Meet DCN Community Leaders | Bozhana Koleva from Bulgaria!
Bozhana Koleva won the community elections in Bulgaria, so she is our new community leader in the country! We asked her to answer five questions to learn more about her!
Please tell me your bio in a storytelling way!
I am a graduate of the University of Sofia, where I have my bachelor’s degree in Modern European History. It was the last year in the university when I decided that I will go with the media industry and the way it can influence people, that is why I majored in Mass communication an PR from New Bulgarian University. And last year I just graduated from an international business school, where I have my Postgraduate qualification in digital marketing.
As a lifelong passional for music and nowadays enthusiast of all digital initiatives about it, I guess my job just find me, cause for the past 11 years I’m working for the biggest TV and music producer in Bulgaria, where I helped the company launch a digital content presence across all streaming/ video platforms and devise a strategy for engagement.
Along with this, I supervise teams that create a great amount of music content, from Audio recording to video realizations, especially on YouTube being responsible for everything from Audience growth strategy to dealing with Digital rights issues. Together we build the biggest YT channel in BG, starting from zero to 1.8 million subscribers.
It was my work and my passion for YouTube that took me across the world, where I take part in workshops and events in YouTube creator HUBS — YouTube Space in Berlin, London, and LA, as I’m YouTube certified for all their programs — Content Ownership, asset monetization, and music.
I’m also a part of the only YouTube certified agency in BG, where I mostly work with influencers and digital content creators by helping them to plan, optimize, and launch their YT channels. Curating content, analyzing video performance, and improve audience retention, plus I enjoy developing devise engagement plans.
Last but not least, happily married for 15 years, having two amazing daughters, one dog and a husband (hahaha)
Ι would like to tell me more about the Bulgarian Youtube channel you manage!
As I told you in my bio, I am a lifelong passional for music and back at the time (11 years ago) I needed to cover an internship so that I can graduate from my master’s degree. That’s how I started at the music company that I still work for.
At the beginning there back in 2002 (they were dark times for digital content copyrights, not only music) where everybody uploaded whatever they want and nobody got paid for or managed their content. So, seven years ago we decided that we go and make a partnership directly with YouTube as hard as it looks then, just a regular Bulgarian music company to get along and have a direct partnership with the biggest video platform out there (but we did it).
Nowadays, we have the biggest channel about music in Bulgaria it’s Called Planeta official and it’s about that typically Bulgarian music it’s the genre pop-folk (although to be completely honest I do not like this kind of music). This music is really popular in Bulgaria (really popular). It was really hard to stand for your rights and to go after all those hackers and people that we upload our content without having no ownership it was a challenge!
What’s making me happy is that for the past 10 years we make it and hold our rights as an owner in the digital platforms and nowadays we make a really good business and marketing Strategy so that we develop it even further.
Please share with us some tips if we want to have great content on our Youtube Channel.
The first thing is that you have to be true to yourself, to really want to share your story with people and to know what you want to give them as a value. As I love to say to all new creators I’ve worked with: Don’t follow an influencer, follow your dream! 😊
Don’t create content just because it’s trendy, just because everybody else does it. Find your voice and if you are willing to share with people, YouTube is the greatest platform that allows you to put your video out there and be yourself.
Then, the second important thing is to be consistent, because consistency is the thing that your audience will want. Once they choose you, they have to know that every week you will be there with another video, with another story, with another lesson to give them. So, consistency is number two that needs to be done.
Then, of course, come the organized tips and tricks for how your channel is going to look more fresh, more organized so that people can have that user experience which gives them a nice feeling. Whether they go to learn something, to entertain themselves or to get informed. You need to structure your channel and organize the content so that it can be easily found.
Tell me about your first DCN experience.
To be honest, my first experience with DCN was last year December (like two months ago). I just found by coincidence this event that you guys organized in Sophia so I went to your event and I love your team, your ideas, your organization!
I’ve been searching and learning about DCN and what it stands for, so for me, it means great idea and community where people get to connect and share their experience to help other people to become better, more informed.
What’s your vision about DCN Bulgaria Community as a leader?
I’m really happy that I can be a part of your community and hopefully, I can make the DCN in Bulgaria a strong community where people really would love to connect and share ideas. And what I want is to go out to other small cities in Bulgaria not only in Sofia. Some people need to hear successful people with experience to give them a direction, an inspiration, a piece of advice.
