Are you looking for some WordPress influencers to follow? We have assembled a list of some popular influencers in the WordPress community.
Being the most popular CMS, WordPress has one of the most happening ecosystems. There are always new updates and features being rolled out and plugins and themes being released.
It’s difficult for anyone to keep up with all the latest news about WordPress.
Also, suppose you need a little help or a tutorial to design your website? If you follow the experts in the field, you can easily find the information you need in a matter of minutes.
Following the right influencers will help you remain in the loop of all the latest and the greatest updates from the industry.
And when it comes to WordPress, there are plenty of committed influencers. They do not merely engage in casual WordPress-centric journalism but are experts in different aspects of the CMS, from website design to developing themes and plugins.
In this blog, we have put together a list of 20+ top WordPress influencers to follow. We will also provide links to their social media so you can add them to your list.
So, let’s get started.
Top WordPress Influencers to Follow
Here is the list of 20+ top WordPress influencers who you must follow:
1. Peter Westwood
Peter Westwood started as a custom plugin developer and later joined WordPress as a core committer in 2005.
Currently, he works for Automattic as a lead developer for WordPress. Having contributed to projects like bbPress and Jetpack, Peter is definitely a WordPress expert with quality first-hand knowledge about the platform.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
2. Matt Mullenweg
Next on our list of WordPress influencers is the co-creator of WordPress and founder of Automattic himself, Matt Charles Mullenweg.
He has been contributing to the platform since 2003. He regularly posts the latest news and updates about WordPress. Being an entrepreneur, he also shares his own ideas and interviews across his social media profiles.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
3. Syed Balkhi
Syed Balkhi is the man behind WPBeginner, a website with tutorials and blogs covering diverse topics related to WordPress.
The website caters to beginners as well as WordPress experts. Syed has over 15 years of experience designing websites using WordPress.
Not only that. He has also created tools like OptinMonster, MonsterInsights, and WPForms.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
4. Lisa Wilson
The next WordPress expert to follow is Lisa Sabin-Wilson, co-founder and CEO of the WebDevStudios.
She is known for her work as an author of some famous books like WordPress for Dummies and WordPress All-In-One. She has over 17 years of experience in website design and developing WordPress core.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
5. Mike Jolley
Mike Jolley is a software developer at Automattic, focusing primarily on WooCommerce development. He has also worked as a lead developer for WooThemes and AppThemes.
He is experienced in plugin and theme development as well as eCommerce store development. If those are your areas of interest, Mike Jolly is a WordPress expert you must add to your list.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
Wonder how WooCommerce is different from WordPress? Read WooCommerce vs WordPress [6 Key Differences].
6. Joost de Valk
Next up is another entrepreneur and WordPress expert, Joost de Valk. He is the founder of a popular plugin called Yoast SEO, which helps users optimize their content for search engines.
If you want to stay up-to-date about topics like SEO, open-source development, digital marketing, and, of course, WordPress, give Joost de Valk a follow.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
7. Josh Pollock
If you have ever looked for a WordPress forms plugin, you must have come across the Caldera WP form builder.
Josh Pollock is the brain behind that plugin. He has also contributed to Ninja Forms and the development of WordPress Core.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
8. Jason Tucker
If you are a WordPress enthusiast and an avid podcast listener, Jason Tucker is a personality that will interest you.
Jason is the founder of the WP Watercooler network, where he hosts a podcast named The Watercooler. Besides that, the network has two more podcasts: Smart Marketing Show and Dev-Branch.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
9. Justin Tadlock
Justin Tadlock is a front-end developer, owner of Theme Hybrid, and a prolific writer. If you prefer to read WordPress-related content, you should check him out.
Justin currently writes for WordPress Tavern and is a co-reviewer at Theme Review. Apart from that, he has also co-authored a book named Professional WordPress Plugin Development.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
10. Chris Coyier
The next influencer on the list is Chris Coyier, an entrepreneur and developer. He is co-founder of CodePen and CSS-Tricks, two popular website hosting resources for web developers.
He has also co-authored a book named Digging Into WordPress. You can also listen to his podcast, ShopTalk, where he covers topics related to web development.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
Prefer listening to podcasts? Read about 27 best WordPress podcasts to listen to.
11. Chris Lema
Chris Lema is a WordPress and WooCommerce evangelist who is quite active across social media. He is also a regular guest speaker at WordPress events.
Apart from that, he hosts two podcasts named WordPress with capital P and The Store Builders. Chris also offers consulting services and coaching if you need help creating websites and online businesses.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
12. Marieke van de Rakt
After her stint as a chief strategy officer and CEO of Yoast, she is now an investor and marketeer at Emilia Capital. She also writes blog posts covering Yoast, SEO, WordPress, and business management.
She also tweets frequently about WordPress and is regularly featured in interviews.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
13. Sara Rosso
Sara Rosso used to work as director of marketing at Automattic. She has also worked as director of global product marketing for a cloud infrastructure provider.
