This year has always seen the release of top influencers lists from Onalytica, Brand24 and a number of others. But this top 50 social media influencer list uses the best algorithm of all to determine who is influential. Who are the top social media influencers of 2017. For original article visit http://joelcomm.com/top-50-social-media-influencers-2017.html

1. TOP SOCIAL MEDIA
INFLUENCERS OF 2017JOEL COMM
http://joelcomm.com

2. What is Influence? It’s an honor to have recognition but it
does not really change what we do or how
we do it.
At the end of the day, ultimately we have
to be happy with who we are and what we
ve done.
The truth is that while these lists are
designed with measurements in mind,
there is an ulterior motive - driving traffic
to the list creator’s product, service and/or
site.

3. Three years ago, I compiled a
list of the Top 50 Social Media
Influencers of 2014 for three
reasons.
1. Connecting awesome people with
other awesome people is one of my
favorite things to do.

4. 2. I wanted to demonstrate that I could easily
create a list based on my own highly scientific
algorithm by adding together the number of
followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google +; factored in
the number of likes, comments and shares on
each platform; checked to see how much
traffic you got to your website
Then I toss that number in the circular
bin because it doesn’t really mean
anything.
After going through the motions of
pretending to be scientific, I use the
simple formula of “X = Who Influences
Me?” It’s my list, after all.

5. 3. I WANTED MORE
TRAFFIC TO MY
WEBSITE.

6. We are in 2017 and I
realized that it’s time once
again to provide an
updated list of the people in
my sphere who have
influenced me, in both large
and small ways.
If you appeared on the 2014 list,
you won’t appear here a second
time. It’s not that you aren’t
influential in my life. It’s that I’ve
already praised you for your
wonder and beauty. Don’t be
greedy.

7. Here is my Top 50 Social
Media Influencers of 2017
list. They are NOT in any
particular order.
I am sharing awesome
people with you. And THAT,
my friends, is the point of
social media.

8. 1. TRAVIS WRIGHT
He’s an author. He’s a marketer. He’s a columnist. He’s a podcaster. He’s
a technologist.
He’s a speaker. He’s a consultant. Good grief, what doesn’t Travis do?
He goes by the name T-Dub to many of his friends, but most of all he’s
just a super-nice nerd who is as passionate about tech, digital and social
as I am.
He also likes people… especially people with a digital sense of humor.

9. 2. SCOTT SMITH
Are you looking for a swift kick to your attitude?
Scott Smith is just the guy to deliver it! As the Chief
Motivating Officer at Motivation to Move, Scott hosts
the highest-rated motivational podcast in the world.
His daily show has received over 20 million
downloads. That’s a lot of motivation! Scott’s also a
giver. I’ve experienced his kindness first-hand.

10. 3. VINCENZO
LANDINO
Another from the millennial marketing rat
pack, Vincenzo is savvy with digital and is
most certainly a rising star.
Along with his business partner and soon-to-
be bride, Amy Schmittauer ,Vincenzo
runs AfterMarq, a broadcast & media
production company.
I first encountered Vincenzo on the now-
defunct Blab (may it rest in peace) where we
co-hosted the weekly BlabTalk Live talk
show.

11. 4. MARK SCHAEFER
He’s the author of multiple best-selling books including The Content Code and The Tao of
Twitter (which happens to be a far more scholarly book on Twitter than my own Twitter
Power).
He’s also an internationally known speaker. Mark is a college educator (on faculty at
Rutgers), but he’s also one of the nicest guys you could get to share a meal with.
If I was able to place animal qualities on people, I’d have to put Mark in the teddy bear
category. Try to hug him… you’ll see. Oh, he’s got a new book out called Known!

12. 5. VIRGINIA SALAS KASTILIO
From the “Distinctly Amazing Human
Being” file comes my friend Virginia.
Most know her on Snapchat and in
other social places
as @GiniCanBreathe.
She’s bold. She’s audacious. She’s
entertaining. And she’s got a heart the
size of Rhode Island (It’s a small state,
but that’s still a really big heart!) Gini is
currently the Queen of Snapchat for the
BBC and founder of the I Trust You
Movement.

