Have you ever had someone try to sell you something? Considering how ad-heavy our world is today, it is likely that you have. It is also very likely that an ad alone is not going to engage you enough to purchase the item or service.
You do not feel any connection with a mere ask, but you probably feel differently when the ask includes a story that adds value or makes the company relatable to you. This is where content marketing comes into play.
Content Marketing allows brands to speak to you while coming across as authentic, empathetic, and dedicated to connecting with you. It is a blog post that informs you of industry changes or a video on social media that reveals a customer reviewing the brand. For the foreseeable future, content will remain as king.
According to Content Marketing Institute, content marketing receives 3 times the leads per dollar spent when compared to paid search. It also brings in conversion rates 6 times higher than other channels.
The power to influence and engage an audience is what makes content marketing influential. In turn, those who understand content marketing, are successful with it, and sharing their insights about it are highly sought after and increasingly quoted.
The individuals below have established themselves as content marketing influencers as they truly get the nuances of content marketing and the impact it has on consumers all over the world.
If you are looking for some expert takeaways on content marketing, take a look at our list of influential content marketers you should be following.
Content Marketing Influencers: Who Are They?
Jeff Bullas – Influencer, Author, and Blogger
Over the past decade, Jeff Bullas has been at the forefront of offering actionable advice to content marketers and Chief Marketing Officers. Through jeffbullas.com, he has shared his insights into using content to increase conversions and widen audiences. He has been called a “Top Influencer for Chief Marketing Officers,” by Forbes, and has been listed as one of the “50 Marketing Influencers to Watch,” by Entrepreneur.
Joe Pulizzi – Founder of Content Marketing Institute
Author, public speaker, and philanthropist, Joe Pulizzi is the mastermind behind the Content Marketing Institute, the leading educational institute for content marketing. His efforts at promoting best practices for content marketing were recognized in 2014 when he was awarded the John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award by the Content Council. Currently, among other initiatives, Pulizzi fundraises for the Orange Effect Foundation.
Neil Patel – Co-Founder of Neil Patel Digital
Called “Top Influencer on the Web” by The Wall Street Journal, and known as a “Top 10 Marketer,” by the New York Times, Neil Patel has become a leading voice for those in the digital and content marketing sphere. He has created his own successful digital agency that focuses on providing honest feedback to clients while helping them enhance their own ROI. He has been recognized as a “Top 100 Entrepreneur Under 30,” by former President Barack Obama, and his company was featured on the list of “100 Brilliant Companies.”
Ann Handley – Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs
When it comes to content marketing, Ann Handley has done a bit of it everything. She is a speaker, author, and current member of the LinkedIn Influencer program. Currently, she works as the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs. She has been cited by Forbes as “The Most Influential Woman on Social Media,” and recognized by ForbesWoman as one of “The Top 20 Women Bloggers.”
Michael Brenner – Speaker, Author, and CEO of Marketing Insider Group
Michael Brenner has brought a customer-centric and creative approach to his insights on content and digital marketing. Over the past two decades, Brenner honed his approach while working with Nielsen, FullTilt, ICR, SAP, and NewsCred.
Today, he is a globally recognized speaker, bestselling author, and CEO of the Marketing Insider Group, a marketing firm that has helped numerous companies cultivate successful approaches to marketing.
Mark Schaefer – Speaker, Business Consultant, Author
Mark Schaefer has over 30 years of experience working in global sales, PR, and marketing. He is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University, and has taken what he has learned through his decades of experience and poured it into his blog, keynote speaking opportunities, and numerous writings.
Steve Cartwright – UI/UX Design Director & Web Designer of website-designs.com
While much of content marketing include conversations about verbiage, SEO, and overall content strategy, the user experience is a crucial piece that can often be left by the wayside. Steve Cartwright has bridged this gap and made website design and UX a necessary topic in regards to content marketing. He is currently a UI/UX Director for Nimble Collective Inc. and a Design Leadership Forum Member for Invision.
