1.

INTRODUCTION

Today, the development of technology reflects the changes in many aspects of life. In the past,

the traditional media including printed and broadcast media, were the main communication

channels for the information transmission. The similar situation happens in business field when

the business community or entrepreneurs rely entirely on this traditional media to advertise and

promote their products. However today, a new phenomenon has emerged, namely marketing

through digital media among the entrepreneurs. In fact, the statistics released by Malaysian

Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) (2015), more than half of the

Malaysians use smartphone to access the Internet (Ahadzadeh & Sharif, 2017; Darwish, Abdo, &

AlShuwaiee, 2018). This could be a golden opportunity to society, especially to those who are

rely heavily on the Internet access to their daily live routine. By having this facilities of the

Internet access, many things have been transformed from analog to digital or online basis.

Therefore, entrepreneur’s currently moving towards digital platform of marketing and operate

their business by online. Digital marketing is basically promoting the brands by using all forms

of digital advertising to reach targeted segments such as radio, mobile phones, internet, television

and social media. An important argument is on the value and power of digital media marketing

for business purposes. For entrepreneurs and business owners, digital media can be seen as a

good alternative. As Chaffey et al. (2009) described the internet marketing that achieves

marketing objectives is through the usage of digital technology. Today's entrepreneurs should

have the creative and innovative entrepreneurial features as technology advances their business

products to reach the global market. Indirectly, the digital marketing can enhance the business

performance of entrepreneurs if they are inverted with digital knowledge and skills from the

outset. In fact, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is one of the main catalysts for Malaysia's

economic growth (Normah, 2007). Almost 99.2 percent of all entrepreneurs in Malaysia are the

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registered SMEs and contribute about 32 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Ghani

& Darawi, 2012). The role and contribution of SMEs in terms of the number of business

establishments, employment opportunities and the contribution to GDP among developed and

developing countries is seen as enormous (SME Corp. Malaysia, 2009). In line with the

2012/2020 SMEs Master Plan, the World Bank revealed that there are six factors that affect SME

business performance. One of these factors is the adoption of technologies such as the low level

of ICT usage which is the reason on the low performances among the majority of SMEs (SME

Corp. Malaysia, 2012).

Statement of the problem

Every year, thousands of start-up firms with an innovative concept are striving to make their

presence in the corporate world. Some of them have immediate prominence, but most of them

are struggling to establish themselves. Just 51% of start-up businesses last five years or more

(SBA Office of Advocacy, 2012 cited in Ripsas, S. et. al., 2018). It is impossible for start-ups to

compete with existing and profitable firms without adequate marketing strategy. One of the key

factors why start-ups struggle is that they do not have a comprehensive digital marketing strategy

(Montgomery, 2018). As per CB Insights 2019, as many as 17 percent of failed start-ups can

attribute their performance to bad marketing. We believe that the appropriate implementation of

digital marketing strategies is essential to the growth of start - up companies. They can help

establish effective interaction with their target audience by updating them frequently about

activities and events in their business at a relatively low cost (Insight success, 2018). Start-ups

may establish their brand image through digital networks by establishing quality partnerships

with members of online communities (Hajli et al., 2017). As per Ruggieri et al., (2018) start-ups,

operating in a range of industries, have demonstrated strong growth potential and the opportunity

to generate value for their consumers by creative goods and services delivered by digital

2
networks. This makes it the ultimate marketing platform for start-ups and small companies that

do not have a significant percentage of resources or massive capital investments (Montgomery,

2018). Digital marketing is also quicker and produces more performance. (Montgomery, 2018).

Aim and Objectives of the Study

This aim of this study is to review digital marketing systems for entrepreneurs, the study

intended to;

i. review available digital marketing systems for entrepreneurs (DMSE)

ii. classify the strength and weakness of (DMSE)

iii. recommend effective (DMSE)

Scope of the Study

The study is basically a review research limited to the review of digital marketing systems for

entrepreneurs. It focuses on the digital marketing systems for entrepreneurs for department of

business and management

Methodology

The method adopted in the study is a meta-analysis review. This is one of the three categories of

review paper it compares and combines the findings of previous published studies with the intent

of accessing the effectiveness of a research effort and outcome.

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 2. Related Literature

Digital Marketing Theory

In a theory by Jones and Rowley (2009). They have developed it by incorporating EM, sales

orientation (SO), customer orientation (CO), and network theory. The framework has been tested

and refined using a sample of technology firms, and also used by the authors in their later

published articles included in this review. The framework has 15 dimensions which are: research

and development, speed to market, risk-taking, pro-activeness, market intelligence generation,

responsiveness towards competitors, integration of business processes, networks and

relationships, knowledge infrastructure, propensity to innovate, responsiveness towards

customers, communication with customers, proactively exploiting markets, understanding and

delivering customer value, and sales and promotion.

