Castellano
Digital Identity
The ensemble of distinctive characteristics which define personal
brands, commercial or community brands and characterize them on the Internet: the
translation of the physical identity to the online world.
The digital identity develops through the sum of everything that said brand
says or does on the Net, what everyone says about it, something that is
occasionally forgotten, what others see.
This last point takes on special relevance on the Internet: does the
brand communicates in social spaces where it is seen by its audience? Does what is
seen concur with the objectives? does what is shown make sense with the definition of the brand? Do all audiences see the same thing in the brand?
Elements of
the Digital Identity
Everything Communicates Communicate
the content shared and the configuration of the accounts from which they are
shared:
·
Content: what is said,
how it is shared (tone, style, language, etc.) along with the images or videos,
with what links, what hash tags are mentioned, the emoticons that are used, the
external content publication permissions that are shared and its own content
that is published, in response to what or to whom, who reads it and how the
individual reads it, who and what responds... And the silence: what is not
said also says something.
·
Configuration
of the accounts: The description of an account, either in
text, image or link to expand the information, the contacts which are
maintained, those groups and/or lists created or those which it belongs to, the
time of publication (whether it be dates, hours, regularity or reaction time),
the favourites or the content saved, the privacy level maintained, the
activation of the geolocalization or not, the tools, applications and devices
from which it is shared, etc.
We must recognise what appears about us or our brand to develop our
digital identity on route to our objectives. Additionally,
it is important to take into account that everything that is said on the
Internet stays on the Internet: the
best privacy tool is you, what you say or do not say. In the same
manner, it is necessary to be conscious that all content shared is a sentiment, both for the individual who
writes it and the person who reads it and the situation in which it is created. It must also
be taken into account that both people and companies or communities have a responsibility to the education of minors: everything we
publish can be seen by them.
Digital
Identity Plan
The planning aids
in the concretion and attainment of the objectives set out, as well as how to
help focus by clearing up existing doubts with respect to the digital identity
that is developed.
The following plan, inspired by The Business Model Canvas by
Osterwalder, is a first work draft which can be used to set the development of
the digital identity. This approximation only intends to be a starting point, meaning that it can by improved and changed and
allows for elements to be added or eliminated to adjust to the needs at each
moment.
The personal, corporate or community digital identity evolves over
time, evolves with each person or
group of people who shape the companies and/or communities, which is why it can
be used periodically to rethink the path to follow.
How to work
the plan
The canvas can be completed from the central point, the differential
value of the brand, and complete it towards the right quadrants to summarize
the community and, by means of it, mark the necessary activities, needs and
collaborations to, finally, focus the investment and benefits.
Nevertheless, depending on the needs of the digital identity project
or the existing requirements or obligations, it can begin by determining the
community so as to indicate the differential value; or describe the activities
which it carries out as brand to specify which community it will be useful to
and check if the cost-benefit relationship is beneficial or needs a change.
That way, the digital identity plan can be used in accordance with the
needs of the brand by searching that the ensemble is coherent, favours perseverance,
facilitates commitment and is sincere, fundamental values of communication and
empathy.
·
Name, date
and objectives: collects the
denomination of the brand, the temporal period and the objectives of the digital
identity development plan. The objectives must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time (limited in
time).
·
Definition of
brand: Definition of
the brand in a sentence based on differential value. The sentence
also serves as a description of the brand in the selected tools.
·
Community: description
of the audiences (internal, external, clients, prospects, influential,
advisors, competition…).
·
Relationship
with the community: concretion of how to reach each audience in the community (personal or
anonymous, one to one, one to many and vice versa and many to many... as well
as the description of the tone or format of the relationship).
·
Tools: applications,
social media or devices necessary to offer the contents of the community.
·
Activities: actions in
social measures to carry out to relate with the community, with the contents
and with the tools set out: from creating the accounts in social medias to conducting active
and/or monitored listening, through to acquiring training, attending events,
creating a calendar of contents and publishing it.
·
Contents: topics and
types of content offered to the community.
·
Brand
collaborators: other
community, corporate or personal brands to collaborate with to achieve the
objectives set (suppliers, distributors, colleagues or friends, previous
companies…). They are also
part of the community and it is necessary to think about the relationship with
them.
·
Investment: costs of the
digital identity plan, both economic and temporary or personal
·
Benefits: profits
obtained from the plan. Normally quantifying the objectives set out, but new benefits not
identified by them initially can be discovered.
Thanks for sharing and improving!
P.S.: you can view
and download it on PDF on SlideShare. Thanks for your help Marta!
