Penerapan Digitalisasi Pemasaran untuk Meningkatkan Daya Saing Produk Rajutan pada UMKM Perempuan

Abstract

Women entrepreneurs in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a significant role in Indonesia’s economic development, particularly in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015–2030 to reduce poverty. However, MSMEs managed by women still face various challenges, especially in marketing, capital, human resources, and technology. This study focuses on women-led MSMEs in knitting businesses in Cisarua, Bogor, who still rely on conventional marketing methods and direct selling, which are insufficient to meet the demands of a broader market. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method, involving both conceptual and empirical studies to understand the basic concepts of digital marketing. In-depth interviews were conducted with village officials in Cisarua Subdistrict, knitting MSME owners in Cisarua, youth organization (Karang Taruna) members, and members of the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) to identify specific challenges faced. Previous studies have discussed the role of digital marketing in enhancing the competitiveness of women-led MSMEs in various regions, but none have specifically explored the challenges and potential of digital marketing for knitting MSMEs run by women in the Cisarua, Bogor area. Furthermore, most prior research has focused more on theory or quantitative studies, whereas this
research emphasizes a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews to explore the real needs and perceptions of local entrepreneurs. Therefore, this study fills the gap by providing a deeper contextual understanding of the readiness, barriers, and strategies for digital marketing among women-led knitting MSMEs in the region. The purpose of this study is to identify the strategies and practices currently implemented, analyze the factors influencing MSME competitiveness, and emphasize the importance of digital marketing in adopting a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. The results show that more than 15 out of 18 informants stated that knitting entrepreneurs in Cisarua have not yet used digital marketing, resulting in very limited sales turnover. This is because product sales are still limited to the surrounding neighborhoods of the entrepreneurs. Hence, women MSME actors are interested in improving the competitiveness of their knitting products by adopting digital marketing in line with current trends, where many sales are conducted online through e-commerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia) and social media (Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok).