Online “finfluencers” grow up – MoneySense

A finfluencer is simply a financial influencer, a contraction similar to my own “findependence” for financial independence. And while I’m tooting my own horn here, let me disclose that I am myself considered to be a finfluencer, at least here in Canada.

I say that following a Toronto gathering of many of Canada’s top finfluencers organized by BMO ETFs in early June at Cboe Canada. The Creator Insights Forum featured a scrolling highlight reel of leading content creators, including yours truly. The forum brought financial content creators together to acknowledge the growing influence of their voices and the role they play in educating Canadian financial consumers. While regulatory considerations were discussed, the broader emphasis was on helping creators navigate the space responsibly.

Back in April 2025, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) released a research report titled “Social Media and Retail Investing: The Rise of Finfluencers.” It found that investors are indeed quite influenced by finfluencers: OSC research on 655 Canadian retail investors found 35% of them had made a financial decision based on advice from a finfluencer. Furthermore, 24% of 1,465 Canadian social media users (both investors and non-investors) exposed to finance-related social media posts were found to have purchased the promoted assets, versus just 7% of those not so exposed.  

“Financial advice on social media is appealing because retail investors perceive it to be accessible, free, and informative,” the OSC said. “While retail investors believe finfluencers are generally motivated by self-interest, about 40% of investors believe that the finfluencers they follow are trustworthy. Those who have made a financial decision based on finfluencer advice were seven times more likely to trust finfluencers they follow.”

I found the forum to be eye-opening as it brought me face-to-face with a range of YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagrammers, journalists, and other Canadian finfluencers with whom I had yet to cross paths. Many were in the younger demographic, a club I can confidently say I no longer qualify for. 

How some content creators got their start

Some participants described how they had quit their jobs to launch finfluencer careers on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and other video-oriented platforms. These included Joyee Yang (@joyeeyang on Instagram), trader/YouTuber Shay Huang (@HumbledTraderOfficial on YouTube, where she has almost 1.5 million followers), stock trader Zac Hartley (@zachartley on YouTube), and YouTuber Adrian Bar (@canadianinatshirt).

Shay Huang started her YouTube career in 2019 and soon jumped into it as a full-time endeavour. She worked long hours on her own and soon hired an editor, and then writers and social media managers. No single person in a finfluencer organization should be the “single point of failure” even though those starting out will likely be that single point, she advised those seeking to emulate her. It’s best to hire from your own community, often fans who already know your content and style and trust you. Huang started small, just by herself, and grew it to a team of 10, but has since retrenched to five. She also leverages AI to build systems and help write content but insists that humans proof it.

Adrian Bar said his philosophy is quality, not quantity. He posts videos only every two weeks and is selective about who he works with or endorses. Instead of building a team of entrepreneurs, as Huang did, he prefers to do it alone, including writing and editing. He doesn’t use AI, either. 

“The first five years on YouTube, I didn’t take a single vacation or a weekend,” Bar said. He made no money at all his first year and a half. His goal was first to gain trust and credibility, which makes his endorsement to sponsors that much more valuable. But he believes taking on too many sponsors dilutes that value, which is why he didn’t take a single one in his first five years of his YouTube career. “Stay strong… don’t take on sponsorships you may regret.” He’s seen the rise and fall of many content creators and the main difference is credibility. “If some sell out, the audience can sniff it out. Once you’ve lost credibility, you’re done and can’t get it back.”   

How to succeed at finfluencing

To be sure, it appears the more successful content creators can indeed make money at it. One BMO slide showed the global influencer market is worth US$33 billion, up 35% from a year earlier, with C$1.9 billion Canadian spending by corporations on finfluencer marketing in 2025, up 23% from 2024. One in six Canadian retail investors have purchased an exchange-traded fund (ETF) because they heard about it on some form of social media. 

The key to monetizing finfluence is to build substantial communities, such as Blossom Social. Blossom cofounder and chief marketing officer Brandon Beavis and chief operating officer Annika Ng told a panel how they were able to build their community to 500,000 members after eight years, some of which were early investors in the enterprise. A key milestone is reaching one thousand “superfans.” 

Another big step is the first live event, even if it attracts only ten or 15 people. Beavis said the market longs to see one’s story behind the scenes and expects to see a content creator’s human side. A superfan buys your product or service because they like you or resonate with you as a leader: “People are demanding more transparency and authenticity… Make sure what you are talking about you genuinely care about and have a passion for… Find your lane and stick to that. Don’t cater to what’s trendy or hot since that’s not sustainable for the long term.”

One panel featured financial educator Gina Judge (@iamginajudge on Instagram) and financial wellness creator Azia Mery (@azia_mery). Judge told the audience she realized her podcast audience could turn into a real community soon after she launched during the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived a gap in financial education. As she added live events and webinars, Judge said she soon realized that to grow her audience she needed to delegate and have teams or partners. As Mery put it, “It’s a mistake to think you can do it all on your own.” But, she added, “be as lean as possible with an event. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Go around your neighbourhood and visit coffee shops to see if there is a demand.” Even if you are able to charge for events, be prepared for revenue to not cover all expenses.   

Not all the finfluencers at the Creator Insights Forum were on panels. There was plenty of networking time and one audience member with whom I got reacquainted was Jessica Moorehouse, author of Everything but Money; that book was flagged in a blog on my site with the intriguing headline Your Money Troubles Have Nothing to Do with Money.

Regulators and finfluencers

The Creator Insights event closed with a somewhat cautious overview of the regulatory risks corporations and finfluencers jointly bear. One of the last slides, titled “Be Proactive!”, advised finfluencers to read the OSC notice flagged at the top of this column, then review their existing content inventory, evaluate services for registerable activities or disclosure requirements, follow sponsorship disclosure requirements, be careful whom you endorse or promote, and to seek legal help to stay compliant.

What was clear from the Creator Insights Forum is that the finfluencer space is maturing. Creators are increasingly aware of both the influence they carry and the responsibility that comes with it. Trust, as several participants noted, is hard won and easily lost. The better content creators are not just building audiences but aiming to educate them thoughtfully and responsibly.