I’ve wanted to work in social media from the age of 10.

I know that sounds hard to believe, but it's true. Hear me out...

I got my first iPhone and started creating YouTube videos from my bedroom.

Fast forward 14 years, and my passion for social media is bigger than ever. 

One thing that’s stayed the same over the last decade? 

The power of creating great content that resonates with your people.

I leverage that same principle with my personal brand. 

I don't create content for the sake of creating content. 

I work with my community to understand their goals and challenges and then craft posts to help answer marketing concerns. 

So, if you’re looking for a space where it feels like you’re chatting with a friend about the latest TikTok trends or why you should start your personal brand, you've come to the right place.

Feel free to reach out via DM anytime - I'd love to have a chat. 

Or if you’re feeling a bit shy, no worries, just hit that follow button and tap the notification bell to stay in the loop.

Ellie Nash

Lauren Ridgewell

Freelance Social Media and Community Manager based in Manchester with agency, start up and in-house experience for clients in various industries from hospitality and property to e-commerce and tech. Working on all aspects of the marketing process from strategy and ideation to execution through content and performance reporting.

With 3+ years specialising in social media & influencer strategy, community growth and content creation, 
creative thinking is combined with data-driven execution. With a Bachelor's Degree in Business & Management and a Masters in Digital Marketing Communications, both strategic insight and hands-on expertise is brought to each project worked on. 

I founded and run MCR Marketers, Manchester's female marketing community bringing women in the industry together through events and genuine connections. What started as an idea has grown into sell-out events across the city, creating a space where marketers don't just network, they make real friendships with people who actually get it.

I'm driven to build community through events, content, partnerships that deliver real value.

Social Media Assistant

The Molly Mae x adidas partnership isn't random. 

It's a calculated and smart move.

The past year was unforgiving. Her image dissected. Relatability questioned. Accusations of drifting away from the everyday fashion her audience once saw themselves in.

This launch changes the tone.

Adidas isn’t aspirational luxury, it’s familiar and accessible to most. It signals a shift away from the high-luxury items, out-of-touch narrative and reconnects her with the audience that backed her from day one.

Molly's been wearing Adidas for a long time, before any partnership was public and you could literally see "Molly-Mae effect" 

The smartest brand decisions aren’t always about growth, hype, or going bigger. 

Sometimes they’re about grounding.

What are your thoughts on this collab? Let's chat 

#adidas #partnership #influencermarketing #brandstrategy

Freelance Social and Community Manager | Content Creator | Founder MCR Marketers | Manchester Young Talent’s Rising Star Award Shortlist

Marketing is exhausting when you’re doing it alone 🫠 [AD]

The pressure to prove results, keep up with trends, and always have the right answer can leave you feeling one step behind, even when you’re doing great work.

I’ve been part of Pretty Little Marketer's Insiders Club for nearly two years now, and the biggest shift in my growth didn’t come from more online courses or networking events.

It came from community.

Learning alongside other marketers, whether they were ahead of me or figuring it out in real time, completely changed how I work.

It gave me the context, perspective, and confidence to move into the industry, grow through my 9–5, and transition into freelance.

That’s why I’m part of PLM Insiders, and why I genuinely recommend it to marketers who don’t want to figure everything out alone.

If community-led growth resonates, this is your sign.

Doors are open now.
Join here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/4sNgb5t

Doors close Friday 30th. See you inside 👋🏻

Brand partnership • Freelance Social and Community Manager | Content Creator | Founder MCR Marketers | Manchester Young Talent’s Rising Star Award Shortlist

I moved to Manchester at 21, knowing nobody at all 🙃

No network. No familiar faces. Just moved for a Masters Degree (in a panic).

Three years on, I’m surrounded by like-minded marketers and founders who’ve become more than just contacts.  We co-work, brainstorm ideas, help one another and hold each other accountable.

It all came from putting myself in new rooms and starting conversations.

Honestly, going freelance happened because of the people I met. 

