Today's Edition
MUDHI ALOBTHANI (DUBAI)
Three Emirati content creators speaking at the 1 Billion Followers Summit on Thursday said that digital success should be measured by influence, intention, and meaningful storytelling, not by views or follower counts.
Saif Al Dahab, Marwan Al Shehhi, and Abdulla Ismail told attendees that the impact of content cannot be reduced to metrics, with each panellist pointing to real-life experiences that challenged prevailing industry assumptions around virality and performance.
Al Dahab kicked off the panel by challenging the idea that success can be reduced to a dashboard of metrics. While acknowledging that views are part of the ecosystem, he stressed that they are not the foundation.
"Views are one of the indicators, but they are not the base. If we are talking about the success of a content creator or a media professional, we have to start with influence," he said.
For the young Emirati content creator, influence is inseparable from proximity to people.
"The closer you are to people, the more influential you become. Success begins with a meaningful message and valuable content that has the power to change someone."
He described moments when success revealed itself not online, but in real life.
"When someone meets me and says, 'Thank you for this video, it reached me at the right time,' that is when I feel I have succeeded. I don't need likes or celebrations after that."
Influence Comes Before the Algorithm
The discussion marked a departure from the usual focus on algorithm-driven growth and platform strategy at digital industry events. All three speakers argued that creators should prioritise authenticity and social value, even if it comes at the expense of rapid reach.
"Impact cannot be measured, and that's a blessing," said Al Shehhi.
"If we could measure it, it might stop us from taking meaningful risks."
Al Shehhi pointed to a past campaign during Ramadan that received fewer views than usual as an example of content that mattered deeply despite limited reach.
"I once shared a video in Ramadan about a Quran-reading app. It had around 7,000 views, very low compared to my usual numbers. But its value was far greater than the views."
He explained that such content is important because its impact often happens quietly, away from screens and statistics, adding that he measures success based on continuity and contribution, not virality.
"If one person changes because of a piece of content, you will never see that transformation through a screen. You will never know how it affected their life, but it still matters," Al Shehhi said.
"Success is consistency, continuing to do what you love while knowing your content benefits people and society, regardless of the numbers."
Numbers Can Be Bought, Impact Cannot
Ismail drew a sharp distinction between visible popularity and real influence, warning that metrics can be manipulated, but genuine impact cannot be manufactured.
"Views can be bought. Likes can be bought. Followers can be bought. But real influence, changing people's behaviour and life decisions, cannot be purchased," he stressed.
He explained that true impact is often intangible and unfolds over time, in ways that data cannot immediately reflect. The effect of meaningful content, Ismail added, appears slowly in people's choices, their thinking, and their actions - well beyond the moment of viewing.
"A successful message is difficult to measure because its effect appears in people's lives, their choices, and how they think, not in immediate numbers," he said.
"You cannot compare numbers across different societies. Someone may influence 500 people deeply within their community and be more impactful than someone with millions."
For Ismail, real success does not happen in public view. It is something that is tested in private, where creators must hold themselves accountable to their own principles instead of algorithms.
"Every night, I place my head on the pillow and ask myself: What did I do today? Was I honest? Did I betray my values or principles?... When your conscience is at peace, when you know you didn't sell your values, your country, your idea, or your audience, that is success."
He also warned of the risks of chasing virality for its own sake, describing it as an empty pursuit when disconnected from authenticity.
"Noise without honesty is not success. Riding waves you don't believe in is not success," he said.
Purposeful Storytelling That Lasts
While each of the three creators approached content differently, they agreed on one key idea: that the value of content lies not in its reach, but in its resonance. They rejected the notion that virality should be the primary goal, instead advocating for content with long-term relevance and clear intent.
"You don't want applause without action. You want to see real results. Impact is not about noise, it's about outcomes," Ismail said.
Al Dahab echoed this belief by emphasising sustainability.
"Viral content may last a day or a night, then disappear. But valuable content with a strong foundation lives longer," he said.
And Al Shehhi concluded by affirming that intention is what ultimately guides content to the right audience.
"The most important thing is sincere intention. With sincerity, content naturally finds its way to the right people."
