Digital Marketing Training Key to Boosting MSME Competitiveness Amid Economic Rivalry
Digital transformation is increasingly opening new opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their markets and increase revenue. Amid Indonesia’s rapid digital economic growth, the ability to utilise social media, marketplaces, and content-based marketing strategies has become a crucial factor in winning business competition.
However, the challenges facing MSMEs extend beyond marketing. Many entrepreneurs still face difficulties in calculating production costs and determining competitive selling prices. Both aspects are essential for maintaining business sustainability and increasing profitability.
To address these challenges, Universitas Pancasila (UP) conducted digital marketing and production cost calculation training at the Daarul Hawariyyin Islamic Boarding School in Kampung Bulak, Nanggerang Village, Bogor Regency, on 13 and 20 June 2026. The activity was attended by teachers (ustaz and ustazah) and students (santri) who are actively developing MSMEs based on processed catfish within the boarding school environment.
The Head of Daarul Hawariyyin Islamic Boarding School, Ustaz Ahmad Furqon, welcomed the programme positively. He noted that mastering digital technology is a vital necessity for entrepreneurs to reach wider markets.
“We very much welcome this training and hope that such cooperation can continue. We hope that the teachers and students will become increasingly capable of using digital technology to market the boarding school’s business products and open up greater sales opportunities,” he said.
The training featured a team of UP academics led by Nur Yulianti Hidayah, accompanied by Dino Rimantho and Dewi Kurniawati, and involved students from the Industrial Engineering and Management study programmes.
The material provided covered digital marketing strategies, the use of social media and marketplaces as promotional tools, creative content creation, as well as techniques for calculating production costs and determining competitive selling prices.
Beyond theory, participants gained hands-on practical experience. They were guided in creating promotional content, including photos, videos, and marketing narratives, while also learning visual storytelling to increase product appeal on digital platforms.
Additionally, participants were trained to understand business cost structures so they could set prices according to market conditions without neglecting profitability. This capability is considered vital for strengthening business foundations and enhancing MSME competitiveness amidst increasingly intense competition.
Nur Yulianti Hidayah expressed hope that this activity, as part of a community service programme funded by the 2026 Community Service Grant from the Directorate General of Risbang Diktisaintek, could create entrepreneurs who are more adaptive to technological developments while strengthening the local entrepreneurship-based economy.
“Through collaboration between universities and the community, digital transformation at the grassroots level is expected to materialise more rapidly. With support for human resource capacity building, local MSMEs have the opportunity to level up and capitalise on the vast and growing potential of Indonesia’s digital economy,” Nur explained.