By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 12: Social media influencers and content creators from Meghalaya received a shot in their arms on Thursday following the launching of Hello Meghalaya, one of the first state-run OTT platforms.
The Shillong Times spoke to some of the prominent influencers from Meghalaya who were felicitated by the government for gaining popularity through their creative audio-visual content.
Warimeki Lyngwa, who won the Emerging Influencer of the Year award, said that her channel is centred on inspiring others and spreading positivity.
“I focus on sharing stories of resilience, personal growth, and the beauty of everyday moments. It’s a platform where I aim to uplift and encourage my audience through heartfelt messages and experiences,” she said.
Expressing happiness at being recognised for her efforts, she said the award validates the impact of her message and inspires her to continue striving to spread her message of positivity and doing good.
“I believe that goodness creates a ripple effect and one small action, big or small, can create an impact in one’s life,” she said.
She also said that the idea of ‘Hello Meghalaya’ holds immense potential to not only generate quality content but also to create livelihood opportunities for people in the region.
“By showcasing the cultural richness, natural beauty, and untold stories of Meghalaya, the platform can attract viewership and tourism. This, in turn, can support local artisans, entrepreneurs, and communities, fostering economic growth and cultural preservation,” she said.
Kynpham Chi iung, who operates the popular YouTube channel ‘Chi iung’ with a subscriber base of 2,16,000 and was awarded the Best Comedy Influencer, said they try to make comedy videos that people can relate to and watch with their families.
“After receiving this award, we feel honoured and proud. I think Hello Meghalaya can really help us as content creators and with the help of our government, we can get financial support,” he said.
Grace Marbaniang of ‘Born Hyper Girl’, awarded Best Travel Influencer, said she started creating videos on Instagram out of love for her dogs in 2019.
“My whole intention was to just to take them on hikes and take videos but then slowly I realised that probably this is what I want to do in life and I made my account public and that’s how it all started,” she said.
Stating that Hello Meghalaya is a fantastic platform for the creators in Meghalaya to showcase their creativity to the people, Grace expressed concern over negative and vulgar content available on social media platforms.
She said such content used to bother her earlier but she has realised “you cannot make everyone like you no matter what you do and there will be people who will talk negatively about you”.
Wanjop Sohklet, who won the Best Music Influencer award, said his Khasi songs typically reflect rural life, capturing the essence of farming and personal emotions.
“It’s heartening to see how people connect with my music. I’ve been blessed with a decent number of subscribers and followers. What also brings me immense satisfaction is using my talent for noble causes. For instance, my latest song Ka Shongkha Khynnah highlighting the importance of preventing teenage pregnancy and early marriage received an overwhelming response,” he said.
He pointed out that the advent of OTT platforms has democratised access to local content for the citizens free of cost and this development provides an excellent opportunity for diverse voices and stories from the communities in the state to be heard.