Jay Baer – Founder of Convince & Convert
Jay Baer is the founder of Convince & Convert, an analysis and advisory firm that creates digital marketing strategies for organizations looking to increase their marketing reach. Baer has 25 years of experience in the marketing industry and is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 6 books, He has worked with the likes of Hilton, Grand Ole Opry, Cisco, and Arizona State University.
Marcus Miller – Internet Marketing and SEO Consultant for Bowler Hat
Marcus Miller has over 18 years of experience as a consultant focusing on SEO, PPC and Digital Marketing. His marketing firm, Bowler Hat, works with small and mid-sized businesses across the world to help them develop effective digital marketing strategies. He has been a Developer for Mobile Fun and Opera Telecom, as well as a graduate from Birmingham City University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
Lilach Bullock – Online Business Expert, Speaker, and Coach for LilachBullock.com
Listed as one of Forbes “Top 20 Women Social Media Influencers,” and named as “The Top Digital Marketing Influencer,” by Career Experts, Lilach Bullock has made a noticeable splash in the world of digital marketing. She has had years of success as an entrepreneur, and international digital agency owner. Since 2009, she has given one-on-one actionable marketing advice to clients to help them build their businesses online. Bullock has been featured in Forbes, The Telegraph, Wired, The Sunday Times, and The Guardian.
Lee Odden – CEO and Co-Founder of TopRank Marketing
Lee Odden is an avid blogger, talented speaker, and author. He is the CEO and co-founder of TopRank Marketing, a digital marketing agency that has served the likes of McKesson, Dell, and LinkedIn.
Odden has gone across the globe to share his insights regarding data-informed and customer-centric marketing. He has provided consulting for numerous Fortune 500 companies and has created over 3,300 blog posts related to his marketing advice.
Neal Schaffer – Speaker and CEO at Maximize Your Social
Named as one of marketing’s “Ten Biggest Thought Leaders,” by CMO.com, and recognized by Forbes as a “Top Five Social Sales Influencer,” Neal Schaffer is a prominent voice in the world of business oriented social media. He is a creator of the social media for business blog, Maximize Your Social, a faculty member of Rutgers University Mini-Social Media MBA Program, and an author responsible for one of the most significant books on social media creation “Maximize Your Social: A One-Stop Guide to Building a Social Media Strategy for Marketing and Business Success.”
Larry Kim – CEO at MobileMonkey
Larry Kim is a one-stop-shop guru on the utilization of Facebook Ads and messaging for marketing optimization. Kim is the CEO of MobileMonkey, a platform that helps companies engage with customers using Facebook Messenger. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Kim is a contributor to CNBC and Inc. Magazine. He has been ranked as the eighth most popular author on Medium and has been recognized by PPC Hero, Search Engine Land, and the US Search Awards.
Pam Moore – CEO and Co-founder of Marketing Nutz
With over 15 years of experience in corporate marketing and product management, Pam Moore has honed her craft regarding brand management and digital marketing optimization. She is a bestselling author, highly sought-after speaker, and has been ranked by Forbes as a “Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer.” In 2012, she launched Marketing Nutz, which has worked with clients such as HP, Sony Playstation Group, IBM, & more. In addition to managing Marketing Nutz, she hosts the popular Social Zoom Factor podcast.
Robert Rose – Founder of The Content Advisory
In 2010, Robert Rose founded The Content Advisory, an education, consulting and research group of The Content Marketing Institute. For over 20 years, Rose has helped many organizations tell their story to the constituents they serve. He has advised brands like Capital One, Dell, Ernst and Young, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and UPS. He is an author, featured keynote speaker, and workshop teacher at several technology and marketing events across the globe.
Martin Butters – Business and Social Media Director of markITwrite
Martin Butters is the leader that is at the helm of markITwrite, an organization that provides digital content and SEO services for multiple magazines and websites. In three years, Butters has developed an organic audience of over 120,000 and has helped multiple clients also grow their own audiences. Butters has become a prominent SEO and audience growth expert in his own right.
