that product!”, or “How the hell did you manage to create such quality work in that environment?” – um, like in a field, or at a music festival, or in the dark, or even just making sitting at home on the floor look so damn cool. That’s talent!
Bottom line, content creators shouldn’t have to feel nervous about posting branded content because you’ll immediately jump to negative conclusions when we disclose that it’s #sponsored.
The next time you look at sponsored content, think of the work that went into it. Assess the:
- Photography – is it a beautiful image? It is well-composed and edited? Is it professional or semi-professional?
- Creative direction and storytelling – Is there a real story, or is the photo overly staged and ridiculous?
- Fit – How seamlessly (or not) does the product fit with the influencer and does the partnership make sense? Do you believe this product really fits this influencer’s lifestyle and ethos?
So, please show some love for influencers and respect this as an actual line of work. Just because it’s new or seems like a millennial thing doesn’t mean it’s not legitimate.
I’d love to know your thoughts on influencer marketing in the comments below!
Such a great read! I don’t understand why people freak out over sponsored content. Sponsored content helps you to continue doing what you love and to continue showcasing what your readers and followers love. Your content is always so impeccable and your hard work is so appreciated. I’m a huge fan! ❤️
I could not agree with you more, Cristina. Thank you for seeing it that way and sharing your feedback! Each time I have to create sponsored content, I see it as an opportunity for me to better my craft. Truly appreciate your support!
This is the realist blog post I have ever read. Thank you for sharing. You inspire me so much. Keep shinning. – Will
I love this post! I’ve been thinking about addressing this on my blog and if I do I’m linking to yours! Thank you for being YOU and so real about it.
What an amazing post Krystle! Couldn’t agree more with every word you said.
Thank you so much, Diala! For sharing, for supporting, for understanding, and for inspiring! xoxoxo
This was so informative and I think that it gives those who are not in the industry a great insight as to what it is all about!
Thank you! I’m so glad I could shed some light on this industry. I think the key really is to have an open dialogue about it and be honest.
Beautifully said! You captured some really key points and emphasized the art of the industry. Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you so much, Miranda! I think it’s unfair for people to slap a label on something we do as just an “ad” because there is hard work involved and to us, it is art! Appreciate the kind words.
Great post & beautiful pictures!! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much, Jap. I’m sure you know as well that there is a story behind every photo! Have a great rest of the week and weekend!
You are doing fantastic job!!!So proud of you!!!
Thank you so much, Olya! I appreciate the support and wish you much success as well!
Nice job Krystle! Very informative (and educational) for those who may have seen what you do as a little grey…Keep it up!
Thank you so much, once again, Tricia! I appreciate the constant support. You’re doing a fantastic job and are setting the bar high for our family!
such a great read. I love what you do and enjoy all of your recipes and wow a lot of work goes into those posts when it’s food related. I guess I have more of an appreciation with the food posts because my hubby is a chef and I know how hard that is. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much, Olinka. I really appreciate the kind words and support. I’m glad you have an appreciation for the work that goes into creating food posts. But I can equally say I have an appreciation for all of the hard work that must go into raising a family – and that’s work that does not always get acknowledged. Thanks for reading the post and keeping in touch! xoxo
Congratulations and your new journey and having the courage to jump. I know you’ll soar.
I always appreciate your support, Don. I wish you all the success in the world too. I appreciate all of your work and creativity!
I don’t begrudge bloggers wanting to make money off of brands they’re using anyway, but let’s face it: people don’t like ads, and with the influx of sponsored content, they are inescapable, which makes people dislike them even more. A ton of work goes into making a commercial, that doesn’t make me want to sit and watch commercials during my favourite TV show, you know? I also think asking people to be LESS critical of the advertising industry is kind of insane.
Thanks for your honest feedback, Katie, and I appreciate that your statement might represent the opinion of a lot of people. Fair. I don’t like to see BAD advertising, and for me, it really depends on the medium. I don’t like TV commercials, but Instagram is different. I look at Instagram as a visual medium for people to share their photography and work, and their opinions and endorsements. I have been exposed to so many new products and brands because of other content creators, and have been inspired to travel to so many places.
What does turn me off is insincerity and shoddy attempts to fool people. I think the general public is smart enough to recognize what’s good and bad advertising, and when someone is only interested in creating content for monetary gain. Maybe I look at this differently because I’m in the industry, but I look at each piece of sponsored content as the individual influencer’s attempt to be creative, and as I said in my post, tell a story. What normally takes a team of people to execute (i.e. ad agency, photographer, stylist etc.) is being done by one person, and I think that needs to be acknowledged. So, my post is meant to open your eyes up to analyzing it from a different perspective. But, if you’re opposed to all forms of advertising on Instagram, then you’re always free to scroll past the photo or unfollow a blogger that does too much of it.
Thanks again for reading the post and participating in the discussion. It’s truly appreciated.
I remember you saying full time blogging was a dream. Not something you could dive into quite yet. I’m happy to see you’ve reached that point. Inspiring! Good for you, Krystle 🙂
Ahhh, thank you so much for that, Sarah, and also for taking an interest in me and my story not that long after I started out! I am forever grateful for the Peace Collective feature and for your encouragement 🙂
Really enjoyed reading this, Krystle! I LOL’d at the Bachelor/FabFitFun thing because I think the exact same thing everytime I see one of those ads! Haha. But everything you said is so true – glad you took the time to write and explain these things! Hope people take it to heart.
