Fastest‑Growing Influencers 2017: Eight Years Later

Fastest growing influencers 2017 was the headline back then, but eight years later the numbers tell a deeper story. In December 2017 we published a list of the fastest growing influencers 2017—accounts that added millions of followers in a single year. Eight years (and several algorithm changes) later, we checked back in. Who kept the momentum, who plateaued, and who quietly slipped off the radar?

Below you’ll find:

  • 2017 gain vs. 2025 follower count
  • A quick diagnosis of what drove each surge
  • Fresh engagement or media‑value nuggets where available

But first—a refresher:

Bar chart ranking the 10 fastest growing influencers 2017 by absolute and relative follower gain
2017 leaderboard: who added the most followers in one year.

TL;DR: In 2017 these ten creators added a combined 63 million new followers. As of July 2025 the same group commands 410 million followers total—over 6× Germany’s population.

Why revisit the fastest growing influencers 2017 class?

  • The TikTok era rewired discovery; Instagram growth became harder.
  • Brand budgets shifted from vanity numbers to social media ROI.
  • Some 2017 breakouts—in particular Bad Bunny and Dua Lipa—are now global headliners.

(For the long view on how influencer culture morphed, skim our internal primer Brief History of Influencer Marketing.)

The 10 Fastest‑Growing Influencers of 2017 – Updated

2025 follower counts were captured July 15‑18, 2025 via public Instagram profiles or Socialblade snapshots.

Rank ’17Account2017 surgeFollowers July 2025Growth since 2017*
1Katherine 
Langford
+7.49 M41 M×5.5
2Bad Bunny+7.03 M49 M×6.9
3Kevinho+6.59 M26 M×4.0
4Katrina Kaif+6.55 M80 M×12
5Finn Wolfhard+6.51 M21 M×3.2
6Disha Patani+5.85 M61 M×10
7Pabllo Vittar+5.64 M13 M×2.3
8Simaria+5.23 M27 M×5.2
9Camila Mendes+5.17 M24 M×4.6
10Dua Lipa+5.07 M88 M×17

*Relative to the baseline at Dec 31 2017.

Katherine Langford

2017 story: A breakout role in 13 Reasons Why turned the Aussie actress into teen‑feed royalty overnight.
2025 check‑in: Posting cadence is still low (<150 photos total), but red‑carpet reels keep her engagement near 3 %. Netflix miniseries drops continue to deliver follower bumps.

InfluencerDB chart – Katherine Langford follower growth and earned media in 2017
Katherine Langford: +7.5 M followers after 13 Reasons Why.

Bad Bunny

From Latin‑trap phenom to global stadium act—Benito’s Instagram is now merch, tour dates and the occasional meme. Despite fewer than 30 posts, Stories drive massive swipe‑ups to his clothing line.

Bad Bunny 2017 Instagram growth curve and media value per post
Bad Bunny: Latin‑trap star turned global headliner.

Kevinho

The Brazilian funk star still drops club bangers, but growth slowed after TikTok diverted Gen‑Z dance challenges. Media Value per post, however, climbed to ~$44 K thanks to beverage collabs.

Kevinho 2017 follower surge vs. earned media organic
Kevinho: Brazilian funk beats drove +6.6 M new fans.

Katrina Kaif

Bollywood’s fitness queen pivoted hard into beauty entrepreneurship (Kay Beauty). A disciplined reel strategy (workouts + BTS shoots) pushed her to 80 M—making her India’s #2 female actor on IG.

Katrina Kaif 2017 Instagram growth and engagement ratio
Katrina Kaif: fitness + Bollywood + beauty brand lift.

Finn Wolfhard

Still riding Stranger Things, but branching into indie music. Engagement (≈5 %) beats the group average, helped by low‑fi behind‑the‑scenes carousel dumps.

These patterns show the fastest growing influencers 2017 built momentum through cross‑platform buzz.

Finn Wolfhard 2017 follower expansion chart – Stranger Things effect
Finn Wolfhard: Netflix fame fuels 6.5 M‑plus gain.

Disha Patani

Highest EMV among the ten (~$42.9 K/post). Content pillars: gym flips, Calvin Klein shoots, pet dog photos. Follower curve shows no plateau yet.

Disha Patani 2017 Instagram growth with earned media spikes
Disha Patani: workout reels help add 5.8 M fans.

Pabllo Vittar

The Brazilian drag icon crossed 13 M. Viral beauty‑filter collabs and Pride live‑streams remain her growth engines.

Pabllo Vittar follower curve and media value 2017
Pabllo Vittar: Pride anthems spark +5.6 M growth.

Simaria

Post‑duo rebrand (after Simaria & Simone split) shrank her feed to <50 posts, yet loyalty keeps her CTR healthy. Music‑video launches spike +400 K followers week‑over‑week.

Simaria 2017 Instagram follower trend and paid vs. organic media
Simaria: sertanejo star gains 5.2 M despite duo split.

Camila Mendes

With Riverdale wrapped, growth cooled. Still, brand partners love her bilingual reach (US‑BR). Follower count hovers at 24 M; engagement ratio 1.1 %.

Camila Mendes 2017 growth chart – Riverdale launch impact
Camila Mendes: TV breakout nets 5.1 M new followers.

Dua Lipa

The biggest riser post‑2017: +83 M more followers. Strategically sparse grid, high‑gloss era drops (Future Nostalgia, Radical Optimism) and well‑timed “photo dumps” keep algorithm momentum.

Dua Lipa 2017 follower trajectory and media value per post
Dua Lipa: 5 M boost preludes stadium‑level stardom.

What the 2017 cohort teaches marketers in 2025

  1. Low‑frequency, high‑impact works — Bad Bunny posts ~twice a year yet converts.
  2. Product equity drives long‑tail growth — Katrina Kaif’s beauty brand fed +60 M followers.
  3. Algorithm‑proof niches matter — Pabllo Vittar’s Pride activism keeps her atop LGBTQIA+ feeds regardless of platform tweaks.
  4. Mo’ posts ≠ mo’ followers — Disha Patani proves consistency matters, but content pillars trump volume.
  5. Audience aging is real — Katherine Langford’s teen fandom matured; she adjusted with adult‑drama roles and styling partnerships.

(Curious how those lessons fit into $$? Check our compact explainer Media Value on Instagram.)

Key takeaways of the Fastest Growing Influencers 2017

  • The fastest‑growing influencers 2017 still move culture, but the macro‑winners (Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa) paired growth with off‑Instagram distribution—music, movies, brands.
  • Accounts relying purely on feed posts saw follower curves flatten, yet can monetise tighter communities with higher CPMs.
  • 2025’s secret sauce: own a niche, diversify platforms, and treat Instagram as a hub, not a lifeline.

In short, the fastest growing influencers 2017 still set the bar for cross‑platform stamina.

Article compiled from archived InfluencerDB charts, live follower counts and eight years of algorithm whiplash—proof that nothing ages faster than last year’s Explore tab.