Top Influencers in 2023: Who to Follow and Why They’re Great
When it comes to social media, top influencers have cracked the code. They earn thousands or even millions a year for sharing branded content with their audience. This ability to turn content into money? To be honest, we think this is social success at its best.
Many of today’s most popular influencers start on another platform (Vine, YouTube, or TikTok) and move their followers to Instagram as their popularity grows.
Today we are going to take a look at the 10 most followed influencers on Instagram. These influencers have been cultivating their audience for years to build their social media brand from the ground up.
In this article, we’ll cover who the top influencers are, how to work with them, and what makes someone a social mega-influencer.
What makes someone influential?
To pinpoint what makes someone influential, we’ve broken it down into measurable data and intangible factors.
Measured data
These quantifiable elements of influencer are largely undeniable.
- The total number of subscribers. All the influencers we have included are technically mega influencers as they have over 1,000,000 followers.
- Engagement indicators. We looked at likes, comments and reposts.
- brand status. How many brands do they work with? Are these brands famous/respected?
- Publication frequency. How often do they work with the brand? Are they brand ambassadors or do they prefer one-off posts?
- partnership type. What kind of work do they do with the brand? Do they wear their clothes to events? Are they the face of an advertising campaign? Did they work together on a product line?
This post announcing the Our Place x Selena Gomez collection got over 51,000 likes.
Non-material factors
Numbers are important, but reputation and authenticity are a little harder to measure. Here’s what we’ve covered:
- Connection. Has the influencer forged a strong relationship with their audience? Does their lifestyle seem desirable or achievable?
- Communication. Can this influencer communicate the value of a product or brand to their audience without feeling like a publicity stunt?
- Values. Does the influencer work with brands that align with their lifestyle or values? Do they approve of what subscribers might consider a scam (diet teas, get-rich-quick schemes, etc.)?
- Authenticity. Do they endorse anything that would cause the user to stop and ask, “Does this person REALLY use this brand?”
Ski-Doo doesn’t seem like an obvious partner to celebrity chef Matty Matheson, but the resulting content is weird enough to work.
Our list is focused on social media influencers, so you’ll notice that our list of top Instagram influencers doesn’t include traditional celebrities – singers and actors who have huge Instagram followings due to their Hollywood fame. We also excluded well-known brands such as Nike (264 million followers) and National Geographic (257 million followers).
Finally, our list only includes the top influencers who are currently partnering with brands on Instagram. That’s why you won’t see big names on social media like King Bach (23.6M followers) or James Charles (22.1M followers) because neither of them have had a recent partnership.
Top 10 Instagram Influencers
So who are the top 10 Instagram influencers in 2023? Let’s dive into this.
1. Xabi Lame
Number of followers: 80 million (@khaby00)
Genre: comedy, lifestyle
Where they started: TikTok
You may be surprised by our number one pick, but that just means you’re not spending enough time on TikTok! Xabi Lame is a Senegalese-Italian content creator who is also the most followed person on the platform.
On Instagram, he makes videos with NBA players, chats with Snoop Dogg, and promotes Binance, Google Pixel, and Hugo Boss.
2. Huda Beauty
Number of followers: 51.9 million (brand account @hudabeauty) + 2.6 million (personal account @huda)
Genre: Beauty
How They Started: YouTube
Huda Kattan launched her beauty blog and YouTube channel in 2010, and her eponymous beauty line in 2013. Over the past decade, she has built the Huda Beauty brand into a billion-dollar global beauty empire.
Today, Kattan is the face of (literally) Huda Beauty, often posting “get ready with me”style videos using only her brand’s products.
Turning her work with influencers into a closed loop maximizes profits, which is why Huda Kattan ranks so high on our list of Instagram influencers this year.
3. Lele Pons
Number of followers: 50.5 million (@lelepons)
Genre: Entertainment
Where did they come from: Vine
Lele Pons started her career as a Vine comedian and has since expanded her success on the platform into other pursuits including music, modeling and acting.
Her current Instagram content is a mix of model shots, “daylife”content, and ads from brands like the Sweat app.
4. Charlie D’Amelio
Number of followers: 28.4 million (@chiaraferragni)
Genre: Entertainment
Where they started: TikTok
Charlie D’Amelio, 18, started her career as a TikTok dancer in 2019. In 2022, she was the highest paid person on the app. She recorded music, sold her own perfume, and won the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars.
On Instagram, she represents famous brands including Prada, Amazon and Spotify.
5. Chiara Ferragni
Number of followers: 28.4 million (@chiaraferragni)
Genre: Fashion
Where they started: Blogging.
Italian fashion designer Chiara Ferragni launched her blog The Blonde Salad in 2009 and it has become very popular ever since. Her Instagram has clothing info, blogging content for moms and parents, and brand partnerships.
The model, designer and TV presenter lend a touch of European glamor to brands such as Nespresso, Fendi and Prada Beauty.
6. Ray Sommer
Number of followers: 26.3 million (@sommerray)
Genre: Fitness
Where did they come from: Vine
Sommer Rae started working for Vine in the early 2010s. Today, she is a fitness influencer who promotes her own fitness plans, clothing, and health and wellness brand on her Instagram.
