Looking back on my previous blog anniversary posts, I still feel the same way about Hot On The Street. It’s my piece of the Internet that I can proudly call my own. What’s more, it’s not just a website or my Instagram handle — it’s a brand with a visual identity and a long-term investment. Today is Hot On The Street’s 8th anniversary and I’d like to take this opportunity to show you how I built my brand in the last year.
I love Instagram Stories and I rarely look at Snapchat anymore. I like how it’s easy to produce content for Instagram Stories because there’s less emphasis on perfection. You can just snap a photo or record a short video, add text overlay (like a hashtag or your location for context) and/or emoji, and then you’re ready to share! With the new Type feature, you could even eliminate graphics from the equation if you’d prefer to make it a text-based post.
The latest trend on social media is all about creating and filling out survey templates designed for Instagram Stories that let your followers get to know you. For example, you might identify your favourite foods or reveal exactly how many Netflix shows you’ve binge watched. It’s become popular because it’s light and fun to share!
Typically, bloggers or illustrators who are super active on Instagram design the surveys you see. I would like to show you how some major brands are using their resources to make their own surveys and encourage fans to share.
Attending Social Media Week was a great experience. I got to hear people like Kirstine Stewart and Claudia Oshry AKA @girlwithnojob on Instagram. The session with Michael Landsberg stood out the most, as it made me think about not just social media, but what it means to be an influencer today. When I say influencer in this context, I mean it in the sense of being a powerful public figure that connects well with fans on a personal level. In today’s culture where everyone’s busy, 1:1 relationships with people you admire and respect can be rare, so that’s what I’d like to explore.
In 2009, Michael Landsberg interviewed an athlete named Stéphane Richerand and convinced him to acknowledge his experience with depression on-air. Once they both publicly confirmed they were dealing with mental health issues, emails started pouring into Michael’s inbox. People started confiding in Michael via email because they connected with him in the interview.
Tonight I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and I stumbled upon a Facebook video from WIRED. I often save Facebook videos to binge watch on the weekend, but this one caught my attention enough to see it ASAP.
It had the cover of an old WIRED magazine with a bright yellow cover and the post copy said it was from July 1997 i.e. 20 years ago. I was 6 years old! I didn’t read WIRED in elementary school, so I figured it could be interesting to watch a current editor reveal what they published inside.
Adulting is hard work. I graduated from Western 3 years ago, but paying the bills doesn’t get any easier. Between OSAP and credit cards, it isn’t fun. I’m too broke to commit to any real estate, let alone an expensive monthly cell phone plan. That’s why the idea of not being tied down to a contract is appealing – more freedom, less legal jargon and less headaches.
Public Mobile has launched a new campaign called “SIM Swap” that offers Canadians a free useful SIM card in exchange for a useless item. So before you toss out that coffee cup, read on to find out how you can participate.