Optimizing Instagram Management for SMEs: A Case Study of Indonesian Batik SMEs

A multidisciplinary approach is employed to explore the effectiveness of social media marketing by collaborating with Instagram experts and analyzing qualitative data from SMEs A, SMEs B, and SMEs C. The primary objective is to measure the impact of Instagram usage on SMEs business performance, both non-financial and financial. Additionally, this research offers social media management strategy recommendations that can be directly implemented in social media management experiments by these SMESs to observe their real impact on business performance. This research findings show significant variations in Instagram adoption among SMEs A, SMEs B, and SMES C. SMEs A and SMEs B require substantial improvements, while SMEs C shows better adoption but still needs enhancement. Increased Instagram presence, better content strategies, and maximum utilization of Instagram features can improve interaction and business performance. This research provides insights for SMEs to develop effective digital marketing strategies through Instagram. It also offers practical suggestions for academics for long-term research and exploration of other social media platforms like TikTok to provide more comprehensive insights. It is hoped that this study will assist SMESs and academics in developing effective and applicable digital marketing strategies.