Do you remember the day when you have decided to start your social media account? Was it aimed for your private usage, or you have planned to blog?
I remember it clearly :) It all started in a cafe in Dubai after returning from a work trip when a friend of mine told me over a cup of coffee and a catch-up about this new app, Instagram, and how I should totally join since I travel a lot, have an eye for patterns, colors, see life in every corner and how passionate I am about photography and digital art. My intention is to share with others my preservative and how I see the world.
How do you manage to be sincere with your audience, and are there any spheres of your life that you prefer not to show?
Given the position where I am today, It is my responsibility to keep it real. I believe the key to their constant support is being sincere and I would like that the conveyed message is to inspire them to be the best version of themselves.
Some sad moments are kept privately because of my strong believe in spreading only positive energy with my audience. I love to inspire, motivate and give each one of them a cheerful ray of sun and happiness unless I see that some sad moments will add a learning experience that will benefit them or if I am seeking their opinion in a matter that will add to them then I wouldn’t hesitate to share.
How much time does your Influencer activity take you? And how long does it take to create content?
It all depends on the content it self and what’s involved, sometimes 10min sometimes couple of hours. One thing I would like to highlight is that I would always put my heart and effort because I find pleasure in the hard work I put. Remember that nothing easy is joyful or everlasting.
Do you feel your Internet popularity in real life? Do people recognize you on the streets?
Yes and no, depending on which country I am in, usually I feel it the most back home in Dubai. Sometimes I get surprised by someone calling my name or asking for a photo when in Europe and it makes me happy that slowly but steadily the world is getting to know me better each day.
What was the most unusual offer to you that advertisers made?
There was few odd ones :) to compete by pulling a rope against a lion in a private zoo, which I politely declined. And swimming in open sea during winter for a campaign which I actually did as a model.
What kind of offers do you usually reject?
I believe in the common good, kindness, support and humbleness. Anything that goes against my belief, personal morals and ethics, or causing harm to the environment or any living soul is a no go.
Could you please comment on the following statement: the bloggers' credibility has dramatically dropped in recent times since 80% of them have fake followers, and all quality-defining programs are very easily cheatable. And it is the reason why a lot of big brands are back to old advertising methods, which reach is countable.
Indeed there is some that spoiled the game for everyone by using cheat tools but it doesn’t mean that all are cheating. There are more influencers, actors, singers, celebrities..etc that are legit and working hard to maintain it that way.
The amount of followers and activity on a celebrities’ channel shouldn’t be the cutting edge for an advertisement campaign because even the most well known celebrities are using bots, hence why the easiest and best way to measure the real reach is by using affiliation and discount codes that is related to that particular celebrity by using their name on the links and the codes. This way you can see who is actually attracting clients to the brands and increasing the reach through their channels.
What do you consider the blogger’s peak of success?
Success is when my audience seeks my advice in any sphere, when they ask how to do something, how to achieve something, where to go and what to purchase. This is where I feel most fruitful to them and it’s a mission accomplished. When this is achieved remember to continue to lead with grace, kindness since it is a humanity asset and have fun!
How to learn to be open with a million audience? How to deal with hate, and is it worth it?
Our natural proclivity towards honesty is a part of the fundamentals in human nature. Being open and honest all the time comes by default, now if some chose differently then it is their duty to correct it. I have learned that kindness is the best way to deal with hate and jealousy but if there is no other means then negligence is the last resort.
What was the moment/story when you realized “wow, I am an Influencer now!” How do you feel about the evolution of the term itself in recent years?
Influencer definition is when you influence others positively, therefore the “Wow” factor comes once that achieved. If the influencer title comes without a duty then it is meaningless. It is very important to know that maintaining an image or status is much more important and challenging than obtaining it.
Two years into the global pandemic, how has your content creation adapted, evolved, changed in response to the New Normal?
People where exhausted by the pandemic so keeping my content filled with hope, simple yet inspiring, realistic to the event was helping, even helped me grow closer to my followers. We started with couple of my influencers’ friends group chats, organized covid safe gatherings, online charitable events, lots of pandemic related giveaways even as little as online entertainment by singing or playing an instrument just to cheer up everyone including ourselves. We all came out of it closer, more appreciative and mature.
All of the above help hand in hand and definitely if two or more come together they lead to further success and progress however it is not the rule because sometimes it takes even one of them in its own to succeed.