50 Social Media Influencers to Know in 2023
If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that influencer marketing works. Plus, it can cut costs significantly, compared to traditional marketing. However, who is shaping the influencer marketing environment? We will break down the top 50 most influential social media influencers and experts in the industry, paving the way for future entrepreneurs and creators.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer Marketing refers to any person or figure that has the ability to encourage their audiences to take action, via social media communication.
Since many social media figures have created cult followings, their audiences highly trust their advice and promotions. This exchange and communication process is known as influencer marketing.
The Top 50 Influencers in social media 2023
This list features the top 50 most influential figures shaping the modern social media, digital marketing, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Also known as Gary Vee on YouTubue, Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, CEO, and co-founder of VaynerMedia, a Fortune 500 media agency that focuses on strategy, creative, influencer marketing, personal branding, and consulting. With more than 44M followers across social media, Vaynerchuk continues to educate and stay connected with his audience, while staying authentic to himself.
Mari Smith
The “Queen of Facebook”, Mari Smith is a lead expert in Facebook Marketing, helping small to medium-sized businesses build their brands and generate higher sales. Smith has been mentioned in IBM, Fast Company, Forbes, and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility, as a top social media influencer shaping modern digital marketing. She is also a keynote speaker, expert webinar leader, and has e-learning courses available.
Michael Stelzner
Michael Stelzner is the founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner, the world’s largest social media marketing resource. Stelzner also organizes Social Media Marketing World, the largest annual conference in social media. Host of the Social Media Marketing Podcast, the Web3 Business Podcast, and creator of Social Media Marketing Society, Stelzner definitely stays busy educating the public about the top marketing strategies.
Molly Mahoney
You may recognize her as “The Prepared Perfomer” on social media, Molly Mahoney is a theater performer turned marketer. Molly is a digital growth strategist, that uses her 20-year stage performance experience, social media expertise, and gregarious personality to help clients leverage their organic social and automation marketing strategies. She now coaches and mentors clients through her Social Stars and Glam Mastermind programs.
Rachel Pedersen
Rachel Pedersen, a.k.a., the “Queen of Social Media” chose to become her own boss in 2016. Rachel is an expert on just about every social media platform and has been featured in the Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, and The Daily Mail. She was also named one of the Most Influential Online Marketers by Content Marketing Institute. If that wasn’t enough, Rachel also founded Social Media United, an online university to guide those wanting to become social media managers and marketers.
Rachel Miller
Mother of six, best-selling author, and creator of Bizzy.AI, Rachel Miller is a social media organic growth strategist, who has helped over 29,834 business owners in her course. Miller also creates a variety of guides and memberships, to share resources and assist her clients one on one.
Rebekah Radice
Rebekah Radice is a social media speaker, consultant, and founder of BRIL.LA, a women-founded marketing agency in Los Angeles. Rebekah also runs Hey Rebekah a daily newsletter, that helps freelancers learn how they can improve their work. Rebekah is the definition of a female boss that has been self-employed since 1998.
Kate Buck Jr.
In 2008, Kate Buck Jr. didn’t know sharing tips on Twitter would turn into an online course, Social Media Pro in 2010. This took off, and Kate has now trained over 35,000 social media managers. Kate has also spoken at worldwide events including SXSW, and Traffic & Conversion Summit. She now also has courses for social strategy and content management and a newsletter with weekly social media news.
Millie Adrian
Also known as Modern Millie on social media, Millie Adrian is a full-time content creator that shares resources, tips, and tools to help other creators leverage their online presence and leave their 9-5 jobs to become their own bosses. Millie is best known for her YouTube channel Modern Millie and Instagram account, where she educates her audience about the best tips and tricks for social media, as well as how content creators can grow their businesses.
Brock Johnson
Brock Johnson is a 7-figure entrepreneur and content creator, at just 25 years old. Johnson helps others grow their following and businesses on Instagram, through his InstaClubHub membership which was launched in 2017. Brock grew to 400k followers in just one year, and now has over 600k followers on Instagram, with this number continuing to grow.
Latasha James
After working in 500 Fortune companies, tech start-ups, and nonprofits, Latasha James launched her own Business, James + Park. While completing her Film, Video & Media Studies degree, James started freelancing on the side, which turned into a full-time career. You may have seen Latasha on her YouTube channel or heard her on her podcast The Freelance Friday Podcast.
