Micro-Enterprises’ Digital Marketing Tools for Building Customer Relationships

Tuulia Nikunen, Martti Saarela, Eeva-Liisa Oikarinen, Matti Muhos and Lari Isohella
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Tuulia Nikunen: University of Oulu, Finland
Martti Saarela: University of Oulu, Finland
Eeva-Liisa Oikarinen: University of Oulu, Finland
Matti Muhos: University of Oulu, Finland
Lari Isohella: University of Oulu, Finland

Management, 2017, vol. 12, issue 2, 171-188

Abstract: The digital marketing environment is changing rapidly, and, for micro-enterprises, digital marketing is currently a vitally important opportunity. Attracting customers, engaging customers’ interest and participation, retaining customers, learning customers’ preferences and relating to customers are key strategies in building strong customer relationships. However, many enterprises ignore longer-term aspects of managing customer relationships. The study sought to contribute to a more in-depth understanding of micro-enterprises’ current strategies in terms of new digital marketing tools that foster stronger customer relationships. Based on interviews of two digital marketing service providers, this paper describes how their micro-enterprise clients use digital marketing tools through the five elements of building customer relationships. The findings highlight the importance of a practical understanding of digital marketing tools, as the digital marketing environment changes rapidly. The human capital and digital tool knowledge of micro-enterprises’ owner-managers have a great impact on these firms’ digital marketing and, ultimately, their success.

Keywords: digital marketing; micro-enterprise; digital marketing tool; customer relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.26493/1854-4231.12.171-188

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