Coming for Meghan’s Instagram crown! As Sarah Ferguson hits 500k followers, experts reveal how she is sharing ‘revealing family posts’ and ‘taking notes from Duchess of Sussex’s social media approach’ to ‘expand her reach’
- Expert reveals how Fergie seems to have looked to Meghan for inspiration
- Read More: Meghan Markle’s key British connections before she met Prince Harry revealed – from Beckham’s PR guru to the daughter of King Charles’ friend
When Meghan Markle quit the Royal Family in January 2020, the Duchess of Sussex left behind her beloved SussexRoyal Instagram along with her life at Frogmore Cottage.
It was the second time the Duchess of Sussex had been forced to abandon an social media account – having previously boasted three million followers on her personal Instagram when she was still starring in Suits.
And it seems as though Sarah Ferguson is doing all she can to step into the vacancy of the Royal Family’s Instagram Queen.
In recent months, the Duchess of York has upped her social media game – sharing glamorous photos of herself to promote her new book A Most Intriguing Lady.
Alongside this, the mother-of-two appears to have been leaning into all things British by posting images of afternoon teas against the backdrop of stately homes.
Sarah Ferguson (pictured in March 2023) recently hit the 500,000 follower mark on Instagram after undergoing a rebrand of her feed
Meghan Markle (pictured before she married Prince Harry) once boasted three million followers on her personal Instagram page
However, she has also delighted followers by sharing some heartwarming throwback pictures of her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Now that Fergie has hit the 500k follower mark, Adeline St John – Digital Director of PR firm Media Snug – has revealed how the Duchess of York has built her loyal online fanbase (and even taken some notes from her nephew’s wife along the way!)
Clear and concise bio
Earlier this year, Sarah Ferguson deleted all her old Instagram posts and started afresh.
As part of the switch-up, the mother-of-two also updated her bio – which now reads ‘Mum, Granny, Bestselling Author, Creative Founder at Sarah’s Trust.’
Commenting on the switch, Adeline said: ‘Introducing her family roles in her bio indicates to her audience that she always puts family first.
‘Nowadays, we see social media users favouring ‘real’ content and genuine personalities.
‘The odd image of her family, and this foremost impression of a ‘mum’ and ‘granny’ helps to reinforce that there is a real human at the heart of her account.’
The expert noted how Sarah Ferguson’s bio has been clearly divided into four categories as part of her rebrand
In contrast, Meghan also outlined her charity work and acting career in a similar fashion on her now deleted account
Before Meghan deleted her personal account, her bio referenced her charity work and professional career.
It simply read: ‘UN World Vision. One Young World. Suits. The Tig.’
Highlighting the similarity between the two, Adeline added: ‘By carefully splitting her bio into these categories, Sarah is telling new visitors what they can expect; family, her books, and charity work. And that’s exactly what they get.’
Considered colour theme
What’s more, the expert also noted how Sarah’s new Instagram follows a green theme – just like the SussexRoyal account had its signature blue branding.
Before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the Royal Family, they used a navy blue template for their posts
The expert noted how Sarah has adopted a dark green colour theme for her feed as part of the rebrand
The expert continued: ‘The green colour scheme fits with her profile’s Regency theme, and extends to the linktree in her bio, her Twitter and Facebook pages, and also the promotional material for her book.
‘Branding guidelines have likely been established as part of this new campaign and launch [of her new book], ensuring a cohesive theme across platforms.
‘Sarah is establishing herself as a professional author with a consistent, cohesive brand behind her and her work.
‘Sarah is following a similar standard through her own green story highlights, which are much like the consistent blue theme of SussexRoyal.’
Copying Sussexes’ social strategy with revealing family photos
In the lead-up to her book launch, Adeline says it’s likely that Sarah and her team looked to Sussex Royal for some Instagram inspiration.
The expert highlighted how both Sarah and Meghan and Harry’s account feature professional images of themselves with images from their family photo album.
In 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared the heartwarming images on their Sussex Royal Instagram page, including this one of Harry walking towards a large elegant in the bush
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex marked World Elephant Day in 2019 by sharing a photo from their own private family album
Adeline added: ‘Sarah’s carefully considered, professional approach is more in-keeping with the royal standard.
‘For example, the now defunct SussexRoyal page, which was carefully branded with official photography, charity appeals and well-planned content.
‘SussexRoyal’s engagement with awareness days (such as #WorldWildlifeDay) may well have inspired content such as Sarah’s #womenshistorymonth post.
‘As her new bio suggests, Sarah’s putting her role as a mum and a granny first, which includes sharing photos of her beloved daughters.
