This year algorithm changes at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube dramatically reduced organic reach even further than last year. Gun manufacturers and gun industry or tactical gear companies are already reeling from the “Trump Slump” (a term given to the down firearms economy due to a lack of fear in the marketplace.). To compound their problems, many cannot pay the big three social media sites for advertising due to their liberal terms and conditions which ban the sale or advertising of guns and most gun parts on their platforms. For this reason, it has become more important than ever for Gun Businesses to turn to their only solution; Influencer Marketing.
Jump to Lists:
Top 40 Most Influential on Social Media Today
Top 40 Most Influential on Facebook Today
Top 40 Most Influential on Instagram Today
Top 40 Most Influential on Youtube Today
Top 40 Most Influential on Twitter Today
Influencer Marketing is essentially social media celebrity endorsement and product placement. In the past, companies paid radio disc jockeys to do LIVE endorsement commercials about a product they use or believe in, or they paid production companies to include product placement in TV Shows and Movies. Today that strategy works better than ever with some social media celebs having over a million fans or followers. Now you have to take into account the algorithm reducing their post reach to somewhere between 3% to 7% of their fan base when you estimate value at a Cost Per Thousand (CPM) reached. But just like a radio stations, the goal is to have frequency of message. A single radio commercial does not reach the whole radio station audience. Likewise, a single TV Commercial never reaches the whole TV station audience, not even the Super Bowl.. Much the same way, businesses are contracting with Influencers to build and maintain ongoing campaigns that over time will reach all or most of the influencers audience with the key being frequency of message and branding.
Gun Industry Influencer Marketing includes reposting (sharing) branded content, using the product in pictures, stories and videos (product placement) and creating content around the product (branded content). Rates vary based on popularity, reach and demand but from what we hear, one of the guys listed below gets over 30k per video. HOWEVER, it should be noted that NOT ALL influencers on this list are paid by companies to advertise their gear. Some of the influencers on this list have chosen to be supported by their fans instead of being paid by companies for reviews of their products.
We have used our huge social media network to pole gun owners and asked them to nominate the Gun Industry Influencers the TRUST Most. Trust is a major factor. A large following is nothing if the fans do not trust what the influencer says. We then sorted the influencers by total fan base on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter. Nominees were then filtered by the following criteria;
- Did this social media have a front man/women?
- Did that front man/woman publicly endorse other brand guns, gun parts or tactical gear on their channel(s)?
- Did they have at least a cumulative 25,000 fans, followers and subscribers
