Digital Influencers Convention 2019, Sabah: How To Be Your Own Voice And Be Heard

It’s always good to meet creative people. Each one of us has something unique to share. So, when I got an opportunity to attend Digital Influencers Convention and Earthy Awards 2019 in Sabah (Malaysia), I held it tightly. As a travel blogger and a digital content creator, it was quite an enriching experience for me to learn from people who came from different niches and fields.

Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu

The event was held at the picturesque Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu, which made the experience even more remarkable. Besides the obvious grandeur of the property, I liked the idea of sustainable luxury that the hotel propagated. It’s commendable the way they have implemented their ‘Plastic-Free’ campaign to reduce plastic use. Also, the provision of an in-house bottling plant to decontaminate drinking water, and their nature conservation projects help in making tourism sustainable and so much more enjoyable.

Digital Influencers Convention 2019

The Digital Influencers Convention 2019 was organized by Travel.Earth in partnership with Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Tourism, Shangri-la Rasa Ria, Malindo Air, Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. The idea was to celebrate the digital influencers from India – bloggers, vloggers, instagrammers, and photographers. The convention had an array of impressive speakers, such as Dinesh Krishnan (Visual Editor, The Hindu), Jessie Paul (CEO, Paul Writer), Meera Muhunthan (Digital Media Specialist), Nidhi Mohan Kamal (Influencer), Bobby Joshi (Photographer) and many others.

Is good content still the king?

It was great to learn about how brands work (or possibly can work) with influencers. There are so many subtle, yet significant factors that make a brand want to collaborate with a blogger or an instagrammer. The sessions were enlightening, as experts talked about what brands look at beyond big numbers. It seems anybody today can garner big numbers on Instagram and grab plum projects with eminent brands. Well, not really. Content is still the king. So far, brands have been ignorant or somewhat confused about who to work with. But, things are slowly changing, and brands have come to terms with the existence of shallow content creators and their fake big numbers. So, it’s time to fine-tune your own voice and be your own self.    

Also read: How Do I Get Money To Travel?

The era of digital photography

There were inspiring sessions on photography as a powerful medium in today’s visual world. It was interesting to learn how photography has changed over the years, and how we can retain the art of photography. It was such a comfort to hear words like ‘photography is not about technology. It’s about your idea, your vision’. You could have the megapixels, but if you are not able to understand or predict what’s going on around you, a great picture is still far away.  

Also read: How Did I Learn Travel Photography?

Videos, videos and more videos

It was a kind of a kick to hear about videos and how significant they are. While I’m not an avid video person, I’d say it’s the most effective channel of content creation today. The Insightful panel discussion on video-making by some successful YouTubers was a great learning. They talked about their respective journeys and how they have managed to stand out. Video-making is a highly demanding and time-consuming job. So, if you are getting into it, make sure you are passionate about it and ready to give it your heart and soul.    

Also read: Why I Like Being A Travel Blogger

Who’s an influencer?

The term ‘influencer’ was discussed at length. Everybody seems to be an influencer, then who’s being influenced? Well, I think it’s very important that people get the meaning right to be able to do the right kind of work, which would really influence people in a positive way. Being an influencer means that your work speaks for you – people follow you for what you do. You can be an influencer with your small audience also, as long as they are connected to you in a meaningful way and not in a generic way.  

The takeaways from the convention –         

• Every influencer is different. We need to understand our own strengths and approach brands accordingly.
• Consistency is the key. Whether you are making videos or writing a blog, you need to be disciplined about it.
• Photography is an art and will always remain so. It cannot be replaced by digital manipulation or technological advancement.
• Big numbers don’t always mean relevance and influence.
• You can fake it only to an extent. The real thing gets out for everyone to see. So, be authentic. Be original.

Who’s your favorite travel influencer(s)? Share something about them in the comments please!

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