Andy Crestodina – Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media Studios
For the past 18 years, Andy Crestodina has advised thousands of businesses on how to strengthen their digital media strategies. He is a top-rated speaker, podcast host, university lecturer, and article writer. Crestodina is the co-founder and CMO of Orbit Media, an award-winning and socially-conscious digital marketing agency located in Chicago. He has been recognized as a top marketing expert and influencer by Forbes and Entrepreneur respectively.
Sujan Patel – Entrepreneur and Marketer at sujanpatel.com
Sujan Patel’s ultimate goal is to help entrepreneurs and marketers scale and grow their businesses. He furthers this vision through his own entrepreneurial and digital efforts. Patel is the co-founder of Webprofits, a growth marketing agency that has helped numerous companies enhance their marketing approach. In addition to his work with Webprofits, Patel is also a frequent blogger and shares his insights on growth marketing with readers on Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine.
John Hall – Co-founder and Advisor of Influence & Co.
John Hall is the co-founder of calendar.com, as well as a Co-Founder and Advisor to Influence & Co. The latter is one of the largest creators and distributors of expert content in media. Hall is a jack of all trades. When he is not helping companies realize their content marketing potential, he is managing his own real estate company, contributing to a weekly column at Forbes and Inc.com, and also writing for the Harvard Business Review.
Aaron Agius – Managing Director of Louder.Online
Aaron Agius has had an interesting and intriguing path to digital marketing. His journey started in the digital and IT space where he picked up on the technical aspects of marketing. From there he started his own consultancy in 2008 that grew from 40 cents in revenue to eventually working with Salesforce, IBM, Ford, LG, Coca-Cola, and Intel. He has been featured by The Huffington Post, Forbes, HubSpot, The Content Marketing Institute, and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Mark Traphagen – Content Strategy Director of Perficient Digital
A guru on marketing and branding, Mark Traphagen is a tour de force when it comes to sharing his valuable marketing insights. Along with being the content strategy director for Perficient Digital, Traphagen is also an in-demand speaker that has spoken at MozCon, SMX, SEOClarity, PubCon, and a host of other well-known marketing-related events. He hosts a monthly column about social media marketing for Marketing Land and has conducted numerous webinars related to digital marketing.
Christoph Trappe – Chief Content Engagement Director of Stamats Communications, Inc.
When it comes to storytelling, and captivating audiences with engaging content, Christoph Trappe has years of success and experience. He has worked as a journalist, content marketing executive, and content marketing strategist.
Trappe has also used his platform and experience in content marketing to coach others in how to optimize their content strategy and storytelling processes. He has spoken internationally, is an avid blogger, and author.
Shane Barker – CEO of Shane Barker Consulting
Shake Barker’s successful work in helping companies optimize their approach to digital marketing has been recognized by The Huffington Post, Forbes, Inc., the Content Marketing Institute, Search Engine Journal, Social Media Examiner, Entrepreneur, and B2C. He is a digital marketing consultant that helped multiple companies and individuals build their business through sound digital marketing practices. In addition to consulting, Barker is a contributor to publications by Salesforce, Yahoo Small Business, and MarketingProfs.
Jose Javier Garde
With a blend of corporate management experience and training as a primary teacher, Jose Javier Garde has been able to blend his abilities as a teacher with his hands-on experience in corporate management and digital marketing. Not only has Garde taken on numerous hours of coursework in a masters-level social media and digital marketing program, but he also has an extensive amount of experience working in corporate management in the wine, engineering, and water technology sectors.
Rand Fishkin – Founder of Sparktoro
Equipped with 20 years of experience in the world of digital marketing and media, Fishkin has been at the forefront of establishing the most popular digital marketing brands we know today. In 2003, he founded SEOMoz, in 2011 he co-founded Inbound.org, and in 2014 he came back to the SEOMoz (now known as Moz) to further contribute to its development. Now, he has set his sights on helping businesses find the best content for their audience through founding Sparktoro.
