Influencer marketing isn’t just about cute outfits or hair and makeup tutorials. Business influencers have become a hot topic in recent years, lending their powerful voices to specific industries. They have an innate ability to sway their followers' opinions and buying decisions, not to mention a sizable audience who trusts their opinions. Leveraging business influencers gives companies an effective way to expand their reach and gain access to new audiences.
The process of working with business influencers is similar to that of traditional social media influencers. You can collaborate on sponsored posts, product reviews, tutorials, affiliate marketing, and even newsletter sponsorship. In turn, they can provide valuable exposure and authenticity to businesses as they increase their online presence.
The first step is knowing which business influencers to partner with. We’ve rounded up the data on the top business influencers around the world and compiled it into a neat and tidy package.
Check out the must-follow business influencers below:
Tony Robbins
Tim Ferriss
Gary Vaynerchuk
Dave Ramsey
Simon Sinek
Marie Forleo
Richard Branson
Melinda Emerson
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (PewDiePie)
Patrick Starrr
Bethenny Frankel
Jamie Genevieve
HUDA Beauty
Desi Perkins
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Kate Longoria
Kaeli Mae
Tony Robbins
- US-based
- Instagram followers: more than 7 million
- Twitter followers: more than 3.1 million
US-based coach, motivational speaker, author, and business influencer, Tony Robbins has become widely known for his self-help seminars. He promotes the idea that people can change their lives if they can change their behaviors and that small steps can lead to larger goals (in lieu of expecting overnight success).
Tony has an active Instagram presence with more than 7 million followers. He’s also on Twitter, where he shares daily tips with more than 3.1 million followers.
Tim Ferriss
- Instagram followers: 1.2 million
- Twitter followers: 1.9 million
- LinkedIn followers: 2 million followers
- YouTube subscribers: 1.24 million
Tim Ferriss rose to fame with the release of his book, The 4-Hour Work Week. A radical idea at the time, his book has inspired entrepreneurs to live more and work less. His name has now become synonymous with entrepreneurship and professional development.
You can find Tim Ferriss on Instagram (1.2 million followers), Twitter (1.9 million followers), YouTube (1.24 million subscribers), and LinkedIn (2 million followers).
Gary Vaynerchuk
- Belarusian-American business influencer
- Instagram followers: over 10 million
- Twitter followers: 3.1 million
- TikTok followers: 34.7 million
- YouTube subscribers: more than 4 million
- Average reach per post: over 2.6 million people
Gary Vaynerchuk (also called Gary Vee) is a Belarusian-American business influencer, entrepreneur, author, and investor. His company, VaynerMedia, specializes in social media marketing and has helped position him as a leading authority in digital marketing.
Vaynerchuk has attracted more than 4 million YouTube subscribers, 3.1 million Twitter followers, and over 10 million followers on his Gary Vay-Ner-Chuk Instagram profile. He’s also among the top business influencers on TikTok, with over 34.7 million followers and an average reach of over 2.6 million people per post.
Dave Ramsey
- Money and credit business influencer
- Instagram followers: 3.6 million
- Twitter followers: 952.6K
- Facebook followers: Nearly 5 million (4.9)
- YouTube subscribers: 36.1K
A name synonymous with money and credit know-how, Dave Ramsey has helped millions of Americans achieve financial independence. His methodologies help his fans do more with their money regardless of income, allowing them to get out of debt and live within their means.
Dave shares his decades of experience in his books and on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Simon Sinek
- Marketing consultant and business-savvy speaker
- Instagram followers: over 2 million
- Twitter followers: 991.6K
- LinkedIn followers: 7 million
- TikTok followers: 747.9K
- YouTube subscribers: over 1 million
Marketing consultant and business-savvy speaker Simon Sinek rose to fame after his TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” He’s the author of Start with Why and Find Your Why and teaches leaders and entrepreneurs how to inspire others.
Sinek maintains an active presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, all featuring business-related content.
Marie Forleo
- Instagram followers: 738K
- Twitter followers: 215K
- LinkedIn followers: 36K
- YouTube subscribers: 809K
TikTok, IG, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
Entrepreneur, motivational speaker, coach, and author Marie Forleo ditched the New York Stock Exchange in favor of marching to her own drum. She created video courses to teach others how to do the same, which led to her growth as an entrepreneur and public figure.
