influencer marketing · san francisco
Influencer Marketing Agency San Francisco 2026: Real Creators and Rates
10 of the San Francisco creators we monitor, with full follower, likes, reach and engagement data, plus our network rate benchmarks by tier so you can budget with numbers.
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Picking an influencer marketing agency san francisco buyers trust in 2026 starts with the creators themselves.
Who they are, how far they reach, and how hard their audience actually engages.
So this post leads with the data.
Below are 10 of San Francisco's biggest creators, with full stats and a conservative per-post rate for each.
TL;DR
- These are among San Francisco's biggest creators, two above 2.5M followers with tens of millions of lifetime likes.
- Biggest reach: Michael Ligier (3.0M, food and drink), Violet Witchel (2.8M, food and drink), MAYA V. (304K, fashion).
- Highest engagement is not the biggest account: Kenzie Mac hits 10.9%, followed by Michael Ligier at 5.7% and roxy at 5.3%.
- Most average views per post: Michael Ligier 15.6M, jessie 8.5M, Kenzie Mac 6.3M.
- Conservative per-post rates run from about $150 for lower-reach names up to $4,700 for the biggest.
"Roster fit and engagement move the result far more than a headline city median. Match the creator to the product first, then talk price." Dennis Ksendzov, Founder, Influencer Advisory
What's Inside
- The 10 San Francisco creators we track, with full stats.
- What San Francisco creators cost (honest benchmarks).
- Why these creators fit San Francisco brands.
- San Francisco agencies worth knowing.
- Why work with us in San Francisco.
- How San Francisco agency fees work.
- The 5 questions to ask a San Francisco agency first.
San Francisco's Biggest Creators, With Full Stats and Rates
These are the biggest, best-known San Francisco creators we track, sorted by reach. For each: followers, lifetime likes, posts shipped, average views per post, engagement rate, verified status, and a conservative per-post rate. San Francisco depth is on TikTok, where food and beauty run deepest.
| Creator | Followers | Lifetime likes | Posts | Avg views | Engagement | Verified | Rate / post* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Ligier (@ligier) | 3.0M | 71.4M | 410 | 15.6M | 5.7% | no | $4,700 |
| Violet Witchel (@violetwitchel) | 2.8M | 100.7M | 2,247 | 6.2M | 1.6% | no | $1,850 |
| MAYA V. (@maya.dannie) | 304K | 15.6M | 1,127 | 66K | 4.6% | no | $150 |
| Somefrenchienamedapollo (@somefrenchienamedapollo) | 289K | 13.6M | 4,848 | 5.4K | 1.0% | yes | $150 |
| roxy (@roxyyanaya) | 263K | 24.9M | 1,772 | 5.0K | 5.3% | no | $150 |
| Kenzie Mac (@kenziritotheburrito) | 195K | 30.6M | 1,439 | 6.3M | 10.9% | no | $1,900 |
| jessie (@aye.jessiee) | 152K | 5.1M | 1,098 | 8.5M | 3.1% | no | $2,550 |
| amalkzad (@amalkzad) | 147K | 6.0M | 1,251 | 3.7M | 3.3% | yes | $1,100 |
| lifewithsaprina (@lifewithsaprina) | 137K | 1.8M | 529 | 4.6K | 2.5% | no | $150 |
| annie (@annietamaki) | 118K | 3.9M | 985 | 223K | 3.4% | yes | $150 |
Source: Influencer Advisory tiktok_creators table, San Francisco-tagged, 10 monitored, 2026-05-22. Rate per post is calculated conservatively as average views times a $0.30 CPM, with a $150 floor. Actual negotiated rates vary by deal and usually run higher once usage rights are added.
What each one makes, so you can match by fit, not just follower count:
- Michael Ligier (food and drink, automotive): explores the world's most amazing food, unique dishes, and culinary science.
- Violet Witchel (food and drink): healthy recipes with a focus on meal prepping.
- MAYA V. (fashion, lifestyle): shopping adventures and self-care experiences.
- Somefrenchienamedapollo (pets, entertainment, lifestyle): comedic, relatable content about owning a French Bulldog.
- roxy (beauty, fashion): food and cooking content, farmer market finds, and college meal ideas.
- Kenzie Mac (lifestyle, fashion, fitness): fitness and outdoor activities alongside fashion.
