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It can be tough to know what to look for when looking for influencers. Should you get hung up on follower counts, or is quality more important than quantity? Does what an influencer typically post about matter? Who were the best influencers 2017?

Sometimes, in the search for influencers who are a good fit for your brand, it can help to look at some of the most popular, best influencers out there. The best influencers of 2017 can help you set up criteria for your own influencer search in 2018 and beyond.

Top 25 Best Influencers 2017

Zoe Sugg

Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, had some challenges in 2017, such as a pricey advent calendar that had fans (and their parents) up in arms. But the blogger and YouTuber still one of the best influencers 2017, with well over 12 million subscribers. She’s still there putting up haul, shopping, and general life advice videos. In 2018, she’s slated to publish her first non-fiction book.

Ingrid Nilsen

Ingrid Nilsen is a beauty blogger/vlogger with nearly four million YouTube subscribers. As one of the best influencers 2017, she also commands a sizable following on Instagram. One thing about Ingrid that makes her stand out from a sea of beauty influencers is that she’s refreshing and accessible. She’s partnered with brands like Bare Minerals, but she’s also just as likely to post a video about favorite drugstore products.

Huda Kattan

2017 was a very good year for beauty blogger turned cosmetics company founder Huda Kattan. As one of the best influencers 2017, she’s racked up more than 24 million Instagram followers. She was also featured in “Vogue Arabia” and led the New York Times to ask if she was the most influential beauty blogger in the world.

Chiara Ferragni

Chiara Ferragni is a fantastic example of a fashion blogger who turned her influence into an empire. She’s one of the best influencers 2017 with nearly 12 million Instagram followers and a blog that is also a shop, selling styles designed by Ferragni herself. It’s her mix of high style and charm that’s led to her success.

Aimee Song

The blogger behind Song of Style, Aimee Song is both a fashion influencer and design influencer. She’s one of the best influencers 2017 with almost five million Instagram followers, and was called an “influencer with actual influence” by NYMag. Why? Well for one thing, a collab she worked on with a sunglasses company sold out in just 22 minutes.

Leandra Medine

Leandra Medine, the blogger and influencer behind Man Repeller, is known for her innovative “man-repelling” style. She’s also one of the best influencers 2017. She had a pretty big year, announcing that she was pregnant (after years of trying) in November.

Julie Sarinana

Julie Sarinana, the fashion blogger and best influencer 2017 behind Sincerely Jules, also had a big year. She announced that she was getting married, and featured lots of wedding style and inspiration to her 4.7 million followers. Her brand was also nominated as best influencer brand for the Revolve Awards, WWD reported.

Hayden Williams

If you want to see engagement in action, check out Hayden Williams‘ Instagram feed. The British designer, illustrator, and best influencer 2017 has just over one million followers. His illustrations, often featuring glammed-up celebs or Disney characters, get somewhere in the range of 40,000 to 80,000 likes each.

Colleen Ballinger

Comedian Colleen Ballinger took her influence to the small screen in 2016, when Netflix debuted “Haters Back Off.” The series was based on a character the best influencer 2017 had originally created for her YouTube channel, Miranda Sings. Although Netflix pulled the plug on the show after its second season, Ballinger’s success shows that there is some opportunity for influencers beyond the internet.

Lilly Singh

Lilly Singh, a funny YouTuber with more than 13 million subscribers, was named “Forbes'” top entertainment influencer in 2017. Like Ballinger, she’s one of the best influencers 2017 and had some offline success. You may have seen her in movies such as “Bad Moms,” and publishing a book called “How to be a Bawse.”

Cameron Dallas

Cameron Dallas is a model, former Vine star, actor and one of the best influencers 2017 who’s got more than 20 million Instagram followers and another five million or so subscribers on YouTube. While his Instagram feed is full of pics of him walking the runway and enjoying life, his YouTube channel is packed with videos of him completing “challenges,” such as shaving his head.

Logan Paul

Knowing what we know in 2018, it feels weird to put Logan Paul on the list of the best influencers of 2017. But 2017 was a different time, and last year, Paul was seriously one of the best influencers out there. Although YouTube temporarily suspended ads on his videos after a controversial, insensitive video was posted on his channel, he still has more than 16 million followers.

Kayla Itsines

Health and wellness was big in 2017, and perhaps no influencer was bigger in the fitness realm than Kayla Itsines. As one of the best influencers in 2017, her Bikini Body workouts earned nine million Instagram followers.

Mark Fischbach

Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, is a gaming influencers on YouTube with nearly 20 million subscribers and nearly nine billion views. He’s certainly one of 2017’s best influencers and experienced some crossover success when he signed to William Morris Endeavor at the end of 2016.

Pewdiepie

Pewdiepie got off to a rocky start in 2017 when he posted offensive videos to his YouTube channel. Despite that, the gaming influencer still has more than 61 million subscribers, and brought in around $12 million last year, thus landing him on 2017’s list of the best influencers.

Jacksepticeye

Jacksepticeye is another video game influencer. As a best influencer in 2017, he has more than 18 million subscribers and nearly nine billion views. While some of his fellow YouTubers seem to earn their fame and fortune through controversy, Jacksepticeye takes a different route. He seems like a genuinely nice and caring guy.

Camila Coelho

Born in Brazil but now living in the US, Camila Coelho has her own YouTube channel and beauty line. As one of the best influencers 2017, she is at the forefront of the group of influencers who are using social media to transform the beauty industry.

VanossGaming

VanossGaming reportedly brought in more than $15 million from his YouTube channel in 2017. The best influencer 2017 has nearly 23 million subscribers and his channel features funny moments and animated versions of video games.

Julia Engel

Julia Engel founded the blog Gal Meets Glam back in 2011. Although she’s seen her share of sponsorships with brands like Gap and Banana Republic over the years, by the end of 2017, she was getting ready to launch her own line. She’s certainly a best influencer in 2017.

Grumpy Cat

What would the internet be without Grumpy Cat? A sunnier, happier place, maybe. But, who needs that? The cat is one of the best influencers of 2017 and is known for his permafrown. He’s has inspired legions of imitators — so many that he actually won more than $700,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Murad Osmann

Murad Osmann is the travel influencer behind the “follow me to” craze. He’s the best influencer 2017 who’s often-imitated photo setup features a beautiful woman “leading” the photographer to an amazing-looking location. Osmann has 4.5 million followers on Instagram, and an entire “Follow Me To” website.

Rosanna Pansino

Rosanna Pansino is the YouTube influencer behind Nerdy Nummies. The best influencer 2017’s baking channel has more than 9.5 million subscribers. Pansino apparently earns millions from her channel, according to CNBC, despite the fact that she’s very choosy when it comes to sponsors.

Alex Strohl

Alex Strohl is a travel photographer and one of the best influencers of 2017 due to his with breathtaking photos and 1.9 million followers. According to Lonely Planet, he’s willing to go where most photographers won’t, coming back with shots no one else has taken. In a social media world where it seems everyone is imitating everyone else, being original matters.

Deb Perlman

Bon Appetit called Deb Perlman, the blogger behind Smitten Kitchen, one of the original food bloggers. It’s true, Smitten Kitchen’s been around for a while. But that doesn’t mean Perlman’s influence has waned. If anything, it’s grown — she’s one of the 2017’s best influencers and recently released her second cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Everyday.

Joy Wilson

Joy Wilson, or Joy the Baker, as she’s known to fans, is another classic food influencer. With three cookbooks to her name and cooking classes near her home in New Orleans, she’s one of 2017’s best influencers. Last year she showed she wasn’t just influential in the kitchen. Her home was also something to inspire. It was featured on “Apartment Therapy” and “Southern Living.

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