33 Top Digital Marketing Experts to Watch in 2021 + What You Can Learn From Them

Despite budget setbacks for many brands amid the 2020 pandemic, digital marketing remains a multi-billion dollar industry. 

According to ’s 2020 Digital Advertising and Marketing report, the United States (U.S.) market is estimated at $87.1 billion.   

While the number is astounding, it comes as no surprise.

’s 2020 digital population research revealed 87% of Americans are active on the internet. 

The continual shift from traditional to digital marketing makes excellent business sense. 

However, digital marketing is still an emerging and rapidly evolving industry — making it challenging to master for entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses alike. Not to mention the common confusion about what digital marketing entails.

So, how do you remain competitive and develop successful digital strategies? 

Here’s the good news: 

Several top digital marketing experts share their best insights and techniques for free, from podcasts and blogs to social posts.  

Not sure who the best digital marketing experts are or where to find them to seek advice? 

We’ve got you covered with a curated list of top digital marketers across various specialties.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll discuss:

Digital marketing is any form of advertising that uses .

Digital marketing is a general category. It encompasses many different facets, such as: 

A digital marketing specialist uses digital channels to achieve marketing goals. 

Due to the diversity of categories, many digital marketers choose to specialize in a given area. 

To better understand the different digital marketing specialties, we’ve listed five of the most popular positions below.

If you’ve found one or two that interests you the most, focus on learning from the experts that align best with those niches. 

A digital marketing analyst uses data-driven approaches to online marketing. It and analysis of brand marketing and competitor performance to build optimized strategies. 

Data-driven approaches can involve search marketing, paid media, email marketing, and digital campaigns. 

A content marketing strategist is an inbound marketer who drives leads and brand awareness through curated, omnichannel strategies. This role requires a broad set of marketing skills, such as copywriting, SEO, research, and analysis. 

An email marketing specialist engages customers, improves brand loyalty, and brings in new leads. build email lists of target audiences, create personalized email newsletters, and analyze email campaign performance. 

An SEO specialist optimizes websites , such as keyword tags and link building strategies, to improve search engine rankings and drive web traffic. SEO specialists also track and analyze website analytics and paid search advertisements.

A social media strategist strategizes social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and platform-specific content to improve a brand’s online presence. A social media strategist is a social media expert who can transform marketing goals . 

You might wonder what makes someone a digital marketing expert. 

While it’s true most digital marketers will choose a focused specialty, a seasoned professional will still have well-rounded knowledge and experience across the board. 

To be considered a digital marketing expert, here are the six to master:

When curating this list of digital marketing experts, we made sure to focus on individuals who:

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing 

Andréa Jones is an all-around social media expert based out of Canada, with over six years of experience in the industry. 

In 2018, Jones founded the to help inclusive entrepreneurs and develop great content. 

The school offers valuable courses and downloadables, such as: 

Jones is also the founder of the . We recommend giving it a listen. She shares key insights into social media strategy and interviews other digital marketing experts who express what works for them. 

In 2020, we got the opportunity to interview Jones about during the pandemic on our .  

On Jones’s social channels, you can find teasers of her podcast episodes, advice for growing your social accounts, and workshops for continued learning. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Content marketing, social media marketing 

When it comes to content marketing, Mark Schaefer is the holy grail.

Schaefer is a best-selling author, professor, and keynote speaker who discusses content marketing best practices at length. 

However, he’s best known for being a disruptor in the space. He offers innovative ideas for growing your business that sometimes go against the grain. 

Schaefer’s book, : The Most Human Company Wins, discusses fresh new ways to humanize your brand to beat out the competition. He also hosts the podcast with marketing agency owner and entrepreneur, . 

The podcast covers various digital marketing topics, from to brand campaign analysis. 

As a digital marketing consultant and renowned industry pundit, expect to find new content trends, tips, and inspirational quotes throughout his social media channels. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Content marketing, SEO, analytics 

Andy Crestondina is the co-founder and chief marketing officer (CMO) of the web design and development company, . 

Crestodina is a long-form content champion and provides results-driven information to help others improve marketing online. He’s also written hundreds of articles about digital marketing strategies and how to rank on search engines. 

So, Crestondina knows how to create compelling content campaigns. 

If you want valuable industry statistics to remain competitive in the field, the is packed full of them. 

