Bloggers, Brands, Buyers and the Truth

truth about sponsored

There has been a lot of talk lately about disclosure, transparency and some bloggers/influencers doing the wrong thing. Those comments are fair enough. If you are being sold something as a reader or follower, you have a right to know it.

But I’m also in enough Facebook groups to know that there are quite a few misunderstandings on the brand and reader side as well.

So I’m hoping to clarify a few things. Read more

Pimp your Instagram this Christmas

It’s the time for rest. Rest from work and pressure.

I may even rest my words for a week or two. But I will still be sharing all the good things on Instagram. I bet you will too. How can we help it when days are filled with sunny skies, beach views, gorgeous food and family?

Here are some easily accessible items that any serious Instagram user wants to have on hand during this time of year. Save them now. Take advantage of all the photo opps and never be stuck for an “instant” photo of your fabulous life.  Read more

Periscope and Slippery Slopes

Slippery Slopes & PeriscopesWhen I was about twelve years old my neighbour received a walkie-talkie set for her birthday. Not a kids set. A real set. It didn’t take my neighbour, my sister and I long to figure out that we could tune into the radio frequency truck drivers used. We often chatted to these men (and they were always men) and felt a girlish thrill in doing so. The men were polite and respectful, if somewhat bemused to find a trio of girls on their wave length. Very occasionally we would pick up a bad vibe and hurriedly turn the things off if we were concerned about where the conversation was going.

I remembered those walkie talkies the other day as I was playing with Twitter’s new app: Periscope. It’s a live video streaming app where people can comment as you are streaming. I think it has some great potential uses. Q & A sessions. Tutorials. Discovering exactly what sunset looks like in St Petersburg tonight. But it also rang alarm bells.  Read more

What is social media doing to our hearts, minds and imaginations?

What is social media doing to our Hearts Minds Imaginations

 

A few years back, I picked up a book called In the Shallows. I had read Nicholas Carr’s article Is Google Making Us Stupid?, and the author’s concerns mirrored my own. Was I losing my attention span? Was I finding it hard to consume information unless it was cut up into bite sized pieces? Was I craving validation through social media? Was I becoming a slave to the little device with the blinking light?

To be very clear, I love the internet and I think it’s more positive than negative. I also think that it needs to be managed carefully. I think it’s something we need to think about, talk to our kids about and I know I need to be more mindful of my use.  Here are some of my concerns and observations about the way social media and the broader internet is changing our hearts, minds and imaginations.

Read more