Creators at Xposure 2025 Reveal New Social Media Storytelling Rules

Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

At the International Photography Festival (Xposure) 2025, a group of expert creators gathered to discuss how social media storytelling is changing. In today's world, grabbing someone’s attention online takes only three seconds—any longer, and people scroll away. The panel, titled 'Short-form content and storytelling on social media,' explored what works, what doesn’t, and why being real is more important than ever.

The Pressure to Start One of the key messages from the discussion was that many people overthink before even beginning. Saleh Elghatit, an Egyptian-Saudi creative director, reassured aspiring creators: “We put too much pressure on ourselves before we’ve even started. No one is waiting to judge your first post. Just create.” He emphasized that the fear of being judged holds people back, but in reality, no one remembers a creator’s first video—what matters is the journey they build over time.

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Noor Abdelaal, an award-winning filmmaker, supported this idea. “No one remembers Mr. Beast’s first video. They remember the empire he built. So just start.”

Authenticity Wins Over Perfection The panel agreed that being yourself is more important than having a high-quality, polished video. Claire McHardy, a Twitch content creator and photographer, explained, “People aren’t tuning in for perfect production—they want to see you, your thoughts, and your perspective. If someone is watching you for the first time, they need to understand who you are in just a few seconds.”

James Horsman, a filmmaker and founder of Mana Creative, warned against blindly following trends. “If you copy your competitors, you’re just adding to the noise. You’re not standing out.” Instead, he encouraged creators to find their unique voice and stick with it. “You don’t need to be fun and trendy one day, then serious and corporate the next. Pick a voice and stay consistent.”

Emotions Keep People Watching While many believe a catchy opening is the most important part of a video, Abdelaal pointed out that emotional impact is what truly keeps viewers engaged. “Hooks work, but people can easily spot a fake, forced hook. What holds their attention is emotion,” he said.

The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) as a Tool The discussion also touched on how FOMO—fear of missing out—can be a powerful way to attract audiences. Elghatit gave an example: “Look at Dubai Chocolate. One person posted a reaction video, and suddenly, it went viral. It wasn’t just about the product—people didn’t want to miss out on the experience.”

McHardy added that gaming companies have mastered this technique. “A lot of games create limited-time offers and exclusive items. People rush to get them because they know they won’t be available forever.”

The Future of Short-Form Content With AI-generated content becoming more common, the panelists believe that real, human stories will stand out the most. Horsman explained, “People can already tell when something is AI-generated. In the future, it’s only going to be harder to stand out. If everything looks the same, the most natural, authentic stories will be the ones people connect with.”

The Final Message: Just Start For those wanting to enter content creation, the panel had one simple piece of advice: don’t overthink it—just begin. “Forget about the audience for a bit. Make content for yourself first,” Elghatit encouraged.

As social media continues to evolve, the key to standing out remains the same: tell a story, make it real, and connect with people on an emotional level. That’s what truly captures attention in today’s fast-moving digital world.

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