- jessie (beauty): beginner-friendly makeup tips, tutorials, and beauty hacks.
- amalkzad (beauty): practical skincare routines suited for older skin.
- lifewithsaprina (finance, lifestyle): money-management tips for high-earning women.
- annie (beauty, health): unfiltered beauty and wellness, including serum comparisons.
Engagement, not follower count, is where the value hides.
Kenzie Mac has 195K followers but a 10.9% engagement rate, the highest in this set, and well above the 5.7% rate of the 3.0M-follower account at the top.
A good agency surfaces that gap.
A list-seller sorts by follower count and bills you for the reach you can see, not the audience that acts.
What Do San Francisco Influencer Creators Actually Cost?
Here is the honest version. We track a small set of San Francisco creators, and most carry no confirmed rate, so we do not publish a city-only rate card. Quoting a precise San Francisco median would be inventing a number.
Instead, anchor on our network-wide rate benchmarks from creators who do have a confirmed rate on file. These are real medians with sample sizes.
| Creator tier | Network median rate | Priced creators (n) |
|---|---|---|
| 1M+ | $7,000 | 111 |
| 500K to 1M | $3,500 | 53 |
| 100K to 500K | $1,750 | 185 |
| 10K to 100K | $1,100 to $1,500 | 159 |
| under 10K | $350 | 21 |
Source: Influencer Advisory youtube_creators table, priced subset, 2026-05-22. Network-wide, not San Francisco-specific.
Two numbers, two uses. The per-post rate in the creator table is a conservative floor, calculated straight from each creator's average views, so it answers "what is one post worth on reach alone." The tier medians here are confirmed full-deal quotes, which usually bundle usage rights, multiple posts, or exclusivity, so they run higher. Use the per-post rate to sanity-check a quote and the tier median to budget a full campaign. The 2026 Influencer Marketing Hub benchmark report puts global influencer spend above $24B.
Why these creators fit San Francisco brands
San Francisco creator supply skews toward food, beauty, and lifestyle. That mix shapes which brands find the easiest fit.
Food is the deepest San Francisco category in our data, anchored by Michael Ligier and Violet Witchel, which is why food and grocery brands seed creators here year-round.
Beauty follows close behind through jessie, amalkzad, and annie.
Finance shows up through lifestyle creators like lifewithsaprina who cover money for high-earning women.
San Francisco is also a sponsor city, not just a creator city.
In our deal tracker, Brilliant.org (HQ'd in San Francisco) leads local advertisers with 1,625 tracked sponsorships, followed by Quince with 730, vidIQ with 352, ThredUp (Oakland) with 346, and Printify with 303.
Monarch Money, Chime, GitHub, Grammarly, DoorDash, Airbnb, MasterClass, and Perplexity all run active creator programs out of the same zip codes.
That gives Bay Area buyers an unusual advantage: many of the brands you want to benchmark against are walking distance from your office.
The eMarketer insights hub tracks where US influencer spend concentrates.
For who sponsors which creators and why, see Who Sponsors YouTube Creators in 2026. For the full city-by-city map, see Influencer Marketing Agencies by City 2026.
Where we come in: we map which of these San Francisco sponsors are already paying creators in your category, so you can either pitch the same creators or position cleanly against them. Ask us to pull the head-to-head.
San Francisco Agencies Worth Knowing
These are five Bay Area shops we see surface in pitch lists.
We pulled quotes from their own homepages so you can read positioning in their own words before any sales call.
Sway Group
Consider them when you want a creator-first network with a 50,000-plus influencer pool and a long DTC track record.
What they do well Sway Group runs as a full-service influencer marketing agency built around its own creator network, founded 2011 in Marin County by Danielle Wiley.
Their client roster includes Ergobaby, VSP Vision, and Michigan Dairy, so they handle CPG, retail, and category-specific content programs.
What they don't do well Their published case studies skew family, food, and parenting verticals, so vet the bench specifically if your brand sits in tech, finance, or B2B.
In their own words
"Since 2011, Sway Group has been connecting brands like yours with the perfect storytellers from our diverse network of creators (50K and counting!) for data-driven results you can count on."
"Sway Group is more than just a marketing agency, we're your trusted partner in the ever-changing world of influencer marketing."
Source: swaygroup.com.
Best fit if you run a family, food, beauty, or lifestyle brand and want creator-led campaigns with a guaranteed-results promise.
