Article

Courtney Baird-Lew
Courtney Baird-Lew 21 March 2018

20 Inspiring Digital Marketing Experts That You Need to Know

Globally inspiring and internationally-based, these are the marketers who continue to push the envelope for brands and businesses everywhere:

Most people are quick to associate power with a famous last name and an over-a-billion dollar net worth; think Musk, Bezos, Gates, Zuckerberg.

While successful marketers always have a solid social media presence, the gravity of their work translates into the success of multiple brands, as opposed to an individual one, over a variety of industries. Our list below depicts names that are not necessarily the top headlines in international newspapers, but that are nonetheless responsible for some of the world’s most successful content and marketing initiatives.

Globally inspiring and internationally-based, these are the marketers who continue to push the envelope for brands and businesses everywhere:

Jay Baer

LinkedIn / Twitter

The founder of ConvinceAndConvert.com, Baer is a world-renowned marketing specialist and author of 5 New York Times bestselling books. He also happens to have a massive social media following and is the most retweeted person in the world by digital marketers.

Michael Brenner

LinkedIn / Twitter

Author, sought-after speaker, and CEO of Marketing Insider Group, Brenner is a marketer who has had an undeniable impact. In 2017, he was named a Top Business Speaker byThe Huffington Post and a top CMO Influencer by Forbes. In short, keep an eye on Michael Brenner.

Jeff Bullas

LinkedIn / Twitter

One of the industry’s best-known content marketing influencers, social marketing strategist, and keynote speakers, Bullas (who is CEO of jeffbullas.com) is a master at brand and business development. With a massive social media reach, there are plenty of ways to read his many insightful blog posts about branding, emerging technologies, content, and social media.

Dorie Clark

LinkedIn / Twitter

Keynote speaker, marketing consultant, and frequent Harvard Business Review contributor Dorie Clark is an already-influential business professional whose following continues to grow. Her books on business, such as Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Polish, Korean, and Thai.

Heidi Cohen

LinkedIn / Twitter

The CCO at Actionable Marketing Guide, Cohen is an integrated marketer whose extensive experience in brand and business building speaks for itself. With past clients that include The New York Times Digital, The Economist, Citibank, and Columbia House, Cohen is deeply rooted in New York but has her finger on a global pulse.

Andy Crestodina

LinkedIn / Twitter

The CMO and co-founder of Orbit Media Studios, Inc., Crestodina is an award-winning marketing professional whose over-16 years in the industry have provided web strategy and advice to thousands of businesses. He is also the author of Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.

Kim Garst

LinkedIn / Twitter

Ranked as one of the Top 10 Women Social Media Power Influencers by Forbes, Garst is one of the world’s leading digital marketers. She is also the CEO of Boom! Social, a corporate branding and social media consulting firm.

Seth Godin

LinkedIn / Twitter

The author of 18 international bestsellers, Seth Godin is a veritable marketing titan with a massive social media reach. His books on marketing, quitting, leadership, and a variety of other subjects have been translated into more than 35 languages.

Ann Handley

LinkedIn / Twitter

Named by Forbes as one of the Most Influential Women in Social Media, Handley is the chief content officer of MarketingProfs, and is one of the savviest marketers in the business. The author (and co-author) of multiple bestselling books, she is a world-renowned speaker and a LinkedIn influencer with an immense social following.

Mitch Joel

LinkedIn / Twitter

An internationally renowned digital marketing visionary, Joel runs the “Six Pixels of Separation" blog and is president of Mirum. Joel has also authored two books, “CTRL ALT Delete” and “Six Pixels of Separation”, and has shared the stage with former President of the United States Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, and Anthony Robbins.

Avinash Kaushik

LinkedIn / Twitter

An author, blogger, and digital marketing specialist, Kaushik’s resume is, well, impressive. He’s a bestselling author, keynote speaker, co-founder of Market Motive Inc., and Google’s own Digital Marketing Evangelist.

Guy Kawasaki

LinkedIn / Twitter

Chief evangelist of Canva, brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), Kawasaki is, in short, a marketing wizard. Formerly the chief evangelist at Apple, he is also the author of The Art of the Start 2.0The Art of Social MediaEnchantment, and nine other books.

Lisa Larter

LinkedIn / Twitter

Renowned consultant, business coach, social media strategist, and keynote speaker Lisa Larter - who is CEO and founder of the Lisa Larter Group - has decades of industry experience. You can read all about her methods in her latest book, Pilot to Profit.

Lilach Bullock

LinkedIn / Twitter

"The UK-based leader conversion expert", speaker, content marketer, and social media marketing influencer Lilach Bullock has been an unstoppable force in marketing for years. With an immense social media reach, she is one of the industry’s best-known consultants.

Pam Moore

LinkedIn / Twitter

CEO and founder of Marketing Nutz, a training and consulting agency specializing in social media, branding, and digital marketing, Moore is a jack of all trades marketing professionals who lists keynote speaker, trainer, consultant, and author as of few of her many titles.

Lee Odden

LinkedIn / Twitter

One of the most quoted marketers in the business, Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRankMarketing and is a world-renowned professional with nearly 20 years in the industry. Through consultation and collaboration, Odden has reformed digital marketing strategies for brands like McKesson, HP, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and more.

Neil Patel

LinkedIn / Twitter

New York Times bestselling author Neil Patel is a marketing professional whose name precedes himself. Recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by former President Barack Obama, Patel is known for being the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics.

Sujan Patel

LinkedIn / Twitter

A data-driven marketer and entrepreneur, Patel is the GM and co-founder of WebProfits US and a renowned growth specialist. Over the past 14 years, he has led the digital marketing strategy for companies like Sales Force, Mint, Intuit and many others.

Mari Smith

LinkedIn / Twitter

Hailed by Forbes as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer, Smith is a leading expert in Facebook marketing, and is the author of two books. As a speaker, she has shared the stage with notable names like Sir Richard Branson, the Dalai Lama, and Tony Robbins.

Gary Vaynerchuk

LinkedIn / Twitter

The CEO of VaynerMedia and chairman of VaynerX, Vaynerchuk is a man who knows the power of his own name. A prominent Youtube entrepreneurial vlogger with an immense social media following, he is a skilled angel investor who invested in Snapchat, Venmo, Uber, and Facebook before they blew up. And while his profile may surpass that of ‘marketing professional,’ he is nonetheless one of the most influential marketers in the game.

SUMMARY

While this list only represents 20 of the (many) names tapped as the leaders in the digital marketing sphere, follow and connect with the experts above to boost your own game.

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