Meet the Sydney-based female founder who built a social media empire at 21: “We look at youth as a major superpower for us”

Alexandra Murray built a social media powerhouse before her thirtieth birthday. Her in-built advantage? Turning her next-gen team into the stars of the show. The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honouree now leads an all-female agency that is rewriting the rules of Australian digital marketing.

Ask a brand manager about influencer partnerships in the early 2020s, and they will likely tell you the same thing: the results were a little underwhelming, and few proved to be “sticky”.

Companies were successfully piggybacking on social media stars, but almost none were generating engagement beyond a fleeting sugar hit of likes, shares and views. Or, at least, that is what social media expert Alexandra Murray observed.

“The industry kept chasing shortcuts,” says Murray. “A big number, a viral moment, a trending sound, instead of doing the harder work of building real audience relationships.”

Murray had seen this from the other side, developing her own following as a first-wave influencer and receiving briefs that she felt sold sponsors short. With this expertise in tow and a few cut-through campaigns under her belt, she decided to take it to another level.

That’s when she started Be Seen Socials. Murray’s start-up agency was launched in Alexandria, an inner-southern suburb of Sydney’s CBD. Located on the doorstep of some of Australia’s most significant businesses, Be Seen Socials quickly landed major clients in the form of Missguided, Merivale, Cobs & Poppins, and Meshki.

But the agency’s greatest influence may be seen in the companies it’s helped grow from the ground up. Blingz, an online jewellery store launched in 2022, went on to earn five figures a month with help from Be Seen Socials. This quick growth led founder Amanda Mijakovac to quit her day job and run the business full-time. She credits Murray and her team for helping her scale up so quickly.

“Balancing a full-time job and trying to find time to make quality social content was so challenging,” says Mijakovac. “Onboarding the Be Seen team to look after my socials is the best decision I have made.”

By managing content, events and influencers, Be Seen Socials brought her vision to life. This case study contributed strongly to Murray earning a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list.

Still, her proudest achievement remains in her people. Leading a young team of women, all between the ages of 21 and 29, Murray has maintained a staff retention rate.

Four of those team members, Chelsea Sharpe (head of influencers), Charli Bolt (head of creative), Jess Tram (Team Leader) and Morgan Fisher (general manager), have rocketed to the pointy end of Be Seen Socials’ structure, and their forward-thinking ideas keep the company fresh and filling social media feeds.

“We see youth as a real superpower for us because they live and breathe social media. These women are native to the platforms,” says Murray. “They know everything before they even start working with us.”

What is the toughest challenge you have overcome, and what did it teach you?

The hardest part was not money, clients, or competition. It was that no one had done this before. I was building something truly new: a social-first agency started by a creator, where content strategy and real influence are combined. There was no case study, no industry expert to call, and no framework to follow. Even now, we are one of the few agencies worldwide that create all our content in-house. Our team members are the talent, strategists, and managers, so we do not compete with other agencies. We compete with in-house social teams.

What is the most misunderstood aspect of your industry, and how are you working to change that?

Many still see social media as something extra, added after the main strategy is set. I believe it should be at the centre. When creators are treated as true partners, our results show that real, creator-led content does better than traditional campaigns. The companies that succeed on social media know it is a long-term investment in building trust with their audience, not just a quick fix.

What gives Be Seen Socials its strategic advantage?

Our advantage comes from our setup. We built our own tech system, which gives us a big edge as a top organic social media agency. Our 16-person team is full of experienced talent. Instead of waiting to match a campaign with a creator, we have everything in-house and ready to launch. We grow our strong team by hiring young women who are well-versed in the platforms and promoting them from within.

What drives you at this stage of your career, and what is your why?

At 28, I feel like I am just beginning. Two things motivate me. First, I love seeing a brand grow its audience, become more relevant, and turn its community into real revenue. It is even more exciting now that businesses that once doubted social media are starting to see its value. Second, I am driven by the 16 women who helped build this company. Knowing that our business creates careers and real opportunities for those who believed in our vision from the start means a lot to me.

What advice would you give your younger self starting out?

Have faith in your instincts. I spent a long time looking for validation, and no one could give it because no one had been there. Beyond that, two things I would tell her: do not be fearful to pivot, and changing direction is not always a failure. It can also be intelligence. The businesses that don’t evolve go stale. Also, get comfortable being in rooms that scare you. Say yes before you feel ready. Sit at tables where you are the least experienced person and pay attention.

Find out more at beseensocials.com.au.

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