IN case you missed it, RepublicAsia Media Inc., Sparkle GMA Artist Center, and iACADEMY teamed up to launch “The Republic of Influence: A New Era of Storytelling” workshop with several young Sparkle artists to empower them on their digital journey as content creators.

As we know, today’s fast-paced digital world has shaped how people tell their narratives and connect with others.

Thanks to the internet and various social media platforms, millennials and Gen Zs can narrate their daily routines in a short video format called a “day in the life,” recommend a trending item through product review vlogs, and share new knowledge through tutorial videos to millions of individuals in just a few clicks.

While it makes life easier and more connected, people still need to learn how to navigate the vast digital landscape effectively and maximize their digital assets.

Understanding algorithms, storytelling, monetization

“The Republic of Influence: A New Era of Storytelling” workshop was held at RepublicAsia’s headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, and featured five experts who shared their insights and experiences in the digital landscape. Among them are Huskee Digital chief executive officer (CEO) Miggy Azurin, former Mid Market TikTok head Dowan Kim, and Good Diva Marketing CEO Marielle Tiano.

Azurin started the workshop by sharing his expertise on algorithms in Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—the popular social media platforms among the young generation.

But how can one stay ahead of social media algorithms that undergo regular updates? Azurin highlighted the importance of infusing originality in their content.

“I would argue that this is probably the best time to be a content creator. But the number one mistake that I see a lot of people make is they aren’t original to themselves,” he said.

Azurin advised, “So for anyone starting out, if you wanna be able to get ahead, as cliché as it’s going to sound, you just gotta be yourself. You got to be yourself, celebrate your own creativity, and don’t be afraid to experiment.”

Before thinking about winning the social media algorithms, of course, one has to think of how they would deliver impactful narratives.

This is where Kim entered the stage to discuss how a content creator tells a story effectively. During his talk, Kim highlighted four keys to good storytelling: “H.E.A.R,” which stands for hook, emotion, arc, and relatability.

Hook grabs the audience’s attention, while emotion lets them feel the narrator’s emotions, whether it is joy, fear, failure, or pride. Arc highlights the narrator’s journey, particularly their turning point, while relatability focuses on the truth that the audience sees themselves in.

“There’s such diverse content out there, there’s such diverse content creators. People come to you for a specific need, for a specific desire, for the relatability of a specific aspect of you,” Kim told republicasia.

“What I would say is simply lean into that and continue developing your brand and continue building your niche in that particular domain,” he added.

Online content does not just inform and entertain netizens; they are out there to generate income for content creators. Tiano took the limelight to guide the Sparkle artists in maximizing their earnings by knowing who their target audience is.

“That’s how you will be able to connect with them. It’s like how we say in marketing: if you sell to everyone, you’re basically selling to no one,” Tiano stressed. 

“You have to understand what your audience needs or just ask yourself what are the top three things you want to give value to or share about, then that’s who your target audience will be,” she continued.

Learnings from the workshop

This is only the first half of “The Republic of Influence: A New Era of Storytelling” workshop, but Sparkle artists have already learned a lot about social media algorithms, creating compelling stories, and monetizing their content.

Speaking with republicasia, actress and host Hannah Arguelles shared that Kim’s talk about storytelling piqued her interest.

“I’m also a Communication major kasi, so it really just solidified everything that I’m going through. And this time, from a more hands-on perspective,” she said.

“Syempre, lahat ng natututunan ko ay from academe perspective and I just find it very refreshing to see it more utilized,” she added.

Gamers and livestreamers Javi Valdes and Maika Kemmochi also shared what they learned from monetization and social media algorithms, respectively.

“You don’t need a lot of followers to get a lot of money out of your pages. It doesn’t equate na, mas marami followers mo, mas marami ka ring kinikita,” Valdes explained.

“It was a good eye-opener to keep going na, ‘Okay, kahit na konti pa lang followers ko, I know I could make more money out of it,’” he added.

Kemmochi, on the other hand, understood the importance of being consistent with her content if they wanted to win the social media algorithms.

“Right now, it’s so hard for us content creators to do content kasi ang daming trends—like it’s hard to catch up, especially in the AI generated na content ngayon, nawawalan talaga ng trabaho ‘yung mga content creator na kagaya namin,” the livestreamer said.

But hearing that, talagang it helps us na magkaroon ng parang—we have to keep up, how often mag-post ng mga content, ano ‘yung mga klase,” she continued.

Content creator Lauren King said the first half of the workshop made her realize that internet users follow a certain content creator not because of being perfect but for being authentic.

“Ang common na iniisip ng mga tao is you have to be perfect to be popular. But it’s actually wrong,” King noted. “You just have to be true to yourself and with everything you post para maka-relate sa’yo ‘yung tao.”

More professional insights and tips on navigating the digital world will be given in the second part of “The Republic of Influence: A New Era of Storytelling” workshop, this time, by ContentDash PTE LTD. CEO and founder Fleire Castro and content creator Lottie Bie.

Castro will touch on the ethical considerations of using artificial intelligence in content creation, while Lottie Bie will share her inspirational journey as a content creator.

Stay tuned to republicasia for more!