DUBAI: The rise of digital and social media has been prolific prior to now couple of years — a phenomenon solely accelerated by the pandemic. It’s no shock then that social media was one of many scorching subjects of dialogue on the latest Step Convention 2022 in Dubai, UAE.
The 2-day know-how pageant lined quite a lot of subjects associated to digital media, monetary know-how, future applied sciences, well being and wellness, and the start-up ecosystem.
One of many tendencies in social media advertising is a shift in energy from manufacturers to content material creators, which empowers creators, stated Mashal Waqar, co-founder and chief working officer of media start-up The Tempest.
Throughout a panel titled Desk Flip: Creators, Economic system, and Manufacturers, she stated: There are “so many shifts, even when it comes to what creators will say sure and no to, whether or not it’s model offers, income or partnerships — there’s such an enormous shift in dynamics.”
This shift in dynamic, a sure “reclaiming of energy” by content material creators, added Waqar, had modified the narrative.
Waqar was joined by Abed Agha, founder and CEO of Vinelab, and Michelle Arrazcaeta, model technique and collaborations lead at Polaroid.
The worldwide pattern of content material creators having extra energy — particularly branded content material — can be true within the Center East. Though usually the area could also be sluggish to catch on to international tendencies, this isn’t the case anymore, Agha stated.
He defined that social media platforms had been “good to have channels” however because the business booms, social media now has its personal price range within the media pie.
As society strikes away from “hierarchies into networks that may monetize these modes of affect,” manufacturers have new alternatives to take part in conversations, stated Agha.
The ability of content material creators doesn’t simply come from their autonomy but in addition their capacity to attach and develop their community and audiences. “That’s the ability that folks have now and it’s equipped by networks, (in addition to) the ability to attach with individuals on different networks and in different geographies,” stated Arrazcaeta.
When manufacturers are working with content material creators, belief is of utmost significance. Manufacturers have to belief creators with the content material whereas maintaining in thoughts that as a way to achieve the belief of creators and their audiences, they have to keep true to themselves.
Arrazcaeta added that manufacturers ought to have the ability to know themselves, their values and what they stand for, and join with creators that share those self same values. A profitable instance of a model collaboration is one the place there’s mutual respect and alignment in values between the model and content material creator, she stated.
Globally, there was an enormous development within the quantity of media consumption, stated Lemya Soltani, managing accomplice of Subsequent Broadcast Media, throughout a panel titled Rising and Scaling Content material Channels.
She was joined by Waqar and Casey Fitzgerald, senior author and host, Lovin Dubai.
Within the US alone, public consumption had elevated by 276 % prior to now seven years, stated Soltani, which defined “the urge for food for manufacturers to run adverts round that content material” and monetize it via sponsorships and even producing their very own content material, comparable to within the case of podcasts.
Nonetheless, the battle, virtually all the time, is bringing the numbers up and figuring out the trick behind rising content material channels.
The panelists mentioned continuously requested questions comparable to how can podcasters appeal to extra listeners, how can content material creators on YouTube get extra views and the way can social influencers get extra follows and engagement?
For Fitzgerald, it’s about selecting the best platform for the best content material.
“It’s all about understanding the platform you’re on, so whenever you soar in, you actually need to grasp the feed and the algorithm after which simply be constant,” she stated.
Waqar added that usually manufacturers misunderstood the platform, which is why they may not see the outcomes that they had hoped for. For instance, “I like TikTok — the entry that you simply get is unparalleled and I feel the one mistake that lots of people make is that they overthink it,” she stated. “This isn’t a platform the place you need to overthink — it’s actually nearly creating and getting comfy with being unfiltered.”
Step Convention 2022’s tenth occasion, which was held in partnership with Dubai Web Metropolis, occurred on Feb. 23 and 24.