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Micro-Enterprises’ Digital Marketing Tools for Building Customer Relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Tuulia Nikunen

    (Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Martti Saarela

    (University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Eeva-Liisa Oikarinen

    (Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Matti Muhos

    (Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Lari Isohella

    (Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Finland)

Abstract

The digital marketing environment is changing rapidly, and, for micro-enterprises, digital marketing is currently a vitally important opportunity. However, most digital marketing studies have focused on larger companies, and, therefore, little research focused on micro-enterprises has been done in this area. Attracting customers, engaging customers’ interest and participation, retaining customers, learning customers’ preferences and relating to customers are key strategies in building strong customer relationships. However, many enterprises appear to focus only on attracting and engaging customers and ignore longer-term aspects of managing customer relationships. The existing research lacks information on how digital marketing tools are used by micro-enterprises when building customer relationships. The present study sought to contribute to a more in-depth understanding of microenterprises’ current strategies in terms of new digital marketing tools that foster stronger customer relationships. Based on interviews of two digital marketing service providers, this paper describes how their microenterprise clients use digital marketing tools through the selective lens of the five aforementioned elements of building customer relationships. The findings highlight the importance of a practical understanding of digital marketing tools, as the digital marketing environment continues to change rapidly. In particular, the smallest group of micro-enterprises – solo-entrepreneurs – do not utilise digital marketing tools effectively enough. The human capital and digital tool knowledge of micro-enterprises’ owner-managers have a great impact on these firms’ digital marketing and, ultimately, their success.

Suggested Citation

  • Tuulia Nikunen & Martti Saarela & Eeva-Liisa Oikarinen & Matti Muhos & Lari Isohella, 2017. "Micro-Enterprises’ Digital Marketing Tools for Building Customer Relationships," Management Challenges in a Network Economy: Proceedings of the MakeLearn and TIIM International Conference 2017,, ToKnowPress.
  • Handle: RePEc:tkp:mklp17:83
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    Cited by:

    1. Ana María Miranda Zavala & Isaac Cruz Estrada & Margarita Ramírez Torres, 2021. "Mobile Devices in the Tourist Experience: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico," Academica Turistica - Tourism and Innovation Journal, University of Primorska Press, vol. 14(2), pages 227-240.
    2. Laurent CARPENTIER & Aurély LAO, 2021. "Exploratory Qualitative Study of Inter-Organizational Commitment in a Specific B to B Context," Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 1(1), pages 212-221, August.
    3. Donatella Depperu & Giacomo Magnani & Lisa Crosato & Caterina Liberati, 2021. "Growth of Firms in a Fragmented Cultural Industry: Italian Commercial Art Galleries’ Competitive Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, April.

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