Top 50 Social Media Influencers of 2017

We are well into 2017 and already the lists are being released. What lists, you ask?

You know… the ones that rate people for the amount of social influence they have. It’s pretty funny to not appear on some lists and be at the top of others. Ultimately, influence is something that is very difficult to measure due to the different ways people influence.

While it’s always an honor to have recognition, such as being a top futurist speaker, nothing in these lists should really change what we do or how we do it. Just do you and at the end of the day, be happy with who you are and what you’ve done.

The truth is that while these lists are designed with measurements in mind, there is an ulterior motive in creating them… driving traffic to the list creator’s product, service and/or site.

Three years ago, I compiled a list of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers of 2014 for three reasons.

1) It’s easy to get focused on our own stuff. But I am surrounded by so many amazing people that I want to share some of them with you. Connecting awesome people with other awesome people is one of my favorite things to do.

2) I wanted to demonstrate that I could easily create a list based on my own highly scientific algorithm. Essentially, I added together the number of followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google +; factored in the number of likes, comments and shares on each platform; checked to see how much traffic you got to your website; and multiplied that result by the number of times you mention “bacon” in your posts.

Then I toss that number in the circular bin because it doesn’t really mean anything.

After going through the motions of pretending to be scientific, I use the simple formula of “X = Who Influences Me?” It’s my list, after all.

3) I wanted more traffic to my website. You’re here, so I guess it worked. Linkbait is alive and well!

So here we are in 2017 and I realized that it’s time once again to provide an updated list of the people in my sphere who have influenced me, in both large and small ways.

If you appeared on the 2014 list, you won’t appear here a second time. It’s not that you aren’t influential in my life. It’s that I’ve already praised you for your wonder and beauty. Don’t be greedy.

If you aren’t on the 2017 list, you may have been on the 2015 or 2016 list that never got written. Do you have any idea how long it takes to compile these lists? I did, however, think about you. And I think about you every night when I lay my head on my pillow. After I eat the mint left there by my  imaginary housekeeper.

Or, perhaps you’ll be on a future list. If you get your feelings hurt over not being on this list please go outside and play. I love all my friends. If you have any doubt about this, send me a message on Facebook and ask me what I think of you. I’ve got a chatbot set up to reply with “You’re #1 in my book!” and “I never stop thinking about you!”

So, without further ado, here is my Top 50 Social Media Influencers of 2017 list. They are NOT in any particular order. But if Travis Wright wanted to say he was #1 in my list, I guess he could technically do so. Whatevs. I don’t care… tell people whatever you want. It’s the Internet!

The bottom line is I am sharing awesome people with you. And THAT, my friends, is the point of social media.

So get ready to meet some great people who influence ME in unique and special ways. You should get to know them! Let’s do this…

1. Travis Wright
He’s an author. He’s a marketer. He’s a columnist. He’s a podcaster. He’s a technologist. He’s a speaker. He’s a consultant. Good grief, what doesn’t Travis do? He goes by the name T-Dub to many of his friends, but most of all he’s just a super-nice nerd who is as passionate about tech, digital and social as I am. He also likes people… especially people with a digital sense of humor.

2. Scott Smith – Are you looking for a swift kick to your attitude? Scott Smith is just the guy to deliver it! As the Chief Motivating Officer at Motivation to Move, Scott hosts the highest-rated motivational podcast in the world. His daily show has received over 20 million downloads. That’s a lot of motivation! Scott’s also a giver. I’ve experienced his kindness first-hand.

3. Vincenzo Landino
Another from the millennial marketing rat pack, Vincenzo is savvy with digital and is most certainly a rising star. Along with his business partner and soon-to-be bride, Amy Schmittauer (featured in my 2014 list and affectionately known to me as Schmitty Schmitt Schmitt-Pants), Vincenzo runs AfterMarq, a broadcast & media production company. I first encountered Vincenzo on the now-defunct Blab (may it rest in peace) where we co-hosted the weekly BlabTalk Live talk show. Ah, those were the days…

4. John Rampton – He’s a contributor to most of the major business publications on the web. Entrepreneur, Inc, Forbes, Business Week, Huffington Post… yeah, he’s on all those. John is the founder of successful invoicing site, Due and Calendar. But I’m also happy to be the co-author of Self Employed: 50 Signs that You Might an Entrepreneur, a new book that I have written with John. I hope you’ll pick up a copy.

