SMEs: Joining the Online Conversation?

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to add to the existing knowledge of digital marketing adoption and management by Dutch SMEs. Digital media have extended the array of possibilities for businesses and customers to interact with each other. Yet, relatively limited research is done on how SMEs use digital media to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships. Information technologies hold great potential for smaller businesses due to idea that e-marketing and social media marketing require a limited amount of financial and human resources as oppose to traditional marketing incentives. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to uncover how Dutch SMEs operating in the service industry adopt and use digital media through personal accounts of SME owners/managers. Research question: Do service-based Dutch SMEs adopt and use digital media to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships? And, if so, how? Methodological approach: Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with SME owners/managers. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. The interview data was analyzed from a directed qualitative approach using template analysis. Findings: The findings indicate that Dutch SMEs do, in fact, employ different tactics to leverage the possibilities of the Web 2.0 varying from integrated marketing techniques to extending their service via digital media. It appears that SME manager/owners are aware of their presence as commercial entity. They use those channels not to promote their company, but to engage their customers by creating an approachable social identity, ensuring consistency, and providing an extension of their service. Moreover, the role of SME owners as end-user influences both SME adoption process as well as its communications management.