A Six-Year Digital Transformation: Coleraine BID's Journey from 2019 to 2025 - And The Strategic Vision That Carries It Forward

Six Years of Forward-Thinking Partnership

When Triovia began working with Coleraine Business Improvement District in 2019, the brief was broad: help the BID communicate better digitally. What followed over the next six years was something considerably more significant - a sustained creative and strategic partnership that touched every aspect of the BID's communications, operations, and long-term planning.

The relationship evolved from its original scope precisely because Triovia consistently brought ideas to the table rather than simply responding to instructions. From the FM radio station to the member portal, from the award-winning magazine to the Santa Experience ticketing system, the most impactful initiatives were ones that Triovia initiated and proposed - not ones that appeared in an original brief.

This proactive, ideas-led approach is what distinguishes a genuine strategic partner from a service provider. Coleraine BID benefited from six years of the former.

Digital Skills Training: Building Capacity in the Business Community

One of the most forward-thinking initiatives Triovia developed for Coleraine BID was a digital skills training package designed specifically for local business owners. The rationale was simple but powerful: the most sustainable way to support a business community's digital growth is to build genuine capability within it.

Triovia developed an on-demand, flexible training programme focused on organic digital growth - the kind of sustainable, community-driven marketing that creates lasting results rather than paid visibility that disappears when budgets tighten. The programme was built around practical learning tools designed for busy business owners who needed real skills, not theory.

The on-demand format was a deliberate choice. Town centre businesses operate long and unpredictable hours. A training programme that required attendance at fixed times would fail to reach the people who needed it most. By making training accessible on the learner's schedule, Triovia ensured that genuine uptake was possible across the full range of BID member businesses.

Contributing to the 2024-2029 Business Plan

As Coleraine BID entered the planning phase for its third term - covering 2024 to 2029 - Triovia played an active role in shaping the long-term strategic vision for the organisation's digital communications. This contribution went beyond providing services: it involved strategic input into the direction and ambitions of the BID's digital programme for the coming five-year period.

The resulting business plan reflected the digital infrastructure and communication capabilities that had been built over the preceding six years. Members in the new term now receive two articles and two social media posts per month through the Explore Causeway Coast and Glens platform, unlimited event and job listings, dedicated business landing pages, and continued promotional support - a comprehensive digital package that builds directly on the foundations Triovia helped to lay.

Coleraine as a Benchmark for Northern Irish Town Centres

The cumulative impact of six years of consistent digital investment has made Coleraine one of Northern Ireland's most digitally engaged town centres. This is not a casual claim - it reflects measurable outcomes across multiple dimensions: a social media following exceeding 10,000, media distribution reaching outlets across the province, an award-winning print publication, a functioning public audio network integrated with digital streaming, and a member portal that genuinely serves businesses.

Other BIDs across Northern Ireland and further afield have looked to Coleraine's digital programme as a model. The combination of innovative thinking, consistent execution, and willingness to invest in genuine quality has produced an organisation that punches well above its weight digitally - and a town centre that benefits tangibly from that investment.

The Evolution of the Partnership

Triovia no longer takes on new freelance work, but the legacy of the Coleraine BID partnership continues through ongoing digital marketing and training support, the strategic content and engagement tools that remain in operation, and the long-term value embedded in the 2024-2029 business plan.

What started as a practical working relationship evolved into something more significant: a partnership characterised by shared ambition for what Coleraine could become digitally, trust built through consistent delivery, and genuine pride in a town centre that now stands as evidence of what good digital strategy can achieve.

A Complete Picture: All Services Delivered

• Seasonal FM radio broadcasting - 28-day licence, festive programming
• Year-round public audio system with Alexa and web stream integration
• Website development and ongoing management
• Secure member portal with self-service content submission
• Full social media management - Facebook growth to 10,000+
• Newsletter production and regional media distribution
• Award-winning print magazine editorial support
• Photography and videography for events and campaigns
• Extended reach amplification via 120,000-follower platform
• Santa Experience online ticketing system
• Digital skills training programme for member businesses
• Strategic input into 2024-2029 BID business plan

Coleraine is now one of Northern Ireland's most digitally engaged town centres - and Triovia is proud to have played a foundational role in that transformation. Every idea we proposed, every system we built, and every piece of content we created was in service of one goal: making Coleraine a better place to do business, to shop, and to belong.