Women in the workforce have had a tumultuous few years. In December, 2020, when our world was still navigating the harsh impact of a global pandemic, a U.S. Bureau of Labor jobs report revealed employers had cut 140,000 jobs. The most disheartening detail: all 140,000 jobs were held by women. Fewer women in the workforce translates to fewer women rising to leadership roles and the data proves it. A year later, the jobs website Zippia reported only 32% of all chief marketing officers were women.
But it's not only leadership roles where women fall short. To this day for every dollar men earn, women are paid 77 cents. According to the UN it will take 257 years to close the global gender pay gap. Women who are in leadership in positions have the opportunity to drive change within their organizations, and of course, it's no easy feat as often pay, promotions, etc occur behind a curtain of unconscious bias. We still have a long road ahead of us to achieve full equality.
This, of course, is a story as old as time: fewer women in leadership roles and less pay for the ones who make their way to the top. Fortunately, many of our industry’s most successful and most inspiring women marketers are using their social platforms to offer guidance and share their expertise, helping women across industries navigate their professional life.
In honor of International Women’s Day, I wanted to highlight women in marketing who are going above and beyond to build powerful online communities. Whether you are a woman or man – new to the industry or a seasoned professional – these 16 women are worth a follow!
1. Amanda Natividad
Follow Amanda on Twitter: @amandanat
VP of Marketing at Sparktoro, Amanda Natividad posts a mix of general advice, opinions and thought questions about social campaigns, resources for job seekers and employers in marketing, and much more. She’s well-known for her detailed Twitter threads that often spark conversation between marketers from different industries.
2. Chi Thukral
Follow Chi on Twitter: @ChiThukral
Chi Thukral is a leader in the global marketing community, known for both the fun and relatable content she shares on social media as well as intelligent marketing insights and experiences. Chi has authored pieces on social media marketing for Adweek, and has her own website complete with a merch shop.
3. Brianne Fleming
Follow Brianne on Twitter: @brianne2k
Marketer, marketing instructor, podcaster, and thought leader Brianne Fleming boasts a large and engaged following on social media. Brianne hosts a weekly Twitter chat (via the hashtag #PopChat) that combines elements of pop culture and marketing, bringing in responses from a global audience.
4. Kimeko McCoy
Follow Kimeko on Twitter: @KimekoM
Senior Marketing Reporter at Digiday Kimeko McCoy regularly shares innovative insights for the marketing community as well as commentary on trends in the industry. Kimeko hosts Digiday’s 2022 podcast The Return, which focuses on post-pandemic life and the future of work in corporate America.
5. Krystal Wu
Follow Krystal on Twitter: @HelloKrystalWu
Thought leader Krystal Wu posts her own advice and experiences for her Twitter audience and reshares a myriad of valuable marketing content from her peers. Pioneering community through her online presence, Krystal is skilled at asking open-ended questions that generate buzz and thoughtful discussion on Twitter.
6. Mari Smith
Follow Mari on Twitter: @MariSmith
Marketing expert and thought leader Mari Smith shares her mastery of organic content strategy for Facebook through workshops, live videos, personalized training, and her own social media posts. On her website, marketers in a variety of industries share their praise for Mari and how her training improved their companies’ engagement, leads, and traffic through Facebook.
7. Christine Gritmon
Follow Christine on Twitter: @cgritmon
Marketers, creators, social media managers, and brand strategists from all over the social media landscape are familiar with Christine Gritmon’s popular #ChatAboutBrand weekly Twitter chat. Christine covers diverse topics in both her Twitter chat and everyday content online, often featuring special guests to power marketing and brand-related conversations on and off the platform.
8. Tiffany Zhong
Follow Tiffany on Twitter: @tzhongg
Entrepreneur and former venture capitalist Tiffany Zhong is known online as a “Gen Z Whisperer” for her expertise at understanding consumer behavior in younger generations. Tiffany created Zebra IQ’s State of Gen Z Report in 2020, featuring unique insights for marketers looking to connect with Gen Z through social media, influencer marketing, and more.
9. Alexa Heinrich
Follow Alexa on Twitter: @HashtagHeyAlexa
Alexa Heinrich’s knowledge spans many fields in marketing and social media, and she’s especially passionate about advocating for accessibility from brands. She consistently shares tips about alt text, #CamelCase, and emoji usage on Twitter (and beyond) to help brands take on a more inclusive approach to social. Alexa also runs the Twitter account @SippinSocialTea to share quippy content about social media marketing.
10. Mara Calvello
Follow Mara on Twitter: @mara_calv
Mara Calvello is G2’s Content Marketing Manager and a proud contributor to #MarketingTwitter, an unofficial community of marketers frequently sharing thought leadership content on Twitter. Sharing marketing knowledge, industry trends and insights, and some great memes on her social profiles, Mara continues to make her mark online while letting her personality shine through.
11. Teodora Ema Pirciu
Follow Teodora on Twitter: @EmaPirciu
Content marketing strategist Teodora Ema Pirciu is an active member of the online marketing community, sharing knowledge around both trending topics in the industry and insights from her personal experiences as a marketer and freelancer. Teodora brings a unique perspective to marketing in her Tweets, often highlighting content advice and tips through the lens of a consumer and writer.
12. Rosemary Egbo
Follow Rosemary on Twitter: @RosemaryEgbo
Freelance content writer and strategist Rosemary Egbo contributes her expertise to reputable websites and publications like Business.com, Xolo, and SEMRush. From Twitter threads outlining her approach to content marketing and how it impacts the brands she’s worked with to a plethora of insightful articles, Rosemary’s content is valuable for freelancers and marketers alike.
13. Adrienne Sheares
Follow Adrienne on Twitter: @AdriSheares
Well-versed in the world of social media and content, Adrienne Sheares contributes thoughtful marketing insights and opinions on Twitter, often amplifying social posts and articles from other accounts and individuals to educate her online audience. Adrienne owns social media consultancy ViviMae Labs and regularly contributes her expertise to major publications like Adweek and ABC News.
14. Jayde I. Powell
Follow Jayde on Twitter: @jaydeipowell
Content marketer Jayde I. Powell hosts the live audio show #CreatorTeaTalk on LinkedIn, covering a variety of diverse topics and how they relate to today’s creator economy. Jayde is a creator herself, and frequently shares educational content regarding trends and challenges faced by the Black creator community.
15. Goldie Chan
Follow Goldie on Twitter: @GoldieChan
Goldie Chan is an entrepreneur, global speaker, and Forbes contributor based in Los Angeles. Much of Goldie’s Twitter and LinkedIn content focuses on helping her community members develop their own personal brands as marketers, content creators, speakers, and more. Goldie also founded boutique branding and storytelling agency Warm Robots.
16. Christine Johnson
Follow Christine on Twitter: @CJ_250marketing
Expert on marketing strategy Christine Johnson dedicates much of her social media content to helping young marketers develop their personal brands and portfolios to break into the industry. Christine poses a variety of intriguing questions for marketers on her Twitter account, and promotes networking opportunities for her community on and off of the app.
Change is coming: Paving the way for more women in marketing
Despite so many women being cut from the labor market in recent years, positive changes are coming. A 2021 “CMO Tenure Study” by the executive search and consulting firm Spencer Stuart discovered that for the first time in its study’s 18-year history, women CMOs outnumbered men CMOs at the top 100 most advertised US brands. According to the report, "51% of CMOs in the Ad Age top 100 advertisers in 2021 were women. This milestone is the result of a significant increase in the percentage of newly appointed CMOs."
These marketing leaders – along with the 16 marketing influencers featured here – are paving the path for women in marketing and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this group.
