Top 10 Influential YouTube Personalities - TopX Ep.44

#10: Ray William Johnson youtube.com/RayWilliamJohnson

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- Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Ray William Johnson developed his series “Equals Three” while studying at Columbia University. It wasn’t long before he figured out “huh, people seem to like these viral video thingies,” meaning they’ll literally drop everything to watch somebody sing “Big Booty Bitches.” So he combined two popular formats: the viral video and video blogging to pioneer a now-familiar format. - Although he’s no longer the host, Ray launched his web series titled ‘Equals Three’ in 2008, where the host reviews three viral videos and provides ridiculous commentary. The series has since been viewed over a billion times and is now hosted by Kaja Martin - If you need your Ray William Johnson fix, he can now be found producing new weekly sketch comedy web series like ‘Booze Lightyear’ and ‘Comedian On.’

#9: Ryan Higa youtube.com/nigahiga

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- There are LOTS of fake Internet gangsters out there, but back in the early days of YouTube, Ryan Higa went full NINJA on EVERYBODY. Ryan Higa is the founder and host of the massively popular NigaHiga and HigaTV channels, which were founded in 2006 and 2011 respectively. - His sketch comedy videos, which btw have been viewed over 2.3 billion times, are a mix of “How To Be,” explanations on the latest trends, and original songs that he’s composed himself! -Ryan typically releases one new video per week, and he’s also behind HigaTV, YOMYOMF, the brand new TeeHee app and probably something else with another brilliant acronym.

- In 2010, Jenna Mourey (morey) aka Jenna Marbles published a video aimed at the everyday woman, and let’s just say that her deadpan advice struck a chord with YouTube audiences. As of today, there is no other female YouTube with more subs than this American vlogger. Is it okay if I say girl power here? - The majority of her videos focus on women, what they do and what it means to be one – giving pretty much everyone insight into what we ladies are thinking. She’s since branched into her very own brand of dog toys, she cohosts a podcast and she’s a host on a weekly pop countdown on Sirius Radio. - If you can’t get enough Marbles, she’s also got a vlog channel, where you can follow her and every day shenanigans. Although we will say this: she’s admitted to being bad at uploading, so you won’t find consistency here! But that’s part of the fun!

- Sontard. Princesstard? Babytard. Rock…tard. Brotard! And don’t forget the original tards, Shay Carl and Katilette: together they are the Shaytards. As YouTube’s “first family,” these vloggers rose to prominence while living in Pocatello, Idaho, but once their familial adventures gained some traction, well, their entire world was flipped upside down – in a good way. - The channel uploads a new video every few weeks, updating the YT audience on the families newest goings-on, which include copious collaborations with other YT stars, marathons, pool parties, pranks and more. - The Shaytards have won numerous YouTube awards, but their influence endures thanks to their dedication to public projects and because they take the time to meet their devoted fans. Shay Carl and his Shaytard crew have been helping couples drop extra pounds, with Shay Carl leading the way by losing over 100 pounds in a single calendar year.

- The primary emphasis of HolaSoyGerman is comedy, and you don’t necessarily need to speak Spanish in order to appreciate Germán Garmendia’s Gonzo brand. Germán uploads semi-regular comedic vlogs that focus on everyday issues that affect teenagers – like what do you do when you’re in the friend zone, long distance relationships, and – of course – zombies. - This Chilean’s channel is the second biggest in the world, with over 23 million subscribers. Furthermore, he also has a second channel where he plays Minecraft, JuegaGerman which he uploads to almost every day. And as you know, Minecraft is essential when building your YouTube brand…okay, it’s not, but it DOES help. - It’s shocking how few English speakers know about this guy. Because, at the end of the day, no other YouTuber has more influence on Spanish-speaking countries than HolaSoyGerman. Nobody.

- Philip DeFranco or as his friends call him, PhillyD, has been in the YouTube game since 2006 when he launched his main channel sxephil. However, it was only when he conducted a social experiment known as “Big Boobs and You” that he identified the kind of content that YouTubers wanted to see. - Like Walter Cronkite and Jon Stewart before him – sorta – he’s the modern day newsman, as his daily show, ‘The Philip DeFranco Show’ discusses popular topics in the news, pop culture, business and media worlds. - Some of you younger Mojoholics may not “get” the importance of Philip Defranco, but he’s the man responsible for creating a variety of YouTube platforms, whether it be SourceFed, SourceFedNERD or his secondary channel Philly D.

- Bros, this guy just wants to be your bro and play video games. He’s the Swede Felix Kjellberg and his channel is by far the most popular in YouTube history with 38 millions subs as of mid 2015. “They” say he has more influence over the 13-18 demographic than Jennifer Lawrence. - Felix is the quintessential example of a YouTuber connecting with the world through his natural and slightly insane behavior. He uploads new content on almost a daily basis, as his let’s play channel features an assortment of video games, ranging from the popular ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ to… ‘Cat Simulator.’ - He’s unfiltered and sometimes offensive, but his influence on the gaming world is second to none. That being said, it behooves us not to give a shout-out to a few of our other favorite gamers like Markiplier , VanossGaming, Stampylonghead, Sky Does Minecraft.

- Around ten years ago, Michelle Phan had her own blog to provide makeup tips, and this coincided with the launch of YouTube. In May of 2007, her beauty vlogger channel was born. She’s since published over 350 videos that focus on everything from skin care, to makeup tips, to that perfect Halloween costume look. - In 2009, Buzzfeed helped one of her Lady Gaga-themed videos go viral, and she became a full-fledged beauty rock star. The next year, French cosmetic line Lancôme hired Michelle Phan as their very own makeup artist, and in 2015 she was listed in Inc. Magazine’s 30 under 30; a list of the most influential young entrepreneurs. - Although she’s extremely busy, Phan still manages to publish content to her channel, where she provides tips on makeup, summer hacks, advice, and more with her customary sunny and upbeat approach.

#2: Ze Frank youtube.com/zefrank1

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- Okay, it’s time to turn back the clock, as this vlogger was a legitimate Internet personality long before YouTube arrived on the scene. Ze Frank first became an Internet star when a 2001 party invite he created spread across the web, and with the launch of his nerdcore brand of comedy with “The Show with Zefrank.” -This man actually has the fewest number of subs on our list, but as Executive Vice President of video at BuzzFeed, he’s responsible for a heavy amount of videos that go viral on a daily basis. In other words, he’s a good guy to know. -When it comes to the Internet and YouTube, Ze Frank has seen it all, and given his worldwide speaking engagements on such topics, he’s truly someone to watch for advice on how to build a YouTube brand. Before we unveil our #1 pick, here are a few honorable mentions: HM1: Bethany Mota youtube.com/Macbarbie07 HM2: Tyler Oakley youtube.com/tyleroakley HM3: KSI youtube.com/KSIOlajidebt HM4 iJustine youtube.com/ijustine HM5: Shane Dawson TV youtube.com/ShaneDawsonTV HM6: elrubiusOMG youtube.com/elrubiusOMG

#1: John and Hank Green (VlogBrothers) youtube.com/vlogbrothers

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- When John and Hank Green watched the web series of our #2 entry, Ze Frank, a YouTube vision emerged, and in 2007 they kicked off their own series entitled “Brotherhood 2.0,” in which they communicated only by vlog for an entire year. - Today, YouTubers often identify themselves with a certain brand: “Let’s Play,” “Comedy,” “How To” and “Top 10s,” of course, but these guys are just a couple talented nerds that made the most of an opportunity. In fact, John’s 2012 novel was made into a movie that you might’ve seen… -They have a plethora of channels including SciShow, Crash Course, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and Vlogbrothers and are the founders of the wildly popular VidCon, an annual conference that features the best in the online video community. John and Hank Green reach the world on a variety of platforms, and they never “forget to be awesome.”