Top Influencers for 2023 *[Across Categories]


Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on April 15th, 2024 12:23 pm | 7-min read

Influencer marketing sure has emerged as one of the most promising and profitable marketing techniques in the past couple of years. It is natural for people to look for experiences of other people (whom they trust) before they can make a buying decision. It is this tendency that has made influencers an ever-important marketing tool for businesses and a source of information and recommendations for users. Not only do these influencers give off a load of pretty useful information for the customers seeking recommendations, but also give them a first-hand review of useful products that can help them solve the particular problems they are seeking solutions for. Now it is not really an easy feat to list out the top influencers for each of the category for the past year. Appy Pie jumped into the task knowing that the top influencer list cannot be decided only by the number of followers. The real influence comes from the influencer establishing stronger relationship with the audience by engaging with them, instead of simply broadcasting. Taking all these factors into account, Appy Pie has brought together a list of influencers from different niches who have extended their influence over a sizeable audience while establishing a two-way communication.


Top Digital Marketing Influencers

  1. AJ Ghergich
  2. On Twitter since 2008, AJ Ghergich is an SEO & Content Marketing expert who is known for coming up with articles, guides, and studies related to SEO and everything else related to marketing.

  3. Tim Soulo
  4. He has been on Twitter since 2009 and serves as the Chief Marketing Officer and Product Advisor at Ahrefs, the SEO toolset backed by Big Data.

  5. Simo Ahava
  6. Co-Founder, partner at 8_bit_sheep, Simo Ahava has been on Twitter since 2013 and in this short time has emerged as a strong influencer on the social media channel. He calls himself a blogger first, and is a well-known keynote speaker.

  7. Larry Kim
  8. CEO of Mobile Monkey and founder of WordStream, Larry Kim is a well-known columnist in respectable publications like Inc, Medium, and CNBC. His areas of expertise include startups, AdWords, and Chatbots. He is also credited with popularizing unicorns in marketing.

  9. Barry Schwartz
  10. Founder and editor of Search Engine Roundtable, blogger Barry Schwartz is also the CEO & President of RustyBrick, Inc. – a web-development company based out of New York. He is also the news editor at Search Engine Land. Top Digital Marketing Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Aleyda Solis
  12. An international SEO consultant, speaker and an author, Aleyda Solis has been on Twitter since 2007. She has founded mobile and technical SEO consultancy Orainti, a weekly video series Crawling Mondays for SEO advice, a rich resource for working remotely Remoters, and a Spanish language SEO resource dedicated to Women SEOs Mujeres en SEO. She was also the European Search Personality in 2018.

  13. Casie Gillette
  14. On Twitter since 2009, Casie Gillette is the Senior Director of Digital at KoMarketing and is a renowned international speaker, writer, and content marketer with specialization in B2B SEO.

  15. Cindy Krum
  16. Founder of MobileMoxie, Cindy Krum is a mobile marketing evangelist. MobileMoxie is know for its unique SEO, UX, and DEV tools.

  17. Areej AbuAli
  18. Not only is she the founder of Women in Tech SEO, Areej AbuAli is also the in-house SEO manager at this unique support network that brings together women in the technical SEO field.

  19. Lily Ray
  20. SEO Director at Path Interactive, Lily Ray leads the strategy development for their SEO clients. She has worked across a wide range of verticals with special focus on retail, e-commerce, B2B, and CPG sites. Her strengths include algorithm updates, quality issue assessment, and technical SEO issue resolution.

Top Business Influencers

  1. Melinda Emerson
  2. Founder and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda Emerson tops the Forbes’ list of influential women entrepreneurs. She has authored ‘Fix Your Business’ and ‘Become Your Own Boss’ and is one of the top business influencers today!

  3. Nilofer Merchant
  4. A renowned speaker with TED talk experience and three times author Nilofer Merchant has received multiple awards including Future Thinker award by Thinkers50, and featured as one of the top 10 influential HR thinkers by HR magazine.

  5. Erin Blaskie
  6. Holding the designation of Director of Marketing at L-Spark, Erin Blaskie is known for a lot more including being a mental health advocate, Forbes inspiring founder, TEDx speaker and a startup accelerator.

  7. Emma Jones
  8. Founder of the small business community Enterprise Nation, Emma Jones has a singular focus on building a nation of small businesses.

  9. Rachel Elnaugh
  10. A truly evolutionary entrepreneur, Rachel Elnaugh is a published author, a revered business mentor and a well known speaker.Top Business Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Chris Ducker
  12. Founder, Youpreneur, Chris Ducker is known for being a serial entrepreneur, s revered business mentor, and an investor and an advisor.