Erika Heald – CEO of Erika Heald Consulting
Over the past 20+ years, Erika Heald has helped multiple B2B and B2C companies hone their content marketing approach. She has worked with the likes of Charles Schwab, United Health Group, Redbooth, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, and many others.
Currently, Heald heads up her own marketing consulting company that guides businesses in developing and implementing successful content marketing strategies.
In addition to consulting, Heald moderates a weekly on Twitter, and blogs on multiple content marketing-related topics.
Pam Didner – CEO at pamdidner.com
With a diversified background in finance, accounting, product support, and global marketing strategy, Pam Didner has a comprehensive understanding of how marketing impacts a company as a whole. Through PamDidner.com, Didner helps sales, marketing teams, and businesses, “increase their productivity and effectiveness by using her own structured methodologies.”
Whether companies are seeking a speaker, consultant, a strategy expert, or training, Didner is equipped to provide help with all. She is a coach, avid tweeter, and author or two insightful books on content marketing
Carla Johnson – Keynote Speaker, Storyteller, and Author
Carla Johnson has spent the last two decades developing into a storytelling expert. She is an award-winning communicator, prolific author, and innovator that helps companies leverage the art of storytelling to realize actionable results.
Johnson has shared her insightful knowledge at numerous events and offers numerous training and coaching services.
Kelly Hungerford – Owner and Consultant at CommunityWorks
Silicon Valley native but Switzerland based, Kelly Hungerford has 20+ years of experience in digital strategy as well as brand and product development. She has worked with business types spanning from small start-ups to larger Fortune 500 companies. In 2015, Hungerford established CommunityWorks, a freelance venture to help companies better connect with their target audiences. In addition to helping larger organizations, Hungerford also offers , a no charge consulting service for local business owners.
Ian Cleary – CEO of RazorSocial
Ian Cleary brings over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and creating innovative digital media strategies. He has worked as CEO for RazorCoast, guest blogger for Social Media Examiner, CEO for Outreach Plus (now Purple Rain Technology), and is now heading up the team at RazorSocial. There he leads the team in providing training and consultancy related to content marketing. The company specifically works with B2B businesses in driving increased traffic and sales through inbound and outbound marketing.
Michael Gass – Owner of Fuel Lines Business Development, LLC
Looking for a one-stop-shop for business development that includes an emphasis on branding and PR? Look no further than interacting with Michael Gass. Gass is the owner of Fuel Lines Business Development, a firm that offers business development resources, training, and consulting services. Gass has trained over 200 agency CEOs, developed the Fuel Lines blog which has been listed as one of ‘The Top 100 Marketing Blogs in the World,” by Ad Age’s Power 100 and is an avid speaker for many events and agency groups.
Heidi Cohen – Chief Content Officer at Actionable Marketing Guide
Heidi Cohen knew very early on that she wanted to be a major voice in the marketing industry. After receiving her MBA with New York University’s Stern Graduate School of Business, Cohen developed her marketing career by working with large brands like Citibank, Bertelsmann, and The Economist. She has also expanded her reach by developing the Actionable Marketing Guide, a blog that provides marketing insights on social media, content marketing, and mobile marketing.
Christopher Penn – Co-Founder and Chief Innovator of Trust Insights
Thought leader, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Christopher Penn is a highly recognized authority on digital marketing and marketing technology. His work has allowed him to work with large and famous brands such as Citrix Systems, McDonald’s, GoDaddy, McKesson, Toyota, and a slew of others. He is a Google Analytics Certified Professional, a HubSpot Inbound Certified Professional, and co-founder of Trust Insights, a firm that uses algorithms to help companies gain more from their data.