On social media, Crestodina shares data-driven material on how to improve SEO, write better content, and optimize your website for the user experience. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Content marketing

Ann Handley is an author, speaker, and chief content officer (CCO) at . 

Her book, , is a Wall Street Journal bestseller and discusses how to create engaging content that outshines competitors. 

A coveted LinkedIn influencer, Handley’s social channels contain entertaining material on content creation, podcasting, and blogging. 

If you want a mix of insights and to receive tangible results for your business, give her a follow. 

For more in-depth advice, check out MarketingProfs’ . It’s full of articles, case studies, videos, and other informational content across digital marketing fields curated by Handley and her team. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: SEO, audience intelligence

Rand Fishkin is the chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of , an affordable market research and audience intelligence platform. 

Previously, Fishkin was the CEO and co-founder of Moz, where he was best known for his series on the . 

Whiteboard Friday sessions still exist in his absence and have powerful tips on improving your SEO, regardless of your skill level. 

Fishkin is also the author of : A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World, a must-read book for anyone looking to start their own company. 

With a community of more than 100,000 followers on LinkedIn, Fishkin is active on social media. While he used to just focus on SEO, Fishkin now shares his digital marketing expertise as a whole and tips on audience intelligence.

In 2020, we had the opportunity to interview Fishkin and his team about on our Agency Ahead podcast. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing, influencer marketing

Neal Schaffer is an author, speaker, and long-time social media expert. His social channels contain social media thought leadership, trends, and industry updates. 

Schaffer also teaches people how to build and monetize digital and social channels on his podcast, .

On his , you’ll find helpful tips on influencer marketing, along with SEO and content marketing insights.  

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: B2B podcast marketing, content marketing

Logan Lyles has over 10 years of experience in the B2B sales and marketing space. 

Lyles is the vice president of customer experience at Sweet Fish Media and co-host of B2B Growth.

Our favorite episode hosted by Lyles is with , director of account-based marketing at Directive. In , the pair discusses how to own your marketing career.   

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: SEO, search, paid marketing

Wil Reynolds has been a search marketer for over 15 years. 

Reynolds often speaks at marketing events about SEO, big data, and the future of search as an industry leader. 

podcast episode, Reynolds discussed how he went from economics teacher to scaling an online marketing business to $25 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). 

Reynolds is the founder and vice president of innovation of , a big data digital marketing agency. 

A useful resource from Seer Interactive is its series. Reynolds and his team share outrageous keywords to remove from your accounts to avoid unwanted clicks and costs through short but impactful videos. 

In 2020, we about how Seer uses for SEO. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert Niche: SEO, social media marketing 

Ann Smarty runs , which offers leading SEO and digital marketing courses. 

Our favorite is her course, where she shows you how to create viral media for major social networks.

Want more awesome insights? 

Smarty and contributed to the about .  

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: All-around digital marketing expert

To say is a big deal is an understatement. 

Baer is a New York Times bestselling author, professional speaker, and all-around digital marketing expert. 

In 2017, he was inducted into the Word of Mouth Marketing Hall of Fame, and in 2018 the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) .

Baer is also the founder and president of , a multi-million dollar content marketing agency. 

was listed as the top content marketing blog by . To this day, it remains a coveted resource for professionals across the globe. 

On social media, Baer shares things like:

Additionally, we recommend checking out Baer’s podcast if you want to dive deeper into social media marketing. 

How to connect: , , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: All-around digital marketing expert

Ryan Deiss is a digital marketing expert, entrepreneur, and investor. He’s been referred to as the “Godfather” of digital marketing. 

Deiss is the founder and CEO of , an online community and training agency for digital marketing professionals. 

He’s also the founder and CEO of , a growth acceleration platform for founders. 

He often posts witty marketing insights and shares helpful tips from industry thought leaders on his Twitter account. 

For more long-form insights, stay tuned to the . It’s become one of our favorites because of the growth hacks, tutorials, and infographics that Deiss and his team share weekly.

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Content marketing, social media marketing 

Heidi Cohen is a distinguished professor, content marketer, and president of Riverside Marketing Strategies. 

Her blog, , is a top resource to learn about content marketing, mobile, and social media. It also features marketing fundamentals for beginners.  

Cohen regularly shares case studies, campaign ideas, and industry research on social media. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche:

Where Mari Smith is the queen of Facebook, Madalyn Sklar is the queen of Twitter. 