-Kristin
http://www.thedelilahblog.com
Thank you so much, Kristin! I’m glad you liked the joke, and I’m sure you can appreciate where it’s coming from. You are also a good example of the hard work that goes into blogging, since I can see your passion for it shine through after becoming a first time mom! Hope to see you soon! xo
Such a great article Krystle!! Your explanation of the industry is so spot on. I too *dream* of becoming a full time blogger one day! Congrats on your success!! Xo
Krystle I absolutely loved your blog post!
I’ve been following you for quiet some time and I truly love the way you showcase your work! It shows that a lot if time is spent in order to create the perfect image! Keep doing what you love xxx
Great post, Krystle. Personally, I don’t really get why people hate on influencers so much. It’s a job like any other to me (& if anything, I think it’s great that you’re able to do it full time, so congrats to you on that!). Alot of the things you post about are things most people like, need or use anyway! At the end of the day, I just want influencers to be honest. No one likes to be misled & I don’t get the vibe that that’s what you’re doing at all. Keep up the great (& very beautiful work)!
Your posts are beautiful and inspiring! I know how hard you have been working and how much you enjoy it! Keep up the good work!! 🙂 xoxo
I believe that while it’s great that you get to do blogging as a full time job (I know how hard it is because I used to be one), you saying that to be able to take the bike picture you had to Go out of town borrow a bike etc, it reminds me exactly why I don’t like the blogging world anymore and why I stopped doing it. Fashion blogs started as a way to portray fashion in a democratic way: you didn’t have to be perfect to have style, or to like fashion. You didn’t need to have money. But with time it lost spontaneity, and realness. Now nothing seems natural, now I see pictures like that one on the bike and It’s all a stage, and it’s disappointing, because you know that none of that is real (only that it took a lot of work to pull it off). And that is the feeling a lot of people get from bloggers when they act like they are posing as if no one’s looking, or portraying a perfect life when we all know that is not real life (even song of style said it).
I think that is the reason why bloggers get bad rep, not some adds.
Hey Andre, thanks so much for your comment and participating in the discussion! I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t see it that way at all. We are getting paid to essentially create advertising. So, of course, we would want to produce our best work. As a consumer, I would personally HATE to know that an influencer or celebrity got paid a lot of money for something and just posted a selfie of him or herself. There should be work that goes into creating the ad to make it beautiful and inspiring. How is this any dissimilar to an ad agency working with a brand to come up with a story line for a print ad or commercial and then executing the concept? Or what about a movie? Do you not like movies either?
Well, the difference here is that a single influencer is responsible for doing all the work of what work normally take an entire team! For me, that’s the most fun part of my job – the creative direction, brainstorming and orchestrating something! So long as what’s being published isn’t overly staged to the point of being unrealistic, I think it’s perfectly okay. There is no attempt to pass off a perfect life. My husband and I went on lots of picnics during the summer, so this is not something that is not truthful at all. And like I said in my blog post, influencers should only work with brands that they genuinely use and endorse, so there is no element of deception.
With more and more influencer marketing, the bar SHOULD be raised, and influencers should put a lot of hard work into creating.
You totally nailed this!! Honestly it blows my mind how well you write! I actually never saw this until you explained to me so thank you for that and for continuing to inspire so many people! Keep up the amazing work my love! 💙
I love this blog post. It explains exactly all the hard work we put into sponsored and unsponsored content. It’s not easy and it is work. A lot of time and money goes into all posts – timing, props, photography, etc. I don’t think most people understand what really goes on behind the scenes. Congrats on moving to blogging full time!! xo
I was wondering when you were going to address this! Not so much the justification of what you do, but leaving your “professional career”. You struggled with how you could balance your left vs right brain interests when you first started to blog. It truly takes a leap of faith and it’s not easy to leave the security of a guaranteed way to support yourself. You are an excellent Influencer which is why I have enjoyed your posts and shown you the support I have. Blogging and promoting are not new concepts. They have simply been upgraded like everything else. Many Influencers take anything and everything, because dree. Companies prey on the younger audience and that bothers me. However, the content that you create is more like a brand in and of itself, because you built it from the ground up by starting out with examples of products that fit into your lifestyle and tastes. Looking forward to seeing your journey bloom. You’ve clearly stopped to smell the roses. Bravo!
Gear work Krystal.
Xoxo
I only recently found you on Instagram, read your blog when I can and have been so impressed with all your hard work-you can see what goes into it all! It’s so professional, beautiful and it’s obvious that you love it. And so of course you should be rewarded and compensated for your efforts. I find you so gracious as well -you actually to respond to my comments which doesn’t always happen for new IGers like me. I’m toying with the idea of doing more, perhaps starting a new blog beyond my “deep thoughts” old school versions that I wrote before the world of influencers exploded -but it is rather intimidating amongst a seemingly crowded space with increasingly beautifully curated content. You are rocking it!
Raw truth.
Great post! So on point. We didn’t get to meet on the Audible trip but I hope we will soon! Gx
That was very well put. Content creation is definitely hard work and we should be compensated fairly for it – I personally work from when I wake up and when I go to bed on my content (plus working part time!). It shocks me when people are upset over (fitting) sponsored content while expecting high quality content for free! Congratulations on taking the leap and going full time 🙂
Thank you so much, Carmyy. I really appreciate this! <3
Thank you for being so honest and transparent about this topic. I’m a new blogger and love your content especially your Instagram stories to see the behind-the-scenes of your posts especially your recipes. Keep creating amazing content! P.S congrats on blogging full-time!
Awww, thank you so much for this comment! I’m happy to get such great feedback – truly makes my day! Congrats on starting your blogging journey. I wish you much success!