We have left those times behind us when women weren’t allowed to vote or to take key leadership roles. The journey, from there on, has seen a lot of ups but the momentum of shift has been rather slow.

Grant Thornton’s IBR research revealed that in 2017, the proportion of women in senior leadership was 25%; it saw a rise of only 1% in 2016.

But despite all the hurdles that exist, we have seen the rise of multiple women influencers who have emerged as changemakers in their industry. This holds true for the digital landscape too.

And now that Women’s day is around the corner, we feel that it is the right time to celebrate these women who have not only influenced the online marketing industry but have also helped other women entrepreneurs in achieving their goals.

Ann Handley

As the head of content at Marketing Profs (one of our go-to blogs for good content), Ann is waging a war against mediocre content. And we love her for that.

Ann is not just a digital marketing pioneer, she is also a best-selling author. She inspires us to create marketing strategies which resonate with users and bring great business results.

We advise you to follow her blog religiously.

Kim Garst

Kim (Co-founder, Boom! Social) is not just a successful marketer herself, she also helps entrepreneurs grow and scale their business.

And if you are looking for some social media inspiration, she is the person to turn to. In fact, she also found her way to the Forbes list of Top 10 Social Media Influencers.

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We go to her Twitter handle to seek life inspiration, and to her blog for marketing ideas.

Shama Hyder

Founder and CEO of Marketing Zen, Shama is a woman of multiple talents. Apart from being an entrepreneur, she is also an author and an international keynote speaker.

Her success earned her a place in Forbes’ 30 Under 2015: Marketing & Advertising.

There are a lot of marketing lessons you can learn from her. We would highly recommend this book she has authored: Momentum: how to propel your marketing and transform your brand.

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Personally, we enjoy her blog.

Heidi Cohen

Heidi holds the position of Chief Content Officer at Actionable Marketing Guide. She is also a notable speaker.

She not only loves consuming and creating content, she also works at crafting strategies which can help in getting the most out of it.

Heidi has built her marketing knowledge by working with major brands like Citibank, Bertelsmann and The Economist and has been a key speaker at many top conferences.

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There’s a lot of useful digital tips you can find on her blog.

Tina Wells

Tina is the CEO of Buzz Marketing Group. This agency is dedicated to crafting marketing strategies for a specific industries which are largely centered around fashion and lifestyle.

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She started her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 16. So there’s a lot of leadership wisdom you can get from her (like when she tells us that we can always make money but time is our most precious asset).

For the right visual inspiration, we recommend that you visit her blog.

Lilach Bullock

Name a specialisation and Lilach will have it. Apart from being a content marketing and social media specialist, she is also a professional speaker and lead conversion expert.

Named by Forbes as the top 20 women social influencers, Lilach boasts of a strong following.

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Head to her Twitter account for some visual inspiration and to her blog to get all your marketing needs sorted. It contains everything from how to’s, tool help to marketing guides.

Before you go

Whether it is waging a war against mediocrity or bringing innovative marketing insights to the table, these women are shaping the digital industry with their ideas… ideas that are being spread through blogs, books, videos and speeches… ideas that will become powerful stories for generations to come.

This list is but the tip of an iceberg. We aim to cover more of these women influencers and hidden figures in our upcoming posts.

Feel free to drop us names of the most remarkable women that you turn to for your weekly dose of marketing inspiration and motivation in the comments below.

By: Deepasha Kakkar

Deepasha is a visual marketer, founder of Crackitt, and consumer behaviour aficionado. She helps businesses & organisations hone their identities, craft their brands, and share their truths using beautiful handmade animated videos and compelling infographics.