Meet Linda Hoang | Social Media Strategist, Content Creator, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Hoang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Investing in myself, putting myself out there, and caring about my community (I know that’s three things and not one but they’re all connected!)

I credit much of my success as an entrepreneur to the fact that many people want to work with me, hire me, and support the work I do because they know, like, and want to support me as a person.

Choosing to be open about my life and my interests on the Internet, and using social media to talk about myself and my community, has absolutely helped me establish a name for myself and as a result, support myself and my business.

I’ve used social media consistently and intentionally over the last decade to build a community of supportive people around me, as well as to build a reputation that means I am rarely pitching for work—rather, I’m almost always receiving offers or requests to work. Taking the leap to being my own boss and starting my business was much less scary for me because I already had such a well-known and trusted presence online.

I am what separates myself apart from others in my industry.

Anyone can learn to do the same skills that I have, but no one is me. People want to work with me for me.

Use social media to invest in yourself and place yourself in the community in a way that does the same for you, no matter what your industry or business is.

Whether it’s building anti-racism education tools like Stop Race Based Hate, organizing one of Canada’s biggest celebrations of cats, cat people and cat culture, that raises money for cat rescues, like the Edmonton Cat Festival, developing social media strategies, running campaigns for clients, or leading an Instagrammable Wall + Food Crawl, no matter what project I take on, I am so grateful for the community I have that’s ready to support it.

So my advice for other entrepreneurs would be to see how you can use social media to build yourself and your community up first and then whatever projects you end of involved in or products you end up creating, is much more likely to be successful because you are at the heart of it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I want to tell you about the content creator aspect of my business.

Yes, I would be considered an influencer—but please don’t cringe at the term!

I started blogging when I was 10 years old, was consistently one of the first people in my class or at work to use different social media platforms, and honestly—the content industry evolved around me. I am so happy I get to do what started as a hobby—for a living today.

The influencer / creator industry has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years and I’m proud to have been doing it—with integrity—from the start.

My background is in Journalism and Television broadcasting, and my professional experience includes social media marketing, so I’m able to bring these communication skillsets into my work as one of Canada’s most recognizable influencers and content creators.

This industry is rife with controversy because yes—anyone can be an influencer. But not anyone can do it well, right, and with integrity. You hear a lot more about the unethical practices than you do the ethical ones. That’s what I strive to do.

Authenticity is not a buzzword for me. I turn down a lot of partnership offers (and with it—revenue) if it’s not the right fit.

I am really proud of the community I’ve been able to build online and I do not take my audience for granted. I am really proud of the organizations I’ve helped tell stories for over the years.

I approach influencer marketing and content creation as a storyteller first, and a marketer second. The other side of my business—social media strategy—really helps me do content right.

But I can’t stress enough the ethics and integrity. There are influencers and people creating content who are doing it incredibly well—and with integrity. They’re not trying to trick you. They believe in what they’re posting. They care about the community they’re building.

I want people to understand that creating content is a real job, can be a lucrative job, and a job that is not only a ton of fun—but is a lot of work. You are essentially a writer, photographer, videographer, editor, marketer, advertiser, art director, creative strategist, project coordinator, and storyteller, all in one.

And I want influencers or people who want to become content creators, to take it seriously. Disclose your partnerships. Be creative with your content. Don’t take your community for granted.

Reputation matters—but it’s not just about what people and partners think about you and your work, it’s about what you think of yourself—and what standards you hold yourself to.

I am proud that my work inspires people to explore their communities, support local business owners, and try new things. I am proud that my work raises awareness about important issues and evokes action.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I actually regularly make itineraries for people travelling to different cities—it’s part of my work! Ha. But I love to suggest things to do, places to eat and things to know about a place and I am always grateful that people trust me to share those suggestions.

So if you’re coming to explore my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, you need to visit the Old Strathcona / Whyte Ave. neighbourhood to go people watching, shop hopping, and food crawling.

Grab Filipino and Asian-inspired ice cream from Yelo’d Ice Cream, bubble tea from Teapsy Lab, and MEAT from MEAT.

Then rent an e-bike from Pedego Edmonton to hit up Edmonton’s river valley (you’ve got to cross our iconic Walterdale Bridge), head over to 124 Street and grab croissants from Chocorrant, and pepperoni from Meuwly’s, ride east to Chinatown and grab Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho) from my parents restaurant King Noodle House Pho Hoang, as well as some Chinese pastries from Shan Shan Bakery, and a BBQ pork on rice lunch box from Super BBQ Delight.

Downtown you should grab more bubble tea (lol) and soup from Dagu Rice Noodle, and Brazilian cheese bread from A Bite of Brazil on 104 Street.

Rent a kayak or raft from River Valley Adventure Co. and float down the North Saskatchewan River.

Cross the Tawatinâ footbridge and snap photos with our glass pyramids (the Muttart Conservatory).

And if you’re looking for an unbelievable Italian dinner, head to Uccellino on Jasper Ave—or share Spanish tapas from Bodega!

If you need more Edmonton or Alberta travel suggestions, check out my blog and travel guides! http://linda-hoang.com

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out to my immigrant parents who came to Canada as refugees from Vietnam, and worked a number of odd jobs to provide for our family before becoming entrepreneurs themselves.

Mom and dad started a Vietnamese noodle shop (King Noodle House Pho Hoang) that is still in operation in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, after 27 years.

I spent most of my childhood, teenage and high school years working at the restaurant, and I credit growing up in the restaurant industry for giving me a passion for food—as well as planting seeds of entrepreneurship inside me.

Without the extremely hard work ethic instilled in me by my parents, I doubt I would be doing what I do today.

I am grateful to them.

Website: http://linda-hoang.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/lindork

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoanglinda/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lindork

Facebook: http://facebook.com/lindahoangblog

Youtube: http://youtube.com/LindaHoang

Other: TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@lindorable Stop Race Based Hate: http://stopracebasedhate.ca Edmonton Cat Festival: http://edmontoncatfest.com

Image Credits
Viktoria North Dallas Curow Mike Brown