5. Virginia Salas Kastilio
From the “Distinctly Amazing Human Being” file comes my friend Virginia. Most know her on Snapchat and in other social places as @GiniCanBreathe. She’s bold. She’s audacious. She’s entertaining. And she’s got a heart the size of Rhode Island (It’s a small state, but that’s still a really big heart!) Gini is currently the Queen of Snapchat for the BBC and founder of the I Trust You Movement.

6. Owen Hemsath
Owen is an inspiration to me and many others. A cancer survivor and family man, Owen shares techniques for producing live video on his YouTube channel. We’ve spent just a little time together, but I can tell from that short time that this is a truly genuine and good human being that I want to know better.

7. Felicia Slattery
My partner in crime for our How to Create and Deliver Great Presentations video series as part of Que Publishing’s LiveLessons series, Felicia and I make a great team. She teaches people how to become better speakers for a living and I’m a rodeo clown. So you can see the synergy already. While I recommend the series, I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t point you to our out-take reel.

8. Vartika Kashyap
Vartika is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017 & 2018. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.

9. Michelle Van Otten
I like to refer to her as Michelle Van Awesome, but you can just call her Michelle. She’s the Founder and business strategist at Profit Ventures, a consultancy firm that helps tech startups grow world-changing ideas into profitable brands the world loves & respects. What a great mission, huh? Michelle and I are currently working on a top-secret project that won’t be secret for long.

10. Jay McMichael
A Senior Photojournalist at CNN for several decades, I met Jay via Blab as well. Regardless of our difference in politics, we’ve developed a friendship based on mutual respect. Jay has seen quite a lot over the years, having been up close and personal with all the Presidents since Reagan. He’s also been on the ground to witness some of the greatest tragedies of our era. Most important, he’s just a nice guy and I like him. Check out his work below.

#AIRFORCEONE #whitehousepress board #AF-1 in route to @CNN #militarytownhall #snapseed #photography #airforce @whnpa pic.twitter.com/4ofkHvUmUq

— Jay McMichaelCNN (@JayMcMichaelCNN) September 30, 2016

11. Erin Cell
How would I pull off Social Media Shenanigans without my friend Erin? Her business is Socially Powered, and she lives out the brand! A ball of energy and creative ideas, Erin is the juice behind this years’ Social Media Day Denver (which is shaping up to be a major social and business event in our city!). We’ve begun putting together this year’s Social Media Shenanigans which will incidentally coincide with Social Media Day. If you live in the area (or even if you don’t), won’t you come out and play with us?

12. Mitch Jackson
There’s a reason lawyers get a bad rap. Let’s face it, there are some shady people out there. Mitch Jackson, however, is one of the good guys who restores faith in the legal profession. Scratch that… he’s one of the GREAT guys! A California trial attorney, Mitch lives to make the world a better place, and I believe he succeeds! I’ve personally experienced Mitch’s kindness and enjoy all my discussions with him. In our mobile world, Mitch has taken up the mantle of bringing awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. He’s someone who lives by #DoGoodStuff. Check out his weekly TheShow.Live broadcast.

13. David Frey
When I think of givers, I think of David Frey. An inspiration to many of his friends and peers, David talks the talk and walks the walk. As a successful marketer, he has the authority to teach marketing. And as a guy who took steps necessary to become fit and healthy, he teaches the lifestyle. But beyond that, David has a reputation for going places others won’t to serve those that others don’t. Mad respect for this guy.

14. Mark Fidelman
I met Mark a few years back and was interviewed by him at an IBM event. He runs a savvy full-service marketing agency called Fanatics Media out of Carlsbad, CA, and he works with a number of big brands. He and I have recently shot the pilot for a new show that is going to be great FUN! Stay tuned…

15. Samantha Kelly
Another social media-ite that I met via Blab, Samantha is an Irish gem of a human being! She thinks BIG, a quality which always flags someone that I should pay attention to. Last year, she took the bull by the horns and launched Ireland’s first social media summit. She continues to think big and I look forward to her next big move.

16. Shirley Husar
If you want to connect with a game-changer who isn’t afraid to stand for what she believes, look no further than Shirley. In fact, Shirley is on a mission to make a significant difference in the African-American community and our suffering inner-cities via her Urban Game Changer organization. There are talkers and there are doers. Shirley is 100% doer and I greatly admire her drive and tenacity.

