With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world. The rise of Instagram has ignited the concept of influencer marketing. Even though influencer marketing has existed since the 18th century, Instagram has taken it to a whole new level.
Over 90% of marketers use influencer marketing to increase brand awareness, establish credibility, and generate leads and sales. The influencer marketing industry is one of the fastest-growing marketing industries and is projected to reach $15 billion by 2022.
If you want to promote your business on Instagram, influencer marketing is the best strategy, and the first step in any effective influencer marketing plan is to find the right influencer.
We have handpicked five top Instagram influencers in each industry to help you get started.
Design
The global design services market is projected to reach $249.5 billion by 2022. The design industry is growing at a rapid pace, giving rise to many design influencers on Instagram. These influencers share their creative designs and portfolio on the social media platform. Let’s look at five popular Instagram influencers in the design space.
Brandon Nickerson is a New York-based freelance graphic designer who has worked for in-house brands like DagneDover and Harry’s and freelanced for Nickelodeon and Cat Person. Apart from offering design services, Brandon sells fonts for commercial and personal use. He shares his new fonts on Instagram, along with glimpses of work he has done for clients.
Natalie Myers is an award-winning interior designer and the founder of Veneer Designs, an interior design studio based in Los Angeles. She shares the images of beautiful home interiors she has worked on. Sometimes, she also shares pictures of herself and her husband and kids. Natalie often tags other photographers, home decor studios, and design studios with whom she works, providing them with a platform to grow and reach a broader audience.
Mandy Gubler isn’t essentially a design influencer. She is a DIY influencer who knows a lot about interior design and renovation. She is the founder of Vintage Revivals, a DIY blog dedicated to helping homeowners have a beautiful and healthy home. Mandy has recently partnered with Home Depot, a popular home improvement company.
Jenni Kayne is California-based apparel and home improvement brand founded by (guess who) Jenni Kayne. The brand caters to women shoppers and inspires women to live well every day. On Instagram, they share home interior photos, along with images of female models wearing Jenni Kayne outfits.
Jessica Walsh is the founder of Walsh, a creative agency based in New York City specializing in branding and advertising. She is also the founder of the nonprofit organization LW&D and the blog Let’s Talk About Mental Health. Jessica has recently partnered with Slack, a business communication service provider. Her content on Instagram involves everything from their agency’s work samples to job openings to her personal photos.
Beauty
The global beauty and cosmetics market is projected to reach $463.5 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.3%. Instagram has been one of the favorite marketing platforms for cosmetic brands, with brands like Kylie Cosmetics having over 25 million followers.
Instagram is also a popular place for beauty influencers. Let’s look at five famous beauty influencers on the platform.
Michelle Pan is an American makeup artist, voice actress, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of EM Cosmetics, a multimillion-dollar cosmetics line. She started her career as a beauty YouTuber and soon founded EM Cosmetics. Michelle mostly shares her photos on Instagram, along with some product promotions for her brand. She has also partnered with O-Lens, a contact lens company.
Hardly anyone who follows the beauty industry doesn’t know about Huda Kattan. Huda is an American makeup artist and the founder of the cosmetics line Huda Beauty. She is also a blogger and entrepreneur. Most of Huda’s content on Instagram includes promotional posts about her brand.
Even if you don’t follow the beauty industry, you probably still have heard of Kendall Jenner. With over 180 million followers, Kendall Jenner is one of the most followed influencers on Instagram. She is the sister of Kylie Jenner, another beauty influencer with over 250 million followers. Sponsored posts comprise most of Kendall’s content on Instagram, along with some selfies and personal photos.
Shayla is a fashion and beauty blogger and the founder of Makeup by Shayla. She has over 2 million followers on Instagram, where she shares makeup and fashion tutorials. She has partnered with Keys Soulcare, a skincare and wellness brand.
Entertainment
The global entertainment and media industry is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2024. A large majority of influencers on Instagram are from the entertainment industry. These include music stars, movie stars, and YouTube content creators.
Here are five popular Instagram influencers in the entertainment industry.
Kevin Hart is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and producer based in Philadelphia. He has over 100 million Instagram followers. His content on Instagram includes TV show clips, personal photos, and sponsored posts. Kevin has recently partnered with Fabletics Men.
Selena Gomez is an American singer, songwriter, and actress based in California. She was the first person to reach 100 million followers on Instagram. She mostly posts about her new shows, albums, and ventures. Selena has recently partnered with Serendipity 3, a famous restaurant chain in NYC.
With 251 million followers, Ariana Grande is one of the most followed persons on Instagram. She is an award-winning singer and actress based in Florida. Ariana shares a lot of personal photos on Instagram, along with occasional product promotions. She has recently partnered with Fortnite and is performing her greatest hits in the game.
since 2008, when TikTok didn’t even exist. Zach has accumulated over 25 million followers on Instagram. He mostly posts his illusional videos on the platform.
Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer and songwriter. With close to 190 million followers, he remains one of the most followed Instagram influencers in the world. He shares personal photos, clips of his concerts, and backstage photos and videos.
Food
Food images make up a large portion of Instagram. There were around 440 million food photos on Instagram in 2016, and they have only increased since then. Sharing food images on Instagram became so popular that a new internet term—Foodstragramming—emerged.
There are many food bloggers on Instagram that share images and recipes of delicious food items. Here are some popular Instagram influencers in the food industry.
With over 12 million Instagram followers, Gordon Ramsey is one of the world’s most popular chefs and food bloggers. He is an internationally renowned chef based in the United Kingdom. On Instagram, he shares images of dishes he prepares and some personal photos and videos. Gordon also has a YouTube channel with 18m subscribers.
Jamie Trevor Oliver is a British chef and restaurateur renowned for his approachable and easy-to-prepare cuisine. He has appeared in many TV shows. Jamie has over 8 million followers on Instagram, where he shares images and videos of his dishes and recipes.
Martha Stewart is an American chef and businesswoman. She has over 3 million Instagram followers and shares images and videos of delicious food dishes. Apart from her cookbooks, Martha Stewart is popular for her lifestyle brand of the same name.
Ree Drummond is an American chef and food blogger based in Oklahoma and the founder of The Pioneer Woman. Her Instagram feed comprises images of her food dishes, kids, husband, and personal life. Ree partnered with DishTV in January 2021.
Travel
Travel is another niche people follow a lot on Instagram. There are over 580 million photos with #travel. Many travel bloggers use Instagram to share photos of their adventures. Some popular travel bloggers on Instagram are:
Jeniffer Tuffen is a UK-based travel photographer and content creator. Her Instagram content comprises images of hotels, restaurants, and beautiful destinations. She often partners with hotels, restaurants, and airlines. Her recent partnership was with Liberty Lykia Beach Resort.
raveled over 97 countries. He posts pictures and videos of beautiful destinations on Instagram. Eric is also the brand ambassador of GoDaddy and AFAR.
Murad Yusupovich Osmanov, known as Murad Osmann, is a Russian photographer and traveler based in Moscow. Many people know him from the “Follow Me To” series he made in 2012 with his wife. Forbes recognized Murad as one of the top three travel influencers in the world. Murad shares photos and videos of himself and his wife and kids traveling the world.
Callum Snape is a Canada-based traveler and Instagram influencer. He was born in Belgium and then moved to Germany, England, and finally to Canada when he was 18. The majority of content on Callum’s Instagram profile is travel photography, particularly of the wild.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle is another highly popular niche on Instagram. The global lifestyle market is projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027. The number of lifestyle influencers on Instagram has increased rapidly. Lifestyle has emerged as one of the most popular niches on the platform. Currently, there are close to 300 million Instagram posts with #lifestyle.
Here are some top lifestyle influencers on Instagram.
Chiara Ferragni is an Italian entrepreneur and internet celebrity. Ranked as the top fashion influencer by Forbes, Chiara is the founder of Chiara Ferragni Collection and The Blonde Salad. She has over 24 million followers on Instagram, where she shares images and videos of herself and her family.
Dan Bilzerian is a popular internet celebrity, social media influencer, and legendary gambler, with over 32 million followers on Instagram. He shares images and videos of his lavish, luxurious lifestyle. Dan has written the book “The Setup” and has his vodka brand—Ignite.
Zoe Sugg is a UK-based YouTuber, businesswoman, and internet celebrity. She is the founder of Zoella, a wellness and lifestyle blog, and the co-founder of Film App and Template App. She shares pictures of herself and her family on Instagram. Zoe recently partnered with Sky TV.
Lauren Conrad is an American internet and television personality, author, fashion designer, and businesswoman. She is the founder of Lauren Conrad, a fashion and lifestyle brand for women. Her Instagram content comprises personal photos and promotions of her brand.
Julie Sariñana is a blogger and lifestyle influencer based in America. She is the founder of Sincerely Jules, a fashion and lifestyle blog. Julie has over 6 million Instagram followers. She mostly shares photos of herself traveling, along with some sponsored posts for her brand Color Dept.
Conclusion
Please note that the list of Instagram influencers doesn’t end here. There are many other popular personalities, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Caspar Lee, James Charles, David Chang, Nikkie de Jager, Mike Varshavski, and the list goes on.
If you’re looking for an influence for a marketing campaign, don’t choose purely based on total followers and likes/comments. Conduct in-depth research to ensure that the influencer you work with helps you achieve your business objectives. Follow this guide to finding the best Instagram influencer for your business.