13. 6. OWEN HEMSATH
Owen is an inspiration to me and many others. A cancer survivor and family
man, Owen shares techniques for producing live video on his YouTube
channel. We’ve spent just a little time together, but I can tell from that short
time that this is a truly genuine and good human being that I want to know
better.

14. 7. FELICIA SLATTERY
My partner in crime for our How to Create and Deliver Great Presentations video
series as part of Que Publishing’s LiveLessons series, Felicia and I make a great
team. She teaches people how to become better speakers for a living and I’m a
rodeo clown. So you can see the synergy already. While I recommend the series,
I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t point you to our out-take reel.

15. 8. MIA VOSS
One of my Denver social media peeps, “Mia on the Go” is a
luxury and travel lifestyle blogger.
It’s not unusual to see her on the road somewhere or other driving
a new loaner vehicle or enjoying delicious food and wine.
Essentially, she’s cracked the code on going places, seeing things
and getting paid to do it.
Not bad work, eh? Mia and Courtney Kramer (who you will soon
meet) recently shot a pilot for a new show called Getting Tasted.

16. 9. MICHELLE VAN OTTEN
I LIKE TO REFER TO
HER AS MICHELLE
VAN AWESOME,
BUT YOU CAN JUST
CALL HER
MICHELLE.
she’s the Founder and
business strategist at
Profit Ventures, a
consultancy firm that
helps tech startups grow
world-changing ideas
into profitable brands the
world loves & respects.
What a great mission,
huh? Michelle and I are
currently working on a
top-secret project that
won’t be secret for long.

17. 10. JAY MCMICHAEL
A Senior Photojournalist at CNN for several decades, I met Jay
via Blab as well. Regardless of our difference in politics, we’ve
developed a friendship based on mutual respect. Jay has seen
quite a lot over the years, having been up close and personal
with all the Presidents since Reagan. He’s also been on the
ground to witness some of the greatest tragedies of our era. Most
important, he’s just a nice guy and I like him.

18. 11. ERIN CELL
How would I pull off Social Media Shenanigans
without my friend Erin? Her business is Socially
Powered, and she lives out the brand! A ball of
energy and creative ideas, Erin is the juice
behind this years’ Social Media Day
Denver (which is shaping up to be a major social
and business event in our city!).
We’ve begun putting together this year’s Social
Media Shenanigans which will incidentally
coincide with Social Media Day. If you live in the
area (or even if you don’t), won’t you come out
and play with us?

19. 12. MITCH JACKSON
There’s a reason lawyers get a bad rap. Let’s
face it, there are some shady people out
there. Mitch Jackson, however, is one of the
good guys who restores faith in the legal
profession. He’s one of the GREAT guys! A
California trial attorney, Mitch lives to make
the world a better place, and I believe he
succeeds! I’ve personally experienced
Mitch’s kindness and enjoy all my
discussions with him.
In our mobile world, Mitch has
taken up the mantle of bringing
awareness to the dangers of
distracted driving. He’s
someone who lives by
#DoGoodStuff.

20. 13. DAVID FREY
When I think of givers, I think of David Frey. An inspiration to many of his friends and
peers, David talks the talk and walks the walk. As a successful marketer, he has the
authority to teach marketing. And as a guy who took steps necessary to become fit and
healthy, he teaches the lifestyle. But beyond that, David has a reputation for going
places others won’t to serve those that others don’t. Mad respect for this guy.

21. 14. MARK FIDELMAN
I met Mark a few years back and
was interviewed by him at an IBM
event. He runs a savvy full-service
marketing agency called Fanatics
Media out of Carlsbad, CA, and he
works with a number of big brands.
He and I have recently shot the pilot
for a new show that is going to be
great FUN! Stay tuned…

22. 15. SAMANTHA
KELLY
Another social media-ite that I met via Blab,
Samantha is an Irish gem of a human being!
She thinks BIG, a quality which always flags
someone that I should pay attention to. Last
year, she took the bull by the horns and
launched Ireland’s first social media summit.
She continues to think big and I look forward
to her next big move.

