Part 1 was published in our April 12, 2023 editon. This is the conclusion.

AS Caribbean brands also have global reach, protecting one’s copyright is a smart thing to do. As the power of our islands goes beyond our shores, never underestimate that someone is waiting to grab your brand’s digital assets for profit. That being said, should you not have the budget to undertake verification by any of these major platforms, the easier decision is to funnel your fans currently on Twitter/Meta and IG to your brand’s owned media, such as your website.

Here’s how:

Secure your domains and handles – A common practice by scammers is to nab a brand’s website and respective handles across platforms to resell this at a lofty value. Don’t allow this to happen. Whether large or small company, ensure that your marketing, legal and IT teams work in tandem to safeguard access to and confirmation of credentials and passwords to your digital assets, limiting access to agencies and third parties. Additionally, also ensure that digital assets are not tied into someone’s e-mail address, create a specific e-mail that if they resign access is not lost.

Own your customer database – At every touchpoint of your customer journey, provide so much value that it leaves fans and sceptics wanting more or interested in learning more. When fans interact on social, where do they go next on the journey? Do you have an offer? Some insight via an infographic or research paper? What about a free gift for visiting? Incentivise prospects. Every post done, you make must understand the assignment; that is, to generate feedback that delights users when shared — the reward is engagement, leads and data. Ask fans to sign up for a call-back, a newsletter, free consultation, show how your service/product solves a problem that they now have. Use it to build your SMS/e-mail marketing capabilities for instant communication always.

Communicate legitimacy – As you build your database, remind your fans of the official handles occupied by the brand. Should you decide not to pay for verification, I suggest you also create backup profiles, future proofing your brand in the event that scammers create fake accounts to spread misinformation. This is also a push to your communications and social media teams to always be ready with a crisis communications plan for social media should you lose access to any.

Reward behaviour – After you’ve given your audience a great offer to view and sample, ask them to join the party! It would be the perfect time to build engagement around your brand in a user group chatting about what they’d do if they had the other platforms available. Here’s where you start to build community groups. Owned apps, Facebook Groups, Telegram Channels etc, are great options to consider if at any point in time Twitter decides to pull the plug on your brand.

Next steps:

While the slow and steady rollout of removing legacy verification will now see more fans than brands having a checkmark, its early days yet as to how Musk will use this strategy to monetise the brand. Nonetheless, use the tips shared to build your brand reputation and legitimacy with your intended audience so that you are ready and prepared for any eventualities on social media.

Until next time, think digital-first.

Shane G Bennett is a martech and marcomms professional specialising in digital transformation, corporate communications, social media solutions, and brand management for SMEs, non-profits, and multinational companies. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or sgbjamaica@gmail.com.