Sklar is the founder and host of the podcast, which discusses best practices and marketing tips for working smarter.

Sklar’s also the founder and host of the corresponding , which has received more than 12 billion impressions since its launch in 2015. 

For expert Twitter advice to add to your industry reading, check out Sklar’s . 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing

Pam Moore is the CEO and founder of . She’s also the host of the highly-rated podcast. 

With over 25 years of digital marketing and branding experience, Moore has worked with large companies like IBM, Chick-fil-A, and Sprout Social.

As a social media expert, Moore shares tips and resources to grow your business and develop performance-driven social strategies. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing, viral marketing 

Shama Hyder is a natural-born digital marketing strategist and entrepreneur. 

At the age of 13, she found a way to . At the age of 23, Hyder founded , a digital marketing and public relations (PR) agency that capitalizes on viral opportunities. 

Hyder is an expert at driving momentum for brands through robust omnichannel campaigns. 

Named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Marketing & Social Media in , , and , Hyder shares posts about: 

Perhaps of most value, however, is the . The blog has great content to scour for advice, from solutions to PR challenges to social media tips for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.  

How to connect: , , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing, blogging

Mike Allton is your go-to guy if you want to start or grow your blog or learn social media growth hacks that work. 

Allton is an award-winning social media blogger, speaker, and brand evangelist for Agorapulse. 

He founded and , two resourceful blogs for sharing social media growth tips, tools, and expert blogging advice. 

You can find free resources and guides to optimize your social and content marketing strategies on both blogging platforms. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Content marketing, blogging

Follow Darren Rowse for helpful blogging and content marketing insights. 

Rowse is the founder of , a successful coaching platform for current and aspiring bloggers. On the blog, you’ll find eBooks, podcasts, educational courses, and to help you start, grow, and monetize your blog. 

ProBlogger is an essential resource to level up your content marketing strategy and .

While Rowse’s Twitter is more of a classified section for blogging jobs, he posts tips and advice on LinkedIn. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Perry Marshall is a renowned business strategist, author, and online advertising genius. 

His firm, Perry Marshall & Associates, is known for its online marketing consultations, which applies Marshall’s . 

Marshall focuses on Google AdWords and Facebook advertising and has written books on both subjects. 

On his , you can find free advertising tools and online workshops. If you want to learn more about PPC advertising, consider Marshall king. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: LinkedIn marketing, video marketing

When Shay Rowbottom talks, people listen.

 Rowbottom is a expert, influencer, and CEO of , her coaching and consulting business for social media growth on LinkedIn.

When it comes to creating high-quality video content, Rowbottom knows all the tips and tricks to captivate an audience and go viral. 

On Rowbottom’s LinkedIn, you can view her engaging videos that discuss LinkedIn marketing, business development, and entrepreneurial advice. On her website, she offers a six-week .

How to connect:

Digital marketing expert niche: PPC advertising, search marketing, chatbot marketing

Larry Kim is the founder and vice president of marketing at , a chatbot marketing tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Before founding MobileMonkey, Kim founded the popular search marketing platform WordStream. 

Kim is also a notable digital marketing expert on Google AdWords, Facebook advertising, and SEO. He often posts nifty brand campaigns, social media news and tutorials, and the occasional light-hearted joke on social media.

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: LinkedIn marketing, video marketing

Goldie Chan is the founder and head of content and creative at , a that specializes in organic brand growth for major businesses.  

With over 70,000 followers on LinkedIn, Chan is one of the most prolific video content creators on the social network. She was called the “Oprah of LinkedIn” by and has produced as an instructor.  

Chan runs the #LinkedInCreators and #WomenOnLinkedIn communities, and posts about brand storytelling, marketing, and occasional life advice across her social channels.

We interviewed Chan on our Agency Ahead podcast in 2020, where she discussed building employee ambassadors and a . 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing

Jasmine Star is a photographer, social media guru, and founder of , a subscription service that provides social media images, caption templates, and coaching.

Star’s features information on how to leverage Instagram to increase sales and drive traffic to your brand, as well as social media and photography tips. 

She also has a podcast, , focused on business growth, entrepreneurial advice, and social media marketing. 

Star’s creative background gives her content an edge and a fresh perspective on how to market and grow a brand. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: SEO, social media management 

Lauren Fraser is the founder of , a boutique digital marketing agency focused on wellness and travel industries. 

