ADVANCING DIGITAL MARKETING IN MOLDOVA: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON A SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ENTREPRENEURS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2023.1-07Keywords:
digital marketing, entrepreneurship, surveyAbstract
Digital marketing plays an important role for businesses in Moldova, as well as in many other countries, and holds significant potential for enhancing the effectiveness of marketing efforts and achieving success in a competitive market. However, enterprises may face a range of difficulties and challenges when implementing digital marketing, such as a lack of specific knowledge, rapid changes in technology and the need for quick adaptation, technical issues, budget constraints, etc.
This article presents the results of a study on the implementation of digital marketing in Moldovan enterprises. Based on a sociological study conducted by the author in May-June 2023 among entrepreneurs (N=206), the level of digital marketing usage, current trends, awareness of digital marketing technologies and tools, as well as the difficulties encountered by entrepreneurs in using digital marketing tools, are identified. The research is descriptive in nature, as it aims to gather empirical information that provides a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under investigation and its structural elements.
The study shows that the marketing strategies of enterprises encompass both traditional and digital methods. Marketing on social networks holds a prominent position in the marketing activities of enterprises regardless of their size. SMEs face certain challenges in marketing activities overall and in the use of digital marketing tools, in particular. One out of every six SMEs does not engage in marketing, and in every second SME, this task falls to the manager, usually the business owner.
Based on the obtained results, it was suggested to expand support for SMEs in the field of digital business transformation and the promotion of digital marketing. Previous research on this topic is quite limited, and this current study is unique in that it considers the issue in the context of SMEs and Central and Eastern European countries.