Concept of Digital Marketing

Any marketing that uses electronic devices and can be used by marketing specialists to convey

promotional messaging and measure its impact through your customer journey. In practice,

digital marketing typically refers to marketing campaigns that appear on a computer, phone,

tablet, or other device. It can take many forms, including online video, display ads, search engine

marketing, paid social ads and social media posts. Digital marketing is often compared to

“traditional marketing” such as magazine ads, billboards, and direct mail. Oddly, television is

usually lumped in with traditional marketing.

4
Concept of Digital Marketing in Business

Digital marketing factors play an important role in influencing business performance in this new

millennium. It is important to drive a more creative and global business with the involvement of

access, skills and motivation of using this digital marketing medium. Malaysia is a country that

strongly supports the efforts to integrate the usage of ICT in development. The provision of

technological infrastructure is one of the government's efforts to ensure that Malaysians are able

to compete globally. In fact, digital marketing has grown exponentially since the 1990s and

2000s thus has changed the way brands and businesses are run using digital communication

technologies as well as tools for marketing entrepreneurs and business owners. Digital marketing

campaigns are becoming more efficient, as digital platforms are incorporated into the marketing

strategy and daily life of consumers, and as the consumers use digital devices instead of going to

physical stores. Today, the most commonly used digital marketing tool is Search Engine

Optimization (SEO).

Wienclaw (2017) defines SEO as the process of increasing the probability that a website will be

listed in online search results and clearly placed in search results. Some SEO strategies are

observed by Weinclaw (2017), including website content customization, keyword addition,

proper website indexing, and ensuring that website content is unique. The results of the study by

Pineiro-Otero and Martinez-Rolan (2016) show that 88 percent of access worldwide is through

Google search engine while Gaikwad and Kate (2016) argue that SEO is a must for online

marketing. In addition, the power of digital marketing in the form of social media can also

determine the marketing of goods and services. As can be seen in recent years, the popularity of

social networking sites and social media has increased globally (Kucuk & Krishnamurthy, 2007).

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Social media has opened up a business opportunity to communicate with millions of people

about products and services and has opened new marketing opportunities in the market (Mangold

& Faulds, 2009). For instance, Facebook is said to have more than one billion users when it was

first introduced in 2004. The social network is expanding its power by showing the majority of

user, including the entreprenuers, spent their time online. The users also use different online

formats for communicating such as Blog, YouTube, Myspace, Instagram and Facebook to share

information about products or services (Kozinet, 2002). In this regard, Zhang, Dubinsky and Tan

(2013) state that blogging is a tool for digital marketing that has created an impact on increasing

sales revenue, especially for the products that the customers can read reviews and comment on

their personal experiences. Online surveys show that business activity works just as well as

overall marketing strategies. Online services show greater influence on consumers than

traditional communication methods (Helm, Moller, Mauroner & Conrad, 2013). Thus, the digital

marketing variables in this study will be measured by three dimensions, namely the benefits,

reputation and purpose of using digital media in business.

Digital Marketing Plan

A digital marketing plan is a strategic document that takes the current situation of a particular

organization to set some midterm goals and to determine the strategy and means to accomplish

them. This document also describes the responsibilities, the time frame and control tools for

monitoring. The aims of a digital marketing plan include discussing organizations and their

environment. Likewise, it needs to be a roadmap of how to manage the organization’s marketing

strategy, so that resources are properly allocated. The plan also helps control and evaluate output

and tackle any potential deviation from the organization’s expected outcomes. In this line, a

marketing plan becomes a flexible document that must be adapted to the situation of the

company and that must feed into the results obtained by each of the actions developed, especially

6
in the digital arena. Fredrick et al (2020). The development of an online marketing plan is similar

to a conventional one in its structure, but it also includes some variations at an operational level.

In fact, this means not only that some specific strategies and tools are to be developed, but also

that the volubility of the digital media and its capacity for immediate measurement force

organizations to develop a strategy that can be revised in the short term, as well as the iterative

process between action and control.

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL MARKETING SYSTEMS FOR

ENTREPRENEURS

SN. DMSE YEAR OF METHOD STRENGTH WEAKNESS

RESEARCH ADOPTED

1. The research The model was A free business model is However, the

Free-Model (ad- was carried developed one that makes use of datasets used
supported)
out in 2005 using simple and is supported by ads for training and

object access from platforms like designing their

protocol and Google and Facebook. model was not

the study The idea behind this trained with

adopted model is to offer a machine

quantitative service for free, making learning

method. the user the end product. algorithms

The online user provides which further

valuable information resulted to

that helps the company latencies in

easily display targeted their model

ads. performance.

2. 2020 The study This model is commonly But they were

Freemium adopted hybrid used and allows users to unable to apply

Model
get free access to a basic
architecture the developed
version of a product. This
(both the system on other

8
 centralized and version may be somewhat software

the distributed) limited, but the user has engineering

the option to upgrade and
to harness the tasks that rely
pay for a premium version
benefits of the on text analysis
should they want
two
additional features.
technologies.