  13. AD
  14. Though there are many CEOs on this list, AD is known for teaching CEOs, brands, individuals, and SMEs. Known for “The One Hour Mentor” program, AD calls himself the Full Stack Outsourced CXO.

  15. Jeremiah Owyang
  16. A serial founder, Jeremiah Owyang is a technology industry analyst and is currently involved with Kaleido Insights. One of the most well-recognized web strategist, Owyang has a successful blog in that name.

  17. Hiten Shah
  18. The man behind Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics, Hiten Shah is best known for his expertise in startups and SaaS business growth. Recently, he co-founded fyi with Marie Prokopets, which lets you find your documents in 3 clicks or less.

  19. Brian D. Evans
  20. Featured recently in the Inc. 500 entrepreneurs, Brian D. Evans is a business consultant and strategist. Apart from being one of the top digital marketers, Evans is also an investor and an enthusiastic gamer.

Top IoT Influencers

  1. Antonio Grasso
  2. Apart from being one of the top influencers in the field of IoT, Antonio Grasso describes himself as an innovator, mentor, speaker, and a startups mentor.

  3. Fabrizio Bustamante
  4. Best known as a visionary, Fabrizio Bustamante is an entrepreneur with varied interests and expertise in areas like blockchain, AI, ML, cryptocurrency, marketing, big data, fintech, AR, IoT, and 5G.

  5. Ronald Van Loon
  6. One of the top influencers in the field of Internet of Things, Ronal van Loon is known for helping data driven companies in generating value.

  7. Dean Johnson
  8. The creative director at Beep! Digital and the president elect at CSD, Dean Johnson is also a designer, an innovator, a speaker, an artist, and a writer. His core interest areas include mobility, VR, AR, AI, and IoT.

  9. Stefan Ferber
  10. The Co-CEO and CTO at Bosch.IO, Stefan Ferber is a blogger and a speaker. His interest areas include IoT, OpenSource and is a board member at Eclipse Foundation.Top IoT Influencers 2022- Appy Pie

  11. Giuliano Liguori
  12. Founder and CEO of GLWEB, Giuliano serves as the Chief Data Officer of Italian consultancy BEInformatica, which supports entrepreneurs, managers, and the public sector in forming the links between technological change and business model innovation.

  13. Helen Yu
  14. A proponent of digital transformation, Helen Yu a CXO who offers great insights and advice on growth hacking. Apart from IoT, her areas of expertise include AI, blockchain, marketing, CX, and cyber security.

  15. Tamara McCleary
  16. CEO of Thulium.co and a Harvard grad student at Harvard Tamar McCleary believes in tech3good and is a strong proponent of ethics in technology, AI in particular.

  17. Diana Adams
  18. A tech journalist, Diana Adams has been in the ACN since 2009. Her interest areas include IoT, AI, ML, 5G, automation and all forms of digital transformation.

  19. Sarah-Jayne Gratton
  20. A technology influencer, Sarah-Jayne Gratton is also a podcaster and partner at The Influencers – an agency that represents top technology influencers. She writes and speaks about AI, 5G, IoT, AgriTech, AR, and Big Data.

Top Tech Influencers

  1. Katie Linendoll
  2. A popular TV personality, Katie Linendoll has won an Emmy for being a consumer tech expert and is a popular contributor on TODAY Show, Weather Channel, Rachel Ray, and CBS Sports. Apart from this, she is a sought-after keynote speaker and an emcee.

  3. Kate O'Neill
  4. Speaker and author, Kate O’Neill also hosts The Tech Humanist show. A Netflix alum, O’Neill is the CEO at KO Insights. Her aim is to prepare humanity for the imminent tech-driven future.

  5. Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
  6. CEO and Head Stemette (a term she coined for girls who do STEM), Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon is also a trustee at the Institute for the Future of Work and a renowned speaker. She also hosts a successful podcast WomenTechCharge.

  7. Shira Ovide
  8. Former tech columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and a former reporter at The Wall Street Journal, Shira Ovide currently writes the On Tech newsletter at The New York Times. Her focus of writing remains on how technology is reshaping the world we live in.Top Tech Influencers - Appy Pie

  9. Olivia Solon
  10. The editor of tech investigations at NBC news, Olivia Solon focuses on Silicon Valley’s technology companies and their impact on society and on democracy.

  11. Tim Schofield
  12. Known for the brilliant content he creates, Tim Schofield has a popular YouTube channel – Your Tech Simplified that has a reputation for bringing out unbiased tech videos.

