Impact of Digital Marketing on Colombian Business Competitiveness
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Digital marketing, competitiveness, digital transformation, customer loyalty, social media
This article investigates how digital marketing impacts the competitiveness of Colombian SMEs in an
environment of constant technological transformations, new consumer habits, and greater penetration of
digital techniques in companies of all types and sizes. Using a qualitative and descriptive design, the
study gathered the perceptions of managers, coordinators, and staff from a private organization regarding
the use of digital tools, customer retention, two-way communication, and the democratization of market
access. The results show that tools such as social media, e-commerce, digital analytics, and content
marketing directly and positively enhance visibility, reputation, and growth, in addition to helping
segment the market, maintain interaction with the consumer, and accurately measure organizational
performance. Furthermore, it was found that the implementation of digital strategies strengthens
competitive positioning, as companies can respond more quickly to environmental changes while
adapting their communication and sales methods to the preferences of today's customers. However,
inequalities persist related to a lack of specialized training, cultural resistance to change, insufficient
investment in technology, and the absence of a coherent digital strategy—factors that limit full digital
transformation. Taken together, the findings underscore that digital marketing is a determining factor for
maintaining, innovating, and competing with products in a globalized, dynamic, and high-demand market,
where technological adaptability is considered a key differentiator.
Arévalo-Vera, Y., & Cadena-Morales, J. J. (2020). La comunicación como acción de motivación-productividad en las organizaciones. Mundo FESC, 10(20), 182-192. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.779
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.
Bustamante-Díaz, L. A., Díaz-Machuca, D. K., Pinzón-Ayala, W. D., Zambrano Martínez, N. M., & Barrientos-Rosales, M. de los A. (2020).
Planes de marketing en las pymes sector calzado de la ciudad de Cúcuta. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2969
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). (2023). Economía digital y brechas tecnológicas en América Latina. Naciones Unidas.
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing. Pearson.
Chaffey, D., & Smith, P. (2017). Digital marketing excellence: Planning, optimizing and integrating online marketing. Routledge.
Cortés-Miranda, L. A., Galeano-Solano, A. P., Nader-Sánchez, S. D., Saboyá-García, K. D., & Barrientos-Monsalve, E. J. (2020). Comercio electrónico en el sector artesanal en Norte de Santander. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 51-56. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2904
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE.
Deloitte. (2024). Tendencias digitales en el consumidor latinoamericano. Deloitte Insights.
Domínguez-Rangel, J. F., Zambrano-Medina, N. A., & Prada-Núñez, R. (2021). Impacto socioeconómico y productivo de los micronegocios de la región andina (Colombia) en tiempos de pandemia por covid-19. Mundo FESC, 11(S6), 241-254. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.1177
Fedesoft. (2023). Panorama de digitalización en empresas colombianas.
Flick, U. (2015). Introducing research methodology. SAGE.
Florez-Castellanos, W. D., Guapacha-Rodríguez, J. A., & Rolón-Rodríguez, B. M. (2020). La evolución del marketing para el crecimiento de las empresas. Revista Investigación & Gestión, 3(1), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.22463/26651408.4282
Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2020). Metodología de la investigación (7.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Ibarra-Botello, N. F. (2019). Importancia de la logística de última milla como valor agregado en el comercio electrónico. Revista Investigación & Gestión, 2(2), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.22463/26651408.4309
Kapferer, J. N. (2012). The new strategic brand management (5th ed.). Kogan Page.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Pearson.
Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2021). Marketing 5.0: Technology for humanity. Wiley.
Linares Giraldo, M., Álvarez Suarez, Y. Y., & Sajonero Pallares, L. M. (2020). Internacionalización de las pymes desde la perspectiva de la aplicación de estrategias de marketing e inversión en desarrollo tecnológico. Visión Internacional (Cúcuta), 3(1), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.22463/27111121.3045
McKnight, D., Carter, M., & Thatcher, J. (2021). Trust in digital commerce. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 22(3), 150-170.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE.
Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (MinTIC). (2024). Informe anual de transformación digital en Colombia. MinTIC.
North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge University Press.
Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). (2023). Digital Economy Outlook 2023. OECD Publishing.
Pacheco-Sánchez, C. A., Arévalo-Ascanio, J. G., & Navarro-Claro, G. T. (2020). Incidencia del uso de las TIC en los resultados académicos. Mundo FESC, 10(20), 143-155. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.749
Porter, M. E. (2008). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
Rojas, M., & Suárez, L. (2022). Tecnologías emergentes y desempeño empresarial en Colombia. Revista Innovar, 32(1), 45-62.
Ryan, D. (2016). Understanding digital marketing. Kogan Page.
Salazar-Vergel, A., & Contreras-Cáceres, M. E. (2020). Inicios, desarrollo y auge de los negocios virtuales. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 57-67. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2975
Schiffman, L., & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer behavior (12th ed.). Pearson.
Statista. (2023). Uso de redes sociales en Colombia. Statista Research Department.
Strauss, J., & Frost, R. (2014). E-marketing. Pearson.
Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2018). Social media marketing. SAGE.
Uribe, C., & Sabogal, D. (2021). Marketing digital en pymes colombianas. Revista Colombiana de Mercadeo, 18(2), 45-60.