Pereira O'Dell
Consider them when you want an SF creative shop with a real social platform pedigree, including TikTok as a named client.
What they do well Pereira O'Dell builds branded entertainment that travels across marketing, technology, and entertainment.
Their published work includes TikTok's "The Ripple Effect," Basil Hayden, TA3 Swim, Adobe "Full Bleed," and a Bisquick x Fargo collaboration.
What they don't do well They lead with big-idea branded content and platform storytelling, not always-on creator activation, so confirm the influencer team has its own roster before you sign.
In their own words
"We bring big ambitions to life. We do it by colliding the worlds of marketing, technology and entertainment to bring brands to new heights."
"Every day, millions come to TikTok to learn new things, discover new passions, and start believing in themselves, one video at a time."
Source: pereiraodell.com.
Best fit if you have a brand-defining campaign and want a creator layer wrapped inside bigger creative and entertainment work.
Mekanism
Consider them when you want an awards-heavy creative shop with a deep brand bench across CPG, tech, and fitness.
What they do well Mekanism positions as a modern creative agency and has shipped work for Ben and Jerry's, McDonald's, Jose Cuervo, Peloton, Dropbox, Amazon, Lenovo, and Quaker.
Their awards shelf includes Effie, Cannes Lions, Webby, ANDY, and Signal, with named wins for Frida Mom "Stream of Lactation," Alaska Airlines "Swell Deals," and Peloton's brand campaign.
What they don't do well Their published reel skews big-brand campaign work, so press them on creator roster and how influencer fits inside a campaign, not next to one.
In their own words
"We're a modern creative agency."
"See what we've got brewing."
Source: mekanism.com.
Best fit if you have a national brand campaign and want creators integrated into a larger creative and media plan.
Duncan Channon
Consider them when you want a 30-year SF independent with experiential and influencer baked into a 360-degree offer.
What they do well Duncan Channon runs strategy, creative, media, analytics, experiential, and influencer under one roof.
Their case load includes Kona Brewing, Covered California "Healthy Conversations," and California anti-tobacco work, so they handle regulated and public-sector briefs alongside CPG.
What they don't do well They are proud of doing too much, which is honest, but means buyers should ask exactly which team owns the influencer scope and what the named roster looks like.
In their own words
"4-time Ad Age Small Agency of the Year. 360 offering with experiential and influencer. $1B of media placed."
"We may be the only independent agency in California with a media and analytics department strong enough to win accounts on their own. And the only indie to acquire another indie that pioneered the social, experiental and influencer space."
Source: duncanchannon.com.
Best fit if you want an SF indie that can run paid media, experiential, and influencer as one connected plan.
Venables Bell + Partners
Consider them when the brief has a social-impact or values-led angle and you want an SF independent with a long campaign bench.
What they do well Venables Bell + Partners pairs commercial work with agency-funded "Do Right Work" activations, including Stop AAPI Hate's "Invisible No More" and the Unbanned Book Club with Little Free Library.
They run periodic "Bonfires" to pressure-test new approaches across the agency, which signals a culture of revisiting playbooks.
What they don't do well The homepage leads heavy on culture and impact, light on commercial case studies, so ask early for the brand wins that match your category.
In their own words
"Using our creativity for good beyond the scopes of our clients is a commitment we're proud to make."
"We gather around the heat to debate, discuss and develop thinking about an issue, a technology, an approach."
Source: venablesbell.com.
Best fit if you run a brand with a values story to tell and want an SF independent that takes culture seriously.
Why work with us in San Francisco
We are not a San Francisco storefront, and we are not going to pretend to be one.
What we bring is a vetted, named roster and confirmed rate data you can check against any pitch, whether your creators sit in the Bay Area or simply resonate with a San Francisco audience.
The creators above are based in San Francisco.
When a brief needs more reach than local supply offers, we widen to creators who fit the San Francisco audience by category and tone, and we label which is which.
You always know who is local and who is a fit.
How Do San Francisco Agency Fees Work?
These are typical market ranges for San Francisco agencies, not our internal data. They help you sanity-check a quote.
| Engagement type | Typical market range |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer (mid-size agency) | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Campaign management fee | 15 to 25% of creator spend |
| Single small campaign (3 to 8 creators) | $8,000 to $25,000 |
| Enterprise campaign | $75,000 to $250,000 |
| Creator rep commission | 10 to 20% of deal value |
The 15 to 25% management fee on creator spend is the line item first-time buyers miss most often. Whitelisting and usage rights stay separate, usually 50 to 100% above the base post rate. The FTC disclosure guidance for social media influencers is the default standard.
