How do I convert my followers to buyers? Am I reaching my target audience? How do I get more authentic followers/likes? How quickly should I respond to comments or messages on business pages?

These are questions asked by attendees of the Let’s Get Social event in Nassau, Bahamas held earlier this month. FHR was an event sponsor and speaker, providing insights from our Digital and Social team designed to help Bahamians businesses grow through social media engagement.  

FHR has been working with clients in The Bahamas since 2014, helping both the Government and the private sector communicate more effectively, manage their reputations, sell their products, and engage with stakeholders. Over the years, we have invested in projects that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting local businesses and training young Bahamians to become better communicators. 

FHR has built valued relationships in The Bahamas, so when we were invited to participate in the Let’s Get Social event, we were happy to accept. Organized by local firm VKR Insights, Let’s Get Social offers local entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations a half-day session focused on improving social media management skills.

Pairing FHR’s deep social and brand marketing expertise with my cultural awareness of The Bahamas, we created an informative and engaging presentation. We engaged with attendees by using Poll Everywhere during the presentation. Participants enjoyed seeing results displayed in real time, and being able to caption photos and share questions.  

The presentation focused on two key takeaways designed to help any marketer succeed.

First, develop a deep understanding of your target audience. Well-defined audiences make it easier to find and engage with those most receptive to your message. Through targeted investments on popular social channels, brands can have significant opportunities to influence change, even with a smaller budget.

Second, we encouraged marketers to invest in upfront research and stopping what I like to call “random acts of marketing”. Bahamians are avid consumers of media and the country overall has a strong tradition of marketing – events, billboards, TV and radio commercials, other collateral. Based on observations made over years working in The Bahamas, it’s easy to identify ways a little more research and strategy could help support tactical marketing activities many businesses engage in.

The local daily newspaper, The Nassau Guardian provided great coverage of the event. 

Professionally, this event was a great opportunity to showcase the FHR brand in a market where we have built important relationships. My colleague Nick Moore and I also thoroughly enjoyed networking with participants.

Personally, I loved being able to share insights on behalf of FHR and learn from the audience, as well as make new connections in a country that I’m proud to call a second home.