MSMEs Marketing Strategy with the Use of Social-Media in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Abstract

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, commonly abbreviated as MSMEs, is one of the pillars of the economy in Indonesia. It is proven that the MSMEs sector has repeatedly survived various crises that hit Indonesia starting from the monetary crisis in 1998 and the global crisis in 2008. Entering 2020, the world is again experiencing a more severe crisis, namely the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis is seen as more severe because it has caused a worldwide health emergency that impacts other sectors, especially the economy. Restrictions on outdoor activities known as lockdowns have caused world economic activities to stop. This also impacts the activities of the MSMEs sector, which relies on economic turnover that comes from human activities. The MSMEs sector has been able to survive because of the direct marketing activities of individuals. The prohibition of gathering and opening a business openly (especially in the culinary sector) has had a significant impact on sustainability. Because of this, new marketing strategies for MSMEs sector players are needed to survive and even grow during the COVID-19 pandemic as it is today. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is imminent, this study aims to develop a marketing strategy for small businesses. This study employs a descriptive method and a qualitative approach. When the COVID-19 pandemic begins, UMPM must develop a marketing strategy that will allow them to continue to grow their business or at least to survive. There are eight reasons, namely a) Consumers are active on Social-Media; b) Easy contact with consumers; c) Increase Brand Visibility; d) The widest WOM container; e) e) Has Many Types of Platforms with Different Types of Consumers; f) Assisting in consumer targeting and retargeting; g) Using media more effectively, h) Increasing sales.

Digital Marketing Communication: A Case Study of Covid-19 Purchasing Decision Related to Social Media and E-Wom

“…Confidence in buyers represents a vital task in a business transaction connecting buyers and merchants. The absence of direct human contact is a drawback of online buying (Nurjaman, 2021). Previous research on the significance of trust in online business has revealed that consumers' confidence in information will positively improve the purchase transaction.…”

Has the Covid-19 Pandemic Accelerated the Digital Transformation of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Indonesia?

“…In general, MSMEs use social media reach a broader market digitally, increase sales turnover, and provide a platform for branding and establishing communication with consumers (Putra et al, 2020;Gaffar et al, 2021;Kingsnorth, 2016;Utomo et al, 2019). Yet, during the COVID pandemic the urgency of MSMEs using social media in Indonesia has been based on the following reasons: a) consumers are active on social media; b) the easy contact with consumers; c) to increase band visibility; d) by acting as the widest WoM container; e) the need to have many types of platforms with different types of consumers; f) assisting in the targeting and retargeting of consumers; g) the need to use media more effectively; and h) to increase sales (Nurjaman, 2021).…”

“…As promotional media, social media function to scale up the MSMEs. By using social media, MSMEs are helped to expand the network among consumers and also to increase product sales (Nurjaman, 2021).…”

Predictive reasoning of senior high school students in handling COVID-19 data

“…Since the advancement of technology in the 21 st century and during the fourth Industrial Revolution, people can readily acquire and access data or information through various mediums. According to Nurjaman and Hertanto (2022), it could be information about education, politics, culture, social and health issues, especially COVID-19, which are still highly debated presently. Sorakin et al (2022) stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had been fought against for almost two years.…”