The rise of the online era has fundamentally transformed the way in which we live and work. When it comes to marketing, social media has often blurred these lines. Today a business that aspires for a strong customer base must give deep thought to showcasing the social aspect of its offerings and to promoting its brand on the same social media platforms used by people to connect with family and friends.
Businesses operate within these channels to make their brand more enticing to their existing audience while also reaching out to new ones. Across the Caribbean, entrepreneurs and business identities that pursue this strategy with particular success obtain the coveted title of ‘influencer’ in the eyes of their industry and the wider public.
A profile of influencers within the Caribbean not only reveals many tremendous success stories of the digital era, but also gives an insight into how your business can use their techniques for your own audience growth. So, beyond the most famous celebrities with a Caribbean connection, like Barbados’ Rihanna (@badgalriri – 77.9m followers), Jamaica’s Shenseea (@shenseea – 2.1m followers) and Saint Lucia’s Daren Sammy (@darensammy88 – 777k followers), which influencers are building their businesses and the Caribbean brand online?
Patrick and Steve of Uncommon Caribbean
Patrick and Steve are two brothers from St Croix in the US Virgin Islands. They are the founders of Uncommon Caribbean, an online portal devoted to looking beyond the surface-level attractions of Caribbean islands and diving in-depth on the region’s unique and authentic cultural history, from island to island.
Just as this emphasis is sincere, their social media also features a heavy selection of quintessential Caribbean backdrops like yachts, sunsets and high-end alcohol to ensure the new likes and follows keep coming on their Instagram account that currently has almost 17,000 followers.
Suzanne and Michelle of 2 Sisters and a Meal
In much of the media the Caribbean’s rich and distinctive culinary tradition can sometimes unfortunately get lost amidst broader Latin American cuisine, or simply be overshadowed by national giants of the region like Mexico and Brazil’s offerings. Jamaican-born sisters Suzanne and Michelle, the founders of 2 Sisters and a Meal, are changing that, celebrating a diverse variety of local fare, from “dishes born out of slavery and a lack of resources under English colonial rule” to more contemporary offerings.
By placing an emphasis on the unique gastro identity of this region throughout all they do, they’ve streamlined their offering to all those (predominantly) interested in Caribbean cuisine while also drawing on inspiration from other cuisines and regions around the world. With almost 20,000 people following their Facebook page, it’s clear these two sisters have struck a chord with all who love this region’s food.
Ianthia Smith of Miniskirts and Microphones
It could be said that Ianthia Smith is to fashion what Suzanne and Michelle are to cuisine. Working out of the Bahamas, her Miniskirts and Microphones online portal sees the journalist and fashionista provide her followers with a very cosmopolitan blog, mixing commentary on societal trends and daily meditations with glamour shots of chic fashion lines alongside health and beauty topics. Usually, combining such different topics into one online offering could be risky but Ianthia’s intense passion for what she covers, makes it work, and helps explain why she’s amassed over 12,000 followers on Instagram.
Joanna E of joannae.com
For many people who wish to travel, the opportunity to do so isn’t limited by finances, but time. Joanna E was born in the region and retains a strong kinship to it as she showcases the ability to travel while still working full time. In finding a unique target audience for her blog, Joanna has won a following among ‘cash-rich but time-poor’ travellers, making it no surprise she’s collected over 7,600 followers on Instagram for all her hard work.
Cindy Allman of bookofcinz.com
A Jamaican now living in Trinidad and Tobago, via her website, Cindy Allman has rapidly emerged as a leading figure of Caribbean literary discussion. Calling herself a ‘Caribbean Bookstagrammer’, Cindy has underscored: “I keep inserting the word Caribbean before Bookstagrammer because I think it is important for me to remind myself and you where I am from and why I started this Bookstagram page, to begin with.”
Over the past year Cindy read 140 books, started a book club and even began her own ventures in writing. Her clever use of coffee, elegant tables and other interesting backdrops on Instagram has made what could otherwise be routine regular updates of books she reads into fantastic pieces of media in their own right, and seen her Instagram following grow to almost 6,400, and counting.
Liking the Caribbean’s Following
These businesses profiled have built a following utilising techniques that are essentially universal. Such strategies could find solid success outside the region, just as they have within it. Nonetheless, for a region that has been seeking to broaden its identity, showcase its dynamism and highlight its modernity, the diversity of influencers within the Caribbean is priceless.
Undoubtedly it’s worth double, triple – if not more! – the price of any conventional marketing strategy by official authorities that will be unable to offer the audience such a personal and direct connection like a social media influencer can. Even if many such influencers now ultimately have their own marketing teams to assist them behind the scenes, the perceived personal connection remains at the forefront.
For any marketer or business leader seeking to build their enterprise’s brand going forward, there’s a key lesson here: the business of good social media is never strictly business – make it personal!
