Female Influencers: 3 Tips on How to Cultivate your Social Media Presence while Remaining Authentic

Though many women have cultivated their Instagrams as business platforms, representing both their personal brands as well as influencing others with company products, negative feedback and the constant struggle between remaining true to one's self and selling out are just a few of the difficulties faced by people who put so much of themselves online. As a Northwestern student with interests in marketing and social media, I have found two great articles about how female influencers harness the power of their reach while remaining authentic to their individual values.

Fast Company's Carrie Battan, in her article "The Instagram Trap: Social Influence Is Helping Women Build Brands—as Long as They Follow the Rules," writes about female entrepreneurs who have become influencers themselves by simply sharing live updates of their days on Instagram stories and promoting their companies on various platforms. Battan cites Emily Weiss, founder of the cosmetics and skincare company Glossier, as an epitome of this movement: she is an entrepreneur, active on social media, and has amassed almost 500k followers on her personal Instagram account. However, other female CEOs, like vitamin company Ritual's Katerina Schneider, stay away from all social media platforms. Battan presents this spectrum of online engagement throughout her piece, using quotes from recognizable brand name leaders to explain the positives and negatives of social media consumption. 

Eva Chen at an Instagram event
Image Credit: Women with Drive

Eva Chen is a superwoman. From raising two children, to working at Instagram, to traveling around the world for Fashion Week events, she does all of this and more while brilliantly capturing everything on social media! Claudia Torres Rondon's Hola! interview "Eva Chen Reveals her Instagram Dos and Don'ts" provides an intimate look at Chen's daily life and how she balances her career and social media, with her Instagram account boasting over 1.1 million followers. Rondon provides Chen's top five "expert" Instagram tips that range from authenticity to constant content curation, reinforcing the idea that the most successful type of online presence is one that is honest and dynamic.

After reading these articles and comparing what I have learned with what I study at Northwestern as a media marketing student, I recommend the following tips for developing and maintaining a thriving social media presence on Instagram and other platforms:

• Actively Build Community: Interact and build relationships with engaged members on your social media platform.

• Be the Best You: Do not be afraid to express success or failure online if you feel comfortable, as long as your feelings are authentic.

• Voice Your Thoughts: Social media was designed so everyone can express their thoughts; do this respectfully and thoughtfully.

As both a female Northwestern marketing student and an avid social media user, I urge you to think about these three action items the next time you decide to grow your social media presence and online professional persona.

My name is Laurel Wholihan, and I am a third year student at Northwestern University studying Radio/Television/Film, Spanish, Art History, and Integrated Media Marketing and Communications. I am the current co-editor of my school's chapter of Her Campus, an online news and culture resource for college women. I aim to pursue a career in social media marketing and brand partnerships next spring. Find me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.