17. Roberto Blake
I’m not sure how to make the word “creative” insufficient for describing creativity, but Roberto does it. Multi-faceted and super-talented, Roberto has stormed the YouTube marketing scene through research, exploration and consistency. Having built his channel to over 200,000 subscribers, his videos have been viewed millions of times. He churns out content at an incredibly fast pace and really has his finger on the pulse of what people want. He and I recently met up at an event where we had some great discussions, and of course, shot some video!

18. Hillel Fuld
A Go-Giver in every sense of the word, Hillel is a startup advisor to a number of companies. He always seeks to help without asking anything in return. As a result, he’s got more compensated work than he knows what to do with. He gets the #DoGoodStuff seal of approval as far as I am concerned. You’ll also catch Hillel contributing his thoughts to some of the web’s best publications.

19. Ron Douglas
How do you escape the corporate gig and become a New York Times Best-Selling author? Crank out some super-awesome recipes that people love and publish them in a book… or a series of books. Let’s just say that this stay-at-home dad has sold a LOT of books. On top of that, he’s just a cool dude. Hi, Ron!

20. Jay Baer
Don’t be fooled by Jay Baer. His real name is Jason. I’m not sure what he’s trying to hide, but he distracts people with his plaid sports coats and extremely disarming people skills. The guy is just so darned likable that you can get past the name thing and just love him for his marketing savvy. I often make up pet names for people I like. I like to called Jay, J’bear (pronounced juh-bare, with a french accent.) I’ve wrangled Jay into sporadically recording a roundtable podcast with myself and Chris Brogan. What could possibly go wrong?

21. Marc Gawith
Biz dev guy for Rightside.co, the owners of over 40 top-level domain names, Marc is smack dab in the middle of the live video industry. Like me, he’s passionate about the future of live video for businesses and brands. As we’ve gotten to know each other, it made perfect sense that I would become a Brand Ambassador for the .LIVE brand. Marc’s a smart guy who’s also a lot of fun to hang out with. Say hello for me when you see him!

22. Eric Graham
Here’s what I know about Eric. He is a military veteran who honorably served his country. He lives in Alaska. He flies planes. He runs a successful consulting business. He writes books. And most importantly, he’s a family man and is all about people. Nice guy? You’d be hard-pressed to find nicer. Get to know him.

23. Sue B. Zimmerman
Where do you turn if coffee isn’t available? Sue B, as her friends call her, is 5′ foot nothing of pure, unbridled Insta-energy! In fact, being the Instagram Gal, everything in her world is #Insta-this or #Insta-that. I so admire how she embraced Instagram early on and carved out a niche teaching and training businesses and brands wherever she goes. She’s bright, funny, passionate and tons of fun to hang out with. But fair warning: if you hang with Sue, there will be photos, posts and hashtags galore. #GetUsedToIt.

24. Aaron Roth
When I think of people in the live video space who have carved out a niche for themselves, Aaron Roth stands out. As the VP of Sales & Marketing at Arkon Mounts, Aaron is a regular streamer who represents his company and brand brilliantly. The company was already doing great with their device mounts, but Aaron’s passion for live video has helped boost product sales to a whole new market. He’s a super-nice guy and you are likely to run into him at a live event. Oh, and if you want any goodies from Arkon, use coupon code “joelcomm” to save 20%!

25. Alex Khan
He’s tall. He’s German. And as a former male model, ridiculously handsome. Single men, do NOT take Alex out with you as a wingman. You will disappear into the wallpaper. But seriously, Alex is a bright entrepreneur who is on the frontlines of live video. His countrymen don’t understand what the big deal is, but he gets it. It’s why he has 230,000 followers on Periscope and is invited to speak at marketing events.

26. Warren Peterson – It takes a man with a sense of great purpose to take on the task of helping men become great leaders. I’ve gotten to know Warren over the past few years and his message is all about helping men become significant in their roles as husbands, fathers and leaders. In fact, his book is called “Becoming a Significant Man” and it is available at Amazon.

27. Michael O’Neal – The 9-to-5 just doesn’t work for some people. Michael O’Neal was a web designer grinding through his job when his life took a dramatic turn. After deep introspection, he realized that he was “unemployable.” He started the Solopreneur Hour podcast and today enjoys great success living the dream. He’s a great guy, a talented percussionist and a good friend!

28. Ryan Steinolfson – Tech savvy and cutting edge, Ryan takes his video gear to the extreme. He straps his gear to his helmet and broadcasts experiences that many of us will never have on our own. Kite surfing? Go with Ryan! Underwater video? Ryan recommends the gear. 360 degree video for extreme sports? He’s the guy to fill you in on what you need. Ryan is my go to guy to find out what’s coming in the live video gear world.

