Female Instagram Influencers: The Queens of Social Media

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | May 22, 2024

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Women always rise to the occasion. From politics to pop culture, more and more women are stepping up and taking the world by storm. And it’s the same thing with social media. It seems that everywhere you turn online, female creators are going viral for exciting videos or new online trends. Female Instagram influencers specifically tirelessly churn out stunning visual content.

Influencer marketing is huge today on Instagram. Brands pull out all the stops to work with the top social media stars with millions of followers. Many of these top personalities are women who are influential to other women.

From dismantling beauty standards to empowering other women, female creators do so much for the world online and offline. Today, we’re going to discuss the power of females on Instagram platforms and how to activate them for your brand. We’ll also honor some of the most amazing female creators on Instagram in niches popular among women. Keep reading to see all this and more!

A female creator filming a beauty video for her Instagram followers.

The Power of Female Creators on Social Media

According to Statista, 78% of adult women are active on social media platforms, compared to only 66% of men. Cure Media also finds that women are more intentional and present in their social media usage. Meanwhile, men are a bit more passive when they scroll through their apps.

All of this data suggests that women are the perfect target audience for brand campaigns on social media. A huge majority of them are online, and they take an active role in posting and consuming digital media.

And what do women on the internet need? Role models to look up to, of course. They need a community of other women they can look up to, talk to, and learn from. Women that they can ask advice from, even for small things like what to wear and what products to try. That’s where female creators come in.

Female creators on Instagram make content that is interesting to other women. Travel, fashion, beauty, tech, fitness, and food are just some of the niches these influencers specialize in. When these influencers amass a large following, they create communities that trust and listen to what they have to say.

That makes them the perfect marketing tools for brands who want to reach a wider audience. By tapping female creators for campaigns, they can get an influential figure to encourage women to patronize their brand. These creators can even influence consumer trends if they’re popular enough, making them a dream for brands to work with.

But that’s not to say that female creators only solidify their influencer status to land brand deals. Plenty of female social media stars on Instagram use their influence to be a voice online. They use their platform for advocacies close to their heart, from inclusivity to gender equality to body positivity.

A person taking a trendy photo of a female creator for her to post on Instagram.

How To Find Female Influencers for Your Brand Campaign

Are you a brand owner looking for the best female creators to tap and invite to become your brand influencers? Here’s how to find female influencers that can best represent you in your campaign, step by step.

1. Define Your Target Audience

The first thing you want to do is pin down your target audience. Before choosing the influencers you want to work with, it’s important to know who you want to talk to first.

What kind of women are you trying to communicate with during your campaign? Clearly define their demographics (age and location) and psychographics (interests and life stage). You’ll also want to look at their media consumption habits. All these pieces of information will help you narrow down your brand influencer choices later on.

2. Look for Female Creators in Your Specific Niche

When you know what audience you want to speak to, start looking for female creators these people might gravitate towards. If you’re trying to reach women who love fashion and beauty, make a list of female creators under those niches.

There are plenty of resources you can use to find tons of influencers on Instagram. Enlist the help of an influencer marketing agency or an influencer platform that can help you make connections. You can also look to social listening to find influencers that are trendy and relevant to your audience right now.

3. Shortlist the Best Influencers That Suit Your Project Best

Now, you should have an initial list of possible female creators to work with. The next step is to trim it down and shortlist those that you feel will suit your project best. Only select the best creators that fit your criteria.

For example, if you need a content creator who can put out visually appealing content, choose influencers with aesthetic feeds. If your campaign’s goal is brand awareness, select creators with millions of followers to reach as many people as possible. Think of what your campaign needs and create your final list of female creators you’d like to work with.

4. Reach Out to Them and Discuss a Possible Collaboration

Finally, reach out to these potential partners. Many influencers will have their contact details on their Instagram bio. Shoot an email and ask if they might be interested in collaborating or doing a paid partnership with your brand. If they show interest in the project, you can then negotiate their scope of work and compensation.

An influencer shaking hands with a brand client after negotiating the terms of their paid partnership.

Top Female Instagram Influencers in Fashion and Beauty

Now for the fun part—getting into the top female Instagram influencers according to niche. First, we have fashion and beauty.

If there are two niches that have been significantly transformed by female creators, they are these two. Fashion influencers set style trends and offer fashion inspiration to women everywhere. Meanwhile, beauty gurus provide educational content centered on makeup, skincare, and hair care.

What’s awesome about fashion and beauty influencers is that they’re not all about promoting luxury brands and designer labels. They also stand for breaking beauty standards and promoting self-care. They also use their voice for causes like body positivity and creative self-expression through clothes and makeup.

So, who is ruling the fashion and beauty scene on Instagram nowadays?

One name in fashion that everyone has their eyes on is Leonie Hanne. This German influencer is popular for her luxurious, sophisticated style, which her 4.7 million followers gobble up. She’s worked with big fashion labels and beauty brands, from La Mer to Dior to Louis Vuitton.

Another macro-influencer in the fashion space is Ashley of @best.dressed. Ashley first rose to fame on YouTube years ago, thanks to her love for fashion thrifting. Since then, she has shifted to Instagram. Her two million followers get to see her outfits, which range from cute and preppy to moody and edgy.

But let’s not forget about our beloved beauty gurus! NikkieTutorials is a prominent figure in the beauty industry, and her 19.2 million followers are a testament to that. Nikkie is known for her exquisite makeup skills. She posts makeup looks that range from smokey glam to vibrant and colorful.

Other big names in the fashion and beauty industry on Instagram include:

  • Danielle Bernstein
  • KathleenLights
  • Huda Kattan
  • Chiara Ferragni
  • Michelle Phan
  • Salima Aliani
  • Alexa Chung
  • Lori Harvey
  • Aaliyah Jay

A woman taking a photo of her “outfit of the day” using her phone camera and a tripod.

Female Fitness Influencers That Keep Women Strong

Next, let’s look at the female fitness influencers taking the world by storm, one exercise regimen at a time.

Fitness influencers on Instagram encourage their fellow women to stay on top of their health. This means posting workout videos, diet, and meal recommendations, and giving everyday tips to stay fit and active. These posts are meant to empower women and motivate them to care for their bodies. And for many women, fitness content like this has become a part of daily life.

One of the most popular female fitness creators out there today is Cassey Ho, the creator of the famous Blogilates. Cassey jumped into content creation in the late 2000s with her fitness blog centered on pilates—hence, “Blogilates.” Her health and fitness empire has grown over the years. Now, she has 6 million subs on YouTube and 2.5 million followers on Instagram. She still posts workout videos, but she also focuses on her activewear and fitness equipment brands!

Another fitness influencer popular for her yoga-centric workout videos is Yoga with Adriene. Adriene is passionate about yoga and loves to share her routines with other women, all for free on YouTube. She has routines for all needs, from alleviating anxiety to prenatal yoga. As of writing, Adriene has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and a whopping 12 million subs on YouTube.

Do you want to follow even more female fitness creators? Here are some more ladies you need to check out if you want more workout content on your feed:

  • Kayla Itsines
  • Emily Skye
  • Jen Selter
  • Massy Arias
  • Maddie of @madfit.ig
  • Chontel Duncan
  • Lisa Lanceford
  • Alexia Clark

A smiling female fitness trainer doing a plank on the beach.

Famous Female Influencers in the Travel Space

Are you a travel bug who loves daydreaming about all the cities and countries on your travel bucket list? Following female travel influencers might be the best way to get your daily dose of wanderlust on Instagram. These creators post stunning content about their adventures and travels all over the world.

These female travel creators do more than just post pretty travel content. They also empower other women to be adventurous in ways that they never thought possible.

Many travel influencers post about the joys and plights of solo travel or traveling with babies as new moms. Sharing these personal stories about being strong female travelers tends to wow audiences, making them even more Instagram-famous.

One female travel influencer that has proven the test of time is Kiki, aka @theblondeabroad. Kiki started in the 2010s as a travel and lifestyle blogger chronicling her solo travel adventures. More than a decade later, she’s still at it. Except this time, she’s making her captivating travel content with her partner and baby by her side. She shares family travel tips with her 500k followers on Instagram.