Bernie Borges – Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Vengreso
Bernie Borges is an expert in helping B2B marketers build their sales and marketing pipeline. His company, Vengreso helps B2B companies attract more customers with digital selling training and coaching, personal branding, marketing, sales alignment, and content creation. In addition to helping B2B companies better reach out to customers, Borges runs a weekly podcast entitled Social Business Engine, offers his insights at multiple events and has been recognized as a marketing industry thought leader by multiple publications.
Andrew Pickering – Co-Founder of Andrew and Pete
Large companies are not the only organizations who need insights regarding marketing. There is also a segment of small companies who want to optimize their marketing approach. Andrew Pickering, marketing keynote speaker, author, and content marketing advocate is Co-Founder of the firm, Andrew and Pete. This organization helps micro businesses develop and implement more creative marketing strategies. In addition to founding Andrew and Pete, The Cloud 9 Community, and Think It Wear It Be It, Pickering also publishes many of his marketing takeaways on LinkedIn.
Pete Gartland – Co-Founder of Andrew and Pete
One half of the firm Andrew and Pete, Pete Gartland also helps microbusinesses receive better results and responses from their target audiences online. He is the author of two popular books entitled, “The Hippo Campus,” and “Content Mavericks.” He is a regular keynote speaker, owner of a weekly YouTube show known as, Marketing Unboringed, and also hosts one of the UK’s largest digital marketing conferences, ATOMICON.
Melanie Deziel – Founder of Storyfuel
Melanie Deziel has established herself as an expert on content marketing, storytelling, and brand awareness. In 2016, she established Storyfuel, an organization that helps marketers tell better brand stories. She has traveled the world as a keynote speaker and is an advisory board member for the Native Advertising Institute. Deziel shares her expert content marketing insights through her Facebook group, The Brand Storyteller Society, and as a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she teaches the first ever masters-level course on content marketing.
John Jantsch – President of Duct Tape Marketing
He has been ranked as one of the top 100 “Must Follow” on Twitter, and his insights on small business have been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and CNNMoney. John Jantsch helps independent marketers around the world hone their approach as marketing consultants through his firm, Duct Tape Marketing. There he teaches marketers how to improve client retention, double capacity, efficiently handle overhead, attract recurring retainers, and achieve work-life balance. His company blog has been recognized as a Forbes favourite, and specifically named as one of the top “100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs,” by Forbes.
Andrew Davis – Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author of Monumental Shift
If anyone knows about business growth and building brand concepts that last, it is Andrew Davis. Before becoming a renowned keynote speaker and bestselling author, Davis was a producer for NBC and also worked on The Muppets. He has created award-winning documentaries and content for small startups and has appeared in The New York Times and on The Today Show. Today, he uses his extensive experience in content marketing and business development to help business leaders grow their business.
Viveka Von Rosen – Co-founder and Chief Visibility Officer of Vengreso
If your content marketing plan includes LinkedIn (which it should), Viveka Von Rosen is a content marketer that you should make a point to follow. Internationally known as the “LinkedIn Expert,” Von Rosen works with B2B companies to help them achieve business success by utilizing LinkedIn. She is the author of, “LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day,” and has been listed as a “Top Social Media Influencer,” by Forbes. Van Rosen has shared her knowledge at several events including Social Media Examiner’s Marketing World, MarketingProfs B2B Conference, HubSpot’s Inbound Conference, and many others.
Douglas Burdett – Host of The Marketing Book Podcast
With a history of serving the United States in the US Army and working in the New York advertising scene for companies like J Walter Thompson and Grey New York, Douglas Burdett is an advertising and military veteran. He is the founder of Artillery, an organization that helps manufacturers generate leads, and is the host of the podcast, The Marketing Book. On his podcast, Burdett interviews bestselling authors in the marketing field to provide timely insights and sage advice for listeners who want to break into the industry.
Matt Heinz – President of Heinz Marketing
For 15 years, Matt Heinz has worked to deliver measurable results for his employers as well as his clients related to revenue growth, product success, and customer loyalty. His resume includes stints at Microsoft, Boeing, The Seattle Mariners, and many others. In 2007, Heinz took his advanced experience to begin his own marketing firm, Heinz Marketing. His business helps companies create a strategy to grow their revenue and customer growth.
