Training and Assistance in Digital Marketing Strategies for Managing SMEs Business at Melasti Beach in Ungasan Village

: The problem faced by the MSMES group (Local Culinary) is their inability to utilize digital media to promote the culinary culture of the community in Ungasan Village, Kuta Selatan Sub-district


Introduction
Melasti beach is located in Ungasan village, South Kuta District, Badung Regency, in the South Bali tourism area, a region renowned for its beautiful coastal scenery with unique and captivating natural features, particularly the presence of cliffs and hills that directly border the coastline.The existence of Melasti beach Ungasan adds a new destination to the list of tourist attractions in Badung Regency.This beach is ready to offer exceptional views to every visitor.The beauty of the white sandy beach, surrounded by limestone cliffs and winding roads, blends with the coastal landscape and presents a spectacular view.
In its development, Melasti beach offers several services, such as Taman Angsoka.Taman Angsoka is one of the parks inspired by the Ramayana epic, designed with Balinese landscaping and architecture, providing beauty and serenity for visitors to Melasti beach.One iconic feature of Melasti beach is the majestic, twin-like, tall cliffs that are split in two, separated by a road in the middle, making it a captivating sight.This spot is a favorite photo location sought after by beachgoers.There is a place called Bhoma, which contains Kori Agung, a symbolic cleansing area where anyone who enters will cleanse their thoughts, words, and deeds.This place is used for religious ceremonies by the local community, and it also considers the presence of the Bendega system (fishermen), used for activities at sea and as a means to break the waves.There are numerous charming spots for pre-wedding photography.Additionally, there is a Wedding Dressing Room equipped with mirrors and restrooms, facilitating tourists who wish to have various concepts for their joyful moments.
Lastly, the local cuisine at Melasti beach is one of the main attractions for visiting tourists.The local eateries around the beach offer a variety of food and drinks, including dishes from Ungasan and Bali, as well as fusion dishes with European styles.As an essential sector in the culinary industry, these local eateries have significant potential to contribute positively to the local economy.The involvement of the local community, including the management of small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMES), plays a crucial role in developing and promoting Melasti beach as an attractive tourist destination.
However, based on surveys and direct observations on the field, some challenges faced by MSMES in Melasti beach, Ungasan Village, South Kuta District, Badung Regency, include limited market access, lack of knowledge about digital marketing, and difficulties in increasing their business visibility.Some MSMES face difficulties in reaching a broader market and attracting tourists or potential customers to their establishments.This can be due to ineffective promotion, limited distribution networks, or a lack of understanding of how to leverage social media and online marketing platforms.Additionally, a lack of knowledge about digital marketing is one significant challenge faced by MSMES managers in Melasti beach.Many of them lack adequate understanding of digital marketing strategies (Dewi, Adiningrat, et al., 2022;Dewi, Wirga, et al., 2022;Ida Bagus Gede Dananjaya et al., 2023;U. W. Saputra, 2021;Wirga et al., 2022), including social media usage, creating engaging content, managing online advertisements, and building a strong online presence.
To address these issues, the researchers conducted community engagement research on MSMES at Melasti beach by providing specialized training and mentoring in digital marketing.This may include training in social media usage, creating engaging content, managing online advertisements, and implementing local marketing strategies.By empowering MSMES managers with relevant knowledge and skills in digital marketing, it is hoped that they will be able to enhance their online presence (Rifqi Nurfakhrurozi et al., 2023), reach a broader consumer base, and overall improve the quality of services and attractiveness of Melasti beach as a destination.
Based on the previously described phenomena, the following are some primary challenges faced by MSMES Melasti beach (Kuliner Rakyat): MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach faces several key challenges: firstly, the absence of modern and technology-savvy digital promotional platforms that resonate with the current technological preferences of society, it was related with technology acceptance of the small business (U.W. E. Saputra & Darma, 2022) ; secondly, competition from corporate beach clubs that presents a formidable obstacle for their business; and lastly, the limited expertise of traders in implementing effective digital customer relationship marketing (CRM) strategies.To address these issues, it is crucial to provide training and support in digital marketing and CRM techniques, enabling them to build meaningful connections with their customers and enhance their online presence.