  13. Patrick Tucker
  14. He is the tech editor for Defense One and a celebrated author apart from being a tech influencer on Twitter.

  15. Al Kingsley
  16. Al Kingsley a lot more than an influencer on Twitter. He serves as Chair at MAT, is an Edu Speaker, an RSC Board member and MD of NetSupport that provides excellent solutions for the education sector. His areas of interest and expertise include EdTech and safeguarding software for schools.

  17. Kevin Roose
  18. Technology columnist for The New York Times, Kevin Roose is a podcaster and his column “The Shift” explores the intersection of technology, business, and culture.

  19. Mike Elgan
  20. A technology journalist and editor at multiple innovative technology magazines, websites, newsletters, blogs, and more. His areas of expertise include computing , IT, mobile computing, consumer technology, and culture.

Top SaaS Influencers

  1. Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré Guider
  2. A B2B SaaS consultant, Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré Guider is a market strategist and a product marketer. Featured among the top 15 hunters at Product Hunt, Nichole is also a moderator at Growth Hackers.

  3. Jill Rowley
  4. With 20 years of experience in the field of SaaS and a background in companies like Salesforce and Eloqua, Jill Rowley is a stalwart and has been into angel investments since 2012.

  5. Claire Suellentrop
  6. Co-founder of Forget The Funnel and userlist.com, Claire Suellentrop is a SaaS marketing and growth advisor who helps SaaS teams dig deep and find valuable customer insights in order to propel growth.

  7. Tami McQueen
  8. Vice President Marketing at BIP Capital, Tami McQueen is also the co-founder of 31south and Summit House. Her areas of expertise include B2B SaaS, VC, and brand building.

  9. Georgiana Laudi
  10. Co-founder Forget the Funnel, Georgiana Laudi is a SaaS Marketing and Growth Advisor who helps make sense of the customer insights converting them into results that bring in revenue.Top SaaS Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Darren Shaw
  12. Founder of Whitespark, Darren Shaw is a researcher, speaker, and writer on local SEO. He also organizes Local Search Ranking Factors and is the co-host of the podcast – The SaaS Venture.

  13. Joel Klettke
  14. An exemplary CRO copywriter, Joel Klettke is a consultant for some of the leading SaaS and B2B brands and has recently launched Case Study Buddy.

  15. Arvind Jha
  16. Arvind Jha is known for accelerating SaaS startups using well placed Growth Strategy boosters, is a startup evangelist, a mentor, and an investor.

  17. Ross Simmonds
  18. Founder of Foundation – a content marketing agency that brings together data and creativity to develop and serve B2B brands that want to grow.

  19. Pat Flynn
  20. Founder of the blog The Smart Passive Income – one of the fastest growing blogs in the online marketing and blogging industry. He also founded SPI Lab and SwitchPod and is an advisor to multiple SaaS companies.

Top Social Media Influencers

  1. Mari Smith
  2. Celebrated Facebook Marketing Expert, Mari Smith is a social media thought leader, keynote speaker and a columnist with BofA. She also serves as the ambassador for ManyChat.

  3. Kim Garst
  4. With a mission to help entrepreneurs grow their business using social and digital media, Kim Garst is an online marketing guru. Apart from being a noted keynote speaker, she was also featured among the top 10 social media influencers by Forbes.

  5. Ann Handley
  6. Heading the content team at MarketingProfs, Ann Handley has authored two bestsellers on Wall Street Journal and a recognized social media influencer.

  7. Sarah Frier
  8. Senior technology reporter for Bloomberg, Sarah Frier writes about Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat for both Bloomberg and Businessweek.

  9. Karissa Bell
  10. Senior editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell covers social media platforms. Previously she has also worked as a senior technology reporter at Mashable and a contributor at Wirecutter.Top Social Media Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Glen Gilmore
  12. Recognized by TIME magazine as a “Man of Action” and featured among the top 20 social media influencers by Forbes, Glen Gilmore is also an author and a speaker. His areas of interest and expertise include technology, AI, AR and SDGs.

  13. AJ Kohn
  14. Owner of the popular SEO and internet search resource Blind Five Year Old, AJ Kohn is a digital marketer, startup advisor, speaker and curator. His tweets are mostly around SEO, marketing, technology, social media and UX.

  15. Michael A. Stelzner
  16. Founder of the Social Media Examiner, Michael A. Stelzner also founded Social Media Marketing World and hosts a Social Media Marketing podcast. His expertise lies in helping businesses learn how they can use social media to connect with the customers, drive traffic, create awareness, and increase sales.

  17. Jason Houck
  18. With an expertise in Social Media Marketing for entrepreneurs and small business owners, Jason Houck helps them develop their social media presence and brand management.