Forleo's book, Everything is Figureoutable, has sold more than 12 million copies and became a New York Times Bestseller.
Her highly popular MarieTV show garners millions of viewers each week, where she shares business advice, personal growth tips, and ways to achieve work-life balance.
Marie has her own podcast and an active presence on TikTok, IG, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
Richard Branson
- Instagram followers: nearly 5 million
- Twitter followers: 12.5 million
- LinkedIn followers: 20 million followers
- YouTube subscribers: 126K
British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has a long list of accomplishments to his name: CEO, investor, commercial astronaut, and founder of the Virgin Group brand, for starters.
He’s pioneering commercial travel to outer space and became the first billionaire to reach the outskirts of space — aboard a spacecraft his company designed.
Branson maintains an active social media presence in addition to speaking at conferences, writing books, and changing the world.
Melinda Emerson
- Instagram followers: 28.9K
- Twitter followers: 44.5K
- LinkedIn followers: 97K
- Facebook followers: 10.7K
- YouTube subscribers: 1.3K
Melinda Emerson (also called the SmallBizLady) is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and speaker known for her expertise in small business. She is also the author of "Become Your Own Boss In 12 Months," a book that serves as a practical guide for aspiring entrepreneurs.
She operated several small businesses herself before becoming an entrepreneurial powerhouse. Her work focuses on helping others (especially underrepresented groups) succeed in entrepreneurship and has become a leading voice among small business influencers.
Tip: Take a look at our list of the top Facebook influencers if you're looking to work channel-specific.
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (PewDiePie)
- Instagram followers: almost 3 million
- Twitter followers: 19 million
- LinkedIn followers: 2.5K
- Twitch followers: 1.5 million
- Facebook followers: over 7 million
- YouTube subscribers: over 111 million
Swedish influencer Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, is among the most recognizable names in influencer marketing. He shot to fame with his first-person video game tutorials and comedic commentary. He’s now a figurehead for YouTube influencing, proving that you can monetize and build a following around whatever you’re passionate about.
With over 111 million subscribers on YouTube, PewDiePie remains one of the most sought-after video influencers. He’s partnered with brands in gaming, energy drinks, and other product-based companies.
Patrick Starrr
- Instagram followers: over 4 million
- Twitter followers: 591.4K
- TikTok followers: over 3 million
- YouTube subscribers: 4.3 million
- Average reach per post: 1.4 million people
Filipino-American makeup artist Patrick Starrr is one of the top beauty content creators on social media.
While working at a MAC Cosmetics store in high school, Patrick started creating tutorials and uploading them to his social channels.
The rest is history — Patrick Starrr is now one of the top business influencers on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram with an estimated 8.9 million followers and a reach of 1.4 million people per post.
Tip: Take a look at other top TikTok influencers in the Philippines
Bethenny Frankel
- Instagram followers: over 3 million
- Twitter followers: 1.6 million
- LinkedIn followers: 9K
- TikTok followers: over 1 million
- YouTube subscribers: 106K
- Facebook followers: 1.2 million
One of the Real Housewives of New York City and founder of the Skinnygirl brand, Bethenny Frankel is one of the top business influencers to follow.
An American entrepreneur and television personality, Bethenny’s resume includes roles as a production assistant on Saved by the Bell, founder of the New York-based business BethennyBakes, a stint on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, and host of her daytime talk show, Bethenny. Fun fact: She was also Paris Hilton’s nanny!
Tip: Get access to our summit on-demand sessions here and watch Bethenny Frankel speak.
Jamie Genevieve
- Instagram followers: almost 1.5 million
- Twitter followers: 258.1K
- LinkedIn followers: 3K
- TikTok followers: 358.1K
- YouTube subscribers: 995K
- Average engagement rate per post: 3.64%
Instagram business influencer Jamie Genevieve is the founder and CCO of VIEVE, a high-quality line of eyeshadows, lashes, brushes, and more that are vegan and cruelty-free. Her background as a makeup artist led to her growth on Instagram, which now totals more than 1.4 million followers.
