Rija Malik - Being a Digital Content Creator Is Not a Piece of Cake (Digital Creator From UAE)

It was May 2020 when I decided to start this incredible journey of creating digital content and I was motivated through one of my friends as she told me that I got adequate photography skills and I’m a person who loves to explore so that's where the thought of sharing those wonderful moments and places with the public on a platform like Instagram or TikTok started becoming serious.

I started as a food and lifestyle blogger, worked hard consistently to get recognition in this blogging world, which is extremely competitive, and polished my photography skills. 

Tell us about your background and journey.

I’m a Pakistani born & brought up here in UAE. I recently graduated in BBA finance and have been working in an E-commerce company as a customer relation specialist & I'm a blogger by passion.

I’m a very friendly person but at the same time, I’m not truly an extrovert as well. I like to enjoy myself with my family more than with friends. I love exploring new places and trying different cuisines as I’m a foodie by heart. I love taking risks and very passionate about my goals.


When did you first decide that you wanted to create digital content and how did you start?

It was May 2020 when I decided to start this incredible journey of creating digital content and I was motivated through one of my friends as she told me that I got adequate photography skills and I’m a person who loves to explore so that's where the thought of sharing those wonderful moments and places with the public on a platform like Instagram or TikTok started becoming serious.

I started as a food and lifestyle blogger, worked hard consistently to get recognition in this blogging world, which is extremely competitive, and polished my photography skills. Being a digital content creator myself, I can say that it's not easy at all to create content for brands because it takes a lot of endeavors and patience to meet the demands of the brands.



Is vlogging and digital content creation a financially sustainable career?

In today’s world, vlogging, blogging and digital content creation is a financially sustainable career. Just by creating content for the brands or by just having your vlogging channels on youtube, blog pages on Instagram you can earn a good amount of money but I must say it isn’t as easy as it sounds because the companies and brands will only approach you if they see you worthy of representing them, and the time it takes is of reasonable amount as a lot goes into each post/story that is displayed to the public.



How and where do you find inspiration to churn out content?

I have been following some well-known content creators since the beginning on Instagram and I take my inspiration from them as well as I use the Pinterest app for the ideas to churn out the content.

Also, the content creator is responsible for the ideation and creation of content

What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring digital creators or influencers?

Being an influencer or a digital content creator, I would first mention that it’s not a piece of cake, you need to be patient, focused, and consistent with your goals. You can not be well-known in weeks or even months, it can take years and years to mark your identity and to be recognized in this field. Always aim big but don’t forget that everything has a process and the right things happen at the right time.

For me, soft skills matter in addition to your ability to write, communicate and a substantial amount of social media or video production experience. So in the realm of soft skills, the best online content creators are those who are enthusiastic, multi-passionate, and inquisitive


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Interviewed by - Saba Parveen