Erin Winters
You also may know her as Erin On Demand on YouTube, Erin Winters is a full-time content creator and entrepreneur. She became the first digital correspondent for National Geographic and was able to travel around the world covering stories across cultures. After moving back, she shared her career journey on her YouTube channel, and was able to build her own eBrand Creator College, a creator-to-CEO course, and an EOD inner circle community.
Adam Erhart
Adam Erhart is a marketing strategist, who has created a YouTube community of over 270k. He also has a weekly newsletter, Marketing Insights, where he shares the top marketing strategies with his 20k subscribers. Erhart teaches business owners and entrepreneurs how to use effective marketing tactics, through cheatsheets, marketing training videos, and courses.
Sean Cannell
Helping brands build their influence with online video, Sean Cannell is a top marketing YouTuber, speaker, and coach. His videos have been viewed over 100 million times, and he was featured in the Forbes article, “20 Must Watch YouTube Channels That Will Change Your Business”. Today he helps other aspiring entrepreneurs build their brands with online video.
Pat Flynn
After being laid off from his dream job as an architect in 2008, Pat Flynn had to pivot his career. He became a serial entrepreneur, with interests and experience in business ownership and advisory, technology, gaming, and parenting. He is an Amazon bestselling author, has a variety of on-demand courses, is a keynote speaker, and is an advisor to different tech companies, ConvertKit, Teachable, and SquadCast.
Kat Norton
Also known as Miss Excel, Kat Norton helps teach Microsoft Excel to freelancers, business owners, and schools. Reaching over one million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she makes learning Excel fun and easy, through a library of on-demand courses and lessons. Kat was awarded the Microsoft MVP award and has been featured in Business Insider, Fortune Entrepreneur, Bloomberg, Daily Mail, and The Verge.
Allie Bloyd
Allie Bloyd focuses on local businesses and marketers, to dominate their market and help them find their niche audiences. Then, she helps these businesses leverage their success and attack marketing on a larger scale. She founded Allie Bloyd Media, is the host of the Marketing Ink Podcast, and continues to create content on her YouTube channel.
Maxwell Finn
With over a decade of experience, Maxwell Finn has helped businesses grow through paid advertising. He has also helped generate over $250M in revenue for businesses using Facebook and Instagram ads. Finn is also the host of the podcast Down The Middle, where he shares his honest opinions on everything from the stock market, cryptocurrency, and pop culture news.
Derral Eves
As one of the top YouTube and video marketing experts, Derral Eves has been contributing to the online marketing community since 1999. He now has over 600k subscribers on YouTube and is recognized as a certified channel on YouTube. Some of his clients include Red Bull, NBC, ABC, and Adobe Software. Eves focuses mostly in lead generation, traffic conversion, social media management, SEO, and consulting.
Roberto Blake
Founder of the Awesome Creator Academy and CEO of Create Awesome Media, Roberto Blake is a creative entrepreneur that helps other creative professionals step into the space confidently. With over 1500 educational videos on YouTube, the weekly Create Something Awesome Podcast, and a bestselling book, “Create Something Awesome”, Roberto is influencing and teaching millions how to put their passion into purpose.
Luria Petrucci
A pro of live streaming, Luria Petrucci is a LIVE video strategist, that helps other creators improve and leverage their opportunities with video marketing through her Live Streaming Pros programs. These include online trainings, roadmaps, celebrations, weekly calls, tech help, and a community to support you.
Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is an online marketing expert and NYT bestselling author, earning over $82 million from her business. She has helped over 50,000 students through her online marketing courses and hosts the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast, which has over 52 million downloads. Her book, Two Weeks Notice, leads readers on how to quit their corporate job and work where and how they want.
Keenya Kelly
After years of being a stressed, underpaid sales representative, Keenya Kelly decided to turn to video marketing to help thousands of women build their brands and businesses. CEO and Founder of Keenya Kelly LLC & If You Brand It, Kelly uses vertical video to generate leads and increase sales. She even hosts the Keenya Kelly Podcast, which discusses topics surrounding marketing, creating the life you desire, and how to not suffer from burnout.
