Nadia Shahril Menon, A Digital Creator, And Social Media Influencer shares her hurdles in the industry

Social media has become the most influential and important virtual space in today’s world. The platform is not only used for social networking but is also a great way of digitally advertising your brand. Content creators play a huge role in promoting a brand through social media. The content you create is heavily tied to your business growth. Like all marketing pursuits, creating well-planned and well-executed content creates a level of trust with your audience.

Nadia Shahril Menon is a content creator who discovered her passion during the lockdown and has been working hard ever since. Her work inspires a lot of influencers just like her and drives them to work harder in their content. Nadia thinks of it as healthy competition, it will only raise the bar higher and improve the quality of content creators around her.

Nadia is a Singaporean who was born in Malaysia. After high school, she pursued accountancy but regretted it later. She says that it really didn’t feel like she was destined to punch in and tally numbers. She felt lost and decided to go for an interview as cabin crew for Gulf Air and got through. She was based in Bahrain and met her husband there. Soon, they got married and have 2 beautiful girls together. All this time, she worked for companies, banks, and oil companies but still felt that something was missing. After they moved to Dubai, the pandemic hit in a few years. TikTok was at its peak during those days and she loved how inspiring the content creators were. In the UAE, Instagram is a much easier platform to get discovered on as well as to connect with others. Hence, she decided to begin her Instagram influencer journey.

Talking about the hurdles she faces in the industry, she speaks about the barter system. Some influencers love the idea of barter or services in exchange for collaboration and some would prefer to be paid for it. Due to the pandemic, there has been a hike in the number of influencers and a whole lot of them are accepting barters for everything. This affects the influencer market greatly because brands would rather go for collaborations without charges.

Content creation and influencing take a lot of work and time. Nadia says that a 30-second video may take days to complete. It starts from the brainstorming of the idea, setting up and gathering the materials required, choosing a shooting site, preparing the outfit, hair, and makeup, filming and editing, and following guidelines given by the brand/agency. It is only fair to be paid for all the hard work. Unfortunately, there is still not much clarity or awareness in the creator world at least for the UAE. She and other influencers are left to fend for themselves and stumble most of the time. This is another challenge faced by Nadia.

When asked about her secret to success, she says that there is no secret. Hard work and consistency are key to the social media game. In place, as you go along, learn and observe other creators. You shouldn’t be afraid to stand out and be different in your field. The audience loves to see new things not copies of other creations. Engagement is also essential, communicate with your followers and fellow influencers around you for support. Nadia always tries to keep up with the current trends and create content. The more content you create, the more exposure you are allowing for yourself to brands and you increase the chances of getting discovered in the mass of content in social media.

When asked about the advice she wants to give to the aspiring content creators out there, she says to just be yourself. It is easier to be consistent and relatable to your audience that way. Believe in yourself and you are halfway there. You can do anything you set your mind to when you have confidence in your capabilities. Learning is a journey there is always something new to pick up on especially in the digital world. And don’t let others bring you down or judge you. The only one who has the right to judge you is the Almighty.