MCWEL- ICT Unit Hosts Leveraging Social Media Workshop on Montserrat

Last week 14 participants attended the Leveraging the Internet and Social Media Workshop organized by the Ministry of Communications, Works, Energy and Labour - ICT Unit.

ICT Coordinator Loni Howe said the workshop is part of ongoing efforts to teach residents how to use technology in their daily lives. The five-day workshop held from September 23 -27, 2019 was facilitated by author and business strategist Nerissa Golden.

“We decided to put on this course because generally people don’t understand the power of ICT tools such as the internet and their mobile phones. There is much that can be done using these tools to make money and better their lives. They are powerful. With Nerissa’s experience on business and knowledge of these tools, we thought this would be an ideal workshop to offer. People often use social media to browse mindlessly all day, but by putting them to use they can work for you,” explained Howe.

Golden added that the sessions were designed to help the participants learn how to leverage the internet and social media to expand their reach and customer base beyond Montserrat. She also shared information on adding other products which can earn them revenue even while they are sleeping.

Nadine Sweeney, who is a nurse working to build a healthy lifestyle brand said, “I needed this workshop to give me the extra push to get my business going.”

Daniele James who plans to start an NGO added that she “learned a lot and I am excited to implement the things that I have learned to grow my business.”

“One of the big fallacies is that you need to be “techie” to use the internet. What you need is to have a problem that can be overcome with the use of technology tools such as social media,” explained Golden. “We helped the entrepreneurs to identify their ideal customer, figure out where this customer is hanging out online and then how to speak to them. It is important to recognize not everyone is your customer and a more targeted approach will bring better results.”

Lyandra Hobson of LHNet Ordering Services said each session offered valuable information which she has already begun to use.

Participants benefited from Golden’s expertise with content marketing and each was able to get ideas for sample content they can create for their ideal customer. They also were able to tap into the GenZ and millennial perspectives provided by Nia Golden, as these generations use social media in a completely different way than adults.

“Often people want quick solutions so they run to Facebook ads or other kinds of promotions, but it would be like shooting in the dark if you’re not clear about who you are selling to and what they really want to buy. I’m looking forward to seeing what the entrepreneurs do with their new knowledge,” added Golden.

The MCWEL - ICT Unit also coordinates an annual afterschool ICT programme for primary school students, Girls in ICT Day each April and National ICT Week activities in November.