Marie Forleo
With the award-winning show, MarieTV, The Marie Forleo Podcast, and #1 New York Times bestselling book, Everything is Figureoutable, Marie Forleo is an entrepreneur, speaker, and writer that is dominating the marketing space. Through her courses, free tools, and blog, Forleo provides her audience with a multitude of resources to succeed in their marketing endeavors.
Larry Kim
Founder at Customers.AI, one of the world’s top Sales Outreach Automation platforms, Larry Kim is an influential expert in digital marketing, keyword research, and digital advertising. Before Customer.AI, Kim founded WordStream, a top digital ad and keyword tool. He received Marketer of the Year awards from Search Engine Land, US Search Awards, and PPC Hero.
Kim Garst
Kim Garst is an online marketing professional, international best-selling author, keynote speaker, co-founder of Boom! Social, and CEO of her company KG Enterprises. Garst specializes in all things marketing, and teaches business professionals how to capitalize on social media and digital marketing.
Neil Patel
Neil Patel is a social media influencer, marketer, and co-founder of Neil Patel Digital. Patel is known for his broad knowledge of marketing, with a blog that sees four million readers per month, a podcast with over one million listeners a month, and an immense following on social media platforms. He has helped big-name brands such as Google and Amazon grow through marketing.
Jay Baer
Jay Baer is a business growth and customer experience strategist, six-time best selling New York Time’s author, and founder of 5 multi-million dollar companies. Baer gives advice to businesses about how to acquire more customers. Jay is an advisor to hundreds of brands, including 40 Fortune 500 companies. He shares his knowledge through his powerful speeches, books, and newsletters.
Jenna Kutcher
Jenna is a small-town woman from Minnesota who became a huge success, using just her $300 camera. She is now a best-selling author, educator, podcast host, and photographer. Kutcher loves to see other people live out their business dreams. She has built blueprints for people who want their businesses to thrive, she offers online courses about social media, marketing, and podcasting.
Marsha Collier
Marsha Collier is a technology, Internet marketing, and E-commerce author, radio broadcaster, podcast host, and educator. Collier helps those who struggle with building an online community and customer service base. She is very knowledgeable in social media, e-commerce, content marketing, and many more industries. Marsha’s technology podcast was established in 2008 and receives over 20,000 downloads a month.
Sue B. Zimmerman
Known as @theinstagramexpert, Sue B. Zimmerman is a social media expert and entrepreneur. Sue built her social media business from her extensive knowledge and past experiences in selling products on social. She has created trainings and step-by-step guides on how to market and sell with confidence on Instagram.
Jade Beason
Creator coach, digital marketing guru, and content creator are all on Jade Beason’s resume. Jade offers a wide variety of services, whether it is wanting to grow your online following or make money, she helps with it all. Beason has handfuls of educational online courses and YouTube videos that can take your online presence to the next level.
Christina Rowe
Christina Rowe is not only the founder of the Facebook group Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs and the company Stand Out! Media Group, but she is also an author, PR and Brand specialist, and social media marketing specialist. Christina has helped numerous companies and business professionals with every aspect of branding. She is truly a social media, branding, and marketing master.
Jasmine Star
At the age of 25, Jasmine Star left law school and hasn’t looked back. She turned taking wedding photos into a successful business. Star launched the company Social Curator, which teaches its clients about social media and branding. Jasmine has taught in front of thousands and continues to do so today through her podcast “The Jasmine Star Show”.
Anik Singal
Anik Singal has numerous titles, he is a CEO and Founder, best-selling author, and angel investor. As the founder of Lurn, Inc Singal is known for his online training and publishing, he has trained over 300,000 entrepreneurs from around the globe. Anik is also passionate about helping schools around the world receive a better education.
Adam Linkenauger
Linkenauger is a business owner, growth hacker, and investor. Adam had a passion and a dream, he started with nothing and grew his business Freak Athletics to the next level. He now offers business advice to companies and business professionals to help them scale their businesses to new reach. Not only is he a business mogul, but he has grown handfuls of YouTube channels over 100k and one million subscribers.
