Stad Genk recently organised Extra Days, inviting citizens to drop by for a photo and video shoot, to be featured in the city’s upcoming campaigns. I got to capture the behind-the-scenes in photos and an aftermovie.
Curious about my other event project? Check out the work I did for Graspop Metal Meeting.
Bunker Genk is a speciality coffee bar in Genk with a unique vibe. Combining craftsmanship, a love for anything local and a celebration of art, I knew I wanted to hone in on those vibes through social videos.
So I collabed with the owner, Dimi, on 4 short-form videos, each focussing on a different aspect of Bunker Genk: from their coworking space and their ice cold drinks to the caffeine intensity and the coziness of a Sunday date at the bar. This project felt like true co-creation, exactly the kind of collab I had in mind when I started freelancing.
Want more of my food and beverage content? Check out the video I made for food bar Bokes By Ine.
Let’s face it, when most people think of agriculture, they probably picture an old school farmer manually milking his cows. But the agriculture sector is actually quite innovative. To prove just that, Boerenbond joined the tech and science festival, Nerdland.
For Nerdland I hit the streets to test people’s knowledge about innovation in the farming sector. On top of that, I wrote content and designed the booth for the festival. Finally, I developed a quiz so visitors could put their own knowledge on tech and innovation in agriculture to the test.
From cackling colleagues to bullshit meetings, turns out we actually face the same challenges in our daily life as a farmer does. This image campaign from Boerenbond focuses on those similarities to show what a farmer’s day really is about: innovation, ecology and entrepreneurship.
From managing the campaign website and designing all the digital content to coming up with, writing and designing social content, Meer boer dan je denkt is a true 360° project for me.
Although I’m currently less chronically on TikTok as I’m used to, I did spot some content that stopped me in my doom scrolling session.
I can’t seem to escape this odd duo on my FYP and the good news is that I don’t want to. I said it before and I’ll say it again: in an era were AI slop is taking over our feeds and playlists, authenticity is key.
And these artists have seemed to crack the code with their microtonal looping and paper-maché masks. To me, the music is reminiscent of Primus, while the look reminds me of an exaggerated version of Buckethead. I dig it! And seems I’m not the only one: they’ve taking the internet and our playlists by storm and are selling out their upcoming tour in a jiff.
@off_tlmep Le duo @Angine de poitrine interprète sur le plateau de Tout le monde en parle la pièce Fabienk, tirée du nouvel album Vol. II, qui sortira le 3 avril. #tlmep #anginedepoitorine ♬ original sound – Tout le monde en parle
Just like a dozen before him, Dutch comedian Gover Meit gained popularity over here because of the Flemish TV show “De Slimste Mens ter Wereld”. Based on the clips I caught on TikTok, the man is weird AF. But it definitely works for him, as he’s currently on a theater tour throughout Flanders and has been named CEO of HEMA Belgium. Well, at least on social media. 😅
The brand dropped a video on April 1 (no surprise there) declaring Gover their new CEO. And that change of the guards brought along a fever dream of marketing and business ideas, like a HEMA amusement park, or HEPA, a HEMA for dads. It’s completely unhinged, but it both suits the comedian and the platform. So good job, HEMA, and please release a few more of these vids, cause it’s too good to just be an April fool’s joke.
@hemabelgie Das goed nieuws. 👔 #HEMA ♬ origineel geluid – HEMA.be
Haven’t we always been lowkey obsessed with the behind-the-scenes of a magazine? I mean, if the success and sequel of The Devil Wears Prada proves anything …
InStyle, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine, ran with that and turned it into a content format. With a twist though, because the (scripted) series focuses heavily on Gen Z’s peculiar views on work culture. The result? Not the typical bouji fashion content you would expect from a magazine, but a set of hilarious videos that you want to binge. I mean, turning a bathroom into an exclusive club and denying access based on follower count or outfits? So over-the-top that it just works.
@instyle InStyle is proud to be an inclusive and non-discriminatory workplace, but when it comes to bad shoes, we have a zero-tolerance policy. Seeking solace from oppressive fluorescent lights in the gender-neutral bathroom, our content experts, Interns @halley & @jaz transformed the space into a vibey members’ club with a dress code that changes as quickly as the current trend cycle. Ugly-cute dad shoes? Only if it’s in an @SSENSE way. No password required, just don’t make anyone say “what are thooooooose?!” DM @INSTYLE for a referral to Loo House and watch all episodes of THE INTERN starring Halley & Jaz at the highlights on our profile now. 🩵🩷 Showrunner @actuallyjonathanborge Editor-In-Chief @Sally Holmes Social Media Director @taylor ford Director @Justine Manocherian Supervising Producer @frankboccia Supervising Producer @amy_lorenc Producer @saharapagan ♬ original sound – InStyle Magazine
Over the past few months, I’ve analysed tons of local brands’ Instagram accounts. And one thing most of them have in common? An overkill of hashtags. So let’s put the record straight: in 2026 we’re prioritising keywords over hashtags. So please, please, please, cool it on the hashtags.
Look, I get it. At one point, every so-called growth hacker preached that flooding your posts with as many “relevant” hashtags as possible granted you overnight success. And sure, it might have boosted your numbers for a second, but what’s the real value of vanity metrics like followers and likes? Especially coming from people that aren’t part of your target demographic and have no real interest in your brand. Because, let’s face it, this technique was especially loved by engagement farms.
Not to say that I never use(d) hashtags. In fact, when they first became a thing, I contemplated how to use them strategically in my texts. As someone who loves snackable content, I didn’t like implementing the hashtags within the text, as it broke the flow of the copy in my opinion. And adding them at the bottom of the copy also felt forced to me. That’s why I always tried to minimize the amount of hashtags.
On top of that, hashtags on Instagram were not optimized for search. As a social media manager, I often had to look for very specific content on the platform. And specific content also means specific keywords (think: fails from Belgians for example). But the thing is, you couldn’t combine separate hashtags in your search. And that made those searches impossible.
Somewhere along the way, we started using social media as a search engine. In fact, research has shown that 67% of Gen Z’ers use Instagram for their search queries, while 62% use TikTok. So the platforms had to change accordingly. And I’m happy about that, cause that means that those specific searches aren’t impossible anymore. And that the platforms fit our behaviour more organically.
But how does social SEO work exactly? In essence, there are three parts to social SEO:
No, not exactly. But it is the end of flooding your posts with irrelevant hashtags. In fact, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri has stated that hashtags won’t help your reach and using generic hashtags can even hurt the performance of your post. So niche is the way to go, as well as minimizing the amount of hashtags to 3 or 5. After all, hashtags still serve a purpose for categorization. But please, do me one favour. Unless you’re Coca Cola or Apple, avoid branded hashtags at all costs.
The conclusion? Hashtags are out, social SEO is in, so change gears accordingly. Complete your profile with relevant keywords, prioritise discoverability in your content, add alt text and be sparse with the hashtags.
Want more social media tips? Check out how to manage your community during a crisis and what not to do.