Three Reasons Why DigiPort is Bringing Momentum to the Tech Wave in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia may not be the first place you think of when talking about tech hubs like Toronto, Ottawa, or Vancouver. However, we’re seeing more and more reports (like this one from Global News) indicating that Halifax is shifting, and creating a climate of start ups, and young professionals; the perfect recipe for becoming a leading tech hub in Canada. In the tech industry, we know that with high budgets and the geographical barriers associated with traditional methods of marketing like billboards, infomercials, or radio ads; digital marketing has become the beacon of light for small businesses. It is this very changing ecosystem that has kindled projects like DigiPort, a partnered effort from Tourism Nova Scotia and Digital Nova Scotia, where tourism businesses can find a curated collection of digital marketing resources like social media management, search engine optimization, web development/management & more. It is important to support the tourism industry considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years. This is an opportunity to begin the rebuild. Starting with the tourism industry, digital expansion is simply the gateway to success in the 2022 economy. The tools that businesses will learn to use will be the most relevant and up to date tactics for bringing provincial, national, and international dollars into the Nova Scotian economy. The success of projects like the TDAP Expansion and DigiPort hope to inspire other sectors to expand their digital presence and maximize their economic reach. Launched December 1, 2021, DigiPort provides a plethora of online resources (all designed by Nova Scotian digital experts), webinars/workshops, direct one-on-one consulting, courses, and programs for tourism businesses tasked with keeping up with the changing field of marketing. When looking at the ripple effects of creating a digital marketing learning portal, in a growing tech-hub, the possibilities are endless. To start, here are some key things you should know.

1. DigiPort has created streamlined revenue for the Digital Marketing & Tech experts in Nova Scotia.

With almost 300 users since it launched in December, the portal streamlines customers to local tech experts who specialize in web design & development and analytics, SEO and social media management. Our Digital Service Providers are each given a profile, where their services, expertise and contact information are featured. Users of DigiPort are able to book 30-60 minute one-on-one consultations to address their specific business concerns, and our digital experts are compensated for creating articles, checklists, worksheets and video tutorials. There are also programs, website bootcamps, courses and audits all planned by these very digital experts! The best part? Tourism Nova Scotia, a government division, has allocated funds to pay our tech experts for their services to DigiPort, which means it is fully accessible for all tourism businesses at no cost. It means there is guaranteed fuel for our tech industry in exchange for attending to the demand of digital services by the tourism industry, one in need after being hard hit by the pandemic.

2. DigiPort is Making Digital Expansion easily accessible

An all encompassing portal, means that there is a one stop shop for users of varying schedules, learning styles and business sizes to find relevant resources to digitally expand their business. For those small businesses who are a marketing team, sales team, and customer service representative team all in one, with very little time to read published works or attend long term courses - there are grab and go, one paged worksheets/cheat sheets available in DigiPort’s Resource Library. For the more advanced, larger chain businesses who have dedicated teams delegated to manage social media campaigns and Google Analytics - DigiPort has audit programs, workshops and bootcamps that allow users to dive deeper and build on their current knowledge. For every business in-between - there are webinars or consultations available where businesses are able to have the undivided attention of tech experts. All users need to do is fill out a quick assessment to gauge what their needs may be, and create a username and password. With these credentials they are able to access DigiPort in their free time or time they dedicate to their digital presence. The foremost feature is that users can access the portal on their own time, and use resources at their own pace.

3. DigiPort is Trailblazing

Thus far there has not been an all encompassing website like this with the aim to support digital adoption in Nova Scotia, and as far as recorded, in Canada! Creating the blueprint for digital expansion means that it is extremely likely that other industries will see the need for a learning portal like DigiPort. In fact BizBeacon, a similar portal, is currently in production for small businesses (funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development) and is due to launch in the very near future. What industry will follow suit next? Trailblazers are not only important for the tech industry because they weed through barriers of entry, but because they create precedence for turning deliberate objectives into behavioural change. Understanding the importance of digital expansion is a small, yet effective component of the local tech wave. When it comes to tech, Nova Scotia is at the brink of something spectacular, and DigiPort is feeding the momentum. [button link="https://nsdigiport.ca/" label="Visit DigiPort"][button link="https://digitalnovascotia.com/digital-assistance-adoption/digital-service-provider-submission-of-interest/" label="Become a Digital Service Provider"]