There aren’t many video bloggers in the UAE, but one stands head and shoulders above his YouTube compatriots. Meet Emkwan, vlogger and social media obsessive (when the day job is over) …
I am known online, to friends and most of my family as Emkwan. It’s a nickname that was given to me by friends at college years back that simply stuck. It’s made up of my initials.”
That’s the simple enough story behind the name, but it’s not just a name: ”To be honest, it’s been ideal in establishing myself online and on social media, where being unique is an important factor in building a brand and association.”
And why does he need a brand? Because Emkwan is an online presence – “an opinionated technology commentator and reviewer, digital influencer and ‘one of the UAE’s top video bloggers’” (the quote comes from Esquire magazine’s December 2014 roundup of the UAE’s main social media figures).
Video blogging – vlogging – is simply using video rather than text and static images to share information in an informal and personal way.
“It’s a great medium to create engaging content,” Emkwan explains.
He does have a day job under his real name, Mohsin Khan – “I work 9 to 5 in Abu Dhabi. I moved out here after I was offered a job and the promise of sun, sand and sea. I haven’t been disappointed” – but reserves his online personality for his YouTube videos.
“I have two YouTube channels. My main channel is geared around technology and cars and that’s on www.youtube.com/avorahtv. That particular channel has over 11,000 subscribers.
“Videos on that channel are informative and detailed. They are there to help people understand the different options they may have when thinking about a technology product, or if they are considering a car.
“My second channel is much more personal and features my family and our experiences of starting up and living in the UAE – one of the most vibrant and exciting places to be. That channel is www.youtube.com/emkwantv and has over 10,000 subscribers.
“We use this channel to review places to visit and eat at as well as answering questions and queries from expats thinking about coming out to the UAE or ones that are here already.
“Both channels have weekly uploads, so there’s regular content for subscribers.
Emkwan (and his wife, who features in some of the personal vlogs) comes across as personable and approachable; the videos are professional and watchable without being too glossy, obviously a labour of love – and even though it’s still a spare-time hobby, they can seem like work. “Maintaining a schedule [of updates] is the most challenging thing for me,” says Emkwan.
He got started because he was tech obsessive and friends and family would regularly ask for recommendations about tech purchases. So back in 2012 he set up a YouTube channel to experiment. “I was shocked at how many people around the world were viewing my videos and interacting with me. It got me excited to continue.
“A few months later, companies started to make contact to encourage me to review their products – and it grew from there. It’s allowed me to feature brands such as BlackBerry, Samsung, HTC, Mercedes, Bentley, Rotana, Abu Dhabi Tourism and many more.”
The personal vlog channel came later, when he moved to the UAE three years ago. “It allowed me to video record the experiences of leaving family and a familiar life for something that was unknown. It ended up being almost a video diary that family and friends could use to keep up to date with us.
Emkwan has learned a lot from vlogging, and has advice to pass on. “I think the first thing to do is choose something you are passionate about. Something you can write or do in your spare time without feeling like it’s work.
“Secondly: just do it. Don’t spend time making it perfect. That’s the beauty of blogging and vlogging. It doesn’t have to be perfect – just relevant. Don’t copy what others are doing, just make it your own. That will develop into your own style.
“Finally: respect local cultures and traditions. There are some YouTubers for example that will use foul language or disrespect local culture on camera. This isn’t going to help you in the long term and if anything will alienate people from what you’re trying to communicate.”
And what’s coming next? “There’s so much more coming up, but I don’t want to give it away just yet. Readers will have to subscribe to see more!”
WORDS Jack Dignum
