As a form of implementation of the Tridharma of Higher Education, Brawijaya University through Achmad Muwafik Saleh, S.Sos., M.Si, has held a series of Community Service activities entitled “Youth Volunteer Digital Marketing, Marketing Solutions for MSME Products in Malang City.” This activity was carried out at the Tanwir Al Afkar Islamic Boarding School Tlogomas Malang on September 10 2023
The change in product marketing paradigm from conventional to digital marketing has provided great flexibility for economic actors to market and develop their business and business areas while cutting the marketing chain which has previously seemed too long and high cost. MSMEs in villages as real economic actors in society need to exploit the potential of digital marketing. However, on the one hand, the competence possessed by community MSME actors seems minimal, while the technology-literate generation Z community group needs to be involved in contributing to the development of Village MSMEs through the Youth Digital Marketing volunteer program.
Achmad Muwafik Saleh, as the leader of this activity, explained that digital marketing training for youth volunteers was held to provide skills to MSMEs as well as assist them in the product marketing process through the use of youth digital marketing volunteers.
According to data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs in 2019, around 12.6 million MSMEs in Indonesia still do not utilize digital platforms for their business. A survey conducted by Facebook and Bain and Company in 2020 showed that only around 18% of MSMEs in Indonesia have adequate digital marketing skills.
“This activity is intended to provide skills to MSMEs as well as assist them in the process of marketing products through young digital marketing volunteers,” emphasized Ahmad Muwafik Saleh, head of the Community Service program at FISIP Universitas Brawijaya.
Data from the Malang City Cooperatives and SMEs Service in 2019 shows that as many as 45% of MSMEs in Malang City come from villages or sub-districts. Of this number, around 30% of MSMEs in sub-districts already use social media as a marketing tool, while around 15% of MSMEs in villages or sub-districts already have a website for their business.
Based on a 2020 Bank Indonesia survey, as many as 58.7% of micro businesses in Malang City have used social media as a marketing tool, while 21.7% of them have a website for their business. Data from the Malang City Central Statistics Agency for 2020 also shows an increase in internet users in Malang City from 65.25% in 2019 to 70.77% in 2020, indicating a great opportunity to access the community through digital marketing.
On this occasion, Muwafik hopes that every sub-district will have young digital volunteers who can be encouraged by Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) to assist MSMEs in their respective areas, with the aim of increasing product marketing from local MSME members. It is hoped that this effort can help improve the welfare of the community through the use of social media as an opportunity to build marketing power for MSMEs in every village and sub-district in Malang City. (Muwafik/WDD/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
