The Use of Storytelling in Digital Marketing of Women SMEs

Abstract

Women's participation in entrepreneurship has seen a significant increase in recent years. However, women involved in entrepreneurship are still faced with complex obstacles, especially in the face of increasingly fierce business competition. Previous research has revealed that stereotypes attached to women often portray them as having limited mastery of technology, information, and communication. Despite this, data shows that most social media users are women. This phenomenon indicates women's great potential in utilizing social media as a means of effective marketing communication. Given the fierce competition and dominance of marketing communication through social media, an effective strategy is needed to build consumer awareness of women entrepreneurs' businesses. Therefore, this study aims to identify strategies used by women in carrying out their digital marketing communications. The research method used is a qualitative approach with phenomenological methods to explore the experiences of women SME entrepreneurs in carrying out digital marketing communication strategies. The results showed that most female SMEs adopt storytelling strategies as a practical approach to building emotional connections with consumers and strengthening their brand appeal. This strategy was chosen because it can encourage deeper consumer engagement through a strong and unique narrative. By harnessing the power of narrative, they can differentiate their brand from competitors, create brand awareness, and strengthen women's brand identity in competitive business competition. This research provides valuable insights for women MSMEs and SMEs and contributes new understanding in the development of storytelling-based marketing strategies in the evolving digital era.