To anticipate the obstacles faced by MSMES Kuliner Rakyat, it is essential to provide training and mentoring on digital marketing communication, specifically promoting through social media and implementing CRM.This will enable traders to understand how to build good and sustainable relationships with their customers.Given these phenomena, the formulation of the community engagement problem is how to provide training and mentoring on digital marketing and CRM for MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders at Melasti beach, so they can comprehend how to establish positive and lasting relationships with their customers.Moreover, integrating these digital strategies into their business models will empower MSMES Kuliner Rakyat to navigate market challenges effectively and tap into a wider customer base.By equipping them with the tools to leverage social media and CRM, the community can foster an environment where these traders thrive and contribute to the overall growth of the local economy.
The plan for community service aims to provide benefits to all involved parties.For MSMES Kuliner Rakyat, this service is expected to provide knowledge and practical experience in digital marketing and CRM.For the local government, particularly BUMDES, it is hoped that they will pay more attention to MSMES Kuliner Rakyat to support their growth.As for the Digital Business Program lecturers, they can apply theoretical knowledge to practical settings and share it with MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders and stakeholders.This community service program aims to establish collaboration between the Business Admi nistration department at Politeknik Negeri Bali and MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach, Ungasan Village, Badung Regency.It is hoped that the provided training will enhance the traders' marketing communication skills, especially through social media platforms like Instagram, to introduce MSMES Kuliner Rakyat products and build long-term relationships with customers.

Method
Based on the problems faced by MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach concerning digital marketing communication, especially related to social media promotions and building good customer relationships, the research team sought to find solutions to these issues.After discussions within the team, it was decided to provide training and mentoring on digital marketing communication.Two speakers were invited for this purpose: Alma Pia G. Reyes, MBA, a lecturer from NUEVA ECIJA University of Science and Technology Philippines, and Rully Alfiansyah, the Area Marketing Manager of PT Nutrifood Indonesia.The team also planned to offer on -field mentoring to ensure a clear understanding and practical application of digital marketing communication by the MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders.
The training and mentoring program on digital marketing communication and CRM was conducted for 20 MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders at Melasti beach.The method involved providing training on digital marketing communication and CRM for MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach.The participants engaged in a questionand-answer session based on their experiences during face-to-face discussions and training (Ismail et al., 2019;Purva et al., 2020;Samara State Technical University et al., 2020).Subsequently, on-field mentoring was provided to ensure that the traders understood and could apply effective marketing communication and build good customer relationships.
The event was attended by 20 MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders from Melasti beach, 7 representatives from Desa Adat Ungasan and the management of Melasti beach, as well as 6 students and 14 lecturers from Politeknik Negeri Bali.The training took place at MSMES Kuliner Rakyat in Melasti beach and lasted from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM WITA.The training session was delivered by the expert speakers, Alma Pia G. Reyes, MBA, from NUEVA ECIJA University of Science and Technology Philippines, and Rully Alfiansyah, the Manager Area Marketing of PT Nutrifood Indonesia.The event was moderated by Alfina Indriani, a student in her fourth semester at Politeknik Negeri Bali.

Result and Discussion
The Melasti Beach holds attractive tourism potential with numerous MSMES Kuliner Rakyat playing a vital role in boosting the local economy (https://website.pantaimelasti.com/).However, these MSMES face challenges such as a lack of knowledge in digital marketing, competition with corporate beach clubs, and low competence in digital customer relationship marketing (CRM).Therefore, the purpose of this community engagement research is to provide training and mentoring on digital marketing communication and CRM for the management and staff of MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach.Through this initiative, it is expected that they will understand how to build good and sustainable relationships with consumers, enhance business competitiveness, and contribute to the local economy.It also can be related to the competitive advantage theory.The competitive advantage theory is adopted as a guide in this study which explored digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa.Competitive advantage theory was developed by Porter (1990) and assumes that a nation's prosperity is created by nation's firms that are successful in the world market and competitiveness depends on the capacity to innovate and upgrade (Porter, 1990;Gupta, 2015).Previous scholars mentioned the strategic importance of new technology as an opportunity to gain competitive advantages (Porter and Millar, 1985).Yasmin et al. (2015) stated that digital marketing refers to various promotional techniques deployed to reach customers via digital technologies and mainly use internet.In using internet platforms, businesses can create competitive advantages (Mandal et al., 2016).Past tourism studies have also used competitive advantage theory (Dirsehan, 2015;Elly and Boter, 2014;Jani and Minde, 2016).The study by Jani and Minde was conducted in Tanzania and Uganda to investigate East African tourism destination competitiveness.Guided by the competitive advantage theory, the study found that accommodation and visitor services were the competitive advantages for Uganda while for Tanzania it was transport system and travel motivation (Jani and Minde, 2016).Overall, the community engagement activities conducted at Melasti beach have proceeded smoothly.The following are the results obtained from this community engagement program.
