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Gone are the days when television commercials, magazines, and newspaper advertisements were the primary sources for discovering the latest products and trends. With the decline of traditional media, social media platforms have taken their place. Social media influencers have become the leading authorities on new product releases and innovations, especially among adolescents and young adults. LLC Attorney has analyzed various social media profiles to identify the top influencers across 50 different industries.
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<a href="https://llcattorney.com"
title="LLCAttorney.com">By LLCAttorney.com</a>
The OG Social Media Influencers
The concept of influencers in society is not new, but their level of influence has reached unprecedented heights due to rapid technological advancements. Just a couple of decades ago, traditional celebrities were the primary figures influencing fashion choices and brand preferences. Networks like MTV played a significant role in shaping popular culture in the 2000s. However, with the explosion of the internet, anyone with access could suddenly share their thoughts with the world. Early social media platforms like YouTube and MySpace paved the way for bloggers and vloggers, permanently transforming the landscape of marketing and influencing.
In 2003, MySpace launched and became the first mainstream social media platform. It was notable for providing a networking space for musicians to promote their music and quickly gained popularity. At one point, it even surpassed Google in the number of yearly visitors in the United States. MySpace allowed users to blog and customize their profiles, which led to the rise of many social media personalities during this time.
One notable figure was Tila Tequila, whose real name is Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen. She gained significant fame on MySpace, enabling her to create a successful television show, “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” airing for two seasons.
Another influential MySpace user was Jeffree Star. He started as an independent musician on the platform and developed a cult following. Eventually, Star transitioned to becoming a beauty influencer on YouTube and launched a popular makeup brand called Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
In 2005, YouTube was created by three former PayPal employees. A year later, Google acquired the platform. One of the first YouTube channels to achieve widespread success was Smosh, launched in 2005 by two best friends, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. They uploaded videos featuring their comedic skits and lip-syncing, including one video that became the most viewed YouTube video, with 25 million views.
Fred is the name of the internet personality and YouTube channel created by actor Lucas Cruikshank, which began in 2006. Cruikshank uploaded comedy skits featuring Fred Figglehorn, a sixth-grade boy who discusses his school life and everyday challenges. These videos gained such popularity that Fred became the first channel on YouTube to reach one million subscribers in 2009.
Another famous early YouTuber was Ryan Higa, who posted comedy skits on his channel, Nigahiga. Although Higa has since left YouTube, his influence shaped the vlogging landscape for years.
After the success of MySpace and YouTube, Instagram emerged in 2010. While MySpace focused heavily on written storytelling and YouTube emphasized video storytelling, Instagram filled the gap of visual storytelling as a simple picture-sharing platform. This allowed users to connect and share product recommendations, helping companies understand how they could leverage social media to benefit their brands.
In 2011, the live-streaming platform Twitch was created, enabling streamers to connect with their audiences in real time while engaging in activities like gaming and chatting. Then, in 2016, TikTok was launched as a short-form video-sharing network featuring videos that typically last between 15 to 60 seconds. Arguably, TikTok has since shaped the influencer and marketing industry more than any other social media platform.
Becoming an Influencer
For many influencers, social media transformed their day jobs or viral moments into opportunities for profitable content creation. They were able to build a following, start a business, establish their identity as a recognizable brand name, and rise to become a leading figure in their industry.
Who Are the Top Influencers on Social Media by Industry?
Influencers can be found in every corner of the internet. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and Tumblr have allowed everyday people to share their lives, thoughts, ideas, and knowledge with just the click of a button. As a result, many users have taken this opportunity to express their passions and expertise across various fields, including medicine, cooking, business, crafting, and countless other niches. Over time, some individuals have become leaders and prominent figures in their areas as their followings and influence have grown.
Gordon Ramsay is a British celebrity chef with over 118.4 million followers across his social platforms. He hosts shows like MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen.
Chris Burkard is a travel photographer who focuses on outdoor, adventure, and lifestyle subjects and has garnered a following of millions across his social media for his work.
Michelle Bellexo is a mixologist and bartender who gained notoriety on TikTok for her content about bartending.
@michellebellexo
Administration and Business
Influencer + Industry
Audience Sizes
Description
Social Handle
Accounting Jody Padar
X: 12.6K LinkedIn: 608.6K
Jody Padar is an accountant and one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential Professionals who has authored three different books on the subject of radical pricing.
Lori Greiner is an entrepreneur who runs the QVC show Clever & Unique Creations. She is currently an investor on the hit show Shark Tank.
@lorigreinershark
Human Resources Suzanne Lucas
X: 27.6K Facebook: 33K LinkedIn: 51.6K
Suzanne Lucas is a writer who has spent 10 years working in corporate human resources and has trained other business professionals in HR and leadership.
Tai Lopez is a self-help business entrepreneur who runs the Tai Lopez Show podcast. He now advises other entrepreneurial hopefuls on how to accomplish their goals.
Kaleb Cooper is an English farmer influencer who gained attention through his appearances on Clarkson’s Farm as a farm hand assisting beginner farmer Jeremy Clarkson.
Erika Thompsonis a beekeeper who gained her following by sharing her beekeeping videos on TikTok. She is notable for handling bees with her bare hands.
Andrew Flair is a fisherman and hunter who posts videos about fishing, hunting, and farming. He has amassed nearly 3 million followers on YouTube alone.
Katelyn Johnson is a hazard tree feller who films her endeavors assisting wildfire firefighters with tree mitigation, cutting down trees that are actively burning so they don’t fall unexpectedly or spread embers.
Kevin Espiritu is a self-taught gardener and the founder of Epic Gardening. He makes educational gardening content across various social media platforms.
Jennifer Adams is an interior designer featured on shows like Hallmark’s The Better Show and HGTV’s My First Place. She founded her own company selling bedding and home décor.
MrBeast got his start as a video game “Let’s Play” YouTuber and has evolved into an entertainment powerhouse with TV shows, businesses, and charitable foundations.
Scott Tatum is a recreational outdoorsman who runs a podcast called the Self-Care Savage and has amassed nearly one million followers through Instagram.
Murray Kruger is a contractor who posts home and construction videos for his 7 million followers and runs a family business called Kruger Construction.
@krugerconstruction
Manufacturing Jeff Winter
YouTube: 1.1K X: 3K Facebook: 3.2K LinkedIn: 128K
Jeff Winter is the head of Critical Manufacturing and leads the business development and product marketing departments.