This list is NOT based on reach since we do not have access to all the gun industry influencer analytics and reach can vary wildly based on virility of content created. This list and it’s variations are based on total follower, fans, subscribers at the time of the data collection. It should be noted that if an influencer had multiple channels (ie two Instagram pages) those fan bases were added to achieve a total count.
We recognize that when dealing with a list this large, there most definitely will be discrepancies. If you represent one of these influencers and would like to correct data shown below we will entertain those adjustments until the last day of Shot Show 2019 at which time the numbers will become official until 2020. If the adjustment affects the top 10 we will still recognize the influencers below you and nobody will be “pushed out” of the top ranking
Top 40 Most Influential Gun Industry Influencers on Social Media Today
| Rank | Influencer | Youtube | Total | |||
| 1 | Demolition Ranch | 396,569 | 825,000 | 6,300,000 | 101,000 | 7,622,569 |
| 2 | Hickok45 | 617,585 | 276,000 | 3,800,000 | 66,600 | 4,760,185 |
| 3 | funker530 | 2,183,376 | 136,000 | 1,600,000 | 8,627 | 3,928,003 |
| 4 | Mat Best Mbest11x | 1,593,051 | 646,000 | 906,000 | 40,700 | 3,185,751 |
| 5 | Iraq Vet 8888 | 844,235 | 43,800 | 2,000,000 | 32,100 | 2,920,135 |
| 6 | Colion Noir | 599,517 | 459,000 | 805,000 | 137,000 | 2,000,517 |
| 7 | Jerry Miculek | 641,567 | 107,000 | 857,000 | n/a | 1,605,567 |
| 8 | Instructor Zero | 946,125 | 333,000 | 258,000 | 6,770 | 1,543,895 |
| 9 | Militrary Arms Channel | 387,821 | 237,000 | 881,000 | 32,400 | 1,538,221 |
| 10 | Tactical Shit TJ Kirgin aka Sig Glockincolt | 979,761 | 435,032 | 60,371 | 4,885 | 1,480,049 |
| 11 | Funker Tactical | 363,371 | 27,800 | 954,000 | 8,161 | 1,353,332 |
| 12 | Tony Sentmanat Real World Tactical | 224,322 | 1,000,000 | 74,000 | n/a | 1,298,322 |
| 13 | Tim Kennedy Sheepdog Response | 387,072 | 559,000 | 7,600 | 208,000 | 1,161,672 |
| 14 | Gun Jesus – Forgotten Weapons | 95,466 | 30,500 | 1,000,000 | 9,402 | 1,135,368 |
| 15 | Larry Vickers | 228,425 | 154,000 | 638,000 | 20,000 | 1,040,425 |
| 16 | sootch_00 | 76,126 | 96,100 | 767,000 | 21,100 | 960,326 |
| 18 | dakota Meyer | 590,121 | 225,000 | 28,000 | 101,000 | 944,121 |
| 17 | The Firearm Blog | 212,751 | 38,400 | 577,000 | 66,600 | 894,751 |
| 19 | The Man Spot | 355,842 | 459,000 | 57,000 | 3,418 | 875,260 |
| 20 | Andrew GY6 Vids | 80,958 | 62,200 | 718,000 | 2,317 | 863,475 |
| 21 | Nutnfancy | 22,563 | 6,193 | 784,000 | 35,600 | 848,356 |
| 22 | The Gun Collective | 513,049 | 69,300 | 163,000 | 1,743 | 747,092 |
| 23 | alex_zedra | 118,276 | 555,000 | 6,600 | 16,000 | 695,876 |
| 24 | 22plinkster | 62,363 | 78,300 | 525,000 | 15,800 | 681,463 |
| 25 | Tac Tissy | 564,956 | 44,300 | 11,000 | 3,067 | 623,323 |
| 26 | Polenar Tactical | 176,060 | 52,500 | 383,000 | 2,600 | 614,160 |
| 27 | Lucas Botkin Trexarms | 100,716 | 183,000 | 289,000 | 2,557 | 575,273 |
| 28 | Mrgunsngear | 172,293 | 83,000 | 297,000 | 5,583 | 557,876 |
| 29 | Janna Reeves – MissBattleBorn | 437,931 | 71,200 | 24,208 | 944 | 534,283 |
| 30 | Garand Thumb | 38,091 | 160,000 | 329,000 | 625 | 527,716 |
