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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2.2
Publication Date: February 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.2.16427.
Zamri, N. A., Rahim, R. A., & Norizan, N. (2024). The Effectiveness of Digital Marketing Towards SMEs: A Systematic Literature
Review. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2.2). 78-94.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Effectiveness of Digital Marketing Towards SMEs: A
Systematic Literature Review
Nur Atiqah Binti Zamri
nuratiqaahh@gmail.com
Department of Postgraduate and Professional Studies,
Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Ramita Abdul Rahim
Corresponding Author: ramita@uitm.edu.my
Department of Technology and Supply Chain Management Studies, Faculty of
Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia and
Institute of Continuing Education & Professional Studies (iCEPS), UiTM-MTDC
Technopreneur Centre, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Norsabrena Binti Norizan
norsabrena@uitm.edu.my
Department of Office Management Technology, Faculty of Business
and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Melaka, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
The adoption of digital marketing has become crucial for many organizations,
particularly among SMEs, emerging as a key business element. This research aims
to investigate the digital marketing strategies embraced by SMEs and their impact
on these enterprises. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, 21
studies out of 132 meeting the search criteria are examined, with a focus on digital
marketing practices. Through this analysis, 17 factors are identified as the effects
of digital marketing strategies on SMEs. Consequently, this paper serves as a
valuable resource for organizations looking to implement digital marketing
applications in SMEs. This systematic literature assessment explores the efficacy of
digital advertising in enhancing the business performance of Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs). The study begins by highlighting the significance of SMEs
in the business performance. It establishes a conceptual framework outlining the
essential components of digital marketing practices within SMEs, encompassing
aspects like website development, social media marketing, content marketing,
email marketing, SEO, PPC advertising, and more. The investigation delves into
various facets of digital advertising strategies, platforms, and tools utilized by SMEs,
analyzing the key factors that influence SMEs in adopting digital marketing
practices. Internal factors, such as digital marketing knowledge, organizational
culture, resource allocation, and leadership support, are explored alongside
external factors like market competition, technological infrastructure, government
policies, and consumer behavior.
Keywords: Digital Marketing Strategies, Digital Marketing Practice, Factor Implement
Digital Marketing, Small and Medium Enterprises, Systematic Literature Review.
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Zamri, N. A., Rahim, R. A., & Norizan, N. (2024). The Effectiveness of Digital Marketing Towards SMEs: A Systematic Literature Review. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2.2). 78-94.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.2.16427
INTRODUCTION
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are businesses characterized by their relatively
small workforce, limited financial resources, and modest market presence. Their significance
in the global economy cannot be overstated, as they play a pivotal role in driving economic
growth, innovation, and job creation. SMEs are vital for employment opportunities. In
developing nations, they are the primary source of jobs, offering livelihoods to millions. In
Malaysia, SMEs employ over 66% of the workforce, showcasing their crucial role in providing
livelihoods and reducing unemployment [9]. As propounded by [26], SMEs generate a
significant portion of Malaysia's GDP, offer employment opportunities to a substantial
workforce, and play a vital role in reducing unemployment. Their adaptability and innovation
contribute to economic diversity and competitiveness. As stated by [17], SMEs actively
participate in international trade, bolstering Malaysia's global presence. They also promote
balanced regional development by operating across various sectors. Government policies
frequently support SME growth, recognizing their fundamental importance in Malaysia's
economic landscape.
Generally, digital marketing is used as a platform to market the product [27]. Nowadays, many
SMEs use digital marketing to market their product through online [26]. Why do they use E- Marketing? E-Marketing is used due to its straightforward and efficient approach in product
sales. An idea to use E-Marketing comes from current information, and newest technology may
help to solve the problem within a simple way [26]. However, not all organizations believe
digital marketing is a good platform to market product. Besides that, it is found that the
organization lacks information about digital marketing [26]. Digital marketing is one of the
techniques to distribute goods or services directly to the customer or retailer by using
technology, especially the Internet. Furthermore, the Internet will help a seller to sell their
product online. The Internet will advertise its products on many platforms such as websites,
blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. In this era, E-marketing is the best approach to sell goods
and services. The capabilities of E- Marketing are to enhance sales of products, introduce
products, and give the best solution to market that product.
Today, a new phenomenon has emerged, namely marketing through digital media among
entrepreneurs. In fact, the statistics released by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
Commission (MCMC), more than half of Malaysians use smartphones to access the Internet [19].
However, a common understanding concerning the coverage and scope of Digital marketing is
still missing in research and practice [26]. As digital marketing is still new in E-marketing,
studies can be made by way of evoking in detail the impact of digital and marketing functions
[26]. Develop the actual function of viral marketing to promote products [26]. Viral marketing
can be combined with social network traffic to increase product sales because social networks
are their preferences online. So that it can be combined with viral marketing and digital
marketing. The aim of this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is to identify studies relating to
Digital Marketing practices. By doing so, it is hoped that this article will reduce the time and
effort in finding the body of knowledge of related literature among those who are motivated to
contribute to this topic. This paper also provides useful information for conservation policies
and identifies the largest gaps to be filled by future research. Nevertheless, the immediate result
of this review is significant in determining the current “state of the art” research in identifying
the implementation of Digital Marketing practices in SMEs. This paper reports the findings of
the SLR study and is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the SLR process, which involves
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 2.2, February-2024
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
five stages (methodology). Section 3 presents the results that answer the research questions
(RQs), and section 4 outlines the limitations of the study. Finally, section 5 provides the
conclusion of the study.
METHODOLOGY
According to [14], a systematic literature review (SLR) is a means or way to conduct a literature
review based on the question or topic area or phenomenon of interest. SLR is also a tool that
aims to produce a scientific summary of the evidence in a particular area, in contrast to
“traditional” or narrative review [21]. In order to achieve the end result, there are six stages
that need reviewing and some of which with iteration. Adapted from [28], the stages illustrated
in Figure 1 are important and serve as guidance when conducting the actual review. In this
research, the selected approach is a systematic review. This preference is made due to the fact
that a systematic review affords a rigorous and structured approach to comprehensively
examine and synthesize the existing literature on the effectiveness of digital advertising in
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Itapproves for a systematic comparison of a
couple of studies, making sure that the findings are based totally on a comprehensive and
independent evaluation of the handy evidence [25]. This approach is mainly appropriate to our
lookup objective of providing a scientific summary of the evidence in this particular area, as it
contrasts with extra-usual narrative opinions and ensures the reliability and validity of our
lookup findings [20].
A systematic literature overview (SLR) is a structured method used to inspect a unique lookup
question or subject matter location comprehensively. It serves as a precious device for
developing a scientific summary of the present evidence within a specific field, distinguishing
itself from standard narrative reviews. Drawing from the previous work of [1], the steps
outlined in Figure 1 are significant and offer guidance for conducting the review.
Figure 1: Stages in a Systematic Review Process