29. Jed Record – I don’t believe the saying that “nice guys finish last”. In my list of nice guys, Jed Record is a guy who consistently comes to mind. He’s a marketing strategist, adjunct business professor and a keynote speaker. If you run into Jed online or offline, you’ll be greeted with a big smile and caring conversation. Two thumbs up!

30. Mark Schaefer – He’s the author of multiple best-selling books including The Content Code and The Tao of Twitter (which happens to be a far more scholarly book on Twitter than my own Twitter Power). He’s also an internationally known speaker. Mark is a college educator (on faculty at Rutgers), but he’s also one of the nicest guys you could get to share a meal with. If I was able to place animal qualities on people, I’d have to put Mark in the teddy bear category. Try to hug him… you’ll see. Oh, he’s got a new book out called Known!

31. Murray Newlands – I must have met Murray over a decade ago during the affiliate marketing boom. He’d have a microphone in one hand and a handycam in the other, interviewing passer-bys. We would bump into each other at one event or another every year. Today, Murray has established himself as a successful entrepreneur and a contributor to publications such as Forbes, Inc and Entrepreneur. He’s always super-friendly and great to hang out with!

32. Courtney Smith Kramer – She’s smart. She’s witty. She’s tons of fun. And she’s one half of the PureMatter.com team, alongside her husband Bryan. Courtney has recently released her first book. It’s got a very provocative title (she meant to do that) and it’s packed with great business tips. It’s called “21 Reasons Creativity is Like Sex” and you can grab a copy at Amazon. Any time I’m with the Kramers it’s a good day!

33. Mark Joyner – A former military intelligence operative, Mark brings unique insights to the marketing realm. He’s known as The Godfather of Internet Marketing because he was there in the beginning. Mark does one in particular that I find impressive. He asks great questions! If you follow his Facebook page, you will be provoked to consider and reconsider some of your strongly held beliefs. But you never know exactly where Mark stands. He’s just got a great way to get people engaging in the conversation.

34. George Bryant – How do you not love a guy who calls himself the Chief Bacon Officer at his company? George’s story is really compelling. His journey from illness to health has made him a leader to those who seek to improve themselves in a similar way. George regularly broadcasts his motivational and inspirational on Facebook & Periscope, combining his teachings with cooking healthy meals. His content provides a quick pick-me-up and his recipes will make you happy. George is a real people person and I bet he’d love to hear from you.

35. Sam Crowley – He probably gets tired of me singing the opening line to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” every time we speak on the phone. But I never tired of speaking with Sam. His podcast, Every Day is Saturday, personifies the entrepreneurial lifestyle. However, Sam’s waters run much deeper than encouraging those in business. He, his wife and his family has been through the wringer when their youngest daughter, Susan, was born extremely premature. Susan is their miracle baby and Sam’s heart for helping others who are going through a similar trial reveals his true character.

36. Todd Bergin – I’ve known Todd a short time, but he really jumped on my radar when he performed an unsolicited act of kindness toward me… without expecting anything in return. Like me, Todd is passionate about helping those in business use live video to increase their reach and make sales. Give Todd at visit at his site, Todd.live.

37. Julie Albright – It’s taken me some time to figure out exactly what Julie does. She’s a faculty member at USC, a marriage & family counselor and a self-described “Digital Sociologist.” But to me she’s the energetic and bright woman who always has a kind and encouraging word for those in her sphere. Check out Julie’s page and you’ll notice she has nailed the art of the selfie. But more importantly, she has nailed the art of bringing a little sunshine into your day. By the way, I’m still not sure I understand what she does. And that’s okay. 🙂

38. Mark Babbitt – Everyone needs a Mark Babbitt in their life. He’s smart, friendly, caring and a teddy bear of a human being. In fact, Mark’s focus in business to inspire leaders to prioritize human interaction and engagement in the workplace. We need more people bringing this kind of social approach to the corporate world. Be sure to check out Mark’s book that he co-authored with our friend Ted Coine, “A World Gone Social“.

39. John Carlton – His posts aren’t for those with overly sensitive sensibilities, but there’s no denying the sharp mind behind the copy. In fact, John Carlton claims to be the most ripped-off direct response copywriter on the planet. He’s responsible for writing copy for some of the most important direct response campaigns of the past few decades. John’s a bit of a curmudgeon and he pulls no punches. But listen closely and you’ll discover pure marketing gold in everything he does.