| 31 | michelle viscusi | 395,538 | 91,800 | 6,940 | 9,296 | 503,574 |
| 32 | Taran Butler | 161,479 | 259,000 | 78,000 | 2,037 | 500,516 |
| 33 | True Exoduos – Baret/Parker Fawbush | 66,546 | 340,000 | 40,000 | n/a | 446,546 |
| 34 | Charissa Littlejohn | 59,688 | 372,000 | 1,100 | 5,629 | 438,417 |
| 35 | Dene Adams | 365,335 | 21,600 | 2,900 | 1,281 | 391,116 |
| 36 | Travis Haley | 153,305 | 53,900 | 172,000 | 445 | 379,650 |
| 37 | warriorpoetsociety | 21,219 | 61,600 | 295,000 | 377,819 | |
| 38 | Lea “Speed6” | 89,861 | 282,000 | 293 | 372,154 | |
| 39 | kirstenjoyweiss | 108,288 | 45,300 | 211,000 | 3,270 | 367,858 |
| 40 | Yankee Marshall | 24,262 | 35,100 | 300,000 | 5,005 | 364,367 |
Top 40 Most Influential Gun Industry Influencers on Facebook Today
| Rank | Influencer | Youtube | Total | |||
| 1 | 2,183,376 | 136,000 | 1,600,000 | 8,627 | 3,928,003 | |
| 2 | 1,593,051 | 646,000 | 906,000 | 40,700 | 3,185,751 | |
| 3 | 979,761 | 435,032 | 60,371 | 4,885 | 1,480,049 | |
| 4 | 946,125 | 333,000 | 258,000 | 6,770 | 1,543,895 | |
| 5 | 844,235 | 43,800 | 2,000,000 | 32,100 | 2,920,135 | |
| 6 | 641,567 | 107,000 | 857,000 | 1,605,567 | ||
| 7 | 617,585 | 276,000 | 3,800,000 | 66,600 | 4,760,185 | |
| 8 | 599,517 | 459,000 | 805,000 | 137,000 | 2,000,517 | |
| 9 | 590,121 | 225,000 | 28,000 | 101,000 | 944,121 | |
| 10 | 564,956 | 44,300 | 11,000 | 3,067 | 623,323 | |
| 11 | 513,049 | 69,300 | 163,000 | 1,743 | 747,092 | |
| 12 | 437,931 | 71,200 | 24,208 | 944 | 534,283 | |
| 13 | 396,569 | 825,000 | 6,300,000 | 101,000 | 7,622,569 | |
| 14 | 395,538 | 91,800 | 6,940 | 9,296 | 503,574 | |
| 15 | 387,821 | 237,000 | 881,000 | 32,400 | 1,538,221 | |
| 16 | 387,072 | 559,000 | 7,600 | 208,000 | 1,161,672 | |
| 17 | 365,335 | 21,600 | 2,900 | 1,281 | 391,116 | |
| 18 | 363,371 | 27,800 | 954,000 | 8,161 | 1,353,332 | |
| 19 | 355,842 | 459,000 | 57,000 | 3,418 | 875,260 | |
| 20 | 228,425 | 154,000 | 638,000 | 20,000 | 1,040,425 | |
| 21 | 224,322 | 1,000,000 | 74,000 | 1,298,322 | ||
| 22 | 218,058 | 145,000 | 363,058 | |||
| 23 | 212,751 | 38,400 | 577,000 | 66,600 | 894,751 | |
| 24 | 176,060 | 52,500 | 383,000 | 2,600 | 614,160 | |
| 25 | 172,293 | 83,000 | 297,000 | 5,583 | 557,876 | |
| 26 | 171,386 | 37,000 | 88,200 | 296,586 | ||
| 27 | 169,468 | 95,500 | 89,000 | 353,968 | ||
| 28 | 161,479 | 259,000 | 78,000 | 2,037 | 500,516 | |
| 29 | 153,305 | 53,900 | 172,000 | 445 | 379,650 | |
| 30 | 141,459 | 111,000 | 7,100 | 8,825 | 268,384 | |
| 31 | 131,758 | 34,600 | 21,000 | 28,800 | 216,158 | |
| 32 | 122,697 | 138,000 | 4,500 | 5,153 | 270,350 | |
| 33 | 118,276 | 555,000 | 6,600 | 16,000 | 695,876 | |
| 34 | 118,080 | 224,000 | 342,080 | |||
| 35 | 108,288 | 45,300 | 211,000 | 3,270 | 367,858 | |
| 36 | 106,143 | 79,500 | 1,800 | 1,010 | 188,453 | |
| 37 | 100,716 | 183,000 | 289,000 | 2,557 | 575,273 | |
| 38 | 95,466 | 30,500 | 1,000,000 | 9,402 | 1,135,368 | |
| 39 | 93,109 | 47,300 | 53,000 | 5,486 | 198,895 | |
| 40 | 89,861 | 282,000 | 293 | 372,154 |
Top 40 Most Influential Gun Industry Influencers on Instagram Today
| Rank | Influencer | Youtube | Total | |||
| 1 | 224,322 | 1,000,000 | 74,000 | 1,298,322 | ||
| 2 | 396,569 | 825,000 | 6,300,000 | 101,000 | 7,622,569 | |
