"The People" on Instagram

May 9, 2022

Dear Blog,

It was a great day in the neighborhood, literally. I went for a walk around Riis and was surprised to see many people out enjoying the classic Chicago gloomy day.

As some may know by now, I created an Instagram account for "People of Belmont Cragin." It was truly the moment the creation of this brand came to life for me.

As I sat back and allowed for community members to interact with the content I posted, I couldn't help but think about what comes next. Now that my semester is over, I want to do more work to really be present in the community and meet new people.

I hope the Instagram account can be a network for people who live in the community and want to know where they can go for a study session when Starbucks is too busy. Or which person to go to when they're in dire need of a root touch up and their usual stylist is booked.

The IG page will be used to send updates on new podcast episodes and blog posts. I'll also be using it to network with the community and have a platform that showcases photos and videos of the topics of podcasts and blogs. That way I can, "use images to launch conversations, dialogue, and relationships," with the community.

Everyone knows about The Belmont Cragin Facebook page. If you're on it, you're used to seeing the lost animals, the crime in the neighborhoods, or the usual "can someone clean the love fridge, please?" posts. But I want the Instagram to be a hub for positive community interactions. I want the community to get to know each other for their talents and what kind of skills they can offer to other members.

I also want members to be resources for each other. I was very thankful for Gabe (@weekendgabe) who listened to the first episode of the podcast and provided feedback so I can make future episodes better.

I am still new to podcasting and appreciate any critiques I can get to be better. I want you all to enjoy the podcast and come back to listen to new episodes every time they're posted!

This truly is a passion project for me and I hope I can really get the ball rolling now. This is just the start for "People of Belmont Cragin."

So... who wants to be featured next?

Reinhard, C. (2022). Social Networks, communities, campaigns. Retrieved May 9, 2022