23. 16. SHIRLEY HUSAR
If you want to connect with a game-changer who
isn’t afraid to stand for what she believes, look
no further than Shirley. In fact, Shirley is on a
mission to make a significant difference in the
African-American community and our suffering
inner-cities via her Urban Game
Changer organization.
There are talkers and there are doers. Shirley is
100% doer and I greatly admire her drive and
tenacity.

24. 17. ROBERTO BLAKE
I’m not sure how to make the word “creative” insufficient for describing creativity, but
Roberto does it. Multi-faceted and super-talented, Roberto has stormed the YouTube
marketing scene through research, exploration and consistency. Having built his channel
to over 200,000 subscribers, his videos have been viewed millions of times.
He churns out content at an incredibly fast pace and really has his finger on the pulse of
what people want. He and I recently met up at an event where we had some great
discussions, and of course, shot some video!

25. 18. HILLEL FULD
A Go-Giver in every sense of the word, Hillel is a startup
advisor to a number of companies. He always seeks to help
without asking anything in return.
As a result, he’s got more compensated work than he
knows what to do with. He gets the #Do GoodStuff seal of
approval as far as I am concerned. You’ll also catch Hillel
contributing his thoughts to some of the web’s best
publications.

26. 19. RON DOUGLAS
How do you escape the corporate gig and become a New York Times Best-
Selling author? Crank out some super-awesome recipes that people love and
publish them in a book… or a series of books.
Let’s just say that this stay-at-home dad has sold a LOT of books. On top of
that, he’s just a cool dude. Hi, Ron!

27. 20. JAY BAERDon’t be fooled by Jay Baer. His real name is
Jason. I’m not sure what he’s trying to hide,
but he distracts people with his plaid sports
coats and extremely disarming people skills.
The guy is just so darned likable that you can
get past the name thing and just love him for
his marketing savvy. I often make up pet
names for people I like. I like to called Jay,
J’bear (pronounced juh-bare, with a french
accent.) I’ve wrangled Jay into sporadically
recording a roundtable podcast with myself
and Chris Brogan. What could possibly go
wrong?

28. 21. MARC GAWITH
Biz dev guy for Rightside.co, the owners of over 40 top-level domain names, Marc is
smack dab in the middle of the live video industry. Like me, he’s passionate about
the future of live video for businesses and brands. As we’ve gotten to know each
other, it made perfect sense that I would become a Brand Ambassador for the .LIVE
brand. Marc’s a smart guy who’s also a lot of fun to hang out with. Say hello for me
when you see him!

29. 22. ERIC GRAHAM
Here’s what I know about Eric. He is a military veteran
who honorably served his country. He lives in Alaska.
He flies planes. He runs a successful consulting
business. He writes books. And most importantly, he’s
a family man and is all about people. Nice guy? You’d
be hard-pressed to find nicer. Get to know him.

30. 23. SUE B. ZIMMERMAN
Where do you turn if coffee isn’t
available? Sue B, as her friends call her,
is 5′ foot nothing of pure, unbridled
Insta-energy! In fact, being the
Instagram Gal, everything in her world is
#Insta-this or #Insta-that. I so admire
how she embraced Instagram early on
and carved out a niche teaching and
training businesses and brands
wherever she goes. She’s bright, funny,
passionate and tons of fun to hang out
with. But fair warning: if you hang with
Sue, there will be photos, posts and
hashtags galore. #GetUsedToIt.

31. 24. AARON ROTH
When I think of people in the live video space who have carved out a niche for
themselves, Aaron Roth stands out. As the VP of Sales & Marketing at Arkon Mounts,
Aaron is a regular streamer who represents his company and brand brilliantly.
The company was already doing great with their device mounts, but Aaron’s passion
for live video has helped boost product sales to a whole new market. He’s a super-nice
guy and you are likely to run into him at a live event. Oh, and if you want any goodies
from Arkon, use coupon code “joelcomm” to save 20%!