So if you’re new somewhere or feeling a little disconnected, take this as your sign to put yourself out there and start meeting new people.

And if you’re a Manchester-based marketer or business owner, let's grab a coffee or co-work ☕ 

PS. Don't be fooled, there was a lot more yapping with Keira Penney & Margaret Ward than working last week 😅

#manchester #networking #selfemployed #marketing #community

10 things I wish I knew before I went freelance.

1.  Working “flexible hours” somehow means thinking about work 24/7
2. “Can you just tweak this?” is never just a tweak
3. Your camera roll = work
4. “Quick tasks” add up
5. Business development is constant
6. Trends move faster than emails
7. Friends will assume you’re free “since you work for yourself"
8. Clients don’t disappear after 5pm just because you want to
9. Sending invoices is scarier than posting content
10. I'd still choose this over going back to a 9-5

What else would you add to my list? 👀

#freelance #socialmedia #community #selfemployed #reality

I didn’t realise how much could change in a year…

In 2025, I stopped playing it safe and started backing myself.

- Left my 9–5 and went self-employed in social & community
- Went solo travelling for the first time to Bali
- I created UGC content for dream brands & local Manchester-based businesses 
- Captured content for multiple communities, activations & launch events

And honestly? I’m only just getting started.

By the end of 2026, here’s what I’m working towards:

- Bringing back MCR Marketers events (by very popular demand 😅)
- Growing my LinkedIn community to over 10,000 
- Scaling my freelance business into a social & content agency
- Working with Alannis on branding, visual identity & a business name
- Continuing to work with clients which I love 
- Saying yes to more opportunities that scare me (in a good way)
- Learn more about business ops & finances

Where do you want to be by the end of 2026?

Let’s hold each other accountable.

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Hey, my name is Lauren Ridgewell 👋🏻 I post about working in social, the power of communities, freelancing, and career growth in your 20s.

Being active on social media is not the same as being effective. 

A few red flags which I see way too often: 

🚩 Posting “just to stay consistent”
🚩 No clear goal behind the content
🚩 Content that looks nice but leads nowhere
🚩 Jumping on every trend without asking if it fits
🚩 No content pillars or themes
🚩 Captions that talk at people, not to them
🚩 No long-term plan, simply just “let’s post and see”

If social media feels overwhelming or pointless, it’s usually not a motivation problem.

Trying harder won’t fix it but clarity will.

Would love to know if this resonates with anyone else? Let's chat 👇

The things that make social media managers roll their eyes… 👀

- “Can this go viral by tomorrow?”
- When a brand says “we want authenticity” and then sends 47 amends
- Trends that died three weeks ago but are still in the content calendar
- People thinking social media is just posting
- “Let’s just boost it” as the solution to literally everything
- “We want to be relatable but not controversial”
- “We don’t need a strategy, just content" 
- When a client says “make it fun” but doesn’t want any humour involved
- “We don’t need to respond to every comment"

If you’ve been in social, you know.

What else is on your list? Rant below 😅

#socialmedia #relatable #marketingtruths

I started posting on LinkedIn three years ago, at 21.

While everyone else was scrolling TikTok and Instagram, I was on LinkedIn.

An awful amount 😅

Friends and old colleagues would joke about it, saying things like, “You’re always on LinkedIn” or calling me “Miss LinkedIn.” 

But I wasn’t trying to go viral, I was trying to meet people in my industry, learn, and create opportunities when I was just getting started.

Fast forward to now, and this platform has brought me some of my best opportunities, along with some incredible people I never would’ve met otherwise.

Turns out swapping doom-scrolling for LinkedIn scrolling wasn’t such a bad move after all.

#networking #manchester #socialmedia #marketing #community

taplio

The Battle

Ellie Nash

Lauren Ridgewell

Followers

Posts

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Performance ScoreLauren Ridgewell's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Ellie Nash

Lauren Ridgewell

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Lauren Ridgewell's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreLauren Ridgewell's LinkedIn Performance