Tell compelling stories, and the audience will come, advised a top blogger at the inaugural Arab Social Media Influencers Summit in Dubai.

Build a brand around a concept, said Brandon Stanton, founder of the Humans of New York. I try to keep [the blog] about stories. And I see myself as a storyteller. Im not trying to push a certain value or spot culture or define anything. Im just trying to reflect.

The Humans of New York is a blog that captures pictures and vignettes of New Yorkers. Since its inception in 2010, the blog has amassed a wide fan base, including 12.4 million followers on Facebook and 2.7 million followers on Instagram. Photographs from the blog are also featured in a bestselling book with the same title, published in 2013.

Stanton stressed that good stories will captivate audiences, no matter their location. The focus is should always be on content. A lot of people stumble on social media strategy and trying to appeal to one group of people versus another. Only one thing appeals to peoplegood content.

Social media, according to Stanton, is a dynamic medium that enables bloggers to constantly amend, innovate and improve their work. On social media, you get immediate feedback on your work. Facebook has given me the ability to get real- time feedback on what people connect with, said Stanton.

A far greater consequence of social media has been the democratisation of art. Humans of New York would have been impossible 10 years ago. I wouldve needed the approval of gatekeepers like magazine editors or TV executives Social media has broken down the barrier of having to appeal to a few tastemakers and go directly to an audience.

For bloggers to succeed, Stanton advised that consistency is crucial for gaining audiences. There is a myth of virality in social media, he said, divulging that he updates his blog on a consistent schedule, no matter the weather or other extraneous factors.

People think that if their idea is out there, the audience will follow. What they dont realize is how much work you have to put in to get there. For example, as a writer, you cant control whether youre writing the next great Middle Eastern novel or the next great American novel. All you can control is how hard you work.

Over the last five years, Stanton has had the opportunity to travel to different locations with his blog. Most notably, he collaborated with the United Nations for a two- month project last summer, involving stops in Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, India, among other places. The short answer is that people are more alike than they realise, concluded Stanton. But you can also see others as different to you and live a different life from you and thats okay. Differences are beautiful.

Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit gathered more than 1500 regional and global social media experts. Over the two day programme, 38 leading speakers and influencers advised young Arabs on how to best use their ideas to serve the Arab community through the effective use of social media.