Meghan Urged to ‘Be Careful’ With Her Online Presence if She Wants to Win Over the Public
After stepping down as a senior royal in 2020, Meghan Markle finally gained the freedom she desired, unbound by royal protocol. In 2025, she launched her social media account and began actively pursuing her business ventures. Since then, the Duchess of Sussex has regularly shared product launches and glimpses of family life on Instagram. However, PR expert Rhea Freeman believes Markle still lacks connection with her audience, offering strategic tips and a warning to help her grow her online presence and 'win over' the public.
In a conversation with the Daily Express, Freeman offered some helpful suggestions on how Markle could engage with her audience better. She said, "Perhaps, instead, looking at relatable points that her audience can connect with? Maybe New Year's Resolutions and what she's looking to remove from her life this year? Or looking to gain and develop?... She could then tie this into her brand." She also urged the Duchess to 'be careful' with what she posts on her personal Instagram account, @meghan, adding, "She'd need to be careful with this if she's looking to win people over."
Regarding Markle's engagement with her audience, Freeman suggested that she could align her goals and resolutions with 'bigger themes,' such as spending time with friends, with carefully placed products in the visuals. She continued, "Another thing she [Markle] could do would be to move the focus away from her, and onto the causes she supports, asking key people connected with them about their vision for the next 12 months? This would be interesting content, would show more depth, and also highlight causes close to her heart." So far, the Duchess has not yet promoted her charitable endeavors, but regularly shares pictures of Prince Harry, their children, and her Netflix show promos on her personal account.
Similarly, social media expert Caitlin Jardine has previously told GB News that the Duchess of Sussex has been trying to engage her audiences ever since she and Harry left the royal family. She stressed, "It is important that content projected on her [Markle's] Instagram caters to their varied expectations of these audiences whilst maintaining a consistent personal narrative." The social media expert argued that this approach would help Markle build a successful brand, adding, "Social media provides a perfect platform for her to craft a compelling narrative around her new ventures, seen with the content surrounding her Netflix show and lifestyle brand since the beginning of the New Year."
After a five-year hiatus, Markle relaunched her Instagram last January with a beach video marking '2025,' quickly drawing millions of followers and sharing curated moments of family life, her Netflix shows, and her lifestyle brand. So far, she has kept the comments turned off to protect her peace and community. She has explained that her return was about sharing an authentic life 'on her own terms' and finding a way to use social media without sacrificing privacy or well-being.