Jesper Laursen – Founder and CEO of Native Advertising Institute
With a background in journalism and content marketing, Jesper Laursen understands how to blend the two worlds to achieve success. He is the founder of Brand Movers, an organization that helps companies reach their audience through the creation of engaging content, and he also hosts the largest marketing conference in Scandinavia known as Clever Content. In 2015, he established the Native Advertising Institute, an independent think tank that is designed to help marketers better utilize native advertising.
Cathy McPhillips – Vice President of Marketing of Content Marketing Institute
Cathy McPhillips has over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry. From working as a media supervisor to leading the charge in social media and social strategy, McPhillips has helped numerous companies hone their digital media and overall marketing approach. Currently, she leads the marketing efforts for the Content Marketing Institute and also develops strategies to attract attendees to Content Marketing Institute events.
Joe Lazaukas – Head of Content Strategy and Executive Editor at Contently
Over the past eight years, Joe Lazaukas has honed his craft as a digital marketing strategist. After taking on a couple of positions in social media strategy and community management, he founded The New York Egoist, a blog that covered the intersection between the media and tech worlds in New York City. From 2012 to 2018, Lazaukas has worked in various roles for Contently, a company that helps businesses create content at scale. Currently, he is the head of content strategy and executive editor. He is a regular speaker at Content Marketing World, Web Summit, Collision, and other major industry conferences.
Berrak Sarikaya – Senior Social Media Manager at Yesler
Berrak Sarikaya describes herself as an “amplifier.” Someone who brings attention to what makes her clients unique. With over eight years of experience of holding various marketing-related roles for Google and Paste magazine, while also starting her own company, Sarikaya surely is an “amplifier.” Her digital marketing company, Amplify Your Biz, has helped AT&T Small Business, Microsoft, Top Rank Marketing, and many others optimize their digital marketing reach. When she is not leading the marketing charge for her clients, Sarikaya takes on the role of senior social media manager as Yesler, a B2B marketing agency.
Stephan Spencer – Founder of Science of SEO
When it comes to SEO, Stephan Spencer, a 20-year SEO digital marketing veteran knows his stuff. He is a three-time author, avid blogger, renowned speaker, and entrepreneur. He has founded his own SEO agency and even went on to develop a pay-for-performance SEO technology. He has been a contributor to The Huffington Post, Search Engine Land, and MarketingProfs, while offering his SEO insights to Target, REI, Verizon, Home Shopping Network, and many others. Spencer continues to speak at numerous events and host the Marketing Speak and Optimized Geek Podcasts.
Michele Linn – Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Mantis Research
For over a decade, Michele Linn has dedicated her career to providing a deeper look into the creative world of content marketing. As the former head of editorial content for the Content Marketing Institute, Linn has written numerous articles, spoken at several industry events, and developed dialogue around various content marketing topics. In 2017, she co-founded Mantis Research, an organization that helps marketers conduct and gather research to use in their marketing efforts.
Drew McLellan – Owner of Agency Management Institute
Drew McLellan brings over 30 years of advertising industry experience to his clients as well as up-and-coming professionals looking to make a splash in the industry. He owns and manages the Agency Management Institute, an organization that provides management training to small and mid-sized agencies. He has been interviewed, quoted, or published in Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, AdAge, The New York Times, CNN, and many other media outlets. He is also the host of the Build A Better Agency podcast.
Mitch Joel – Founder of Six Pixels Group
For over two decades, Joel has worked in digital media and offered his insights into using it to grow audiences and scale companies. He has been a contributing writer for The Huffington Post and Harvard Business Review, as well as an avid author and podcaster. Joel is the founder of Six Pixels Group, and advisory, investing, and content producing company that zeros in on commerce and innovation. He has worked with the likes of Google, Starbucks, Shopify, and GE.
Source: Atomic Reach
