Announcing Influence 100

The 100 Most Influential People In Influencer Marketing.

Read the entire list here.

Total Market Size

The total market size of Influencer Marketing is said to become $15 to $20 Billion within the next 5 years. The people listed here are leading the charge to get there.

By my estimates there's at least 100,000 people working in or with Influencer Marketing. That includes active Influencers who are paid to do brand deals. Also includes the agencies executing the deals, and the brands marketing departments.

And there's easily a million people in the entire Advertising industry the world over.

Influence 100 lists merely 100 individuals. Each with an outsized impact on the industry. The list also represents thousands because many on the list are CEO's of companies with many employees.

I looked at thousands of individuals

Each week in Influence Weekly I curate 15 to 20 articles. These folks have shown up and continue to put in the hard work so that our entire industry can look good.

I considered several factors, including noteworthy contributions each individual has made to the industry and the community. This encompasses not just followers and views, but also technical innovations, groundbreaking research and insights. I ended up with a healthy balance of those who work in the shadows and those who sit squarely in the spotlight.

Eclectic Mix

This year’s list is an eclectic mix of Spirited Influencers, Unconventional Creators, Innovative CEOs, Exceptional Talent Managers, Whipsmart Technologists and  Savvy Journalists - all of whom are intensely focused on driving influencer Marketing forward. The outlook for influencer marketing looks bright in 2020.

Read the entire list here. These 100 individuals are transforming the industry. They are people you should listen to, connect with or just plain idolize.

What's the Difference Between 2018 and 2019 lists?

This isn't the first time I've put together a list like this.

The biggest difference I see between last year’s list and this year’s 100 are that the good things in our industry have multiplied. Governance and Analytics firms have shown up over and over.

New groups on almost every continent are showing up each month. Business of Influencers in UK, American Influencer Association, and  Australian Influencer Marketing Council have all gone live this year.

And the ability to meet and interact is better now than it was a year ago. Conferences and Conventions have multiplied, IMCX and 2 new Vidcons, ANA held an Influencer Marketing conference.

World Influencers Congress in Uzbekistan highlights the global reach of these conventions. They all together have allowed people to gather and make great connections faster and with more effectiveness.

Read the entire list here. These 100 individuals are transforming the industry. They are people you should listen to, connect with or just plain idolize.

Funding Worldwide

VCs are funding companies that are building tools for Influencer Marketing. such as CreatorIQ, Grin.co, and TRIBE. While European companies like IndaHash continue, it’s startups like TRIBE and Hiip that show promise in APAC.

Nine Categories

These nine categories encompass the wide variety of those who can have impact. Yes there are Influencers on the list, 11 to be exact. In addition there are two Influencers listed as brands because their brands have shown the power to work with other influencers and creators.

I'll go deeper into each category in the coming weeks.

Agency 20
Analytics and Software 24
Brand 7
Governance 8
Influencer 11
Investor 1
Journalist 7
Platform 9
Representation 13

Who is in the Top 10?

While being on the list means you are among the 1% of the 1% of the 1%.. there were only 10 spots available for the top 10. These individuals represent larger companies that have had an outsized impact on the industry.

Platforms

Three platforms, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube, have defined what influencer marketing is for most advertisers and brands. More than 90% of "influencer campaigns" have something to do with Instagram. TikTok has incubated new talent and continues to grow it's Gen Z userbase, preparing for a large battle over the next two years with YouTube. Youtube, itself, keeps growing and creators are jumping on the platform not just because of ad revenue, but also to have a deeper connection to their audience.

Influencers

Shane, Kylie, and David make the top 10 for being shining examples of what Influencer Marketing is capable of.   Mr. Beast and Night Media almost made the top 10 due to their extraordinary TeamTrees efforts. But alas, there's only 10 spots. Kylie is actually on the list due to her brand, not just her individual influencer efforts.  

David's imaginative brand deals puts him squarely in a league high above others.  Most creators just start a channel and then monetize. David created a TikTok channel due to a brand deal.  His SeatGeek campaign has shown what viral really means, and has literally put SeatGeek on the map. I'll be amazed if every member of David's Vlog Squad doesn't keep growing bigger in the next year.

Shane Dawson is not just creating great content, he's showing other creators how to master longform content and longform brand deals. The impact that his and Jeffree Star's collaboration has, will be seen quickly.

Agencies and Representation

Ben Jeffries and Lee Trink show up on the top ten due to their ongoing efforts to build new organizations.

Influencer, Ben's agency, shows you can hire influencers for massive roles, and create organizations that regulate and drive the industry forward. Ben's on the list because of his efforts as well with "Business of Influencers" in the UK.

Lee Trink's FaZe Clan is this years top group. Team 10 be damned. FaZe Clan shows that influencer groups will show up and keep dominating.

Journalism

Taylor Lorenz writes about internet trends. Formerly The Atlantic and now The New York Times. Her work has not always applauded Influencer Marketing but has rather shown what's good, bad and ugly about the industry. We need more of this.

Yes it seems like every top headline is negative these days about "influencers" but we need more exposure for those doing bad business, along with the proliferation of great examples.  Her work as a hard hitting journalist is well respected and well earned.

Brands

One brand had to show up in the top 10. It's not by force either. It's merely due to one single revelation that this brand made.

On an investor call this year Estee Lauder's CEO, Fabrizio Freda, revealed that 75% of their marketing budget goes to Influencer Marketing.  This is remarkable and should show off to many other companies that they need to step up their influencer marketing deals. Celebrity Endorsements, Print Ads, Facebook Ads, interruptive marketing won't work the same anymore.

Read the entire list here. These 100 individuals are transforming the industry. They are people you should listen to, connect with or just plain idolize.

The Future is Bright

I for one am excited about the next year. 2020 is looks absolutely bright for Influencer Marketing.

Look for growth from every single person on this list.

Follower counts don't have to grow, but they will.

Budgets will grow.

More companies will follow suit, as the successes pile up.

2020 is the year Influencer Marketing gets more entrenched in the Marketing and Advertising industry.

Read the entire list here. These 100 individuals are transforming the industry. They are people you should listen to, connect with or just plain idolize.