Social media influencers are winning the internet with their outstanding work and presence. Their opinions have a powerful impact on people. More and more people are following such influencers so they don’t miss out on their content. Brands flock to such influencers for mentions, reviews, and recommendations. And that is the true value of their influence.
There’s a long list of top social media influencers who are growing exponentially in their respective niches. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most renowned social media influencers in marketing. They don’t just have massive followings, they also have tons of believers. Following Top 10 Social Media Influencers You Need to Follow in 2018.
=====X=====
Disclosure: Please note that a few of the links in this article are actually affiliate links. This means that if you click on them, I will get a commission, without any extra cost to you. So, feel free to check these out as I only recommend products or services that I personally tested and highly recommend. For more information, please read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.
=====X=====
Social Media Influencer #1. Gary Vaynerchuk
Well, who hasn’t heard about Gary? He's the guy who expanded his father’s wine business from 4 million to 60 million. He's also the chairman of VaynerX.
The CEO and co-founder of VaynerMedia has worked with companies like GE and Unilever. He is known to move marketing budgets of many Fortune 500 companies to social media marketing.
What’s more? He’s also a 4-time New York Times bestselling author.
Check out the incredible numbers of followers that Gary has on social media:
- Instagram followers: 2.7 M
- Facebook followers: 2.5 M
- Twitter followers: 1.61 M
- LinkedIn article followers: 1.4 M
- YouTube subscribers: 985 K
He runs a popular vlog series on YouTube, #DailyVee, where he documents his life as an entrepreneur. He also has an exclusive show on Facebook, #AskGaryVee, where he answers social media questions.
His Instagram profile is mostly filled with pictures of himself with motivational quotations for entrepreneurs. And his LinkedIn profile has some very interesting articles. Last but not least, his Twitter has a mix of everything with his personal comments.
You will be amazed to see how a man can manage so much in a day!
Follow him to learn how to promote your personal brand and your business in an awesome manner.
Social Media Influencer #2. Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva. He’s the brand ambassador of Mercedes Benz and a keynote speaker for Apple, Nike, Audi, and Microsoft among many others. He’s written 13 books that have been New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestsellers. He’s also the former chief evangelist of Apple.
He possesses extensive knowledge about entrepreneurship, social media, and marketing. His books and keynote speeches are amazing.
Check out his unbelievable social follower statistics:
- LinkedIn followers: 2.6 M
- Twitter followers: 1.51 M
- Instagram followers: 65.6 K
- Facebook followers: 450 K
- YouTube subscribers: 5.7 K
Guy’s Twitter profile is a mix of his personal and business opinions. He mostly shares blog posts on his social media accounts. He’s also very popular on Pinterest as well, with 4.6 K followers.
He’s definitely one of the top social media influencers whose content you shouldn’t miss out on.
Social Media Influencer #3. Neil Patel
If you’ve ever tried to establish an online business, there’s no way that you haven’t heard of Neil Patel.
Neil is the co-founder of Hello Bar, KISSmetrics, and Crazy Egg. The Wall Street Journal named him as a top influencer. He has worked with companies like Viacom, HP, and Amazon. He’s one of the top social media influencers from whom you can learn a lot.
Here are his social follower statistics:
- Facebook followers: 916 K
- Twitter followers: 278 K
- LinkedIn followers: 211 K
- YouTube subscribers: 26.5 K
Neil’s YouTube videos are short and simple. They're great help for beginners and social media influencers who want to grow their online businesses.
Follow Neil to learn some amazing and effective marketing tips.
Social Media Influencer #4. Mari Smith
If you’ve advertised on Facebook, you are likely to have come across Mari.
Facebook calls her a, “Small Business and Facebook Marketing Expert.” She’s has been an influencer since 2007. She runs a consulting and training agency for businesses.
She’s the author of, “The New Relationship Marketing,” and co-author of, “Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day.”
She has also been named as one of the “Top Ten Most Influential Small Business People on Twitter.”
Check out her social media follower statistics:
- Twitter followers: 575 K
- Facebook followers: 204 K
- LinkedIn followers: 31.5 K
- Instagram followers: 27.5 K
- YouTube subscribers: 12 K
She focuses heavily on success strategies for social media marketing. She often shares tips and tricks to help businesses grow online.
She is one of the top social media influencers so follow her to learn how to grow your company’s social media presence effectively.
Social Media Influencer #5. Jay Baer
Jay Baer is the founder of Convince & Convert. He’s the host of the Social Pros podcast, which was named America’s best marketing podcast in 2015. The five companies founded by him are million dollar companies.
To add to the list of his accomplishments, Jay is a New York Times bestselling author of 5 books. He’s been an advisor to The United Nations, Nike, Caterpillar, and 32 other Fortune 500 companies.
He specializes in business strategy, social media marketing, and content marketing. He’s also the world’s most retweeted person by digital marketers.