32. 25. ALEX KHAN
He’s tall. He’s German. And as a former male model, ridiculously handsome. Single
men, do NOT take Alex out with you as a wingman. You will disappear into the
wallpaper. But seriously, Alex is a bright entrepreneur who is on the frontlines of live
video. His countrymen don’t understand what the big deal is, but he gets it. It’s why
he has 230,000 followers on Periscope and is invited to speak at marketing events.

33. 26. WARREN PETERSON
It takes a man with a sense of great purpose to take
on the task of helping men become great leaders. I’ve
gotten to know Warren over the past few years and
his message is all about helping men become
significant in their roles as husbands, fathers and
leaders. In fact, his book is called “Becoming a
Significant Man” and it is available at Amazon.

34. 27. MICHAEL O’NEAL
The 9-to-5 just doesn’t work for some people.
Michael O’Neal was a web designer grinding
through his job when his life took a dramatic turn.
After deep introspection, he realized that he was
“unemployable.”
He started the Solopreneur Hour podcast and
today enjoys great success living the dream. He’s a
great guy, a talented percussionist and a good
friend!

35. 28. RYAN STEINOLFSON
Tech savvy and cutting edge, Ryan takes his video gear
to the extreme. He straps his gear to his helmet and
broadcasts experiences that many of us will never have
on our own. Kite surfing? Go with Ryan! Underwater
video? Ryan recommends the gear.
360 degree video for extreme sports? He’s the guy to fill
you in on what you need. Ryan is my go to guy to find
out what’s coming in the live video gear world.

36. 29. JED RECORD
I don’t believe the saying that “nice guys finish last”. In my list of
nice guys, Jed Record is a guy who consistently comes to mind. He’s
a marketing strategist, adjunct business professor and a keynote
speaker. If you run into Jed online or offline, you’ll be greeted with a
big smile and caring conversation. Two thumbs up!

37. 30. JOHN RAMPTON
He’s a contributor to most of the major business
publications on the web. Entrepreneur, Inc,
Forbes, Business Week, Huffington Post…
yeah, he’s on all those. John is the founder of
successful invoicing site, Due.com. But I’m also
happy to be the co-author of Self Employed: 50
Signs that You Might an Entrepreneur, a new
book that I have written with John. I hope you’ll
pick up a copy.

38. 31. MURRAY NEWLANDS
I must have met Murray over a decade ago during
the affiliate marketing boom. He’d have a
microphone in one hand and a handycam in the
other, interviewing passer-bys.
We would bump into each other at one event or
another every year. Today, Murray has established
himself as a successful entrepreneur and a
contributor to publications such as Forbes, Inc and
Entrepreneur. He’s always super-friendly and great
to hang out with!

39. 32. COURTNEY SMITH KRAMER
She’s smart. She’s witty. She’s tons of fun. And she’s one half of the
PureMatter.com team, alongside her husband Bryan. Courtney has recently
released her first book. It’s got a very provocative title (she meant to do that)
and it’s packed with great business tips. It’s called “21 Reasons
Creativity is Like Sex” and you can grab a copy at Amazon. Any time I’m
with the Kramers it’s a good day!

40. 33. MARK JOYNER
A former military intelligence operative, Mark brings unique insights to the marketing realm. He’s
known as The Godfather of Internet Marketing because he was there in the beginning. Mark does one
in particular that I find impressive. He asks great questions! If you follow his Facebook page, you will
be provoked to consider and reconsider some of your strongly held beliefs. But you never know
exactly where Mark stands. He’s just got a great way to get people engaging in the conversation.

41. 34. GEORGE BRYANT
How do you not love a guy who calls himself the Chief Bacon Officer at his company? George’s
story is really compelling. His journey from illness to health has made him a leader to those who
seek to improve themselves in a similar way. George regularly broadcasts his motivational and
inspirational on Facebook & Periscope, combining his teachings with cooking healthy meals. His
content provides a quick pick-me-up and his recipes will make you happy. George is a real
people person and I bet he’d love to hear from you.

