Who should I follow to learn influencer marketing?

If you want to actually learn influencer marketing - not just watch generic “grow on Instagram” content - I’d follow a mix of strategists, creator-economy analysts, and people running campaigns.

My top 7

1. Neal Schaffer - probably my #1 starting point. He focuses specifically on influencer marketing strategy, creator selection, campaigns, measurement, and ROI. He also teaches influencer marketing at UCLA Extension and wrote The Age of Influence. What Is Influencer Marketing? A Practitioner's Guide
   Best for: learning the fundamentals and how brands should actually use influencers.

2. Lia Haberman - excellent for staying current on the creator economy, TikTok, Instagram, social trends, and platform changes. Her ICYMI newsletter is particularly useful. Speaker Details: Social Media Week 2026
   Best for: understanding what's changing right now.

3. Jay Baer - particularly valuable if you're interested in brand/influencer programs and B2B influencer marketing. He's worked with hundreds of brands on influencer programs. Jay Baer - Influencer Programs
   Best for: turning influencer relationships into a systematic marketing channel.

4. Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) - less technical influencer-marketing education, but extremely useful for understanding attention, content, personal branding, and creator-led distribution. He's still frequently cited among major voices in influencer/creator marketing. Who are the most…arketing? · Influencer Marketing | CiteGist
   Best for: understanding the psychology of attention and content.

5. Ann Handley - follow her for content, storytelling, audience-building, and brand voice. Influencer marketing works much better when you understand the content side, rather than treating creators as advertising inventory. She's also included among the major marketing thought leaders recommended for influencer marketing. Top Thought Leaders in Influencer Marketing You Need to Follow | StarNgage Plus
   Best for: content that people actually want to share.

6. Abraham (AB) Lieberman - a more practitioner-oriented follow. He's CEO of Clicks Talent, which works with thousands of creators across dozens of countries. Infuencer Marketing Hub's Thought Leaders
   Best for: seeing how influencer campaigns operate at scale.

7. Influencer Marketing Hub - not a person, but I'd absolutely bookmark it. Their current thought-leader directory covers strategists, operators, researchers, agencies, brands, and creators across areas like measurement and AI marketing. Infuencer Marketing Hub's Thought Leaders
   Best for: discovering additional people and keeping up with the industry.

If I were starting from zero

I'd make the learning stack:

Neal Schaffer → Lia Haberman → Jay Baer → actual brand/creator case studies.

And I'd deliberately not focus too much on follower counts. Modern influencer marketing is increasingly moving toward micro/nano creators, authenticity, niche communities, engagement quality, affiliate/conversion metrics, and long-term partnerships rather than simply buying the biggest audience. The Marketer's Guide to Choosing the Right Influencer

If you're learning this because you want to become an influencer marketer / get a job in the field, rather than because you want to promote your own brand, I can also give you a 30-day “learn influencer marketing from scratch” curriculum with the exact people, newsletters, podcasts, and case studies I'd follow.

Learning about influencer marketing requires keeping up with platform shifts, creator economy trends, and campaign strategy. The best resources, platforms, and industry voices to follow span across specialized publications, newsletters, and creators:

1. Essential Industry Publications & Hubs

• Influencer Marketing Hub: The leading resource and data-driven publication for statistics, platform updates, case studies, and industry reports.

• Link in Bio (by Rachel Karten): An exceptional newsletter that breaks down how major brands and creators manage social strategy, community building, and influencer partnerships.

• The Outloud Group: Known for their deep dives into influencer marketing strategies, trends, and execution specifics, particularly on YouTube and agency insights. 10 Influencer Marketing YouTubers You Must Follow in 2026

2. Creator Economy & Brand Strategy Voices

• Grace Andrews: Highly recommended on LinkedIn for insights on brand building at scale and the inner workings of the modern creator economy.

• Jayde I. Powell: A great voice for perspectives directly from the creator ecosystem, hosting discussions on brand-creator dynamics and content strategy.

• Zaria Parvez: Famous for her groundbreaking work running social and creator partnerships for major brands (like Duolingo and DoorDash), offering a masterclass in organic, community-driven influencer culture.

