Optimizing digital marketing for SMEs in the digital communication era: Insights from a brand awareness perspective

In the age of technology, a growing number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) turn to the Internet to strengthen their brands and affect the purchase behaviour of consumers. The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between the optimization of the digital marketing and the purchase decision of the consumers with the brand recognition as a mediating variable. The study is conducted on Galeri UMKM Satui located in Indonesia and is based on data collected from 70 respondents with the help of structured questionnaire. Use of multiple linear regression and path analysis indicates that digital marketing contributes significantly to enhance brand equity and his/her purchasing decisions positively. In addition, as brand awareness increases, the effectiveness of the digital marketing strategies as well as the consumer purchase behaviour also increases. The study brings out the need for small businesses to implement better digital marketing strategies so as to grow consumer trust towards the brand, boost consumer’s interests and improve their competitiveness.