Another big name in travel is Katy Esquivel, also known as @whatthechic. Katy is a Peruvian creator who jumped into content creation to “cure” her shyness. Today, she has traveled all over the world. Katy shares her stunning photos and cinematic videos with her two million Instagram followers.

Other famous female influencers in the travel niche every travel lover needs to follow include:

  • Lauren Bullen
  • Renee Hahnel
  • Jess Dales
  • Brooke Saward
  • Ellie Green
  • Kate McCulley
  • Nadine Sykora
  • Chelsea Kauai
  • Nicola Easterby

A travel influencer trees in her swimwear relaxing on the grass next to palm trees.

Empowered Black Female Influencers You Need To Follow

In the spirit of representation, more and more black female influencers are making a name for themselves today. These strong, empowered ladies bring their culture and diversity to the platform to share their beautiful stories with all women.


Many black female creators simply focus on lifestyle niches to deliver beautiful, entertaining content to their followers. However, some go the extra mile and advocate for causes close to their heart. These include inclusivity, positive self-image, community-building for black women, and many more.

So, who are the “it” girls of the black community on Instagram?

First, we have Jessica Nabongo, a travel influencer and entrepreneur of Ugandan descent. She loved to travel so much that she became the first black woman to explore every country in the world. Her 244k followers love seeing her vibrant content showcasing the beauty of every city she visits. Undeniably, Jessica is a champion of culture and diversity.

Another super popular influencer today is Miracle Watts, a fashion enthusiast and former model. With close to three million followers on Instagram, Miracle posts content about fashion, family, and other aspects of daily life. She also promotes her clothing brand, Miracle Lifestyle.

Lastly, we’ve got TikTok and Instagram sweetheart Kristy Scott, who describes her Instagram account as “curated chaos.” Kristy is well-loved on the internet for her quirky personality and the funny pranks she pulls on her husband, Desmond. She also posts content centered on fashion, beauty, travel, and her home life. Today, Kristy has 5.7 million followers on Instagram.

Do you want to see more strong black women on your feed? Here are some more absolute queens you need to follow on Instagram in different niches:

  • Winnie Harlow
  • ItsMyRayeRaye
  • Ellarie Noel
  • Kiitan Akinniranye
  • Janea Brown
  • BrittneBabe
  • Misty Copeland
  • Skylar Marshai

A black woman getting ready to film her makeup and beauty content for social media.

Female Social Media Influencers Turned Entrepreneurs

Female content creators aren’t just in the business of creating beautiful content online. Many of them are also in the business of, well, business. Plenty of successful female creators amass such a huge following that they use it to build their influencer brands. That means they make the switch from internet personality to full-time entrepreneur.

It’s important to have female creators like this tell their stories on social media. Not only does it empower other women to explore their entrepreneurial prowess. It also gives women representation in the male-dominated world of business leadership.

One of the most popular social media stars who has become a businesswoman in her own right is Kylie Jenner. While the reality TV star might face controversies left and right, it’s undeniable that Kylie has built her empire. 400 million Instagram followers later, Kylie now owns multiple brands, including Kylie Cosmetics and her new fashion line, Khy.

Another popular influencer turned entrepreneur is the charismatic Jackie Aina. This beauty influencer has over 3.5 million subs on YouTube and almost 2 million followers on Instagram. She’s most known for being vocal about inclusivity for people of color in the world of makeup and beauty.

Today, Jackie is the proud owner of FORVR Mood, a luxury-scented candle brand that promotes self-care. She believes that while black women are strong and tough, they deserve to relax and unwind, too. Her elegant mood candles are a way to do just that.

A female entrepreneur in a white suit and glasses in front of her laptop in an office.

Make Your Mark as a Female Creator on Instagram With Path Social

Female creators play a huge role on social media platforms, especially on Instagram. They make beautiful content in exciting niches like fashion, travel and beauty, sure. But they also use their voice to make a positive impact on the world. They raise awareness for important social movements and showcase different cultures and stories people need to hear today.

Are you dreaming of becoming one of the top female Instagram influencers of this generation? Jumpstart your path to success with Path Social. Our proprietary targeting tool helps hunt down the best target audience for your specific content. We’ll push your posts organically and make them more visible to this audience, boosting both your engagement and follower count. Start growing your page and building a community of solid followers with Path Social today!