The usage of digital marketing tools among Vietnamese B2B start-ups in building customer relationships
Main Article Content
Abstract
Digital marketing has been being widely used around the world and changing at a rapid rate. For small businesses, especially start-ups, digital marketing is bringing new opportunities to meet the goals that were previously impossible to achieve. However, many micro-enterprises are not utilising digital marketing to its full potential. The main aim of this study is to investigate the e-marketing model of Vietnamese B2B start-ups as well as the usage and changes of digital marketing tools. In-depth interviews with three main themes were conducted with newly founded and mature Vietnamese B2B start-ups in different sectors. Attracting, engaging, retaining, learning, and relating to customers are critical elements to building customer relationships. In terms of importance, the rankings of these five elements vary depending on each company's current goals and objectives.. While newly founded start-ups concentrate on attracting customers, mature ones focus more on engaging, retaining, and learning customers. Moreover, a significant change in theoretically recognized and utilized tools through 2017-2023 is documented. Throughout the six years, many out-of-date and inefficient tools have been eliminated. Other newer and more valuable tools have been becoming widely used, especially LinkedIn which has become one of the primary social media platforms. It is also emphasized that although new digital marketing tools have been adopted among Vietnamese B2B start-ups, They have not been exploited to their full potential. The reasons behind the changes in the usage of digital marketing tools lie in three main categories, which are firm-specific and owner-manager factors, resource-related factors, and environmental factors.
Article Details
Keywords
B2B start-ups, Customer relationships, Digital marketing, Digital marketing tools, E-marketing
References
Cummins, S., Peltier, J. W., & Dixon, A. (2016). Omni-channel research framework in the context of personal selling and sales management: A review and research extensions. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(1), 2-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-12-2015-0094
Ferguson, R. (2008). Word of Mouth and Viral Marketing: Taking the Temperature of the Hottest Trends in Marketing. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25(3), 179-182. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760810870671
Fillis, I., & Wagner, B. (2005). E-business Development: An Exploratory Investigation of the Small Firm. International Small Business Journal, 23(6), 604-634. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242605057655
Gilmore, A., Gallagher, D., & Henry, S. (2007). E-Marketing and SMEs: Operational Lessons for the Future. European Business Review, 19(3), 234-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/09555340710746482
Hanna, R. C., Swain, S. D., & Smith, J. (2016). Email Marketing in a Digital World: The Basics and Beyond (1st ed.). New York: Business Expert Press. https://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/email-marketing-in-a-digital-world-the-basics-and-beyond/
Hartemo, M. (2016). Email marketing in the era of the empowered consumer. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(3), 212-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-06-2015-0040
Hauser, W. J. (2007). Marketing analytics: the evolution of marketing research in the twenty-first century. Direct Marketing: An International Journal, 1(1), 38-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/17505930710734125
Jadhav, G. G., Gaikwad, S. V., & Bapat, D. (2023). A systematic literature review: digital marketing and its impact on SMEs. Journal of Indian Business Research, 15(1), 76-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-05-2022-0129
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Karjaluoto, H., & Huhtamäki, M. (2010). The Role of Electronic Channels in Micro-Sized Brick-and-Mortar Firms. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 23(1), 17-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2010.10593471
Kierzkowski, A., McQuade, S., Waitman, R., & Zeisser, M. (1996). Marketing to the Digital Consumer. The McKinsey Quarterly, 3(3), 180-183. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243656079_Marketing_to_the_Digital_Consumer
Kritzinger, W. T., & Weideman M. (2013). Search Engine Optimization and Pay-per-Click Marketing Strategies. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 23(3), 273-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/10919392.2013.808124
Leeflang, P. S. H., Verhoef, P. C., Dahlström, P., & Freundt, T. (2014). Challenges and Solutions for Marketing in a Digital Era. European Management Journal, 32(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2013.12.001
McCole, P., & Ramsey, E. (2005). A Profile of Adopters and Non-adopters of eCommerce in SME Professional Service Firms. Australasian Marketing Journal, 13(1), 36-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3582(05)70066-5
Neti, S. (2011). Social Media and its role in Marketing. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, 1(2), 1-15. https://www.ijecbs.com/July2011/13.pdf
Nikunen, T., Saarela, M., Oikarinen, E., Muhos, M., & Isohella, L. (2017). Micro-Enterprises’ Digital Marketing Tools for Building Customer Relationships. Management (Spletna izd.), 12(2), 171-188. https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.12.171-188
Pandey, N., Nayal, P., & Rathore, A. S. (2020). Digital marketing for B2B organizations: structured literature review and future research directions. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(7), 1191-1204. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-06-2019-0283
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). London: Sage. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/qualitative-research-evaluation-methods/book232962
Payne, E. M., Peltier, J. W., & Barger, V. A. (2017). Omni-channel marketing, integrated marketing communications and consumer engagement: A research agenda. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 11(2), 185-197. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2016-0091
Ratten, V., & Thaichon, P. (2021). Chapter 1: COVID-19, Technology and Marketing. COVID-19, Technology and Marketing (1st ed.). Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1442-2_1
Routray, J. K. (2020). Digital Marketing: Its Impact on B2B in India- A Study. Splint International Journal of Professionals, 7(1), 25-32. https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:sijp&volume=7&issue=1&article=003
Schivinski, B., & Dabrowski, D. (2016). The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands. Journal of Marketing Communications, 22(2), 189-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2013.871323
Shah, D., Rust, R. T., Parasuraman, A., Staelin, R., & Day, G. S. (2006). The Path to Customer Centricity. Journal of Service Research, 9(2), 113-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670506294666
Simmons, G. J. (2007). “i-Branding:” Developing the Internet as a Branding Tool. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 25(6), 544–62. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500710819932
Taiminen, H. M., & Karjaluoto, H. (2015). The usage of digital marketing channels in SMEs. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 22(4), 633-651. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-05-2013-0073
Taylor, M., & Murphy, A. (2004). SMEs and e-business. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11(3), 280-289. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000410551546
Teo, T. S. H. (2005). Usage and effectiveness of online marketing tools among Business-to-Consumer (B2C) firms in Singapore. International Journal of Information Management, 25(3), 203-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2004.12.007
Velentza, A., & Metaxas, T. (2023). The Role of Digital Marketing in Tourism Businesses: An Empirical Investigation in Greece. Businesses, 3(2), 272-292. https://doi.org/10.3390/businesses3020018
Waters, R. D., & Jones, P. M. (2011). Using Video to Build an Organization’s Identity and Brand: A Content Analysis of Nonprofit Organizations’ YouTube Videos. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 23(3), 248-268. https://doi.org/10.1080/10495142.2011.594779