Here are his social media follower statistics:
- Twitter followers: 259 K
- Facebook followers: 93.7 K
- LinkedIn followers: 17.7 K
- Instagram followers: 11.9 K
- YouTube subscribers: 5.6 K
Keep an eye out for his podcasts as they are quite fascinating. When you hear any of his podcasts, you’ll understand why he’s one of the top social media influencers.
Social Media Influencer #6. Jeff Bullas
Jeff Bullas has been named as one of the top digital and content marketing influencers. He’s an Australian digital entrepreneur who started his journey in 2008.
His website receives more than 5 million visitors a year. He is also known to deliver keynote speeches all over the world.
Check out his incredible social follower statistics:
- Twitter followers: 560 K
- Facebook followers: 100 K
- LinkedIn followers: 26.3 K
- Instagram followers: 18.1 K
Jeff Bullas is widely popular on Twitter and his blogs are shared and appreciated by marketers and many others. Follow him to learn how to grow your social media engagement.
Social Media Influencer #7. Michael J. Schiemer
Michael is a popular frugal entrepreneur and has built several businesses on bootstrapped budgets. He’s a social media and digital marketing specialist who has created campaigns for many billion dollar corporations. He’s also the owner of Frugal Fitness and Bootstrap Business.
He’s one of the top 100 social influencers, and the author of, “The $10 Digital Media Startup.”
Check out his amazing social follower statistics:
- Twitter followers: 234 K
- LinkedIn followers: 29.8 K
- Facebook followers: 14.1 K
- Instagram followers: 11.5 K
- YouTube subscribers: 2.5 K
Michael mostly shares his blog posts on Twitter and Facebook. His website has 250,000+ followers from 200 countries. He’s an influencer you definitely should follow if you are keen to grow a business from scratch.
Social Media Influencer #8. Mark Schaefer
Mark Schaefer is a public speaker, blogger, author, and consultant. He has worked with clients like Adidas, Cisco, Verizon, Dell, and many more.
Mark has been featured in prominent publications like BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times to name a few.
He is the Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, and a faculty member of Rutgers University.
He is among the top 10 most retweeted marketing experts in the world. He is also the seventh most-mentioned person by CMOs on Twitter.
Here are his social media follower statistics:
- Twitter followers: 167 K
- LinkedIn followers: 10.9 K
- Facebook followers: 1.6 K
- YouTube subscribers: 1.04 K
Mark is most active on Twitter and LinkedIn, and shares some fascinating marketing insights.
Social Media Influencer #9. Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield has built her digital empire by creating high-quality digital training products. She has appeared on many popular podcasts. And she teaches entrepreneurs ways to make their online business profitable.
Amy has been named by Forbes as one of the top 50 social media power influencers. She is the author of “Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies.”
What does her social presence look like? Check it out:
- Twitter followers: 152 K
- Facebook followers: 254 K
- Instagram followers: 57.2 K
- YouTube subscribers: 8.8 K
Her Instagram photos are a mix of her personal and professional life. She conducts webinars and Q&A sessions on Facebook which are quite popular and get high engagement. Follow her to grow your online business using tried and tested methodologies.
Social Media Influencer #10. Ann Handley
Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and the co-founder of ClickZ. A brilliant writer, Ann is loved by her readers for her content. She is also the author of, “Everybody Writes,” a Wall Street Journal bestseller.
She has been named by Forbes to be the most influential woman in social media. She writes frequently on career topics catered to women.
Here are her social media follower statistics:
Ann is also a LinkedIn influencer and the world’s first Chief Content Officer. She connects with around 50 sponsors every year. Follow her to learn how to excel in content marketing.
Final Thoughts
These top social media influencers have enormous numbers of social media followers. Why? Because they're good at what they do. 2018 will bring many more opportunities for social media influencers and brands. Whether you are trying to grow as an influencer or a brand, these top social media influencers can teach you valuable insights. So if you’re still not a follower, start following them now.
Can you think of any other top social media influencers in marketing? Let me know in the comments below.
=====X=====
Disclosure: Please note that a few of the links in this article are actually affiliate links. This means that if you click on them, I will get a commission, without any extra cost to you. So, feel free to check these out as I only recommend products or services that I personally tested and highly recommend. For more information, please read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.
Useful information. Now on I am following Ann Handley, Amy Porterfield, Michael J. Schiemer, Jeff Bullas and Gary Vaynerchuk. Hope it will help me a lot.
Really enjoyed the article. Becoming a huge Social Media Influencer fan even though I have just started! 🙂
Great list!
Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very useful info.
Excellent content. Keep it up.
Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good effort.
I’m glad you liked my article about social media influencers. Keep visiting for more such information.
I love all of the points you’ve made.
Hey Harley, thank you so much! Keep visiting for more such information.