The community engagement activities commenced with presentations from the speakers, followed by group discussions with the participants.The training and mentoring program on digital marketing communication and CRM for MSMES Kuliner Rakyat took place at the Wantilan of MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach.The event was attended by 20 MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders, 7 representatives from Desa Adat Ungasan and Melasti beach management, as well as 6 students and 14 lecturers from Politeknik Negeri Bali on Sunday, June 11, 2023.The training lasted for three hours, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM WITA, conducted both online and offline.Two expert speakers in Digital Marketing, Alma Pia G. Reyes, MBA from NUEVA ECIJA University of Science and Technology Philippines, delivered the material online from the Philippines, while Rully Alfiansyah, the Manager Area Marketing of PT Nutrifood Indonesia, presented the content offline at Wantilan MSMES Kuliner Rakyat Melasti beach.Alma Pia G. Reyes discussed the understanding of digital marketing for MSMES in developing a tourism village through platforms and social media such as Facebook and Instagram.Meanwhile, Rully Alfiansyah focused on explaining marketing strategies, tips & tricks, and providing practical training on digital marketing through Facebook Ads.The event was moderated by Alfina Indriani, a fourth-semester student from Politeknik Negeri Bali, who accompanied the training program.
The participants actively engaged in the event, showing enthusiasm as they attentively listened to the explanations and actively participated in the discussions with the speakers.One participant asked about their experiences with failures in implementing digital marketing, particularly with Facebook Ads, and inquired about the factors contributing to those failures and potential solutions for achieving success in digital marke ting.The responses from the speakers to this question highlighted those factors influencing failure in digital marketing, including Facebook Ads, are the lack of specific audience targeting and insufficient evaluation.Participants need to clearly understand their target market's demographics, interests, and preferences through market research.By defining the right target audience, they can create more relevant and appealing advertisements (Munsch, 2021).After launching digital marketing campaigns, participants need to continuously monitor and evaluate the results.By measuring the performance of ads and campaigns, they can identify what works and what doesn't, and make necessary changes or adjustments to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts (Malesev & Cherry, 2021).By implementing these solutions, participants are expected to enhance the success of their digital marketing, including the use of Facebook Ads.
In conclusion, the participants in the training and mentoring program were active and enthusiastic, demonstrating excellent engagement during the explanations and discussions with the speakers.The training and mentoring activities involved practical applications of digital marketing, with real-life examples and case studies presented to help participants understand the concepts and steps required in digital marketing.The participants were given the opportunity to practice digital marketing directly, creating digital advertisements using platforms like Facebook Ads.The speakers and lecturers provided guidance and feedback, helping participants optimize their use of digital platforms.Following the training, participants received ongoing mentoring in implementing digital marketing in their MSMES businesses.The speakers and lecturers provided support and guidance through online communication or regular consultation sessions approximately one week after the activity.They assisted participants in overcoming potential challenges and offered advice to improve the effectiveness of their digital marketing.Throughout the training and mentoring program, the traders were highly focused and enthusiastic, attentively following instructions through their respective mobile phones.They responded positively, expressing that they successfully applied digital marketing in their MSMES businesses (Antari et al., 2022).
Overall, the MSME traders of Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti Beach as participants in this digital marketing training and mentoring program showed high activity and enthusiasm.This was supported by the results of participants' responses regarding this community service activity through a questionnaire that had been distributed by the Team.4.2, all 20 participants filled out the questionnaire for this community engagement program, resulting in a 100% response rate.The data reveals that the participants provided predominantly positive feedback and expressed satisfaction at 57%.The statement that received the highest level of satisfaction from the participants was related to the program's socialization, which helped them understand the PKM program conducted by the implementing team.This response was closely followed by those who felt very satisfied with the program, at 42%.The statement that received the highest level of "very satisfied" response from the participants was regarding the Appropriate Technology Aspect provided by the team, which offered solutions and improved productivity and product marketing for the partners.However, there were three respondents who expressed their dissatisfaction with the presentation of materials by the speakers.This indicates room for improvement and enhancement in delivering the content to better meet the needs and expectations of all participants.
