DIGITAL IDENTITY CANVAS
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?
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.
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.
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.
Digital identity canvas by Diana González (@dianagonzalez) is licensed under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional License.
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