The impact of a digital marketing empowerment program (DIME 2024) on income enhancement among hardcore poor entrepreneurs in six districts of Kelantan

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the Digital Marketing Empowerment Program (DIME 2024) on income enhancement among hardcore poor entrepreneurs across six districts in Kelantan, Malaysia. The program aimed to equip micro-entrepreneurs with digital marketing skills to improve their business visibility, customer engagement, and sales performance and the most important to increase their income. A total of 177 participants were involved, of whom 121 had complete income data before and after the intervention. Using a paired sample t-test, the findings revealed a statistically significant increase in monthly income post-intervention compared to pre-intervention levels, with a p-value < 0.000. The results reject the null hypothesis and confirm that DIME 2024 had a positive effect on participants’ income levels. The program's effectiveness was observed across all districts, with varying degrees of income improvement. These findings suggest that digital marketing training can serve as an effective strategy for poverty alleviation and income sustainability among the hardcore poor, particularly in underserved rural regions.