Additionally, the participants responded to three open-ended questions in the questionnaire.In response to the first question, the participants collectively expressed the opinion that this training program is essential for equipping local MSMES.They agreed that it could improve the standard of service quality and product hygiene for MSMES.Regarding the second statement, all participants responded positively, affirming that the PKM PNB program effectively increased the productivity and welfare of the partners.This was further emphasized by participants who felt that they benefited greatly from implementing digital marketing tools like Facebook Ads.As for suggestions, the participants directed their feedback towards the presentation of materials by the speakers.The speakers delivered the content using economic terms in a foreign language (English), while the MSMES traders primarily spoke their local language (Balinese) and Indonesian in their daily lives.As a result, a small portion of them were not proficient in the foreign language or familiar with the terminology used.Therefore, the traders suggested the need for translation services during the presentation to ensure that the materials can be easily understood by all MSMES traders at Melasti beach.
These results had been supported by the prior research by Dumitriu, et al (2019) and Hartanto, et al (2022).Overall, their research on digital marketing often highlights the benefits of using tools to enhance business productivity and reach.Positive feedback regarding the effectiveness of digital marketing tools aligns with this body of research.It's important to note that the effectiveness of digital marketing tools can vary based on factors like the target audience, industry, and marketing strategy.Some research, as in Putri, et al (2023) and also Hartanto, et al (2022), might suggest that the impact of these tools can be limited without proper training or strategy.

Outcome of community service activities
Based on the results and description of the activities, it is evident that the desired outcomes, as per the designed solution for digital marketing training based on technology, have been achieved.The participants from MSMES Kuliner Rakyat have demonstrated an understanding of digital marketing strategies and the implementation of social media for promotion and transactions in their businesses, enabling them to establish longterm relationships with customers.
In addition, the activities were also documented through social media publications on YouTube through the Study Program Digital Business link: https://youtu.be/5BjYGpeGkgg.Furthermore, the event received media coverage from Nusa Bali.According to the news report from Nusa Bali at the link: https://www.nusabali.com/berita/143654/prodi-bisnis-digital-politeknik-negeri-bali-gelar-pelatihan-digitalmarketing-MSMEs-di-pantai-melasti,it highlights that Politeknik Negeri Bali (PNB), through the Business Administration Department's Digital Business Program, successfully conducted digital marketing training and mentoring for MSMES management at Melasti beach.The coverage in Nusa Bali aims to promote the event for future endeavors and increase awareness of Melasti beach as a tourist destination, both among the local community and international visitors.
From the results of the digital marketing training and mentoring program, one of the achieved outcomes by the Implementing Team is the donation of a logo for MSMES Kuliner Rakyat di Melasti beach (Kuliner Rakyat MSMEs at Melasti Beach).This was done to show the support of the Implementing Team for MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach and to strengthen their identity and brand.A logo can play a crucial role in building a business's image and brand, helping to differentiate MSMES Kuliner Rakyat from competitors and creating a more professional and trustworthy impression.Moreover, the donated logo can be used for various marketing purposes, such as on social media, websites, promotional materials, or product packaging.Having an attractive and professional logo enables MSMES Kuliner Rakyat to reinforce their brand image and attract potential customers.Therefore, the donation of the logo by the Implementing Team in the digital marketing training and mentoring program aims to provide support, enhance their identity, and strengthen the brand image of MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach.Below is the logo of MSMES Kuliner Rakyat Melasti beach donated by the Implementing Team: Furthermore, the achievements resulting from this activity can also include a research publication in a community engagement journal.The research outcomes from this activity will be published in the "Parta" journal by the publishing team of Universitas Pendidikan Nasional Denpasar (UNDIKNAS) with a SINTA 5 index.Additionally, the research findings will be applied as teaching materials for marketing courses, particularly in the area of digital marketing.This aims to enrich the content taught in marketing courses, especially in the topic of digital marketing.By implementing the research outcomes as teaching materials, students will gain a better understanding of applying digital marketing and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) strategies.The application of this research can provide students with a deeper understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices related to digital marketing.They will learn about the importance of selecting the right target audience, using digital platforms such as Facebook Ads, and evaluating the performance of digital campaigns.Students will also grasp the significance of building good relationships with customers through CRM strategies, such as personalization, segmentation, and customer data management.Moreover, using the research outcomes as teaching materials will expose students to real -life case studies involving MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach.They will be able to analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by MSMES in implementing digital marketing and design effective strategies to enhance their marketing success.By doing so, the use of research outcomes as teaching materials in marketing courses, particularly digital marketing, aims to provide a better and more practical understanding for students.This can enhance their competence in comprehending and applying digital marketing concepts in the increasingly digitally connected business world.

