Delivering a digital strategy to Inverness businesses

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has launched a series of digital strategy workshops, as part of its Entrepreneurial Academy.

The Delivering a Digital Strategy workshop, which is free to attend, will be in Inverness on 6th March 2019.

At the workshop, businesses will be guided through digital channels and shown the best techniques and tactics to achieve their goals, from securing more sales to increasing brand awareness and improving customer support.

Delivered by Gary Ennis of award-winning digital training consultancy, NSDesign, he will explain how the modern customer researches and purchases, how Google works and why you may not be getting the results you want. Attendees will also be given an overview of social media platforms and which ones to prioritise, as well as ideas for great content.

Speaking ahead of the workshop, Mr Ennis said: “The digital landscape changes daily, and if you’re not aware of how to be found, how to stand out and how to be trusted, then you face an uphill struggle as consumers turn to these channels to find you…or not, as the case may be.

“At the Inverness workshop we’ll look at digital strategies, review the websites of attendees, including looking at whether they’re optimised for mobile and reviewing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), review social media platforms, including paid for advertising, and, new for this programme, we’ll be giving advice around cyber security.

“We’ve designed the workshop to be fun and engaging; we’ll be working together and using live demos and YouTube videos to facilitate discussion. We’ll not only be giving an overview of best practice use of digital platforms but will be looking at the strategy behind their usage. Attendees will go away with the knowledge of how to monitor and evaluate their efforts and an action plan for their business.”

James Gibbs, HIEs’ area manager for Inverness and Inner Moray Firth, said: “With so many digital channels available to businesses, it can often be difficult to identify the best ones for your target market or to create campaigns that successfully engage your audience. That’s why we’re delighted to have Gary coming to Inverness to share his knowledge. If you are unsure how to make digital channels work hard for you then I would encourage you to attend.”

The Entrepreneurial Academy workshop is open and available to entrepreneurs or senior staff of companies or social enterprises with growth potential or the ambition to scale.

The digital strategy workshop is part of a suite of free workshops organised by HIE, including Entrepreneurial Sales, Pitching Skills and Brand Development. The Inverness Delivering a Digital Strategy workshop takes place at the Kingsmills Hotel, on 6th March 2019.

Full details of all Entrepreneurial Academy workshops and links to sign up can be found at: http://www.hie.co.uk/business-support/entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial-academy