| 3 | 1,593,051 | 646,000 | 906,000 | 40,700 | 3,185,751 | |
| 4 | 387,072 | 559,000 | 7,600 | 208,000 | 1,161,672 | |
| 5 | 118,276 | 555,000 | 6,600 | 16,000 | 695,876 | |
| 6 | 599,517 | 459,000 | 805,000 | 137,000 | 2,000,517 | |
| 7 | 355,842 | 459,000 | 57,000 | 3,418 | 875,260 | |
| 8 | 979,761 | 435,032 | 60,371 | 4,885 | 1,480,049 | |
| 9 | 59,688 | 372,000 | 1,100 | 5,629 | 438,417 | |
| 10 | 66,546 | 340,000 | 40,000 | 446,546 | ||
| 11 | 946,125 | 333,000 | 258,000 | 6,770 | 1,543,895 | |
| 12 | 89,861 | 282,000 | 293 | 372,154 | ||
| 13 | 617,585 | 276,000 | 3,800,000 | 66,600 | 4,760,185 | |
| 14 | 161,479 | 259,000 | 78,000 | 2,037 | 500,516 | |
| 15 | 387,821 | 237,000 | 881,000 | 32,400 | 1,538,221 | |
| 16 | 590,121 | 225,000 | 28,000 | 101,000 | 944,121 | |
| 18 | 118,080 | 224,000 | 342,080 | |||
| 17 | 100,716 | 183,000 | 289,000 | 2,557 | 575,273 | |
| 19 | 38,091 | 160,000 | 329,000 | 625 | 527,716 | |
| 20 | 228,425 | 154,000 | 638,000 | 20,000 | 1,040,425 | |
| 21 | 218,058 | 145,000 | 363,058 | |||
| 22 | 122,697 | 138,000 | 4,500 | 5,153 | 270,350 | |
| 23 | 2,183,376 | 136,000 | 1,600,000 | 8,627 | 3,928,003 | |
| 24 | 43,795 | 128,000 | 15,000 | |||
| 25 | 3,590 | 122,000 | 1,700 | 45 | ||
| 26 | 80,923 | 118,000 | 1,437 | 200,360 | ||
| 27 | 25,704 | 115,000 | 40,000 | 1,302 | ||
| 28 | 141,459 | 111,000 | 7,100 | 8,825 | 268,384 | |
| 29 | 641,567 | 107,000 | 857,000 | 1,605,567 | ||
| 30 | 40,872 | 99,400 | 61,000 | 1,875 | 203,147 | |
| 31 | 76,126 | 96,100 | 767,000 | 21,100 | 960,326 | |
| 32 | 169,468 | 95,500 | 89,000 | 353,968 | ||
| 33 | 395,538 | 91,800 | 6,940 | 9,296 | 503,574 | |
| 34 | 172,293 | 83,000 | 297,000 | 5,583 | 557,876 | |
| 35 | 106,143 | 79,500 | 1,800 | 1,010 | 188,453 | |
| 36 | ||||||
| 37 | 62,363 | 78,300 | 525,000 | 15,800 | 681,463 | |
| 38 | 437,931 | 71,200 | 24,208 | 944 | 534,283 | |
| 39 | 10,643 | 71,200 | 43,000 | |||
| 40 |
Top 40 Most Influential Gun Industry Influencers on Youtube Today
| Rank | Influencer | Youtube | Total | |||
| 1 | 396,569 | 825,000 | 6,300,000 | 101,000 | 7,622,569 | |
| 2 | 617,585 | 276,000 | 3,800,000 | 66,600 | 4,760,185 | |
| 3 | 844,235 | 43,800 | 2,000,000 | 32,100 | 2,920,135 | |
| 4 | 2,183,376 | 136,000 | 1,600,000 | 8,627 | 3,928,003 | |
| 5 | 95,466 | 30,500 | 1,000,000 | 9,402 | 1,135,368 | |
| 6 | 363,371 | 27,800 | 954,000 | 8,161 | 1,353,332 | |
| 7 | 1,593,051 | 646,000 | 906,000 | 40,700 | 3,185,751 | |
| 8 | 387,821 | 237,000 | 881,000 | 32,400 | 1,538,221 | |
| 9 | 641,567 | 107,000 | 857,000 | 1,605,567 | ||
| 10 | 599,517 | 459,000 | 805,000 | 137,000 | 2,000,517 | |
| 11 | 22,563 | 6,193 | 784,000 | 35,600 | 848,356 | |
| 12 | 76,126 | 96,100 | 767,000 | 21,100 | 960,326 | |
| 13 | 80,958 | 62,200 | 718,000 | 2,317 | 863,475 | |
| 14 | 228,425 | 154,000 | 638,000 | 20,000 | 1,040,425 | |
| 15 | 212,751 | 38,400 | 577,000 | 66,600 | 894,751 | |
| 16 | 62,363 | 78,300 | 525,000 | 15,800 | 681,463 | |
| 18 | 176,060 | 52,500 | 383,000 | 2,600 | 614,160 | |
| 17 | 38,091 | 160,000 | 329,000 | 625 | 527,716 | |
| 19 | 24,262 | 35,100 | 300,000 | 5,005 | 364,367 | |
| 20 | 7,098 | 17,500 | 298,000 | 3,743 | 326,341 | |
