Aspiring young influencers at the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair received invaluable tips to make a breakthrough on social media platforms during a session titled, ‘Writing on Social Media’, presented by entrepreneur and expert Dana Shaban, on Wednesday.

At the packed Social Media Station at Expo Centre Sharjah where SIBF 2022 continues until November 13, Shaban stressed the need to use simple and direct messages in the content posted on digital platforms.
The entrepreneur emphasised that ‘Content is king.’  She said: “Engaging and valuable content is the key to success; the count and engagement with followers will increase based on what you offer your viewers.”
She taught participants different ways to structure their content to make it more appealing to viewers. She said: “Content should have a purpose and serve a cause. The aspiring influencer needs to make the objective of the video clear in the first 10 to 15 seconds, or the viewer will lose interest and move on to the next video.”
She noted that viewers tend to consume videos more than pictures and text-based content on social media platforms. “To build credibility with viewers, the person should appear in front of the lens to build his presence and increase credibility, instead of merely using captions or stock videos and pictures.”
To enable influencers reach wider audiences, Shaban advised: “Even when you face the camera in your video, always add captions to encourage more viewers  to feel compelled to listen and watch the video.”
She also emphasized that with each piece of content posted, the creator needs to appeal for some form of action from the viewers, which would help in increasing engagement.
Concluding the session, Dana Shaban encouraged participants to focus on YouTube Shorts, which will begin to monetise early next year and allows content creators to generate income from their social media content.