  19. Lance Ulanoff
  20. The popular technology and social media expert, Lance Ulanoff is a respected content strategist and public speaker. He is also a television host, a public speaker, and a coveted consultant.

Top Lifestyle Influencers

  1. Sonal Kalra
  2. A celebrated author (with 4 books in her portfolio), Sonal Kalra is the Managing Editor for Entertainment and Lifestyle section at Hindustan Times and heads HTCity/HT Café. She also writes a weekly column – A Calmer You.

  3. Georgia Toffolo
  4. An author and YouTube channel owner for Fashion Fanatic, Georgia Toffolo is a TV personality who appeared on the reality series Made in Chelsea.

  5. Em Sheldon
  6. A blogger with great content in the field of fashion, beauty, travel, fitness, and life, Em Sheldon is the winner of CosmoBlogAwardsNewcomer.

  7. Amelia Liana
  8. Amelia Liana is a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blogger and vlogger. She also has a successful podcast and a flourishing YouTube channel with more than 495 thousand followers.

  9. JASMINE
  10. An inspirational speaker, JASMINE is also a celebrated author and an on-air lifestyle expert. She is a social media maven, a blogger, and has authored the immensely successful book ‘Seize Your Life’.Top Lifestyle Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Vex King
  12. Owner of Bon Vita, Vex King is the creator of the Good Vibes Only movement. Apart from being a lifestyle influencer on Twitter he is an author, a mind coach, and a lifestyle entrepreneur.

  13. Abhinav Mathur
  14. A fashion blogger & lifestyle influencer, Abhinav Mathur is best known for his fashion sense as he gives fashion and lifestyle tips for men on his Instagram and Youtube channel.

  15. John Basedow
  16. Quite a popular TV and internet personality, John Basedow is a health and lifestyle expert. He is also a TV Host, a motivational speaker and an author.

  17. Darien Johnson
  18. An acclaimed personal trainer, Darien Johnson is a lifestyle coach, an athlete and has over 125 thousand followers on Instagram alone.

  19. Lawrence Zarian
  20. A celebrated author and lifestyle influencer on Twitter, Lawrence Zarian is a lifestyle expert.

Top Athlete Influencers

  1. Giavanni Ruffin
  2. Founder of TNDO, Giavanni Ruffin is an athlete, a public speaker and the owner of his own name brand YouTube channel Giavanni Ruffin.

  3. Devon Still
  4. Devon Still is a professional athlete (NFL) and a noted motivational and keynote speaker. Apart from being an influencer on Twitter, he is also a childhood cancer awareness advocate.

  5. FaZe Jasper
  6. Jasper Schellens, popularly known as FaZe Jasper is a fitness trainer, now a co-leader of FaZe Fitness. His goal is to encourage gamers to lead a healthier lifestyle.

  7. Dominique Clare
  8. An entrepreneur, blogger, fitness coach and a former college football player, Dominique Clare puts out quality content about the NFL, NBA, and fitness.

  9. JOSS
  10. JOSS is a fitness coach who has global influence. Known for his endeavors in transforming lives and owns Lab3lltd. Top Athlete Influencers - Appy Pie

  11. Anna Geary
  12. Associated with popular TV channels and shows like RTE One, eir Sport, and Fittest Family, Anna Geary is a coach, speaker, emcee and above all, an athlete.

  13. Sophie Radcliffe
  14. Founder of TrailBlazers, Sophie Radcliffe has made it her mission to champion ordinary people to achieve their extraordinary. She is an athlete and a speaker who loves adventure.

  15. Kirstie Ennis
  16. President of the Kirstie Ennis Foundation, Kirstie Ennis is an adaptive athlete, USMC vet, and a noted speaker.

  17. Louise Glover
  18. A professional cover model, Louise Glover is a fitness body coach who volunteers as a global conservationist. Apart from being a certified personal trainer, Glover is also a fitness model, nutritionist, and a life coach.

  19. Jillian Michaels
  20. An entrepreneur and fitness expert, Jillian Michaels is a world-renowned life coach. She has an exercise streaming platform, authored 8 New York Times bestselling books, is a renowned speaker, award-winning podcaster, and owner of the wildly successful app – the Fitness App.

Wrapping Up

This concludes Appy Pie’s annual list of top influencers in different categories (2023). As an influencer in this day and age, it is important that you connect with your followers and expand your influence on a bigger audience. On Appy Pie’s app builder platform, hundreds of top influencers have built their apps and have found an effective way to connect with their audience. It is time to get started and build your own app to start building a strong audience.

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie