Top B2B Influencers for Your 2025-26 Marketing Strategy 

Key takeaways

• According to research by TopRank Marketing, 69% of B2B marketers experienced a positive impact on lead generation and 20% reported a direct increase in sales or revenue from influencer marketing. 
• The top B2B influencers are Steven Bartlett, Ben Francis and Jeff Sheldon. 
• Many of the top B2B influencers have large followings on Instagram and YouTube as well as LinkedIn. 

Finding the most influential B2B  social media influencers: our methodology

The Kolsquare database provides in-depth insights into verified influencers active on social platforms, including Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.

For each key opinion leader (KOL), we highlight essential influencer marketing metrics, including:

• Credibility Score /100: Kolsquare’s credibility score measures audience authenticity. A higher score indicates a real and trustworthy following, with anything above 70 considered strong.
• Engagement Rate: This indicates the percentage of an influencer's followers that interact through likes, comments, shares, and saves.
• Earned Media Value (EMV): EMV estimates how much the visibility and engagement generated by an influencer’s content would cost to generate via traditional marketing methods. 

To identify creators in the B2B space who are capable of driving high-impact thought leadership and brand awareness campaigns, we selected profiles that meet the following criteria:

• Credibility score above 60
• Clear interest in business, innovation, or industry-specific topics
• Active posting around professional hashtags (e.g. #leadership, #businessgrowth, #innovation) within the past 12 months

This methodology ensures that the selected influencers not only operate in the right professional niche but also engage genuinely with a qualified audience of decision-makers and industry peers.

Our list of the top 10 B2B influencers + key marketing stats

When it comes to business, different types of influencers make a splash. Some are podcasters, others offer consulting services, and some grew their audiences on TV.

Let's explore the top ten B2B influencers. 

#1: Steven Bartlett (@steven) - United Kingdom B2B influencer marketing

• Interests: Family, Gaming, Sport & Fitness, Social

Followers:

• Instagram: 4.6M
• TikTok: 4M
• YouTube: 13.3M
• LinkedIn: 3M (@stevenbartlett-123)

• Location: London, UK
• Location of the audience: United States (36%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 77/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 0.8% | Instagram Reels: 0.9%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €58.8k
• Instagram Reels: €48.5k
• Instagram Stories: €4.68k

Steven Bartlett is a British entrepreneur, investor, author, and podcaster. He dropped out of university to co-found Social Chain, which has since become a $600 million marketing firm. Then came his true hit, the podcast Diary of a CEO, where he interviews guests on topics such as relationships, business, and productivity. The actionable advice, practical tips, and insights make for popular content. 

Bartlett’s podcast continues to gain millions of views and listens per episode. His success recently made him the BBC’s Dragons’ Den youngest dragon.

On Instagram, 63% of his audience is female, but on YouTube, 58% are male. Bartlett has collaborated with brands like Huel, Uber and Colgate.

#2 : Ben Francis (@benfrancis): Sportswear business mogul 

• Interests: Sport & Fitness, Photography, Inspiration & Lifestyle

Followers:

• Instagram: 650K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube:  285k
• LinkedIn: 696k (@gymshark)

• Location: London, UK
• Location of the audience: United States (28%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 76/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 1.48% | Instagram Reels: 1.76%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €16.6K
• Instagram Reels: €17.5k
• Instagram Stories: €1.81k

Ben Francis is the founder, majority owner, and CEO of Gymshark. Francis started the sportswear brand in 2012 from his bedroom. However, despite humble beginnings, his innovative approach to social media marketing propelled the brand to success. Francis used affiliate marketing to scale his online activations at low risk with a pay-by-commission framework. It’s now one of the most popular influencer tactics worldwide. 

On Instagram, 61% of his audience is male. His engaging content primarily focuses on Gymshark and his own gym gains. 

#3 : Jeff Sheldon (@Ugmonk) - Minimalism in design 

• Interests: Sport & Fitness, Photography, Inspiration & Lifestyle

Followers:

• Instagram: 75K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube:  x
• LinkedIn: 650 (@jeff-sheldon-6a39aa285)

• Location: London, UK
• Location of the audience: United States (50%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 77/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 0.14% | Instagram Reels: 0.5%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €1.1K
• Instagram Reels: €2.08k
• Instagram Stories: €152

Jeff Sheldon founded Ugmonk in 2008 as a side project that mixed his passions for graphic design, minimalism and typography. The business began with custom t-shirts but soon evolved into a well-known lifestyle and workspace brand, offering elegant products for creative professionals. Sheldon has now established himself as an industry expert in design entrepreneurship.​

In his Instagram content, Sheldon highlights Ugmonk products. He shares positive business messages and highlights design best practices. Most of his followers (65%) are men. 

#4 : Mary Portas (@maryportasofficial) - High street expert

• Interests: Beauty, Sport & Fitness, Inspiration & Lifestyle, Business, Culture (Art, literature...), Travel

Followers:

• Instagram: 164K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube:  x
• LinkedIn: 249K (mary-portas-obe-2420108a)

• Location: London, UK
• Location of the audience: United Kingdom (77%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 77/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 0.26% | Instagram Reels: 0.9%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €2.13K
• Instagram Reels: €3.3k
• Instagram Stories: €458

Mary Portas is a retail consultant, author, and commentator. She founded Portas Agency, which transformed shopping and business culture in the UK. Portas built her reputation on TV through Channel 4’s Mary Queen of Shops series. She also held executive roles at Harvey Nichols and provided advisory services to industry leaders. As an industry expert, she advocates for workplace transformation, ethical retail, and strong leadership.​

Partas' Instagram followers are mostly (87%) women. Her Instagram posts are usually carousels with endorsements of small businesses. Most of the businesses are creative, and Portas highlights the message and people behind them. 

#5 : Imran Amed (@Imranamed) - Fashion industry expert

• Interests: Travel, Sport & Fitness, Fashion & Accessories, Inspiration & Lifestyle

Followers:

• Instagram: 220K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube:  x
• LinkedIn: 42K (@imranamed)

• Location: London, UK
• Location of the audience: United States (20%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 70/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 2.44% | Instagram Reels: 10.1%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €8.53K
• Instagram Reels: €39.9k
• Instagram Stories: €612

Imran Amed is a fashion business analyst who founded Business of Fashion (BoF), a leading platform for global fashion insights and strategic business reporting. The former McKinsey consultant’s deep research and editorial work have a strong impact on the fashion world. 

On Instagram, Amed shares his unique insights, interviews, and case studies on the fashion world. The depth and expertise in his weekly letters have made people highly engaged. 

#6: Dario Vignali (@dariovignali) - Digital platform entrepreneur

• Interests: Travel, Inspiration & Lifestyle, Social

Followers:

• Instagram: 275K
• TikTok: 18K
• YouTube: 112K
• LinkedIn: 52K (@dariovignali)

• Location: Milan, Italy
• Location of the audience: United States (20%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 70/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 0.7% | Instagram Reels: 0.2%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €4.94K
• Instagram Reels: €1.29k
• Instagram Stories: €766

Dario Vignali is a marketing entrepreneur and the founder of the B2B company WeAreMarketers and the yoga educational platform YogaAcademy. He scaled his digital business through education, content, and community-building, focusing on practical marketing tactics for early-stage founders.​

Vidnali collaborates with brands such as the sports watch brand Amazfit and Amazon. His Instagram followers are split evenly between men and women.

#7: Stanislas Gruau (@stan_gruau) - Explora Project and Deskape entrepreneur 

• Interests: Business, Education and Knowledge, Entertainment (cinema, TV...), Sport & Fitness, Travel

Followers:

• Instagram: 85K
• TikTok: 2.3K
• YouTube: x
• LinkedIn: 41K

• Location: France
• Location of the audience: France(77%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 89/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 13.8% | Instagram Reels: 2.43%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €13.4K
• Instagram Reels: €6.48K
• Instagram Stories: €173

Stanislas Gruau launched Explora Project and Deskape, pioneering sustainable adventure and remote work travel experiences for companies and executives. His work targets environmentally conscious business travel and experiences.​ Gruau has strong audience-influencer relationships, shown in his above-average engagement rate. 

Gruau's Instagram audience is mostly (60%) female. Almost half (47%) are aged between 25 and 34. Gruau mentions brands like Oakley and Canyon. His content focuses on ultrarunning .

#8: Yann Darwin (@yann_darwin) - Financial tech educator

• Interests: Business, Tech

Followers:

• Instagram: 97K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube: 1.4M
• LinkedIn: 14K (@yann-darwin)

• Location: Dubai
• Location of the audience: France (79%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 83/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: x | Instagram Reels: 0.24%
• YouTube: 0.8%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: x
• Instagram Reels: €756
• Instagram Stories: €195
• YouTube: €17.5K

Yann Darwin is a finance educator, YouTuber, and co-founder of Greenbull Group, which specialises in investment training and B2B financial literacy, with a focus on social media channels, such as TikTok. 

On YouTube, most (80%) of Darwin's audience is male. His content focuses on practical entrepreneurship and wealth-building for professionals.​

#9: Amelia Sordell (@ameliasordell) - B2B micro-influencer and CEO of Klowt

• Interests: Inspiration & Lifestyle, Business, Fashion & Accessories, Beauty, Sport & Fitness

Followers:

• Instagram: 58K
• TikTok: 55K
• YouTube: x
• LinkedIn: 247K (@ameliasordell)

• Location: London
• Location of the audience: United Kingdom (56%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 82/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: 0.94% | Instagram Reels: 0.57%
• TikTok: 0.36%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: €1.78K
• Instagram Reels: €1.06k
• Instagram Stories: €118

Amelia Sordell is a founder, content advisor, and prominent personal branding expert for LinkedIn and Instagram audiences. Through Klowt, she coaches B2B companies to build their brands, drawing on her own career story as a marketer and creative leader.​

Her audience skews young and ambitious, with 48% aged between 25 and 34, and she has collaborated with brands like SKIMS, Lloyds Banking Group, and WillPowder.

#10: Lucy Griffiths (@lucygriffithsdotcom) - Solopreneur coach

• Interests: Inspiration & Lifestyle, Business, Fashion & Accessories, Beauty, Sport & Fitness

Followers:

• Instagram: 6.5K
• TikTok: x
• YouTube: x
• LinkedIn: 19K (@lucygriffithsdotcom)

• Location: London
• Location of the audience: United Kingdom (27%)
• Kolsquare Credibility Score: 77/100

Average engagement rate:

• Instagram Posts: x | Instagram Reels: 0.25%

Earned Media Value:

• Instagram Posts: x
• Instagram Reels: €37
• Instagram Stories: x

Lucy Griffiths is a business coach who helps solopreneurs and early-stage entrepreneurs grow their revenue and confidence. Drawing on years of experience, she delivers practical, results-driven guidance tailored to B2B microbusinesses.

Griffiths' Instagram followers are predominantly women (72%), reflecting her strong connection with women in business and personal growth.

What are B2B influencers?

B2B influencers are industry experts, executives, analysts, consultants, or creators who post on social media platforms. They often build authority through LinkedIn posts, webinars, and thought-leadership content, helping brands boost visibility, trust, and engagement in the world of B2B marketing. The top B2B influencers have established trusted audience connections and can sway business decisions within their niche.

How can you find B2B influencers?

Finding influencers on Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn is tricky without a platform. It takes hours to compare creators and develop spreadsheets, but you'll still lack some key data, such as engagement rates, EMV, and audience demographics. 

While it's worth reviewing LinkedIn interactions, industry podcasts, and event panels to find B2B product storytelling and authentic experts who genuinely use and endorse solutions. Many brands choose to use influencer platforms like Kolsquare to filter profiles by sector, engagement rate, and audience demographics. 

B2B influencer marketing agency vs. platform for your campaign

There are two key ways that brands streamline influencer marketing: agencies and platforms.

Agencies offer done-for-you strategy, matchmaking, and content production. They're best for inexperienced brands launching their first influencer campaign or managing multiple markets.

Platforms like Kolsquare empower B2B marketers to search, vet, and collaborate directly with influencers. They’re faster, more transparent, and ideal for brands that value data, control, and scalability. With in-depth reporting and measurement, you keep improving campaigns at lower costs. 

Want a full comparison of influencer platforms? Here's our in-depth breakdown of platforms and their features. 

What is B2B influencer marketing?

B2B influencer marketing leverages trusted industry voices to shape opinions, drive awareness, and influence decision-making among professional buyers.

Unlike in B2C, B2B influencer campaigns are less about virality and more about credibility and conversions. 

When setting up an influencer strategy in the B2B world, your goals should be clear, measurable and tied to business outcomes.

Based on the TopRank Marketing research, key objectives include:

• Brand awareness – 84% of B2B marketers cited this as a major impact area.
• Brand reputation – 58% pointed to improvements in how their brand is perceived.
• Brand advocacy – 32% saw growth in stronger support or referral activity around their brand.

It's best to choose a goal first, then build the influencer strategy around that goal. 

How can you become a B2B influencer?

Becoming a B2B influencer requires expertise and excellent communication skills. 

Here are the qualities a B2B influencer needs:

• A set niche and share consistent, high-value insights
• A personal brand on LinkedIn or YouTube that reflects your expertise and values
• Publish thought-leadership posts, and collaborate with companies aligned with your voice.

Over time, you’ll move from being a contributor to a pivotal influence in your industry.

How to start your B2B influencer marketing strategy

B2B influencer marketing relies on expertise and trust, not follower counts. To choose the right partners, you need deep audience and performance insights — understanding who truly influences your target buyers.

With Kolsquare, you can identify, analyse and track the influencers who align with your goals.