Tony Ghazal, Snap’s Talent Partnerships Manager – MENA, spoke with top creators in the region about becoming a Snap Stars and their outlook for the future of online video.
VidCon Abu Dhabi, the debut edition of digital content creator festival, hosted a conference with some of the leading digital creators and platform innovators.
One of the themes of the conference was the evolution of the creator economy in the last few years. In particular, a new generation of digital tools and platforms are providing creators with more interactive ways to engage with their audiences.
During the conference, Tony Ghazal, Snap Inc.’s Talent Partnerships Manager – MENA, highlighted how Snap’s own creator ecosystem is now one of the fastest-growing globally, with MENA content consumption rates often higher than the global average. In 2020 alone, Ghazal noted how the Snap Star programme in MENA grew by over 300%, and in markets like KSA, Snapchat now reaches over 20m Saudis and 90% of 13-34 year-olds. In the UAE, Snapchat reaches over 60% of 13-24 year-olds, and one in three 18-34 year-olds. At the same time, Snap has seen audiences in MENA embrace augmented reality (AR) with over 85% of daily users interacting with AR Lenses every day.
Looking to support creators to meaningfully grow their audiences, build their business, and entertain their community, Ghazal spoke with a number of industry pioneers including Rayan Al Ahmari, Rawan Bin Hussain and others about reaching Snap Star status, and their outlook for the future of online video content.
Rayan Al Ahmari, also known as @mjrmgems, is a Saudi professional gamer with over 4.4m subscribers on Snapchat alone. Passionate about gaming and entertainment, he shares gaming content, challenge videos, as well as comical snippets and pranks with his audience.
Discussing his strategy, Al Ahmari said: “As a content creator, I am constantly looking for new and engaging ways to connect with my audiences. That could be through stories, filters, or interactive Lenses. I’ve certainly seen audiences in Saudi Arabia and the region engaging more with made-for-mobile content, with a massive demand for snackable, shareable videos. Meanwhile, I think more and more brands are seeing the potential in gaming content, particularly on Snapchat given its audience demographics. This is creating more opportunities for us creators on the platform to do what we love as a career.”
Rawan Bin Hussain, also known as @rbinhussain, is a Kuwaiti lawyer, lifestyle influencer, singer and entrepreneur. She has over 10m followers on her platforms and focuses her content on fashion, beauty, travel and lifestyle. She has collaborated with major brand names in the region, positioning her as one of the foremost digital entrepreneurs in the lifestyle industry in the Middle East.
Rawan explained: “Our creator toolkits are more robust than ever before. Platforms like Snapchat are really changing the dynamics of content creation. It is no longer a simple form of video entertainment. With tools such as augmented reality (AR), we can really push boundaries that involve and engage the viewer. Moreover, technologies like AR can be used to bring fashion and beauty looks to life on my audiences’ devices, all in the comfort of their homes. These immersive experiences are win-win-win partnerships for creators, brands, and consumers.”
Saudi content creator Abdullah Al Musallam, popularly known as “3boosh” or @x3booshz, has over 1.2m subscribers on Snapchat. He said, “The age of passive content viewing is over. On Snapchat, for example, users are extremely engaged, so creators need to provide their audience with an experience they can get in on. With no public likes or comments on Snapchat, you can be your authentic self and make audiences feel like they are with you. In this respect, brands are working closely with creators to move away from traditional advertising methods and tap into new, authentic formats. There’s still a lot of sharing and learning needed to reach our full potential, though. The upcoming launch of the Snap Creator Studio in Riyadh is exciting, and a great example of how local, regional, and international creators can share experiences, support each other to test new ideas and be more innovative with content and AR tools.”
