Digital Marketing Practices and Sales Turnover in Micro-Retail: A Qualitative Case Study of Ramadhani Cell

  • Abdul Hakim Program Studi Magister Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Enam Enam Kendari, Kendari, Indonesia
  • Abu Bakar Program Studi Magister Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Enam Enam Kendari, Kendari, Indonesia
  • Muh. Nur Program Studi Magister Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Enam Enam Kendari, Kendari, Indonesia
  • Asraf Yunus Program Studi Magister Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Enam Enam Kendari, Kendari, Indonesia

Keywords

xx

Abstract

Digital marketing is increasingly important for micro-retailers, yet social-media presence does not automatically translate into sales revenue. This study examines how customer-facing digital marketing practices support sales-related outcomes at Ramadhani Cell, a micro-retailer of smartphones, accessories, and repair services. A descriptive qualitative case-study design was employed using interviews, observation, and documentation, with source, technique, and time triangulation and an interactive process of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The empirical analysis retains four dimensions used in the field study: interactivity, informativeness, personalization, and trendiness. The findings show that Instagram facilitates rapid two-way communication and product updates; informative photo/video content reduces customer search effort; personalized responses and feedback strengthen perceived relevance; and monitoring marketplaces, competitors, and customer input supports trend sensing. These practices are associated with customer engagement, demand formation, and sales activity, but the available turnover figures—IDR 428 million in October, IDR 534 million in November, and IDR 490 million in December 2024—combine online and offline transactions and therefore do not establish a causal digital-marketing effect. Digital promotion also creates advertising and content-related costs, so turnover should not be conflated with profit. The study contributes a feature-to-revenue conversion perspective in which digital marketing creates commercial value through engagement, information quality, market sensing, and relevance, while conversion depends on managerial digital capability and measurement discipline.

References

Adam, N. A., & Alarifi, G. (2021). Innovation practices for survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the COVID-19 times: The role of external support. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 10, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-021-00156-6

Bowen, M., Lai-Bennejean, C., Haas, A., & Rangarajan, D. (2021). Social media in B2B sales: Why and when does salesperson social media usage affect salesperson performance? Industrial Marketing Management, 96, 166–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.05.007

Cao, G., & Weerawardena, J. (2023). Strategic use of social media in marketing and financial performance: The B2B SME context. Industrial Marketing Management, 111, 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.03.007

Chaker, N. N., Nowlin, E. L., Pivonka, M. T., Itani, O. S., & Agnihotri, R. (2022). Inside sales social media use and its strategic implications for salesperson-customer digital engagement and performance. Industrial Marketing Management, 100, 127–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.10.006

Chandra, S., Verma, S., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2022). Personalization in personalized marketing: Trends and ways forward. Psychology & Marketing, 39(8), 1529–1562. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21670

Chatterjee, S., & Kar, A. K. (2020). Why do small and medium enterprises use social media marketing and what is the impact: Empirical insights from India. International Journal of Information Management, 53, 102103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102103

Chen, W.-K., Ling, C.-J., & Chen, C.-W. (2023). What affects users to click social media ads and purchase intention? The roles of advertising value, emotional appeal and credibility. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(8), 1900–1916. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-01-2022-0084

Chetioui, Y., Butt, I., & Lebdaoui, H. (2021). Facebook advertising, eWOM and consumer purchase intention—Evidence from a collectivistic emerging market. Journal of Global Marketing, 34(3), 220–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2021.1891359

D’Souza, C., Nanere, M., Marimuthu, M., Arwani, M., & Nguyen, N. (2022). Market orientation, performance and the mediating role of innovation in Indonesian SMEs. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 34(10), 2314–2330. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-08-2021-0624

Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168

Eller, R., Alford, P., Kallmünzer, A., & Peters, M. (2020). Antecedents, consequences, and challenges of small and medium-sized enterprise digitalization. Journal of Business Research, 112, 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.03.004

Elsa, D., Indrawati, H., & Caska, C. (2025). Digital transformation in SMEs: Global maps and trends of research. Strategy & Leadership, 53(2), 132–159. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-09-2024-0104

Escoz Barragan, K., & Becker, F. S. R. (2025). Keeping pace with the digital transformation—Exploring the digital orientation of SMEs. Small Business Economics, 64, 1361–1385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-024-00947-7

Fetais, A. H., Algharabat, R. S., Aljafari, A., & Rana, N. P. (2023). Do social media marketing activities improve brand loyalty? An empirical study on luxury fashion brands. Information Systems Frontiers, 25, 795–817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-022-10264-7