‘For Women’s History Month, she celebrated a number of inspirational women who she was close to, including royals Princess Diana and Her Majesty the Queen. It’s well documented that she was good friends with Princess Diana, and very close with the Queen during the last years of her life.
Sarah Ferguson paid tribute to the important women in her life on International Women’s Day last month
The Duchess of York included her daughters, sisters, her late mother, The Queen and Princess Diana in her post
Last month, she also opened the family photo album by sharing this sweet image of Princess Eugenie
The doting mother-of-two described her youngest child as her ‘magical and beloved’ daughter
‘These references to the royal family, while clearly carefully planned and well thought out, are simply an appreciation for friends and loved ones. I think it’s less about them being royal, and more about them being family.’
Last month, Sarah Ferguson paid tribute to her daughter Beatrice on her 33rd birthday by sharing an old private family photo.
She wrote in the caption: ‘Happy Happiest of birthdays, my Eugenie .. Spring flowers always tells me the excitement of your birthday is soon and here we are. You are my magical beloved daughter and I am so proud of you.
Similarly, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also delighted followers also adopted a similar approach to their Instagram in 2019 when they shared a never-before-seen picture of baby Archie to mark the Duke of Sussex’s first Father’s Day.
The sepia-toned photo showed six-week-old Archie can be seen clutching the Duke of Sussex’s finger.
Encouraging followers to fall in love with monarchy again
The styling of some of Sarah’s recent photographs appear to have taken inspiration from the Regency period – which Adeline says is something the marketing team have definitely leaned into.
She continued: ‘The Regency period was significant for its historical shift from the King to the Prince Regent. This had an impact on the era’s art, literature, and fashion, which we now romanticise when looking back on the royal family.
The expert noted how some posts on Sarah’s Instagram are reminiscent of the Regency era and leaning heavily into British culture. Pictured: The late Queen cutting a cake to celebrate 100 years of the Women’s Institute
As part of her book promotion, Sarah shared photos of lavish afternoon teas set against a country house backdrop
‘Much like the events of the Regency, our more recent monarchy has had a tumultuous few years. From Prince Andrew, to Harry and Meghan, to the deeply sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, many members of the British public long for that patriotic, romantic and familiar air of regality similar to the regency times, and Sarah’s social media team is definitely aware of this.
‘Sarah’s new Instagram content promotes that quintessential Britishness that made us fall in love with the monarchy.
‘Afternoon teas, fancy tableware and regency-era clothing all work to attract fans who are seeking a classic royal icon. Plus, the pea greens and rose pinks seen across her Instagram page were very popular colours during the Regency period.
‘Very cleverly, these references to a heavily romanticised time in Britain tie in nicely with the historical romance genre of her new novel.
‘Though set in the Victorian era, those who appreciate her historical British homage will most likely become readers of A Most Intriguing Lady, as well as new followers of her Instagram.’
Rebranding with a clean slate
In order to pull off this polished rebrand, Sarah deleted all her old Instagram posts and started from fresh in February.
Describing how this played into the Duchess of York’s wider social media approach, Adeline explained: ‘This is not the first time a celebrity has wanted to change their brand with a social media refresh.
The Duchess of York (pictured this week) deleted all her old Instagram posts in February and started again
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in May 2018
‘In 2018, Miley Cyrus cleared out her old Instagram posts to prepare for her new music. Blake Lively also had a social media clear out to promote her new movie.
‘Whether they need to detach themselves from controversy, are rebranding themselves, or are using it for a promotion, it’s a dramatic way that celebrities can attract attention.
‘Sarah’s relaunch has been designed to promote Sarah as a relatable person – a mum, an author, and a charitable career woman – reaching new audiences who have an appreciation for all things Regency, royal and romantically British.
‘Her team has designed this campaign to reflect Sarah’s rebrand, which in turn helps her to distance herself from any past controversies or unpopular connections.’
Earlier this week, Sarah Ferguson said royal family members ‘can’t have it both ways’ if they choose to leave The Firm amid ongoing tensions with the Sussexes.
The Duchess of York, 63, spoke candidly in an interview amid speculation whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who stepped down as senior members of the royal family, will attend the King’s coronation next month.
Speaking to The Independent, she discussed her own experience of divorcing Prince Andrew.
In the interview, in which she did not directly refer to Harry and Meghan, she said: ‘Well, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You’re either in or out.’
And appearing on Loose Women today, she repeated her comments – saying she doesn’t expect an invite to the coronation because ‘you can’t have it both ways’.
When asked directly about Prince Harry at the end of the interview with the Independent, she said she ‘doesn’t believe in judging anyone’ and asked for ‘a little more kindness.’
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