Her brand partnerships include DraftKings, Quest Nutrition and the James Hotel.
7. Cameron Dallas
Followers: 25.1 million (@camerondallas)
Genre: Entertainment (comedy)
Where did they come from: Vine
In 2012 Cameron Dallas started his internet career – where else? — Vine, who later turned his online fame into a stage and screen career.
In 2021, Dallas launched Fanfix, a subscription platform that allows creators to monetize their skills. The platform was sold to SuperOrdinary in 2022 in an eight-figure deal.
His recent brand deals include Swarovski and Fendi.
8. Zach King
Number of followers: 24.6 million (@zachking)
Genre: Entertainment (magic)
Where they started: YouTube/Vine.
Zach King is an experienced video editor who specializes in what he calls “digital sleight of hand.”It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most viewed TikTok video (2.2 billion views).
On Instagram, this influencer creates magical content for brands like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kinetic Sand, and Turkish Airlines. The resulting advertising is organically combined with his personal brand.
9. Amanda Czerny
Number of followers: 23.3 million (@amandacerny)
Genre: Entertainment (comedy)
Where did they come from: Vine
Amanda Cerny began her modeling career by appearing in Playboy in 2011. She has created comedy content on Vine with regular collaborator Lele Pons (#3 on our list!).
Her Instagram feed is a mix of inspiring sexy content, comedy videos, and partnerships with Playboy and Glamira.
10. Mister Beast
Number of followers: 22.7M (@mrbeast)
Genres: Entertainment, Charity
How They Started: YouTube
24-year-old MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) is the most followed creator on YouTube with 128 million subscribers.
His vibrant, high-concept videos garner millions of views, and he has used his huge audience to raise money for environmental causes, including the Arbor Day Foundation and the Ocean Conservancy.
His Instagram partnerships with Magic: The Gathering, Nerf and DraftKings fit his energetic “cool/nerd”character.
Influencers can get the attention of millions of people to your brand with a single post, but there is a problem here – how to attract their attention when dozens of other brands compete for cooperation with them?
Step 1: Do your research
The influencers on our list have their choice of endorsements and don’t necessarily need your advertising dollars. You will need to do some research to find the right influencer partnership.
The best influencers choose brands based on shared goals and values, so focus on creators who are a natural fit for your brand. Review their current endorsements and find out how your brand fits into them.
Remember to compare the creator audience demographics with your ideal customer profile to determine if their followers will buy your product.
Step 2: Finish your presentation
Once you’ve identified the right influencer, put together your presentation. Find all the common ground and articulate them clearly throughout the presentation. Be sure to include timelines, metrics, and expectations for your campaign.
Before proceeding, be sure to prepare a budget for the campaign and conduct a cost-benefit analysis. The best influencers come with a price, so the end result should be worth your time and money!
Step 3: Reach out through the right channel
As tempting as it can be to get into influencers’ private messages, don’t worry – they get a huge amount of direct messages on Instagram and yours will be buried immediately. You can try, but don’t be surprised if they never reply to your message!
Some influencers have a management company listed on their website or Instagram bio. If you are emailing their manager, be sure to personalize your email and keep it short and sweet. Include a clear description of the campaign you’re proposing and cite some other partnerships with their brands to show that you’ve done your research.
If you don’t have a clear way to connect with your chosen influencer, consider using a platform that connects influencers and brands.
Step 4: Collaborate to create effective content
When working with top influencers, remember: Collaboration is the key!
Influencers often spend years nurturing their audience in order to build their social media brand from the ground up. You are not just buying access to a large audience – you are collaborating with a social expert. They expect to be able to showcase their unique skills through a campaign with your brand.
For more tips, see our blog on how to work with influencers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Top Influencers
Who is the most influential person on Instagram?
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has 531 million followers, making him the most influential person on Instagram. He represents brands such as Nike, Herbalife, TAG Heuer, Jacob & Co. Jewelry and Louis Vuitton. His LV partnership with Lionel Messi reached 8.4 million likes on Instagram in November 2022.
Who has the most followers on Instagram?
The top five most followed celebrities on Instagram are:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo @cristiano (537 million followers)
2. Lionel Messi @leomessi (422 million followers)
3. Kylie Jenner @kyliejenner (378 million followers)
4. Selena Gomez @selenagomez (372 million followers)
5. Dwayne “The Rock”Johnson @therock (359 million followers)
Other celebrities who just missed the top 5 include Ariana Grande (351 million), Kim Kardashian (341 million) and Beyoncé (291 million).
How much do the most influential people earn?
According to some reports, influencers can earn up to $1,000,000 per Instagram post. However, exact rates are not necessarily publicly available, and it can be difficult to find specific information on influencer royalties.
In 2022, the social media influencer market was valued at $16.4 billion, so it’s safe to assume that the highest-profile celebrities are making huge profits for every post.
How much does influencer marketing cost?
The unspoken industry standard is $100/10,000 followers + post type surcharges (x number of posts) + additional factors = total rate. For more information, check out our Influencer Marketing Spending Blog.
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