Garzoni, A., De Turi, I., Secundo, G., & Del Vecchio, P. (2020). Fostering digital transformation of SMEs: A four levels approach. Management Decision, 58(8), 1543–1562. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-07-2019-0939

Hanaysha, J. R., & Alhyasat, K. M. K. (2025). Examining the effect of social media advertising features on customer perceived value and brand love in the retail industry. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 18, 100208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2025.100208

Hassan, H. E. (2024). Social media advertising features that enhance consumers’ positive responses to ads. Journal of Promotion Management, 30(5), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2024.2318668

Hidayati, H. A., Astuti, E. S., Kusumawati, A., & Iqbal, M. (2025). The nexus between entrepreneurial and market orientation on digital marketing capabilities and marketing performance of SMEs in emerging markets. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2526150. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2526150

Homburg, C., & Wielgos, D. M. (2022). The value relevance of digital marketing capabilities to firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50, 666–688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00858-7

Jiang, S., Al Mamun, A., & Naznen, F. (2024). Social media marketing activities on brand equity and purchase intention among Chinese smartphone consumers during COVID-19. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 15(2), 331–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-02-2022-0038

Kallmuenzer, A., Mikhaylov, A., Chelaru, M., & Czakon, W. (2025). Adoption and performance outcome of digitalization in small and medium-sized enterprises. Review of Managerial Science, 19, 2011–2038. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-024-00744-2

Kim, J., & Jin, W. (2024). Impact of digital capabilities on entrepreneurial performance in SMEs. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(4), 100609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100609

Kumar, S., & Hsieh, J.-K. (2024). How social media marketing activities affect brand loyalty? Mediating role of brand experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(10), 2300–2323. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-09-2023-0900

Lee, J., Kim, C., & Lee, K. C. (2022). Exploring the personalization-intrusiveness-intention framework to evaluate the effects of personalization in social media. International Journal of Information Management, 66, 102532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102532

Matarazzo, M., Penco, L., Profumo, G., & Quaglia, R. (2021). Digital transformation and customer value creation in Made in Italy SMEs: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Journal of Business Research, 123, 642–656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.033

Matosas-López, L. (2024). Can customer engagement in social media be used as a predictor of operating revenue in SMEs? Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(4), 100380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100380

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Sage.

Priyono, A., Moin, A., & Putri, V. N. A. O. (2020). Identifying digital transformation paths in the business model of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(4), 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6040104

Qalati, S. A., Yuan, L. W., Khan, M. A. S., & Anwar, F. (2021). A mediated model on the adoption of social media and SMEs’ performance in developing countries. Technology in Society, 64, 101513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101513

Sagala, G. H., & Őri, D. (2024). Toward SMEs digital transformation success: A systematic literature review. Information Systems and e-Business Management, 22, 667–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-024-00682-2

Scuotto, V., Nicotra, M., Del Giudice, M., Krueger, N., & Gregori, G. L. (2021). A microfoundational perspective on SMEs’ growth in the digital transformation era. Journal of Business Research, 129, 382–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.01.045

Sharma, A., Dwivedi, R., Mariani, M. M., & Islam, T. (2022). Investigating the effect of advertising irritation on digital advertising effectiveness: A moderated mediation model. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180, 121731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121731

Tajvidi, R., & Karami, A. (2021). The effect of social media on firm performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 115, 105174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.026

Tatik, T., & Setiawan, D. (2025). Does social media marketing important for MSMEs performance in Indonesia? Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 37(1), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-01-2024-0090

Tortora, D., Chierici, R., Farina Briamonte, M., & Tiscini, R. (2021). ‘I digitize so I exist’: Searching for critical capabilities affecting firms’ digital innovation. Journal of Business Research, 129, 193–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.048

Troise, C., Corvello, V., Ghobadian, A., & O’Regan, N. (2022). How can SMEs successfully navigate VUCA environment: The role of agility in the digital transformation era. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121227

Wang, F. (2020). Digital marketing capabilities in international firms: A relational perspective. International Marketing Review, 37(3), 559–577. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-04-2018-0128

Wu, C.-W., Botella-Carrubi, D., & Blanco-González-Tejero, C. (2024). The empirical study of digital marketing strategy and performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 200, 123142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123142

Yadav, M., & Rahman, Z. (2017). Measuring consumer perception of social media marketing activities in e-commerce industry: Scale development & validation. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), 1294–1307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.06.001

2026-10-03