This article investigates how digital marketing impacts the competitiveness of Colombian SMEs in an
environment of constant technological transformations, new consumer habits, and greater penetration of
digital techniques in companies of all types and sizes. Using a qualitative and descriptive design, the
study gathered the perceptions of managers, coordinators, and staff from a private organization regarding
the use of digital tools, customer retention, two-way communication, and the democratization of market
access. The results show that tools such as social media, e-commerce, digital analytics, and content
marketing directly and positively enhance visibility, reputation, and growth, in addition to helping
segment the market, maintain interaction with the consumer, and accurately measure organizational
performance. Furthermore, it was found that the implementation of digital strategies strengthens
competitive positioning, as companies can respond more quickly to environmental changes while
adapting their communication and sales methods to the preferences of today's customers. However,
inequalities persist related to a lack of specialized training, cultural resistance to change, insufficient
investment in technology, and the absence of a coherent digital strategy—factors that limit full digital
transformation. Taken together, the findings underscore that digital marketing is a determining factor for
maintaining, innovating, and competing with products in a globalized, dynamic, and high-demand market,
where technological adaptability is considered a key differentiator.
Arévalo-Vera, Y., & Cadena-Morales, J. J. (2020). La comunicación como acción de motivación-productividad en las organizaciones. Mundo FESC, 10(20), 182-192. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.779
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.
Bustamante-Díaz, L. A., Díaz-Machuca, D. K., Pinzón-Ayala, W. D., Zambrano Martínez, N. M., & Barrientos-Rosales, M. de los A. (2020).
Planes de marketing en las pymes sector calzado de la ciudad de Cúcuta. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2969
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). (2023). Economía digital y brechas tecnológicas en América Latina. Naciones Unidas.
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing. Pearson.
Chaffey, D., & Smith, P. (2017). Digital marketing excellence: Planning, optimizing and integrating online marketing. Routledge.
Cortés-Miranda, L. A., Galeano-Solano, A. P., Nader-Sánchez, S. D., Saboyá-García, K. D., & Barrientos-Monsalve, E. J. (2020). Comercio electrónico en el sector artesanal en Norte de Santander. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 51-56. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2904
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE.
Deloitte. (2024). Tendencias digitales en el consumidor latinoamericano. Deloitte Insights.
Domínguez-Rangel, J. F., Zambrano-Medina, N. A., & Prada-Núñez, R. (2021). Impacto socioeconómico y productivo de los micronegocios de la región andina (Colombia) en tiempos de pandemia por covid-19. Mundo FESC, 11(S6), 241-254. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.1177
Fedesoft. (2023). Panorama de digitalización en empresas colombianas.
Flick, U. (2015). Introducing research methodology. SAGE.
Florez-Castellanos, W. D., Guapacha-Rodríguez, J. A., & Rolón-Rodríguez, B. M. (2020). La evolución del marketing para el crecimiento de las empresas. Revista Investigación & Gestión, 3(1), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.22463/26651408.4282
Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2020). Metodología de la investigación (7.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Ibarra-Botello, N. F. (2019). Importancia de la logística de última milla como valor agregado en el comercio electrónico. Revista Investigación & Gestión, 2(2), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.22463/26651408.4309
Kapferer, J. N. (2012). The new strategic brand management (5th ed.). Kogan Page.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Pearson.
Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2021). Marketing 5.0: Technology for humanity. Wiley.
Linares Giraldo, M., Álvarez Suarez, Y. Y., & Sajonero Pallares, L. M. (2020). Internacionalización de las pymes desde la perspectiva de la aplicación de estrategias de marketing e inversión en desarrollo tecnológico. Visión Internacional (Cúcuta), 3(1), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.22463/27111121.3045
McKnight, D., Carter, M., & Thatcher, J. (2021). Trust in digital commerce. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 22(3), 150-170.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE.
Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (MinTIC). (2024). Informe anual de transformación digital en Colombia. MinTIC.
North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge University Press.
Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). (2023). Digital Economy Outlook 2023. OECD Publishing.
Pacheco-Sánchez, C. A., Arévalo-Ascanio, J. G., & Navarro-Claro, G. T. (2020). Incidencia del uso de las TIC en los resultados académicos. Mundo FESC, 10(20), 143-155. https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.749
Porter, M. E. (2008). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
Rojas, M., & Suárez, L. (2022). Tecnologías emergentes y desempeño empresarial en Colombia. Revista Innovar, 32(1), 45-62.
Ryan, D. (2016). Understanding digital marketing. Kogan Page.
Salazar-Vergel, A., & Contreras-Cáceres, M. E. (2020). Inicios, desarrollo y auge de los negocios virtuales. Reflexiones Contables, 3(2), 57-67. https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.2975
Schiffman, L., & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer behavior (12th ed.). Pearson.
Statista. (2023). Uso de redes sociales en Colombia. Statista Research Department.
Strauss, J., & Frost, R. (2014). E-marketing. Pearson.
Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2018). Social media marketing. SAGE.
Uribe, C., & Sabogal, D. (2021). Marketing digital en pymes colombianas. Revista Colombiana de Mercadeo, 18(2), 45-60.
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