LOCAL TOFU TAKES A STEP UP: OPTIMIZING SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION FOR PAK SUTRIS’S HOME-BASED TOFU PRODUCTION BUSINESS

Abstract

Social media can help micro, small, and medium enterprises communicate with customers and promote their products to reach a wider market. However, many business owners have not yet used it as a marketing tool. One example is a home-based tofu production business in Simalungun, Perdagangan, Pasar 1A, which relies on word-of-mouth promotion and the standard version of WhatsApp. Product information must therefore be requested directly from the seller. This community service activity aimed to give the business owner the understanding and skills needed to use social media for communication and promotion. A descriptive qualitative approach was applied through education and mentoring in four phases: initial observation, education on several platforms, guidance on WhatsApp Business, and evaluation. The mentoring focused on WhatsApp Business because the owner was accustomed to the standard version. The guidance covered installing the application, setting up a business profile, and creating a product catalog with photos, descriptions, and prices. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The results show that the owner understood how social media can expand market reach and became familiar with the features for displaying product information. This is expected to make it easier for consumers to obtain product information.