Based out of Australia, LMF Marketing specializes in SEO, paid media, and . The agency also offers , like an SEO checklist and guide on local marketing.

Fraser is known for taking an and posts tips about SEO, , and digital strategies. 

How to connect:

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media management, marketing consulting

With a master’s degree in internet marketing, Victoria Boyd knows how to curate successful digital strategies. 

Boyd is the creator of , a course for service-based entrepreneurs who want to scale their business and drive leads. She also has a that provides performance-driven social strategies, social media management, and . 

Follow Boyd for information about her free training courses, social media marketing tips, and revenue growth advice. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Facebook advertising, social media management 

Courtney Day is an up-and-coming digital marketing expert to watch. 

Day is the founder of the Australian-based digital marketing agency, . Her agency’s services include: 

Day’s Instagram account is a fantastic resource for detailed Facebook advertising and marketing tips. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Email marketing 

Jeanne Jennings is an email marketing expert with over 20 years of industry experience. 

Jennings is the founder and chief strategist of , a boutique consultancy that optimizes email marketing performance for medium- to enterprise-sized businesses. 

She’s worked with clients like Verizon, Hasbro, and Capital One. 

Jennings is also the general manager of , an online email marketing community for professionals. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: All-around social media expert

Michael Stelzner is the founder and CEO of , one of the web’s most well-known social media publications. The website covers social media post optimization, and updates and news on the latest social networks. 

Stelzner also created , the largest social media conference in the industry. 

For actionable tips from leading social media professionals, listen to Stelzner’s podcast, . 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Facebook marketing 

Mari Smith is a social media expert and a Facebook marketing queen.

Smith is so knowledgeable that Facebook hired her as a co-facilitator in 2015 for its .  

If you want to leverage Facebook to grow your business, Smith is the person to connect with. Her successful tactics rely on relationship building and video marketing.  

Smith regularly posts about on her social channels and shares valuable insights on how to maximize the platform and its service. 

For instructive Facebook resources, we recommend Smith’s . 

How to connect: , , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Minimalist content marketing

Brittany Berger is a digital marketing consultant who helps experienced content marketers get the most out of their online strategy. 

Berger discusses the power of repurposing high-quality content, or what she calls minimalist content marketing. 

Her are engaging and informative, with relevant content strategy and social media tips. 

For current insights and , check out her and social media channels. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: Social media marketing, B2B podcast marketing

is an author and social media marketer who specializes in B2B podcasting. His company, , produces and markets podcasts for B2B brands. 

What’s even cooler? 

Carbary is the executive producer and co-host of with Logan Lyles, another digital marketing expert on this list. Together, their energy and knowledge of marketing synergize on the podcast, so give it a listen.

Follow Carbary for information on and how it can drive additional brand revenue. 

How to connect: ,

Digital marketing expert niche: B2B consulting, lead generation

Ahmad Munawar is a Toronto-based B2B marketing and lead generation titan. He founded in 2014 to help boutique consultants land clients and scale their business. 

Munawar regularly posts videos on LinkedIn about sales and marketing growth, business tips, and ways to add value to your organization. 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing expert niche: LinkedIn marketing, creative strategy

Allen Gannett is an author, technology entrepreneur, and digital marketer who runs two video series on LinkedIn: #BookStuff and #AllenAsks. 

In his video series, Gannett shares perspectives of the business world through rising entrepreneurs and thought leaders’ eyes.

Gannett’s book, , contains information on digital marketing and how to find the right idea at the right time. It’s a must-read — especially if you struggle with creativity. 

How to connect:

Digital marketing Expert niche: , social media marketing 

Mary-Anne Da’Marzo is an up-and-coming social media expert and based out of England. 

We love Da’Marzo’s YouTube and channels, where she posts social media and productivity tips.

On LinkedIn, Da’Marzo shares cool brand campaigns for inspiration, about TikTok marketing, and addresses commonly asked questions in the industry. 

In 2019, Da’Marzo founded a full-service digital marketing agency, . In addition to her company services, she offers . 

How to connect: , ,

Digital marketing is essential to grow a business and remain relevant to consumers. As a continually evolving field with a variety of specialties, it can be difficult to master or understand.

On the bright side, plenty of digital marketing experts generously share valuable tips and free resources to help individuals and businesses.

Pick your favorites from the list, follow them, and make time to read their insights. Staying informed in digital marketing is a must if you want to be successful.