Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Digital Content Marketing among Consumers in Malaysian SME Food and Beverage Businesses

Abstract

Digital content marketing has become an essential strategic tool for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia’s food and beverage (F&B) sector, enabling businesses to enhance consumer interaction, strengthen brand visibility, and improve market competitiveness through digital platforms. Despite the increasing adoption of digital marketing practices, limited empirical studies have examined the factors influencing digital content marketing effectiveness from the consumer perspective, particularly within Malaysian SME F&B businesses. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of brand awareness, word-of-mouth (WOM), consumer engagement, and conversion on the effectiveness of digital content marketing among consumers in the Malaysian SME F&B sector.
A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from 386 consumers through a structured questionnaire using convenience sampling. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), including descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that brand awareness, WOM, and consumer engagement significantly influence digital content marketing effectiveness, with brand awareness emerging as the strongest predictor. Conversely, conversion did not demonstrate a significant direct influence on digital content marketing effectiveness. The results suggest that consumer familiarity with brands, positive online recommendations, and active engagement with digital content are critical determinants of effective digital marketing performance within SME F&B businesses.
This study contributes to the digital marketing and consumer behaviour literature by providing empirical evidence on the factors influencing digital content marketing effectiveness in the Malaysian SME context. The findings offer practical insights for SME owners, digital marketers, and policymakers in developing consumer-orientated digital marketing strategies that enhance brand competitiveness, customer relationships, and long-term business sustainability.