'Follow your passion. Do what you love, and people will listen,' says Omar Samra

'We all have a different story. You just have to find your own way to tell it,' advises Brandon Staunton

'It's all about creating something different that other people will find useful,' observes Sheikh Majed Al Sabah

Dubai, UAE; March 17, 2015

In a cluttered world of hashtags, tweets and disposable snaps, content creators must do something different and original to rise above the noise. This was the message at the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit, organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

"Nothing game-changing has ever been created by sitting around waiting on the perfect idea," said Brandon Staunton, creator of popular Humans of New York blog, which has generated 15 million "likes" on Facebook since its launch in 2010. "Every idea goes through a thousand tiny evolutions, until finally it becomes something a little different from anything else."

Never having taken a photograph prior to launching his blog, Staunton left a lucrative career in finance to document what he describes as the "pulse" of New York City - the everyday people who live and work in the Big Apple.

"Every building, every landmark has been thoroughly documented," he continued. "If it doesn't speak, it has been photographed 10,000 times. I wanted to something different. So I started taking pictures of ordinary people on the streets, the individual people who are unique in their own way."

Staunton originally set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map. Along the way, his blog developed into something very different. Instead, he started collecting quotes and short stories from the people he met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Together, these portraits and captions struck a chord with audiences, and eventually led Staunton to offline success publishing a book that has been the New York Times Best Seller list for over 30 weeks.

"Everyone has a story to tell," he concluded. "We share the same goals and aspirations, but we all have a different story. You just have to find your own way to tell it."

Echoing the importance of originality, Kuwaiti-born Sheikh Majed Al Sabah, founder of Villa Moda and the creative force behind a popular Snapchat travelogue, recounted how he found his social media niche. "I discovered Snapchat through my daughters," he said. "I was intrigued by the concept - quickly creating short, straight-to-the-point content that's only available for a limited time."

Al Sabah described how on a trip to Morocco, he began taking photos of his everyday activities, from shopping in traditional souks, striking deals and enjoying local cuisine. He began including quick travel tips with each of his "snaps".

"This is when the concept really took off," Al Sabah explained. "I travel a lot, and the information I share with my followers is usable information they will find helpful when they travel abroad. It's like having a fun travel guide in your pocket. It's all about creating something different that other people will find useful."

The morning's session ended with a talk by adventurer and motivational speaker Omar Samra, CEO of Wild Guanabana. Afflicted with childhood asthma, Samra described how he was inspired to overcome his disability and become the first Egyptian to scale Mount Everest.

After accomplishing his lifelong goal in 2007, Samra went on to also become the first Egyptian to complete the Seven Summits Challenge, scaling to the top of the highest mountains on all of Earth's seven continents. Still reaching higher, he has also been chosen to later this year board a private spacecraft and become the first Egyptian astronaut.

"How do you rise above the chatter and distinguish yourself online?" he asked the audience. "Follow your passion. The goal is not to just amass a lot of followers. There is a lot of low-calibre content clogging social media channels today. Do what you love, and people will listen."

The first event of its kind in region, Arab Social Media Influencers Summit brings together more than 1500 social media experts from Arab countries and across the world. As many as 38 leading speakers and influencers at the Summit will inspire young Arabs to employ their innovative ideas to serve the Arab community through optimal use of social media channels. The Summit concludes on March 18.

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© Press Release 2015