42. 35. SAM CROWLEY
He probably gets tired of me singing the opening line to Ozzy
Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” every time we speak on the phone. But I
never tired of speaking with Sam. His podcast, Every Day is Saturday,
personifies the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
However, Sam’s waters run much deeper than encouraging those in
business. He, his wife and his family has been through the wringer when
their youngest daughter, Susan, was born extremely premature. Susan
is their miracle baby and Sam’s heart for helping others who are going
through a similar trial reveals his true character.

43. 36. TODD BERGIN
I’ve known Todd a short time, but he really jumped on my radar when he
performed an unsolicited act of kindness toward me… without expecting
anything in return. Like me, Todd is passionate about helping those in
business use live video to increase their reach and make sales. Give Todd
at visit at his site, Todd.live.

44. 37. JULIE ALBRIGHT
It’s taken me some time to figure out exactly
what Julie does. She’s a faculty member at
USC, a marriage & family counselor and a
self-described “Digital Sociologist.” But to
me she’s the energetic and bright woman who
always has a kind and encouraging word for
those in her sphere.
Check out Julie’s page and you’ll notice she
has nailed the art of the selfie. But more
importantly, she has nailed the art of bringing
a little sunshine into your day. By the way, I’m
still not sure I understand what she does. And
that’s okay.

45. 38. MARK BABBITT
Everyone needs a Mark Babbitt in their life. He’s
smart, friendly, caring and a teddy bear of a
human being. In fact, Mark’s focus in business to
inspire leaders to prioritize human interaction and
engagement in the workplace.
We need more people bringing this kind of social
approach to the corporate world. Be sure to
check out Mark’s book that he co-authored with
our friend Ted Coine, “A World Gone Social”.

46. 39. JOHN CARLTON
His posts aren’t for those with overly sensitive sensibilities, but there’s no denying
the sharp mind behind the copy. In fact, John Carlton claims to be the most ripped-
off direct response copywriter on the planet. He’s responsible for writing copy for
some of the most important direct response campaigns of the past few decades.
John’s a bit of a curmudgeon and he pulls no punches. But listen closely and you’ll
discover pure marketing gold in everything he does.

47. 40. JOHN NOSTA
The world’s first Digital Health Philopsher, John is on the
cutting edge of technology and its relationship to our
health. A member of Google’s Health Advisory Board,
John is a true futurist. You’ll see him writing for a number
of publications and sharing cutting-edge stories with his
followers. I’m glad that I’ve got a friend like John who is
keeping an eye on the future of health so I can just learn
from him. Did I mention that he’s a nice guy? Well, he is.

48. 41. JON FERRARA
If you should find yourself in Santa Monica and you want to enjoy a glass of wine with an
inventive and kind human being, Jon will meet and exceed your expectations! He’s the
founder of two popular CRM tools, Goldmine and Nimble. He’s also a great family man with a
wonderful sense of humor (likely made even more sincere through the trial of surviving
cancer.) I’m not sure what Jon’s favorite wine is, but I bet if you ask he’ll tell you where to
send a bottle.

49. 42. MARIO ARMSTRONG
This guy is an unleashed, unstoppable fireball of positive energy! As a
contributor to NBC’s Today Show and other shows, Mario’s inspirational
attitude is contagious. And as a leader in the live video realm, Mario has
courageously launched The Never Settle Show the world’s first live social
talk show. It’s a weekly live program with guests, music and audience
engagement (both in the studio audience and those watching around the
world.) Mario is ambitious and he continues to break new ground with his
show.

50. 43. TYLER ANDERSON
The founder and CEO of digital agency, Casual
Fridays, Tyler is a relationship-driven business man
with his hands in a number of projects. Whether
helping clients or producing his podcast, Tyler is the
nice guy next door that you want to hang out with.
Tyler runs the world’s largest Social Media Day
event in San Diego each year, of which I had the
opportunity to keynote in 2016. Well-connected and
well-liked, I know Ty is always just an instant
message away.