Conclusion
The conclusion regarding the results of the digital marketing and CRM training and mentoring activities for the MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders at Melasti beach is as follows: 1. Participants showed high enthusiasm in attending the training and mentoring activities.They paid close attention to the explanations, actively participated in discussions, and asked questions to the speakers.This reflects their motivation and involvement in improving their knowledge and skills in digital marketing.
2. The participants encountered challenges in implementing digital marketing, especially in using F acebook Ads.Factors that contributed to the challenges included the lack of specificity in targeting the audience and insufficient evaluation.However, with the guidance and solutions provided by the speakers, the participants were given clear directions to improve their marketing strategies.
3. The evaluation results from the participants showed overall positive satisfaction.The majority of the participants felt satisfied with the training and mentoring activities, particularly in understanding the PKM program conducted by the Tim Pelaksana.The participants also experienced significant benefits from using digital marketing, especially through the application of Appropriate technology that provided solutions and improved productivity and product marketing for the partners.
4. The activities have achieved tangible outcomes carried out by the Tim Pelaksana, including media coverage in NusaBali.com,logo contribution for MSMES, journal publications, and teaching materials based on the research results from this community service.
Overall, the digital marketing and CRM training and mentoring activities have provided significant benefits in enhancing the knowledge and skills of the MSMES Kuliner Rakyat traders in digital marketing.By actively involving the participants, providing appropriate guidance, and continuously adapting to their needs, these activities can serve as a strong foundation for the development of MSMES businesses and the utilization of digital marketing potential in the future.

Suggestion
Based on the results of the digital marketing training and mentoring activities, several recommendations can be given: 1. Continue with Follow-up Support: It is important to continue the follow-up support after the training to ensure the sustainable implementation of digital marketing and CRM strategies.Providing regular consultation sessions or monitoring can help the MSMES participants overcome any challenges that may arise while implementing the new strategies.2. Review the Use of Language in the Materials: The speakers should reconsider the use of language and opt for simpler terms that are familiar to the MSMES participants.Using a language that is easily understood by the local MSMES entrepreneurs can enhance their comprehension and engagement with the materials presented.3. Collaborate with External Experts: Involving digital marketing experts or business practitioners fro m external parties can offer broader perspectives to the MSMES participants.Such collaborations will complement the knowledge provided by the organizing team and help the MSMES entrepreneurs understand current trends and practices in digital marketing.4. Encourage Evaluation and Measurement: The MSMES participants should continue to measure and evaluate their digital marketing campaigns.Monitoring the performance of ads and campaigns enables them to identify effective strategies and make necessary improvements for enhancing their marketing effectiveness. 5. Facilitate Collaboration and Experience Sharing: Encouraging collaboration and experience sharing among the MSMES participants can bring added value.Providing forums or discussion groups can be a platform for MSMES entrepreneurs to share strategies, ideas, and lessons learned in their digital marketing efforts.This can enrich their knowledge and inspire new approaches to enhance their businesses.By implementing these recommendations, it is expected that the digital marketing training and mentoring activities will become even more effective in assisting the MSMES Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti beach in utilizing digital marketing to develop their businesses.Improved knowledge and skills in digital marketing and CRM will empower the entrepreneurs to achieve success in the increasingly digital world.Additionally, the active participation of the organizing team in supporting MSMES will contribute to the local economic growth and community empowerment.
The following are the results of the responses from training participants and mentoring regarding digital-based marketing and CRM for MSME traders of Kuliner Rakyat at Melasti Beach as a whole as follows: