THIS year, International Women’s Day on March 8 championed the theme Accelerate Action aimed at advancing gender equality.
The United Nations elaborates with the theme For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment emphasising the need to unlock equal rights and opportunities for women as catalysts of sustainable change.
Amidst this backdrop, the digital world presents both a glaring challenge and a gleaming opportunity for women.
While the digital landscape offers immense potential, it can also be a daunting realm cluttered with obstacles that may discourage even the most formidable women from making their mark.
Women are often hindered from fully enjoying what it means to be their best version in a noisy, cluttered and sometimes difficult-to-navigate cyberspace.
On the other hand, for a significant number of female leaders, the digital world is no longer a place that they occasionally visit, it is where they predominantly reside.
This is why it makes perfect sense to lay the right foundations to ensure that as women utilise digital media and make a footprint online, their experiences in cyberspace are safe, secure, productive, responsible and ethical.
The digital world is full of opportunities for women utilising and working in cyberspace and it is time for all women to flourish in the digital marketplace.
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One way in which women can increase their ability to thrive in the digital marketplace is by being intentional about how they build and package digital assets in a cyber-smart way.
Basics: Crafting online brand
Navigating the digital world for the average woman has traditionally consisted of going with the flow, following trends and honestly not having a clear or well-thought-out strategy.
The result has been conflicting outcomes that do not truly reflect how our character (our heart and mindset). In a world where the messaging is always on going big or going home it is so easy to lose sight of the fact that it is the little things that build up to the big things.
The persistent pursuit of instant success and instant gratification has become the source of strife, discontent and disappointment particularly in the digital world.
Becoming a female leader in the digital marketplace requires more than just following trends; it demands a strategic approach to build a cohesive and authentic online brand.
Understanding the core of what makes you unique — your character and personal values — is crucial. Here, the goal is not to chase fleeting success, but to cultivate a digital presence that reflects your true self and resonates with your audience.
It is also important to have clarity about what your end goal is and consideration for whether or not how you position yourself in cyberspace will help to achieve those goals (make money, connect, make an impact, promote a cause, etc). The results of your online brand should also be clear and measurable.
Foundation: Digital footprint
Begin by defining your vision for your digital presence. Identifying goals and key online objectives, such as earning revenue, connecting with others or promoting a cause is critical.
This always helps with keeping track of the desired result. Considering the unique values that women bring to the digital space is another important factor. It is also critical to address any fears or concerns about launching digital services or products.
These fears may emanate from internal (doubt, procrastination, fear, self-confidence) as well as external (discouragement, ridicule, negativity, lack of support, lack of resources) influences and should be dealt with accordingly.
Your digital footprint should be intentional and reflective of the brand you wish to portray. Define clear outcomes and expectations. Consider how you want people to feel when they interact with your online persona.
Goal: Positive online reputation
“Reputation is critical; there is no exception to this law ... By not caring how you are perceived, you let others decide this for you. Be the master of your fate, and also of your reputation.” — Robert Green: The 48 Laws of Power.
Here are three things that can help promote a positive online reputation:
Get feedback on your brand constantly. This can be done through reviews, testimonials and by going through the comments that people make about your products and services online;
Manage your brand by watching your digital footprint and reputation. People’s perceptions of you will ultimately be determined by what they see online; and
Be responsive and consistent online and offline. Remember that even if you do not run an online business, you can still have some kind of digital footprint and online reputation.
Tools: Package, protect
Do you own any of these assets? — Website, YouTube channel, podcast, blog, email list, social media profile, photos, videos, audios. List the items that are in your digital asset register and place a monetary value on each one. Keep track of the value of these assets and ensure that all necessary safeguards are in place.
Systems, productivity tools
What systems and tools do you need to increase productivity and make the most of your digital footprint? How will you protect your peace, time and overall digital well-being? Protect and manage these assets with appropriate security measures and productivity tools.
Organisation
Do you have a central location to organise your assets (i.e., images, video and other rich media) which also allows you to create rules defining how and where they can be used? Organise your digital assets in a central location with defined usage rules.
Pay attention to clients
List your current responsibilities and obligations to consumers of your digital products and services: How do you plan to safeguard the information that belongs to your consumers and other third parties? How will you be transparent and accountable to other stakeholders? Ensure transparency and accountability in handling client data.
Prize: Understanding consumer
It is important for brands that are serious about long-term growth to consider the needs of their future prospects. As we utilise the digital marketplace, it is vital to pay close attention to the anatomy and characteristics of tech-savvy, mostly youthful consumers and clients.
This information will help female leaders to design appropriate products and services.
They are comfortable with tech, online shopping and other virtual experiences. They do not need convincing regarding digital marketplace shopping. Frankly, they cannot wait to splurge on the things that they desire;
They love convenience and have very high expectations for service delivery. They equate ease of purchase to timely and stress-free delivery of goods and services;
They typically operate in packs. Peer reviews and reports mean a lot to them. They will judge you based on what is said about you online;
They are very opinionated and do not fear nor hesitate to take their grievances to the cyber streets. If you cross them they will make sure that they share their displeasure with anyone who cares to listen and they have a far-reaching vehicle at their disposal, that they are always ready to turn to and which does not respect time or geographical boundaries;
They are very exposed and passionate about world culture. They dabble in economics, climate management, education, religion, politics and so much more. They are always looking out for discrepancies between what you say and what you do vis-a-vis global aspects that affect them or that they are passionate about; and
They are always connected.
Why pay attention to them? The digital marketplace is dominated by tech-savvy consumers who value convenience, peer opinions, and authenticity.
Understanding these traits can help tailor your digital strategies to meet the high expectations of contemporary online users. They are not only future consumers of your goods and services, they are potential risks to your digital reputation.
Encouragement: Act today
Start small, celebrate every victory, and do not let procrastination hinder your progress. Begin with what you have, where you are and expand as you grow.
The digital world is your oyster and as a woman, you have every right and the potential to forge remarkable paths in this digital era.
Whether you are using digital platforms in your career, starting an online business, figuring out digital parenting or merely trying to navigate cyberspace it is important to give yourself grace, continue to learn and explore and be mindful of the impact of your online footprint on your overall wellbeing.
- Utete is an attorney and digital wellness consultant with 15 years’ experience in consulting and spearheading policy and legislative reform in the areas of broadcasting, digitalisation, regulation of the radio frequency spectrum and intellectual property protection for innovation. As co-founder of Digital Wellness Africa, she is also a Digital Media Use and Online Safety expert, raising awareness, educating and empowering children, parents and educators in the areas of digital skills and smartphone productivity, digital citizenship, cybersecurity, digital reputation management and digital well-being. Utete believes in the power of technology to transform and empower communities and the ability of users to become significant producers of valuable digital assets and not mere consumers. These weekly articles are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Pvt) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society and past president of the Chartered Governance & Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. — [email protected] or mobile: +263 772 382 852.