40. John Nosta – The world’s first Digital Health Philopsher, John is on the cutting edge of technology and its relationship to our health. A member of Google’s Health Advisory Board, John is a true futurist. You’ll see him writing for a number of publications and sharing cutting-edge stories with his followers. I’m glad that I’ve got a friend like John who is keeping an eye on the future of health so I can just learn from him. Did I mention that he’s a nice guy? Well, he is.

41. Jon Ferrara – If you should find yourself in Santa Monica and you want to enjoy a glass of wine with an inventive and kind human being, Jon will meet and exceed your expectations! He’s the founder of two popular CRM tools, Goldmine and Nimble. He’s also a great family man with a wonderful sense of humor (likely made even more sincere through the trial of surviving cancer.) I’m not sure what Jon’s favorite wine is, but I bet if you ask he’ll tell you where to send a bottle.

42. Mario Armstrong – This guy is an unleashed, unstoppable fireball of positive energy! As a contributor to NBC’s Today Show and other shows, Mario’s inspirational attitude is contagious. And as a leader in the live video realm, Mario has courageously launched The Never Settle Show, the world’s first live social talk show. It’s a weekly live program with guests, music and audience engagement (both in the studio audience and those watching around the world.) Mario is ambitious and he continues to break new ground with his show.

43. Tyler Anderson – The founder and CEO of digital agency, Casual Fridays, Tyler is a relationship-driven business man with his hands in a number of projects. Whether helping clients or producing his podcast, Tyler is the nice guy next door that you want to hang out with. Tyler runs the world’s largest Social Media Day event in San Diego each year, of which I had the opportunity to keynote in 2016. Well-connected and well-liked, I know Ty is always just an instant message away.

44. John Kapos – The capabilities and reach of social media continue to amaze me. And it’s no more visible than when you can make friends in the other hemisphere. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, John Kapos is a 3rd generation chocolatier, creating and selling his home-made chocolate delicacies at Perfection Chocolates. You might know him as Chocolate Johnny! Johnny loves what he does and you can see it in how he treats his customers and friends on his live streams. He’s our generation’s Willy Wonka and I recommend you tune in to his streams and Snapchat account to not only see how he makes the goodies (there may be Oompa Loompas involved), but also as a living tutorial on how to grow a business through the power of live video.

45. Shaun Ayala – He’s Marketing Manager at Best Buy. But he’s also the single most creative person I follow on Snapchat! Shaun is a natural creative artist, and he uses Snapchat’s tools to do things that I could only dream of doing. He creates interactive games that push the limits of the technology that Snapchat offers. He’s also a wonderfully humble human being that’s always willing to help. Check out a sample story below.

46. Topher Morrison – Topher. Topher. Topher. I just think his name is cool. Ok, he’s pretty cool as well. He teaches speakers how to be better at what they do. He’s written a book. And he may be running for Mayor of Tampa, Florida. One of these days we’ll meet in person, which will undoubtedly be followed by mutual disappointment. Topher has a dog that looks cooler than him.

47. Marc Ensign – This guy is a Dick, with a capital “D”. Now before you get all offended, check out his site and podcast. Marc and I go back many years, but we got to be friends when we both spoke at Inbound in 2014. He recently interviewed me for his podcast and I hope you get a chance to listen.

48. Stephen Monaco – Some people are born with a million dollar smile. That person can look your way and you know you are in the presence of someone who really cares about others. Stephen Monaco is one of those people. When I read his bio I think “man, this is one busy dude.” But the line item that I most want to discuss with him is his role as Marketing Researcher for Warner Bros Entertainment. I don’t get to see Stephen often, but I always look forward to our encounters.

49. Dave Peck – Whenever I see Dave I look for the cash dispenser. I guess it’s because he works for Paypal. Yet, whenever I input my pin #, it just doesn’t seem to work. What does work is that I like Dave a whole lot. He’s just a really nice, regular guy that gets to work with big ideas. And money. Well, he may not get to actually work WITH money, but his company does. So that’s close enough, right?

50. Before I link to the 50th person on my list, I have to tell you about them. They read my stuff and they like to engage with my content. It’s people like this that put the social in social media. This person is smart, creative, witty and regularly demonstrates how to do social right. I invite you to meet my awesome Mystery Guest!

Did you enjoy this list? Please use the share buttons to post in all the social places. Until next year! (Or the year after that if I am too lazy to do this next year. It’s a LOT of work!)