BitDepth 1372

MARK LYNDERSAY

FOR Golda Lee-Bruce, communications specialist at the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), building an online brand begins with the story that's told about it.

That story should, most effectively, follow the classic narrative arc: the status quo experiences a disruption that forces change, creating in a new reality.

Lee-Bruce was speaking at the TT Chamber of Industry Commerce's DigiMark conference at the end of June, a two-day event that introduced small and micro businesses to the digital environments they must adapt to for post-pandemic success.

The event itself was a bit of a mixed bag, tossing digital speculation and advertising agency relevance into a mix of conversations that often seemed ahead of the real-world ambitions of the intended audience.

But there were elements in these discussions that will bring value to the tiny businesses normally outside the scope that the that the chamber and its Nova Committee are working to reach.

Define a goal.

One clear directive from almost every presenter was for businesses to be absolutely clear about what they wanted to achieve with their digital strategy.

Advertising agencies begin by asking their clients to codify their goals using a standard document before thinking about a campaign.

Lee-Bruce posed questions that digital businesses should be ready to answer.

"Where do people go to find what they want to buy?" she asked.

"What will they find about you? What's the story that your online presence is telling? Modern marketing is all about the story you can tell about your product or service and that story should be present in all your communications."

Start with yourself.

In a very small business, identity is usually shaped by its leader. In larger businesses, a business persona usually emerges from the decisions they make and the positions they take.

"People don't seem to understand that we are walking billboards for our brand," said Dr Terri-Karelle Reid, author of My Brand Compass.

"Be very clear about who you are and what you do and be unapologetic about it. What is your value proposition? How you view yourself must translate into what people perceive about you. The personal brand journey is a long one, so prepare for a marathon."

Decide what to say and where.

Keron Rose, a consultant to entrepreneurs entering the digital space, urged businesses to anchor their strategy using a website under their control to manage information about the business and its product or service. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that websites are mobile-responsive.

Subira Willock, creative storytelling lead at Meta, encouraged marketers to use more video as part of their strategy.

"Digital video consumption quadrupled to four hours per day during the pandemic," Willock said.

On YouTube alone, there are more than a billion hours of video with more than 250,000 hours added each day. According to Prof Anil Kokaram, who spent seven years working with the YouTube video processing team, 80 per cent