51. 44. JOHN KAPOS
The capabilities and reach of social media continue
to amaze me. And it’s no more visible than when
you can make friends in the other hemisphere.
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, John Kapos is a 3rd
generation chocolatier, creating and selling his
home-made chocolate delicacies at Perfection
Chocolates. You might know him as Chocolate
Johnny! Johnny loves what he does and you can
see it in how he treats his customers and friends on
his live streams.
He’s our generation’s Willy Wonka and I
recommend you tune in to his streams and
Snapchat account to not only see how he makes
the goodies (there may be Oompa Loompas
involved), but also as a living tutorial on how to
grow a business through the power of live video.

52. 45. SHAUN AYALA
He’s Marketing Manager at Best Buy. But he’s also the single most creative person I
follow on Snap chat! Shaun is a natural creative artist, and he uses Snap chat’s tools to
do things that I could only dream of doing. He creates interactive games that push the
limits of the technology that Snap chat offers. He’s also a wonderfully humble human
being that’s always willing to help. Check out a sample story below.

53. 46. TOPHER MORRISON
Topher. Topher. Topher. I just think his name is cool. Ok, he’s pretty cool as well.
He teaches speakers how to be better at what they do. He’s written a book. And he
may be running for Mayor of Tampa, Florida. One of these days we’ll meet in person,
which will undoubtedly be followed by mutual disappointment. Topher has a dog that
looks cooler than him.

54. 47. MARC ENSIGN
This guy is a Dick, with a capital “D”. Now before you get all offended, check out
his site and podcast. Marc and I go back many years, but we got to be friends
when we both spoke at Inbound in 2014. He recently interviewed me for his
podcast and I hope you get a chance to listen.

55. 48. STEPHEN MONACO
Some people are born with a million dollar smile.
That person can look your way and you know you
are in the presence of someone who really cares
about others. Stephen Monaco is one of those
people.
When I read his bio I think “man, this is one busy
dude.” But the line item that I most want to discuss
with him is his role as Marketing Researcher for
Warner Bros Entertainment. I don’t get to see
Stephen often, but I always look forward to our
encounters.

56. 49. DAVE PECK
Whenever I see Dave I look for the cash dispenser.
I guess it’s because he works for Paypal. Yet,
whenever I input my pin #, it just doesn’t seem to
work. What does work is that I like Dave a whole
lot. He’s just a really nice, regular guy that gets to
work with big ideas. And money. Well, he may not
get to actually work WITH money, but his company
does. So that’s close enough, right?

57. 50. Before I link to the 50th person on my
list, I have to tell you about them. They read
my stuff and they like to engage with my
content.
It’s people like this that put the social in
social media. This person is smart, creative,
witty and regularly demonstrates how to do
social right. I invite you to meet my
awesome Mystery Guest!

58. ABOUT JOEL COMM
Joel Comm is a pioneer of the World Wide Web, having
built his first online business in 1995.
With vast experience in content creation, blogging,
podcasting, internet marketing, branding, advertising,
application development, video production, book
authoring, public speaking and other arenas, Joel’s
books, products, videos, software and sites have been
enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
Joel has trained or partnered with many big brands
including Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Twitter, Starz and
Hubspot, among others.
Joel is a prolific writer with 13 published books, more
than 40 ebooks and reports, and 2 books being primed
for release in 2017. He is a featured columnist for
Inc.com, Forbes.com, SocialMediaExaminer.com and
Entrepreneur.com

59. Following are metrics from Joel’s social sphere, which comprise of
over 1,000,000 followers & fans:
 #5 in the Top 100 Marketing Influencers of 2017
–> comm.us/influence
 Klout Score – 86
 Twitter Followers – 827,000 (Verified Profile) with
up to 10,000,000 monthly impressions
 Facebook Friends, Followers and Fans – 55,000
(Verified Personal Profile)
 Google Plus Circle – 33,000
 LinkedIn Connections – 23,000 +
 YouTube – 9000 subscribers & 2,800,000 views
 Snapchat followers – 8,000
 Instagram Followers – 6,500 (Verified Profile)
 Periscope Followers – 19,400
 Email – 50,000 *
 Website visitors – 25,000 visits/month

60. CONTACT
JOEL COMM
WWW.JOELCOMM.COM