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.
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.
I’ve felt more opinionated about fashion trends lately. I love statement sleeves – short and long, but you’ll never catch me in a tee with a cold shoulder. I believe that one day thousands of women will wake up and wonder why they spent so much $$$ on clothes with holes. Too many women look alike these days – what ever happened to expressing your individuality through personal style? As you can imagine, I’m not a fan of distressed jeans either.
Reaching certain social media milestones, such as reaching a benchmark in your number of followers, can be very exciting for a social media manager. What’s more, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover how much your followers want to celebrate with you. That’s why it’s beneficial to plan ahead and prepare a mini content strategy that you will be ready to execute when you see those magical numbers.
I’m a bit of a screenshot-aholic and some of the photos I’ve collected are posts that my favourite brands published when they acquired lots of followers. Now I’d like to share some of my top picks with you and I hope they will inspire your social media marketing.
Once Canada’s Prime Minister acquired 2 million Facebook fans, his team produced a short video to describe their demographics. Every Facebook page admin has access to these kinds of insights, so it was easy to create, but the average person couldn’t see this information until the video was released and probably found it interesting. By listing the distant locations of where his fans live, he cemented his position as a global leader while expressing gratitude for their support. The video was so engaging that even TV personality Jillian Harris liked it!
Name: Kelsey Miller
Best Known For: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting And Got A Life (2016)
Education: Film & Television, Boston University
Employment: Senior Features Writer, Refinery29
Professional role models: David Sedaris & Tina Fey
How did spending years in therapy help you write a memoir?
The work I did (and still do) in therapy enabled me to grow up and live my life, without which there would be no memoir. I also never would have been able to write about my problems and difficulties without first sorting through them and working my ass off so that they weren’t the controlling force of my life. It’s a lot more complicated than this, but the short version is that I went into therapy feeling like one big problem — I was composed of trauma and disorder and dysfunctional experiences. Therapy doesn’t erase those things but it helped me realize that I’m not simply the sum total of my [problems]. Those things are in me and a part of me, but I don’t have to sit around and wait to be fixed and perfect in order to move forward with my life. I always thought you had to be All Better with a capital B in order to write a reflective memoir. Nope. You just get on with your life and your goals, issues or not.
Do you think your theatre training has helped you become a better storyteller?
Man, I sure hope so. I’d like to think my parents’ investment in a decade’s worth of theatre training paid off somehow. I’d always enjoyed storytelling and have huge admiration for good storytellers. (My mom and dad are both incredibly funny and I used to wish I could crack up a dinner table the way they could.) I haven’t done theatre in ages, but there are certain lessons that will always be with me: finding your intention in a scene, showing and not telling, etc. Those are all good instincts for writers as well.