3. 2018 This model refers to a However, a

On-Demand virtual product or major limitation

Model
service such as online of their study is

video stores like that the

Amazon Prime Video or developed

Apple TV where you model was

can watch a video for a deficient in

certain period of time. benchmarking

Another example of this and cost

model is the freelance benefits

and gig economy analysis.

platform Fiverr, where

you book an individual

and get charged based

on the project.

4. 2018 This work Amazon was one of the The authors did

eCommerce adopted XML first and most successful a good job.

Model
data format companies to adopt this However, the

9
 and simple digital business model discussed deep

object access of selling physical learning

protocol products online. Today, algorithms were

(SOAP) as the eCommerce is one of not

communication the best-known business implemented

protocol. models on the web. with a model

for further

clarification and

understanding.

5. 2019 The model was Digital ecosystems are But their model

Digital developed currently one of the does not have

Ecosystem
Model using simple most complex yet robust support for

object access digital business multiple-

protocol and structures. Alibaba, languages to

the study Amazon, Apple, actually

adopted Google, Tesla, and other facilitate the use

quantitative ecosystem orchestrators of abstractions

method. exploit the customer and allow us to

with various services harness the

across several platforms. heterogeneity of

Due to the "vendor lock- large scale

in" impacts their software

ecosystems produce, repositories.

they may upsell existing

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 clients and attract new

ones with their

knowledge and data.

3. Discussion

The study achieved the following results;

i. review available digital marketing systems for entrepreneurs (DMSE)

ii. classified the strength and weakness of (DMSE)

iii. recommend an effective (DMSE)

The study reviewed 5 digital marketing systems for entrepreneurs

1. Free-Model (ad-supported): The research was carried out in 2005 the model was

developed using simple object access protocol and the study adopted quantitative method.

A free business model is one that makes use of and is supported by ads from platforms

like Google and Facebook. The idea behind this model is to offer a service for free,

making the user the end product. The online user provides valuable information that helps

the company easily display targeted ads. However, the datasets used for training and

designing their model was not trained with machine learning algorithms which further

resulted to latencies in their model performance.

2. Freemium Model: the study was carried out in 2020 the study adopted hybrid architecture

(both the centralized and the distributed) to harness the benefits of the two technologies.

This model is commonly used and allows users to get free access to a basic version of a

11
 product. This version may be somewhat limited, but the user has the option to upgrade

and pay for a premium version should they want additional features. But they were

unable to apply the developed system on other software engineering tasks that rely on

text analysis

3. Freemium Model: the research was carried out in 2020 the study adopted hybrid

architecture (both the centralized and the distributed) to harness the benefits of the two

technologies. This model is commonly used and allows users to get free access to a basic

version of a product. This version may be somewhat limited, but the user has the option

to upgrade and pay for a premium version should they want additional features. But they

were unable to apply the developed system on other software engineering tasks that rely

on text analysis.

4. On-Demand Model: the study was carried out in 2018 This model refers to a virtual

product or service such as online video stores like Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV

where you can watch a video for a certain period of time. Another example of this model

is the freelance and gig economy platform Fiverr, where you book an individual and get

charged based on the project. However, a major limitation of their study is that the

developed model was deficient in benchmarking and cost benefits analysis.

5. Digital Ecosystem Model: the research was carried out in 2019 the model was developed

using simple object access protocol and the study adopted quantitative method. Digital

ecosystems are currently one of the most complex yet robust digital business structures.

Alibaba, Amazon, Apple, Google, Tesla, and other ecosystem orchestrators exploit the

customer with various services across several platforms. Due to the "vendor lock-in"

impacts their ecosystems produce, they may upsell existing clients and attract new ones

with their knowledge and data.

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Summary and Conclusion

Entrepreneurs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) need to take steps to become a creative

and innovative group of entrepreneurs. This is relevant in today's business world in facing with

transformation and paradigm shifts in the world of digital marketing. In line with this, the usage

of digital media has given a new medium for the entrepreneurs in doing business online

creatively. The business sector is becoming healthier and more competitive with the variety of

options offered by the entrepreneurs in digital media that also encourage customers to make

smarter choices. This study found that the power of digital marketing has a significant influence

on business performance. This includes the purpose of using digital marketing mediums, the

benefits of using digital marketing and the reputation of the product reputation after using a well-

developed digital marketing. Ironically, as the world of technology crosses the border, there is

always opportunities for entrepreneurs to market their products to a more global level. However,

SME entrepreneurs need to have the knowledge and skills to use this digital marketing medium

such as SEO, and other e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, Zalora as well as other

social media applications. Therefore, the purpose, benefits and reputation of good products

which are marketed through the digital medium can positively influence the business

performance of SME entrepreneurs. Recommendations for future studies include an in-depth

interview or focus group with SME entrepreneurs to gain insights, perceptions and experiences

of using digital media. This study recommends that the ministries and the policy makers to arise

up with favourable internet surfing rates and e-business policies to boost the technological

implementation that would grow the SME industry and entrepreneurs.

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