The 25 Most Influential Celebrities Online

Social media has forever changed the way we mortals interact with the stars, but which of those stars have used social media to become truly influential online?

#1. Rihanna

Facebook Fans: 71,579,124 (#1)

Twitter Followers: 29,892,503 (#5)

Klout Score: 93

With an average of seven tweets per day, Rihanna never shies away from an opportunity to share with her fans. Not only does she share often, she shares honestly. Rihanna's fans love getting her unfiltered thoughts and uncensored selfies through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. No other celeb gives such an inside look at stardom. Rihanna made the top of our list this year with the fifth-most popular Twitter account, the second-highest Klout score, and the most popular Facebook page. She's also the most-viewed star on YouTube with 3.79 billion views to her music videos.

#2. Justin Bieber
Facebook Fans: 53,845,619 (#7)
Twitter Followers: 40,077,846 (#1)
Klout Score: 93

When Justin Bieber tweets, Beliebers listen. Justin is the number one user on Twitter, and while he was once usurped by Lady Gaga, she's never been as active as this 19-year-old star who tweets an average of eight times per day. Every one of Justin's tweets seems to be retweeted thousands of times, and the quickest way to get famous on Twitter is to have the mighty @justinbieber tweet at you.

#3. Lady Gaga
Facebook Fans: 57,472,979
Twitter Followers: 38,000,623
Klout Score: 92

Lady Gaga suffered a tour-ending hip injury earlier this year, after which her online activity dwindled to almost nothing. Yet she's remained one of the most influential celebs online. If it weren't for her near-withdrawal from Twitter, perhaps she'd still be trading places with Justin Bieber for the site's top honors as most followed. Of course it's entirely possible she's been too busy working on her upcoming album, ARTPOP, to tweet too often. Or maybe after so many critics complained of Gaga overexposure it's all just a shrewd move to ensure she maintains her powerful level of influence over her army of Little Monsters.

#4. Katy Perry
Facebook Fans: 54,092,988
Twitter Followers: 37,491,632
Klout Score: 92

With a Pinterest-ready penchant for retro styles and an unabashed enthusiasm for all things cat-related, Katy Perry truly speaks the language of the Internet. She's also mastered the art of sharing without oversharing. She's not the kind of celeb who puts herself in a position of needing to delete a tweet or apologize for one.

#5. Shakira

Facebook Fans: 65,112,104

Twitter Followers: 20,839,778

Klout Score: 91

When Shakira gave birth to her son, Milan, in January, many of her fans learned about it directly from her. Shakira tweeted, "Milan Piqué Mebarak" on Jan. 22, along with a link to a detailed birth announcement. That brief message was retweeted more than 16,000 times. Likewise her Facebook posts tend to be shared tens of thousands of times with Likes that regularly surpass the 1 million mark. This international star's worldwide fanbase has turned her into one of the Internet's top celebrity influencers with the most popular bilingual Facebook page.

#6. Taylor Swift

Facebook Fans: 43,628,091

Twitter Followers: 28,790,534

Klout Score: 91

More than any other star on this list, Taylor Swift is poised to move up the ranks next year. That's because with an average of 37,000 new Twitter followers per day, Taylor has the fastest-growing account on the site. It helps that the star's girl-next-door image is perfectly in sync with the pictures of her adorable cat she likes to post. And her selfie style is exactly what fans are looking for from a star whose wardrobe looks like a walking Pinterest board.

#7. Britney Spears

Facebook Fans: 26,987,125

Twitter Followers: 27,736,904

Klout Score: 96

With the highest Klout score on this list, Britney Spears knows how to work social media, regularly interacting with both her fans and other famous friends. She uses social media to build anticipation for new music and shows as well as share pictures of her family and show off her sharp sense of humor.

#8. Lil Wayne
Facebook Fans: 45,686,402
Twitter Followers: 11,903,624
Klout Score: 93

When Lil Wayne suffered a seizure in March 2013, it was through social media that he assured fans he was on the road to recovery, and not (as rumor had it) on the brink of death. Besides using social media to give fans information direct from the source, the hip-hop entrepreneur also uses his online presence to promote his favorite clothing brands, and to talk about sports (everything from basketball to hockey).

#9. Cristiano Ronaldo
Facebook Fans: 57,754,758
Twitter Followers: 18,745,596
Klout Score: 90

Europe's most famous soccer players rarely develop a following in the U.S., but Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to be the exception to the rule. The shrewd athlete and self-promoter has used Twitter and Facebook to connect with fans globally, building the fourth-largest following on Facebook.

#10. Justin Timberlake
Facebook Fans: 22,838,736
Twitter Followers: 21,130,793
Klout Score: 92

Justin Timberlake's sense of humor isn't something he keeps in his pocket until it's time to break it out for Saturday Night Live. To get a sense of his real sense of humor, check out his Twitter, where he regularly cracks up his followers. And while Justin certainly has an active Facebook following, he might prefer if you checked him out on the newly relaunched MySpace since he's now a key promoter of the site.

#11. Eminem
Facebook Fans: 70,976,180
Twitter Followers: 14,718,179
Klout Score: 90

He's got nearly 15 million Twitter followers, but Eminem doesn't follow anyone. The Detroit rapper isn't known for interacting with fans, but he regularly uses his online influence to help promote causes such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

#12. Nicki Minaj
Facebook Fans: 30,695,366
Twitter Followers: 16,579,466
Klout Score: 91

With an average of 21 tweets per day, Nicki Minaj is not shy about using her online influence. The micro-blogging site, seemingly tailor-made for someone with such frequent and colorful outbursts, even became the stage where much of American Idol's off-camera drama was played out last season. Unhindered by the restraints of the show, Nicki used the site to express exactly how she felt about fellow Idol judge Mariah Carey.

#13. Bruno Mars
Facebook Fans: 35,782,620
Twitter Followers: 16,252,408
Klout Score: 90

Bruno Mars isn't just charming in real life, he's charming online, too. And with a sense of humor (monkey toys in tank tops anyone?) perfect for the Twitter crowd, it's no wonder he's one of the most followed and most retweeted on this list.

#14. Selena Gomez
Facebook Fans: 43,246,450
Twitter Followers: 15,334,475
Klout Score: 89

Selena Gomez isn't quite as popular online as her ex, Justin Bieber, but she stands a solid chance of outlasting him, so maybe she will be one day. Selena's online activity became infinitely more interesting when she and Bieber started experiencing relationship troubles. As closely as she manages her online presence, she couldn't help fanning the flames with a few cryptic messages. She also memorably used Twitter in May to announce the birth of her new little sister, Gracie Elliot Teefey.

#15. Ellen DeGeneres
Facebook Fans: 10,211,161
Twitter Followers: 19,747,660
Klout Score: 91

Ellen DeGeneres has become one of the most influential celebs online by capturing those elusive Twitter users older than, say, 30. Chances are if you follow Ellen, there's a good chance you follow Oprah Winfrey, too, but Oprah can't make you LOL like Ellen does every single day.

#16. Snoop Lion

Facebook Fans: 25,958,229

Twitter Followers: 10,773,959

Klout Score: 92

Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg, has emerged as a surprisingly popular figure online, enthusiastically embracing the opportunity to mingle with his fans in such an open way. As a result we have many many more Snoop weed references, and a few more details on the bling he likes best.

#17. Jennifer Lopez

Facebook Fans: 10,211,161

Twitter Followers: 19,139,325

Klout Score: 91

Jennifer Lopez tweets like a mom — a mom with an extraordinarily successful career who's constantly showing off both her kids and her latest achievements. Add to that a few selfies of one of the most beautiful women in the industry snapped alongside her hunky younger boyfriend Caspar Smart, and you've got the 11th most popular account on Twitter.

#18. Beyoncé Knowles

Facebook Fans: 48,143,380

Twitter Followers: 8,442,194

Klout Score: 91

Beyoncé's online presence is as controversial as it is popular. Fans are divided over how they feel about the extra-tight way Bey manages her image online. Every single selfie feels like it was mapped out and coordinated for the widest possible appeal. Rihanna fans are particularly prone to accusing Beyoncé of being fake. But Rihanna, who rarely seems to think before tweeting, has lost some of the same kinds of endorsement deals that have made Beyoncé rich. Meanwhile Beyoncé managers her tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts like the megasuccessful brand she is.

#19. Avril Lavigne

Facebook Fans: 42,908,345

Twitter Followers: 10,770,578

Klout Score: 90

The title of Avril Lavigne's latest single, "Here's to Never Growing Up," rings true for a singer who broke out at the age of 17 and whose personal style hasn't changed much since then. Online that means Avril's appeal has lost no ground with the kids as she continues to mass a large and loud youth following.

#20. Drake

Facebook Fans: 29,320,096

Twitter Followers: 11,164,311

Klout Score: 90

Drake is following a realistically high number of people on Twitter (592 at last count as opposed to Justin Bieber's unrealistically high 122,525), and with as many fan retweets as he posts, it's totally conceivable you could get a follow-back from the R&B superstar. That accessibility is probably why Drake's fans love the way he manages his online sharing.

#21. Oprah Winfrey

Facebook Fans: 8,374,326

Twitter Followers: 19,128,396

Klout Score: 91

Oprah Winfrey's need to be both inspirational and informative helped make her talk show a long-lived success. Now those same qualities have helped make the former daytime TV matron one of the most consistently high-minded users on Twitter.

#22. Chris Brown

Facebook Fans: 30,800,144

Twitter Followers: 12,650,428

Klout Score: 89

It doesn't seem to matter how many times Chris Brown torpedoes himself by saying or doing the wrong thing, #TeamBreezy continues to make him one of the most popular figures online. His drama with ex-girlfriend Rihanna played out on Twitter, where his fans are prone to turning on any celeb or writer who sides against the famous singer.

#23. Mariah Carey

Facebook Fans: 11,386,242

Twitter Followers: 11,060,892

Klout Score: 92

Mariah Carey shares a LOT with her online fans, who seem to worship her more like a goddess than a diva. It was fun keeping tabs on her running feud with Nicki Minaj during the last season of American Idol. But the best part, for fans who have aged along with Mariah, is all the adorable pictures she shares of her twins, Monroe and Moroccan. Mariah even has a site dedicated to her baby-related social media postings: DemBabies.com.

#24. Alicia Keys

Facebook Fans: 27,175,243

Twitter Followers: 13,960,952

Klout Score: 89

Alicia Keys stays overwhelmingly positive when using social media to connect with fans, making her an inspirational figure online. Her fans love her for it, and that's why BlackBerry sought her out when it needed a famous face to attach to its latest phone. As Alicia herself puts it in one of her BlackBerry-produced videos: "I feel like there's enough places that you can get negativity, so how can we provide a light source?"

#25. Adele

Facebook Fans: 44,151,700

Twitter Followers: 14,748,931

Klout Score: 88

Adele has tweeted a grand total of 176 times, and her last Facebook post was the night after she won an Oscar, but somehow she remains one of the most magnetic personalities online. When she does tweet, Adele tends to use her position to promote good causes such as AIDS charities and World Water Day, but there was also that time she made headlines by confirming her work on the theme song for Skyfall by tweeting a picture of the sheet music. Epic.