Digital Gentrification: 5 Solutions
Digital gentrification is a term used to describe the displacement of low-income communities and individuals by the influx of high-tech industries and the associated rise in costs of living, specifically in the digital economy. This phenomenon can occur when an influx of tech businesses, startups, and skilled workers into an area drives up property values and living costs, making it difficult for low-income residents to afford to live in the area.
This issue has been hitting small mountain towns hard since COVID-19 and the boom of online businesses and remote working. The quintessential “zoom towns” have not seen a return to normal since the pandemic has slowed and life seems to have been permanently altered to a “digital first” economy.
I decided to open Downstream Creatives design studio in Flagstaff, Arizona when I saw a need for the local businesses in town to keep up with digital gentrification and the inequities present in digital literacy for the small business management and nonprofit leadership.
The average local small business or nonprofit does not have the budget to invest in the kind of digital services that large corporations can and the general consumer goes to their phone before a casual lap downtown to decide where to spend their money. How can we positively uplift the local small business and nonprofit in the digital age? How can we as consumers stay cognizant of modern algorithmic marketing? How can we as small business owners, freelancers, and nonprofits keep up with the landscape of online marketplaces?
Support local small businesses and nonprofits.
Mindful consumption is not always possible in the digital age, consumer convenience and inequities in digital literacy are a few of the drivers of digital gentrification negatively impacting small businesses and nonprofits.
How to Uplift Locally Managed Small Businesses and Nonprofits in the Digital Era
#1 Encourage and Create Resources Around Digital Literacy
What is digital literacy? Digital literacy is the ability to use digital technologies and tools effectively to access, evaluate, create, and communicate information in a digital environment. It encompasses a range of skills, including basic computer literacy, the ability to use software applications, and the ability to navigate digital devices and networks.
You can access your digital literacy skills with Northstar digital literacy assessment tests.
What is algorithm literacy? Algorithm literacy refers to the ability to understand how algorithms work, how they are designed, and how they impact our lives. An algorithm is a set of rules or procedures that a computer program follows to solve a problem or complete a task. Algorithms are used in a wide range of applications, including search engines, social media platforms, and e-commerce sites.
For more information on algorithm literacy check out the algorithm and data literacy program.
These two points of literacy can be the main inequity in a business’s ability to thrive in a digital marketplace. Offering training sessions on how to use digital tools and resources to enhance small businesses or nonprofits can include topics such as social media marketing, online fundraising, and website optimization. If you know a business owner or nonprofit leader who could utilize these resources, pass them along!
The more that we educate folks about the tools available the more we can create equity for small businesses and nonprofits whose work is deserving of the same influence as those who are literate in digital and algorithmic concepts.
At Downstream Creatives we offer free learning tools on our blog, on our instagram, Facebook, and email newsletters. Get connected with us and start your online educational journey.
#2 Understand How Algorithms Affect your Search Results
Algorithms play a crucial role in determining the search results that you see when you use a search engine like Google. Search engines use complex algorithms to analyze a wide range of factors to determine which results are most relevant to a given query. Some of the key factors that search engines consider when ranking search results include:
Relevance: Search engines analyze the content of web pages to determine how relevant they are to a given search query.
Authority: Search engines consider the authority of a web page, based on factors such as the number and quality of links to the page, to determine how reliable the information on the page is.
Freshness: Search engines consider how recently a web page was updated, to ensure that the search results reflect the most up-to-date information.
User behavior: Search engines analyze user behavior, such as the click-through rate and bounce rate of search results, to determine how well the results are meeting the needs of users.
Personalization: Search engines may use data about a user's search history, location, and other factors to personalize the search results that they see.
To be more supportive of local businesses keep these factors in mind and go a little further than the first three results that you see pop up on google. The same goes for the profiles that google maps and google business suites offer for local businesses, take the time and scroll a little further for results. Remember that the value of business is not always the number of reviews and effort put into online marketing.
Business owners! Downstream Creatives offers affordable search engine optimization services along with educational support to help you understand why we recommend the actions we do for your online presence. Reach out for free consultation or schedule an SEO service at Downstream Creatives.
#3 Support Others Digital Presence
Help your favorite and fellow business owners and nonprofits establish an online presence through social media, websites, and other digital channels.
Follow and engage: Follow the business/nonprofit on social media and engage with their content by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. This helps to increase the reach of their content and attract more followers.
Write positive reviews: Leave positive reviews for the business/nonprofit on review platforms, we love it when folks do this for us on google business suite. This can help to attract new customers and improve the business's reputation.
Recommend to friends: If you have friends who are looking for a product or service that the business/nonprofit provides, recommend the business to them on social media. Tag friends in posts you like from local accounts.
Share special offers: If the business/nonprofit is running a special offer or promotion, share it on your social media accounts to help spread the word.
Attend events: If the business/nonprofit is hosting an event or participating in a community event, attend and share your experience on social media.
Collaborate: If you have a social media following of your own, consider collaborating with the business/nonprofit on a social media campaign or giveaway. This can help to increase exposure for both your brand and the business/nonprofit.
Purchase their products or services or donate: Ultimately, the best way to support a business/nonprofit is to become a customer or donor and purchase their products or services or provide a donation. Share your positive experience on social media to encourage others to do the same.
Downstream Creatives offers asset creation and graphic design services for businesses and nonprofits who want to up their presence on social media. Speaking of support, go give our Instagram a follow.
#4 Foster Collaboration and Guidance
Provide guidance and mentorship to small businesses and nonprofits on how to leverage digital tools to grow and thrive. This can include advice on strategy, tactics, and best practices.
This is our main goal at Downstream Creatives. While we keep the lights on with our design specific services like brand guideline packages, custom website designs, and logo assets; we are aware that all of these creative works would have no place if our clients did not understand how to use them.
We believe in educationally collaboration and guidance congruent to the work that we create. Seeing small businesses and nonprofits disappear in the small town of Flagstaff Arizona with the increase of online businesses is a heartbreaking reality and we are here to uplift folks so they can make downstream impact and keep growing with the community we love so much.
Reach out to the small businesses and nonprofits in your area if you are digitally literate and offer support.
#5 Highlight what you love
Finally, share success stories of locally managed small businesses and nonprofits that have effectively leveraged digital tools to succeed. This can inspire others to do the same and create a culture of innovation and growth in our communities.
Spread the love and remember we may live our lives partially in front of screens these days but nothing will ever replace the real and genuine need for human connection. Keep showing up to the brick and mortar in your area and support those who are seldom noticed that you locally love.