| 21 | 172,293 | 83,000 | 297,000 | 5,583 | 557,876 | |
| 22 | 21,219 | 61,600 | 295,000 | 377,819 | ||
| 23 | 100,716 | 183,000 | 289,000 | 2,557 | 575,273 | |
| 24 | 946,125 | 333,000 | 258,000 | 6,770 | 1,543,895 | |
| 25 | 24,646 | 11,100 | 216,000 | 3,572 | 255,318 | |
| 26 | 108,288 | 45,300 | 211,000 | 3,270 | 367,858 | |
| 27 | 211,286 | |||||
| 28 | 153,305 | 53,900 | 172,000 | 445 | 379,650 | |
| 29 | 513,049 | 69,300 | 163,000 | 1,743 | 747,092 | |
| 30 | 83,097 | 63,600 | 160,000 | 306,697 | ||
| 31 | 196,328 | |||||
| 32 | 28,725 | 118,000 | 288 | |||
| 33 | 169,468 | 95,500 | 89,000 | 353,968 | ||
| 34 | 161,479 | 259,000 | 78,000 | 2,037 | 500,516 | |
| 35 | 224,322 | 1,000,000 | 74,000 | 1,298,322 | ||
| 36 | 7,123 | 36,800 | 65,000 | 3,367 | ||
| 37 | 83,788 | 1,136 | 65,000 | |||
| 38 | 40,872 | 99,400 | 61,000 | 1,875 | 203,147 | |
| 39 | 979,761 | 435,032 | 60,371 | 4,885 | 1,480,049 | |
| 40 | 355,842 | 459,000 | 57,000 | 3,418 | 875,260 |
Top 40 Most Influential Gun Industry Influencers on Twitter Today
| Rank | Influencer | Youtube | Total | |||
| 1 | 387,072 | 559,000 | 7,600 | 208,000 | 1,161,672 | |
| 2 | 599,517 | 459,000 | 805,000 | 137,000 | 2,000,517 | |
| 3 | 396,569 | 825,000 | 6,300,000 | 101,000 | 7,622,569 | |
| 4 | 590,121 | 225,000 | 28,000 | 101,000 | 944,121 | |
| 5 | 171,386 | 37,000 | 88,200 | 296,586 | ||
| 6 | 617,585 | 276,000 | 3,800,000 | 66,600 | 4,760,185 | |
| 7 | 212,751 | 38,400 | 577,000 | 66,600 | 894,751 | |
| 8 | 1,593,051 | 646,000 | 906,000 | 40,700 | 3,185,751 | |
| 9 | 22,563 | 6,193 | 784,000 | 35,600 | 848,356 | |
| 10 | 387,821 | 237,000 | 881,000 | 32,400 | 1,538,221 | |
| 11 | 844,235 | 43,800 | 2,000,000 | 32,100 | 2,920,135 | |
| 12 | 131,758 | 34,600 | 21,000 | 28,800 | 216,158 | |
| 13 | 76,126 | 96,100 | 767,000 | 21,100 | 960,326 | |
| 14 | 228,425 | 154,000 | 638,000 | 20,000 | 1,040,425 | |
| 15 | 118,276 | 555,000 | 6,600 | 16,000 | 695,876 | |
| 16 | 62,363 | 78,300 | 525,000 | 15,800 | 681,463 | |
| 18 | 95,466 | 30,500 | 1,000,000 | 9,402 | 1,135,368 | |
| 17 | 395,538 | 91,800 | 6,940 | 9,296 | 503,574 | |
| 19 | 141,459 | 111,000 | 7,100 | 8,825 | 268,384 | |
| 20 | 2,183,376 | 136,000 | 1,600,000 | 8,627 | 3,928,003 | |
| 21 | 363,371 | 27,800 | 954,000 | 8,161 | 1,353,332 | |
| 22 | 946,125 | 333,000 | 258,000 | 6,770 | 1,543,895 | |
| 23 | 59,688 | 372,000 | 1,100 | 5,629 | 438,417 | |
| 24 | 172,293 | 83,000 | 297,000 | 5,583 | 557,876 | |
| 25 | 93,109 | 47,300 | 53,000 | 5,486 | 198,895 | |
| 26 | 122,697 | 138,000 | 4,500 | 5,153 | 270,350 | |
| 27 | 24,262 | 35,100 | 300,000 | 5,005 | 364,367 | |
| 28 | 979,761 | 435,032 | 60,371 | 4,885 | 1,480,049 | |
| 29 | 3,223 | 28,900 | 87 | 3,839 | ||
| 30 | 7,098 | 17,500 | 298,000 | 3,743 | 326,341 | |
| 31 | 24,646 | 11,100 | 216,000 | 3,572 | 255,318 | |
| 32 | 355,842 | 459,000 | 57,000 | 3,418 | 875,260 | |
| 33 | 7,123 | 36,800 | 65,000 | 3,367 | ||
| 34 | 108,288 | 45,300 | 211,000 | 3,270 | 367,858 | |
| 35 | 564,956 | 44,300 | 11,000 | 3,067 | 623,323 | |
| 36 | 176,060 | 52,500 | 383,000 | 2,600 | 614,160 | |
| 37 | 100,716 | 183,000 | 289,000 | 2,557 | 575,273 | |
| 38 | 80,958 | 62,200 | 718,000 | 2,317 | 863,475 | |
| 39 | 24,632 | 62,000 | 2,133 | |||
| 40 |