You can follow her on social media to get tips about the SaaS industry, product-led growth, leadership, marketing, and business in general.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
14. Mark Jaquith
Next on this list is Mark Jaquith, a lead developer of the WordPress personal web publishing platform. He also works as a freelance consultancy provider.
He offers consultancy services for both WordPress and web publishing platforms, helping individuals and startups.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
15. Kimberly Lipari
Kimberly Lipari is the CEO of Valet.io, a company that provides services like support, development, and auditing to WordPress businesses.
If you own a WordPress website, you can follow her to get the latest updates on website development, hosting, and management.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
Are WordPress.com and WordPress.org different? Read our WordPress.com vs WordPress.org comparison.
16. Adam Connell
Next up is Adam Connell, a blogger who is quite popular in the WordPress community. He runs Blogging Wizard and WP Superstar blogs, where he shares various topics, including WordPress and marketing.
Adam is a top WordPress influencer to follow if you need tips and tricks related to website design and online stores.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
17. Cory Miller
Cory Miller is an entrepreneur who built iThemes, which he later sold in January 2018. Currently, Cory is part of multiple projects in different spaces, primarily mental health, content, and eCommerce.
One of his most renowned projects is Post Status, a WordPress community home to CRM-related news, articles, and podcasts.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
18. Nile Flores
Nile Flores is a designer and developer who has worked with WordPress companies like WP Fix It and Yoast.
She has also been running the Blondish.net blog for over 16 years. She covers diverse topics and posts tips related to web design, blogging, and social networking.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
19. Jeff Starr
Jeff Starr is a WordPress developer who has also written multiple books like The Tao of WordPress, WordPress Themes in Depth, and .htaccess Made Easy.
He also co-authored Diggin into WordPress with Chris Coyier, who we mentioned earlier in the blog. Apart from that, he also writes for Perishable Press blog, DigWP, and WP Mix.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
20. Brian Jackson
Next up is Brian Jackson, the Chief Marketing Officer at Kinsta, a WordPress hosting service provider.
He actively writes articles for the Kinsta blog. He also has a personal blog named Woorkup.com, where Brian posts plenty of content covering WordPress, SEO, digital marketing, and more.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
21. Matt Medeiros
The last WordPress influencer to follow is Matt Medeiros. He works as a WordPress Community Evangelist, connecting individuals and businesses who use WordPress and Gravity Forms.
He also hosts a podcast named Matt Report, where he interviews developers and other WordPress influencers.
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter
Why Follow WordPress Influencers?
Whether you are a WordPress enthusiast or need help with website development and management, following WordPress influencers can be helpful.
Let’s look at some reasons why you may want to look for influencers in the WordPress ecosystem:
- Awareness
Influencers share the latest updates about WordPress, plugins, and themes. They also inform you of the ongoing trends and best practices in website design and development.
- Learn from Experts
Influencers are often WordPress experts. You will find many such personalities who provide huge resources covering how-to guides, tutorials, and tips and tricks that you can use to improve your knowledge of the platform.
- Product Recommendation
WordPress has a massive ecosystem of hosting services, plugins, and themes, making it a challenge to pick the one you need. However, WordPress influencers regularly review products and post detailed round-ups so you can select the plugins that you need.
- Build Connections
Influencers are quite open to conversations. Some even manage their own online communities. You can connect with these influencers and like-minded people, ask questions, and even collaborate on projects.
Before You Go
That wraps up our list of 20+ top WordPress influencers who you must follow. Each influencer is an expert in one or more aspects of WordPress, ranging from design and development to blogging and online store management.
So, consider your areas of interest and what you need help with to pick your WordPress experts.
Apart from influencers, you need the right set of plugins to design websites using WordPress easily.
If you use Gutenberg, check out The Plus Blocks for Gutenberg by POSIMYTH Innovations.
The Plus Blocks is an addon that adds over 85 Gutenberg blogs to your setup.
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You can drag and drop them to a page and customize them with intuitive settings options. You also get a dedicated blog builder, popup builder, dark mode, mega menu, and more.
Further Read: Looking for a hosting service to host your website? Check this detailed comparison of the 6 best WordPress hosting providers.
FAQs About Top WordPress Influencers
Who are the top WordPress influencers in 2023?
Matt Mullenweg, Chris Lema, Syed Balkhi, Adam Connell, and Cory Miller are some of the top WordPress influencers.
What kind of content do WordPress influencers typically share?
WordPress influencers post a variety of content, which often depends on their area of expertise. However, the majority of their content is for helping WordPress users. Hence, they regularly post news, updates, product recommendations, tips and tricks, interviews, and more.
How can I find and connect with WordPress influencers on social media?
LinkedIn and Twitter are ideal platforms to find and connect to WordPress influencers. To directly find their handles, websites, and blogs, you can use Google as well.
Are there any WordPress influencers who provide tutorials or guides for beginners?
Syed Balkhi, who runs WPBeginner, has a quality catalog of tutorials and guides for beginners looking to learn WordPress.
What are some popular WordPress conferences or events where I can meet these influencers?
WordCamp, International PHP Conference, Web Unleashed, WPCampus, and php[world] are some popular WordPress events where you can meet influencers and experts.