Suddenly I see (social media growth): what we can learn from our favourite fictional girlies
Have you been stuck in a rut with your social media content recently? Not to fear - sometimes the best inspiration comes in unexpected forms… like romcoms and Netflix series.
Our favourite heroines have navigated the chaotic worlds of fashion, marketing, and publishing, having learnt lessons that translate surprisingly well into social media growth. Here’s what we can take from the triumphs and struggles of our fave fictional girlies.
Andy Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada): get to know your audience.
Starting off strong with the initial inspiration for this article: The Devil Wears Prada. Andy Sachs is an intelligent and driven aspiring journalist, but as we all remember, starts off on the wrong foot at Runway. However, over time, she begins to understand the industry she’s newly become a part of, and learns what’s required to appeal to the right people. Much like Andy experienced, if you don’t know your industry and your audience well, it’s difficult to relate and appeal to them.
To see results and get the outcomes you want, it’s absolutely crucial to invest time in understanding who you’re speaking to. Get to know their wants, their needs, their humour, and their habits. Know them better than they know themselves, and you'll be well on your way to building a loyal and engaged community. If you’re not sure where to start, read this blog on client personas by 100 Pound Social.
Tip: Create detailed audience personas. Push past just their basic demographics and dig into interests, online behaviour, pain points, and aspirations. Use social listening tools to stay tapped into what your audience is actually talking about in real-time.
Jenna Rink (13 Going on 30): have FUN with your content.
Okay, so I’m not suggesting that you should start acting as though a 13-year-old is creating and posting all of your content. However, what should be considered is humanising your content (which is especially relevant if you’re managing the social accounts of a B2C brand). Fun content gives your brand personality. Inject colour into your assets, embrace humour, appeal to childhood memories, just like Jenna does when she plays Thriller at her work party.
Brands that are great at bringing the party to the platforms include Nutter Butter and Currys. There’s also been a rise in fun editing trends, with a key example being the Lizzie McGuire-style animated-me trend that’s taking over TikTok right now, with creators like @1ndya.b and @dani_royyy seeing their posts go viral. It’s easy to get swept up in strategies and metrics, but don’t forget that social is meant to be, well… social!
Tip: Step back and ask yourself, “Would I actually stop scrolling to watch this?” If the answer is no, it’s time to loosen up and add a playful edge to your content.
Andy Anderson (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days): don’t be afraid to change the plan! Stay reactive and adaptable.
Andy Anderson: the ultimate It Girl, our globally aware queen, Composure Magazine’s "How To" columnist, and a fashion icon. Now, if there’s anything that our girl Andy has taught us, it’s that adapting a plan based on unforeseen circumstances can lead to better results.
Although Andy carefully strategised a plan for the downfall of Benjamin Barry, she quickly learnt that her original plan wasn’t going to work, and that she needed to adapt to see an improved result. Staying flexible and adaptable is the key to achieving successful outcomes in social media marketing. Understanding when to pivot is a skill in itself, and can be aided by data and analytics.
Look for patterns and changes. Perhaps your campaign is resonating more closely with an unexpected audience, or your messaging is falling flat. Always expect the unexpected and be ready to make necessary adjustments.
Tip: Check in on your analytics tools weekly. Block out time at the beginning of your week for strategising. If your campaign is going well, make a note of what is prompting your audience to take action. If it’s not, use the time to determine what will need changing, what alternative outcomes you could look to achieve.
Georgia Byrd (Last Holiday): be bold and take calculated risks.
Georgia Byrd, the main character of the criminally underrated 2006 film The Last Holiday, embodies what it means to be bold and stand by your principles. Georgia lived an average and monotonous life until she was forced out of her comfort zone by shocking news. The moral of the story: don’t settle for average.
Sometimes, the choice to play it safe instead of taking a risk is standing between you and results you thought you could have only dreamed of. Whether it’s a rebrand, a cheeky post, or an out-of-the-box campaign idea, it’s always wise to try something different when you’re looking to make an impact.
Tip: Assess the results from your best and worst performing campaigns. Determine what your key goals are, use your best performing campaign as a basic structure, and consider ways that you can push the envelope to create a bigger, bolder, and more innovative campaign. This is a great way to start ramping up your efforts, even if you’re risk-averse.
Devi Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever): let your authenticity shine through.
Despite being the youngest leading lady on this list by a fair margin, it would be safe to say that Devi is one of the characters with the most personality and ambition. She embraces her flaws, learns from her mistakes, and never pretends to be something she’s not, which is exactly why audiences love her.
Similarly, when it comes to social media, authenticity always comes out on top. People want to see the real side of brands and creators. Share behind-the-scenes moments, celebrate the wins and the fails, and speak to your audience like humans. Remember to talk to the person watching on the other side of the screen. To learn more, check out this blog on the Frontify website on how to build brand authenticity.
Tip: If you tend to lead towards sleek, polished, and heavily edited content, consider throwing in candid posts, real stories from your team, and raw moments of growth or learning that can build trust and connection with your audience.
Emily Cooper (Emily in Paris): think outside of the box and gather inspiration.
Love her or hate her, Emily is a marketing force. Granted, not all of her social strategies are realistic (posting a boomerang of herself eating a croissant and instantly gaining thousands of followers? Suuure.), and the glaring lack of metrics and data in Savoir’s campaign reporting is a whole other conversation.
However, what she does brilliantly is gather inspiration from unexpected sources. Emily uses her perception skills to identify opportunities and generate ideas that diverge from the usual. For example, the concept of placing a bed in the middle of a Parisian landmark would be just surprising enough to stop people in their tracks, spark conversation, and encourage content creation. A great real life example of this is Jacquemus’ giant CGI handbag social media ads - they were enough to catch attention, start conversations, and make you question if they were real or not.
Tip: Stay curious. Look outside your immediate niche for inspiration. Look at art, film, architecture, and fashion. The more you absorb from different places, the more original your content will feel.
There are so many more characters that could have been mentioned who provided simple, yet crucial lessons that can see us through content planning days, and life more broadly. From Astrid Leong in Crazy Rich Asians showing us that handling negativity with tact and dignity (which could be applied to negative comments) can be the most effective way to handle a situation, or Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City displaying how creating specific aesthetic can help to make you (or your brand) instantly recognisable, inspiration can be found in any of your top film and TV picks.
No matter if you’re trying to boost engagement, build a community, or just get a few more likes on that post you spend hours putting together, there’s a lot to learn from the fictional girlies who walked so we could run. So channel your inner heroine, stay playful, stay real, and remember that sometimes all it takes is a little bit of cinematic inspo (and a lot of trial and error) to make the magic happen.

Content Marketing Manager @ Picsart and Communications Consultant for Non-Profits
From Andy Sachs' audience savvy to Emily Cooper's outside-the-box thinking, your favourite fictional heroines hold the secret sauce to transforming your tired social media strategy into content that captivates, converts, and creates genuine connections.
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