Which 5 Questions Should San Francisco Agency Buyers Ask First?
Five questions separate agencies that close cleanly from the ones that stall.
- Who is on your creator roster, named, with follower counts and engagement rates?
- What is the average integration rate you closed in the last 90 days?
- How do you price whitelisting and usage rights?
- What is the creator payment timeline: 30, 60, or 90 days?
- What does reporting look like at week four, not week twelve?
Agencies that share rate ranges and a named roster upfront close faster.
The ones that lead with old case studies and dodge rate specifics are the ones to drop.
Compare any pitch against our 2026 YouTube CPM rates breakdown.
Where we come in: we run those five questions on every pitch we hand you, with confirmed rate data and a named roster, so you do not have to chase a San Francisco agency for a straight answer.
Want to benchmark San Francisco creators against your brief? Influencer Advisory pulls comparable creators and rate ranges in under 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an influencer marketing agency in San Francisco charge?
Typical mid-size San Francisco agencies run monthly retainers from $5,000 to $12,000, plus a 15 to 25% fee on creator spend. Enterprise engagements start near $75,000 per month. These are market ranges, not our internal data.
What do San Francisco creators cost per post?
We track a small set of San Francisco TikTok creators, but most have no confirmed rate on file, so we do not publish a city-only rate card. As a benchmark, our priced YouTube network medians are $7,000 at 1M+, $3,500 at 500K to 1M, and $1,750 at 100K to 500K. Treat these as anchors and adjust for San Francisco.
Who are the top San Francisco creators right now?
By reach: Michael Ligier (3.0M, food and drink), Violet Witchel (2.8M, food and drink), and MAYA V. (304K, fashion). By engagement the leader is smaller: Kenzie Mac at 10.9%. San Francisco skews toward food, beauty, and lifestyle.
Should a brand pick a San Francisco agency or a New York agency?
San Francisco tends to win on food, tech-adjacent, and lifestyle creators with a West Coast audience. New York tends to win on finance and B2B. We do not have a confirmed city-by-city rate comparison, so judge on roster fit and audience, not a published median.
How do I shortlist San Francisco creators for my brand?
Start from category and engagement, not follower count. San Francisco creators cluster in food, beauty, and lifestyle, so match your product to the niche first, then to engagement rate. We can pull a vetted San Francisco shortlist with rates against your brief in under 48 hours.
Related reading: Influencer Marketing Agency Los Angeles 2026 · Influencer Marketing Agencies by City 2026.
Frequently asked
How much does an influencer marketing agency in San Francisco charge?
Typical mid-size San Francisco agencies run monthly retainers from $5,000 to $12,000, plus a 15 to 25% fee on creator spend. Enterprise engagements through larger shops start near $75,000 per month. These are market ranges, not our internal data.
What do San Francisco creators cost per post?
We track a small set of San Francisco TikTok creators and most have no confirmed rate on file, so we do not publish a city-only rate card. As a benchmark, our priced YouTube network medians by tier are $7,000 at 1M+, $3,500 at 500K to 1M, and $1,750 at 100K to 500K. Treat these as anchors and adjust for San Francisco.
Who are the top San Francisco creators right now?
By reach: Michael Ligier (3.0M, food and drink), Violet Witchel (2.8M, food and drink), and MAYA V. (304K, fashion and lifestyle). By engagement the leader is smaller: Kenzie Mac at 10.9%. San Francisco skews toward food, beauty, and lifestyle.
Should a brand pick a San Francisco agency or a New York agency?
San Francisco tends to win on food, tech-adjacent, and lifestyle creators with a West Coast audience. New York tends to win on finance and B2B. We do not have a confirmed city-by-city rate comparison, so judge on roster fit and audience, not on a published median.
How do I shortlist San Francisco creators for my brand?
Start from category and engagement, not follower count. San Francisco creators cluster in food, beauty, and lifestyle, so match your product to the niche first, then to engagement rate. We can pull a vetted San Francisco shortlist with rates against your brief in under 48 hours.
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We found the best performing creators for May 18 → May 24.Hand-picked, not the same five names.
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