Chalene Johnson
Chalene Johnson is a Michigan-raised girl who was the first to attend college in her family. With plenty of ups and down’s, Chalene began following her passions. She is the founder of Marketing Impact Academy, CEO of Team Johnson, creator of Phase It Up, podcaster, and an NYT best-selling author. She teaches people through her online academies on how to live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Alex Hormozi
Alex Hormozi is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He started building his gym businesses in 2013 and the rest is history. Alex is now the founder of Aquistion.com, he is an expert in customer acquisition and monetization. He continues to educate and help others online through his knowledge and business models.
Marina Simone
Marina Simone is the creator and CEO of Moms and Heels, as well as a branding expert and network marketing teacher. Marina instructs and educates hardworking mothers on how to thrive in internet commerce. She assists them in developing their story, personal brand, and mission. She provides a variety of online courses for aspiring parent entrepreneurs.
Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty is a huge success, to say the least. He is a NYT #1 best-selling author, the host of the #1 health podcast, and a purpose coach. With 6 million Instagram followers, 26 million Facebook followers, and over 7 billion Youtube views, Jay is no stranger to the social media industry. He continues to educate millions around the world about timeless wisdom and behavioral science.
Mel Robbins
One of the most respected voices on change is Mel Robbins. She is a best-selling author and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast. With upwards of 190k followers on LinkedIn, she is part of LinkedIn’s ‘Top Voice’ program. Her podcast aims to help those who are seeking to improve their daily lives.
Molly Pittman
Molly Pittman is a marketing expert and online teacher. She helps those who want to succeed in their careers. Molly breaks down all aspects of digital marketing and why it is super important for your business. She not only offers online classes, but she also assists people in landing their dream jobs, advancing their professions, and remodeling their businesses. Pittman has assisted over 10,000 marketers in furthering their careers.
Perry Belcher
Marketing specialist Perry Belcher is co-founder of DigitalMarketer.com, a website that allows people to be taught about all things marketing. The courses are taught by real-life marketers! Perry can be found on all social media platforms, he even has Facebook groups and a podcast where he shares insightful information about growing your business.
Jessie Lee
She goes by the name of Jessie Lee, but people also call her BossLee. Jessie Lee is the number one Network Marketer in the world, she’s an entrepreneur, business owner, investor, and podcaster. Her social media following amounts to a whopping 1 million+ followers! BossLee offers coaching and other incredible resources for hungry business owners to use.
Gillian Perkins
Gillian Perkins has a YouTube channel that has over 5 million subscribers and 20 million views across all videos. She is a founder of Startup Society and host of her podcast Earn More. Gillian teaches entrepreneurs how to start and become profitable online, she offers free workbooks and guides on her website. She even tells people what tools and resources she uses!
Katie Steckly
Katie is a creative digital marketer and YouTube creator that provides valuable resources for content creators, influencers, and agencies. She owns a content creation agency called Creatorly Media that offers free guides, paid courses, and plenty of resources for anyone to succeed on social media. Steckly has helped many brands succeed online!
Gusten Sun
Gusten Sun is also known as the “Celebrity Funnel Builder”. He has worked with many big named personal brands, some including Jordan Welch, Tony Robbins, and Clickfunnels. Sun’s company is the #1 educational brand in the “tunnel” space. He helps people that want to succeed in the online business industry to become financially free! He achieves this by creating online courses and trainings.
Nadya & John Melton
John and Nadya Melton went from working 80 hours a week to now living a stress free life. They are business and lifestyle entrepreneurs, as well as personal branding and online experts. The Meltons provide a ton of free trainings in an effort to educate people on how to use social media to grow their businesses. The duo have helped countless individuals in achieving financial independence.
Katya Varbanova
She is the “Viral Marketing Queen”. Katya has helped over 17,000 brands go viral on all social media platforms. She is the originator of Viral Marketing Stars, a company that has developed courses, templates, and memberships to assist brands to achieve popularity. Katya Varbanova has created a following of almost 300,000 followers and is still growing.
Juan Galán
Digital entrepreneur and travel photographer, Juan Galán updates and educates his followers through his Instagram account @ig.creatoracademy, his IG Content Club membership, his Reels course, his YouTube channel, and his blog, which you can all find here. Juan is always on the move, sharing his tips and tricks all around the world. He has over 850 students, which he helps become creator-entrepreneurs themselves.
These are the top social media influencers shaping the digital space, and providing cutting-edge strategies and tactics with their communities. If you want to learn more about influencer marketing, follow this guide to better understand how this works.