The Scottish-American influencer is based in the United States but has amassed a global following, particularly in the UK. Her target audience skews mostly toward young females interested in beauty products, reviews, and tutorials.
She’s attracted top-tier brands like Urban Decay, Superdrug, and Anastasia Beverly Hills, with the average post seeing a 3.64% engagement rate and a reach of more than 849K followers.
HUDA Beauty
- Instagram followers: more than 52.7 million
- Twitter followers: 222K
- LinkedIn followers: 311K
- TikTok followers: over 8.5 million
- YouTube subscribers: over 4 million
One of the top lifestyle accounts on Instagram and Facebook, Huda Beauty (created by Huda Kattan) remains influential in social media for business.
With more than 52.7 million followers on Instagram, this makeup artist and blogger is the founder of Wishful Skin, a company that promotes safe products without animal testing. She has turned her passion into a billion-dollar business and continues to shape the business landscape for Instagram entrepreneurs.
Desi Perkins
- Instagram followers: 5.7 million followers
- Average engagement rate per post: 1.67%
- YouTube subscribers: 3.23 million
YouTuber and Instagrammer Desi Perkins is the founder and CEO of start-ups DEZI (a sunglasses brand) and DEZI SKIN (an affordable skincare line).
The self-made influencer started with nothing, building her YouTube following the old-fashioned way, and garnering beauty brand partnerships along the way. She credits consistency and a way to turn the mundane behind-the-scenes stuff into something interesting as her secrets to success.
On Instagram, Desi sees an average engagement rate of 1.67% across her 5.7 million followers. She also continues to create quality content for her 3.23 million YouTube channel subscribers.
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
- Instagram followers: almost 6 million
- Facebook followers: 8.6 million
- LinkedIn followers: 138.8K
- TikTok followers: 3 million
- YouTube subscribers: 426K
Musician and actress Selena Gomez has created quite a social media presence and can add "business influencer" to her long list of achievements. Selena’s natural beauty makes her a shoo-in for beauty brand partnerships, including her own line of vegan and cruelty-free makeup, Rare Beauty.
She’s an influential figure for audiences in the United States and Mexico and frequently posts about makeup, beauty, and business.
Selena’s Facebook followers total 8.6 million, with content reaching as many as 1.4 million people per post. Her engagement on TikTok is the highest, averaging 2.89% per post.
Kate Longoria
- Instagram followers: 133.3K
- TikTok followers: more than 5 million
- YouTube subscribers: 785K
- Average engagement rate per Instagram post: 30.38%
Russian influencer Kate Longoria is a special effects makeup artist who has racked up attention on Instagram and TikTok.
As one of the top business influencers on the TikTok app, Kate shares unique step-by-step vlogs and creations with more than 5 million followers. Her engagement rate on Instagram is even higher (despite having a smaller following), with posts averaging 30.38%.
Kaeli Mae
- Instagram followers: almost 560K
- TikTok followers: almost 14 million (13.9)
Famous on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Australian-based Kaeli Mae is a leading voice for all things fashion and lifestyle. She’s mastered the role of digital mentor in terms of building a strong online presence.
Having partnered with brands like Disney+, Clorox, and Lulus.com, Kaeli’s posts earn a higher-than-average engagement rate across her 14.4 million followers.
Tip: Take a look at the best Australian TikTokers, The top Australian (Instagram) Influencers, the Biggest Australian YouTubers, and the top global fashion influencers.
Using Business Influencers in Your Marketing Strategy
Whether you want to discover a new business trend or build an audience on a new platform, working with the right business influencers can help you get there.
Instagram influencers, TikTok influencers, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook — you name it, there’s an influencer in your niche who’s willing to introduce you to their audience.
Meltwater’s influencer marketing suite can help you find the right people to promote your brand and manage the process every step of the way. Meltwater data is the most comprehensive in the business, showing you everything from audience size, audience growth rate, reach, engagement rates, and more.
We connect you with people who have real influence and can promote your brand in the best possible light. Filter by niches, categories, interests, and more. Compare previous brand partnerships to see if your brand is a good fit and avoid conflicts of interest. It’s everything you need to maximize your influencer ROI and form lasting connections.
Learn more when you request a demo by filling out the form below.