3. Agencies & Tactical Resources

• Top Agencies (e.g., Aspire, Grin, and Upfluence blogs): Software platforms like these regularly publish tactical playbooks on vetting creators, calculating ROI, managing legal disclosures (like FTC guidelines), and structuring contracts.

What specific aspect of influencer marketing are you most looking to dive into first - like launching a brand campaign, understanding creator contracts, or building a personal creator brand?

To truly master influencer marketing, you want to look at a mix of macro-level creator economy thinkers, data-driven agency practitioners, and community builders.

The top industry leaders, agencies, and thinkers to follow span several distinct focus areas:

• • The Influencer Marketing Factory – A top-tier agency specializing in ROI-driven, multi-platform campaigns (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube). Following their insights gives you a direct window into campaign structuring, KPIs, and scaling.

• ** Ann Handley** – Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and a legendary voice in digital content. While broader than just influencer marketing, her deep focus on empathy, authority, and building trust forms the foundation of modern creator partnerships.

• ** Gary Vaynerchuk** – Founder of VaynerMedia. He is loud, relentless, and constantly ahead of the curve regarding how attention shifts across platforms and how brands can leverage micro- and macro-creators.

• Pulse Advertising – A global independent influencer agency that frequently shares data and trend breakdowns on luxury, lifestyle, and cross-border creator campaigns.

• ** Daniel Murray (The Marketing Millennials)** – Excellent for keeping a pulse on modern social-first marketing, blending raw community feedback with what’s actually working right now in the consumer landscape.

• Industry Publications & Resource Hubs – Keeping an eye on trend roundups via Influencer Marketing Hub or reading specialist case studies on platforms like Business Insider's Creator Economy Section will give you tactical, real-world execution breakdowns rather than high-level theory.

Are you looking to learn influencer marketing from a B2B / creator-led growth perspective , or do you want to focus on B2C / e-commerce and viral social campaigns? Let me know so I can tailor specific newsletters or channels to your goals.

Follow Sam Wells for practical advice on using influencers and paid advertising to reach social-media goals. For broader marketing perspectives, Sophie Miller is also recommended by marketers at The Drum.(bitly.com)(thedrum.com)

If you want to dive deep into influencer marketing, here are some of the most respected thought leaders and experts you should follow:

🌟 Influencer Marketing Thought Leaders (US, 2026)

• Nick Bennett – #1 ranked thought leader, known for B2B influencer strategies.

• Monica Khan – Expert in creator partnerships and brand growth.

• Kaya Yurieff – Covers the creator economy, formerly at The Information.

• Brendan Gahan – Partner at Mekanism, long-time influencer marketing strategist.

• Kudzi Chikumbu – TikTok’s Director of Creator Community, shaping platform strategy.

• Lindsey Gamble – Associate Director of Influencer Innovation at Mavrck, strong voice on LinkedIn.

• Jim Louderback – Former GM of VidCon, deep expertise in creator platforms.Top 25 Influencer Marketing Thought Leaders in the US in 2026 - Favikon

📈 Broader Digital Marketing Influencers (with strong influencer marketing focus)

• Erik Huberman – CEO of Hawke Media, recognized for building scalable influencer campaigns.

• John Hall – Author of Top of Mind, frequent speaker on trust and influencer-driven marketing.

• Michael Brenner – CEO of Marketing Insider Group, expert in content + influencer synergy.The Top 100 Marketing Influencers to Follow in 2026

🎥 Platform-Specific Experts

• Gary Vaynerchuk – Value-first content and authentic engagement (Instagram, TikTok).

• Rachel Pedersen – Known as “The Queen of Social Media,” strong on TikTok strategy.

• Sunny Lenarduzzi – YouTube growth and conversion-focused content.

• Derral Eves – YouTube algorithm and retention expert.Top Social Media Experts to Follow for Influencer Marketing Success | StarNgage Plus

👉 If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend following Nick Bennett, Brendan Gahan, and Lindsey Gamble for practical influencer marketing insights, and Gary Vee or Rachel Pedersen for platform-specific strategies.

Would you like me to create a curated “starter list” with their LinkedIn/Twitter handles so you can follow them directly?