12 social media experts to follow in 2021

Inside the work of these industry leaders, you will find the cutting edge of social media marketing.

These social media experts provide solutions in a world bursting with data, where it’s vital to stay in touch with the best minds in the industry. The decision to use in-house or outside social media specialists brings pros and cons, but by using guidance from the world’s best sources you can see what’s happening at the forefront.

Here, we present 12 masters of the marketing craft. 

Mari Smith 

The fact that Facebook headhunted Mari says everything. IBM named her as one of the 7 women shaping digital marketing, and her credentials as a social media marketing expert are unparalleled.

Expert, influencer, social media thought leader, business consultant – her list of roles and abilities offers companies a 360-degree vision of the latest approaches. Mari Smith not only helps companies understand fundamental Facebook marketing best practices, but also helps them leverage the vision the platform has for 2030.

This vision encompasses the new range of connectivity technologies – including VR and AR – and the goal of having 5 billion users. Follow Mari and use the latest Facebook tricks.

Derral Eves

How do you get over 74 billion views of your social media videos? Ask Derral Eves.

He’s one of the best social media experts to follow because he always delivers actionable advice. It’s candid and his 300+ tutorials are a YouTube marketing masterclass.

His content helps marketers of all levels to navigate, understand, and use tools like YouTube Studio. Derral’s focus on AI-first marketing explains how to translate the mass of available data into ROI-enhancing steps.

You can also search our YouTube Influencers Database to find an influencer that fits your own brand.

Mark Schaefer

The author of “Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins”, Mark Schaefer is a world-leading marketing authority and consultant to a Fortune 100 client base.

Among his many accomplishments, he also blurs the line between influencer and expert. He explains the mechanisms that lead to becoming ‘known’ and how to use the RITE approach (relevant, interesting, timely, and entertaining) to create viral content.

When marketers and influencers ask him how to make an impact in the social media industry, Mark emphasizes the need for unique content that audiences find engaging.

Molly Pittman

If you want to know how to be a better social media marketer, you need to meet Digital Marketer Vice President Molly Pittman. She has generated over 500,000 leads and can teach you how to get a positive return on your Facebook advertising spend.

Her direct advice on scaling Facebook ads helps global brands to realign their campaign strategies on a daily basis. By following her tutorials and knowing your competitor’s performance on Facebook, you can increase the value of your current campaigns.

Madalyn Sklar

Few social media experts can boast over two decades of success, as well as still being ranked as a world-leading entrepreneur. Madalyn Sklar can.

Since she’s both an influencer and Twitter expert combined, her tutorials provide excellent examples of best practices. There are common mistakes that businesses make when trying to find the right social media influencers for their brand – from bad introductions to unfocused bios – and her advice can help you to avoid them.

Rachel Pedersen

The first generation of TikTok experts is rising, and Rachel Pedersen is a key voice in the industry.

As an award-winning social media strategist, educator, and speaker, Rachel Pedersen offers business consultation on the latest marketing strategies. A frequently asked question is whether the platform is suitable for reaching B2B audiences or not. With over 300 million users over the age of 30, the answer is yes.

Due to the increasing global interest in the platform, we recommend using the latest analytical tools to make sure your TikTok marketing strategy is in top form.

Ian Cleary 

Which of the 7,000-plus social media marketing tools available best suit your needs? Ask Ian Cleary.

He is recognized as a top expert in social media tools, and his work has been published in the New York Times and Forbes. When choosing the right tools for your business, he is an advocate of trial evaluation, understanding, and training investment.

Over 90% of small to large companies use social media tools, but nearly half of marketers are unable to demonstrate the impact of their use. Ian Cleary’s advice helps industry experts to make smarter investments in the newest tools to avoid these pitfalls.

Viveka von Rosen

How often do you wake up and check your LinkedIn profile? Most people don’t, but it’s a mistake to underestimate the professional networking platform.

With a network of over 42 million on LinkedIn, Viveka von Rosen is a digital native, and she’s known as one of the best digital networking experts in the world.

The LinkedIn expert likes to focus on an alternative ROI – return on influence – and highlights the need for social media content that targets specific personas. This helps users to self-select content, which results in more engagement.

Christopher Penn

You’ve heard of predictive analytics in content marketing, but experts like Christopher Penn are the geniuses who shape its evolution. His blend of marketing science is the direct guidance companies need to sharpen their strategy.

Among his many teachings, he helps businesses to understand the two main branches of predictive analyses for marketers:

1. What content is likely to work (relevance) 

2. When something is likely to happen (timing)

His expertise is invaluable, and he helps clients to improve their content performance prediction abilities.

Sue B. Zimmerman

Business owners only have time for social media techniques that are a positive ROI, so they consult with the best industry experts. Sue B. Zimmerman is the world’s No. 1 social media consultant for businesses, and her list of past clients is elite (Forbes, Netflix, and The Huffington Post, to name but a few).

Her teachings on the Instagram algorithm are world-renowned, and she explains how you can work with it, not against it. Although the algorithm is constantly evolving, Sue’s Instagram best practices will anchor your posts in the basic fundamentals as well as explain the deeper strategies.

Sean Gardner 

By 2030, the only social media experts still standing will be those who use the best AI-powered tools.

Sean Gardner is a digital marketing polymath. Right out of high school he worked for Apple, and his resume reads like the Fortune 500 list itself (including work for Microsoft, Silicon Valley Bank, Fox News, and CNN).

His work in the social media industry reflects the nature of AI, as he has worked with professionals from almost every field imaginable. His marketing advice is drawn from all major global industries, making him a leading voice.

Ann Handley

The status of digital marketing pioneer is reserved for those who have achieved the most consistent impact in the world. Ann Handley is a mixture of best-selling author, digital marketing genius, influencer, thought leader, and content veteran.

As a world-leading content creator, her writing tips are timeless. She also never forgets humor in her advice: “Jargon is like cholesterol: there’s the good kind and a bad kind.” Her book “Everybody Writes” is an inspiration for content creation, and she continues to empower marketers around the world. 

The takeaway

Since 2019, the global percentage of social media users has risen by over 10%. This has taken the global total users to over 3.96 billion and accelerated the need for the best marketing approaches.

The best way to understand how the experts are adapting to the challenge is by seeing their methods in action. Emplifi can consolidate the newest approaches – on one platform – and show you how to use the mass of data available to boost your campaign ROI. Ready to find out more? Request a personalized demo based on your business needs.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on socialbakers.com. Any statistics or statements included in this article were current at the time of original publication.