Accelerating Digital Readiness of Culinary MSMEs in Padang Panjang Market

Abstract

Poor digital literacy among traditional market traders hinders the implementation of a competitive smart culinary ecosystem, distancing local culinary potential from modern digital markets. This community service program aimed to bridge this gap by enhancing the digital marketing competencies of culinary MSMEs through comprehensive operational training. The intervention focused on four integrated pillars: content strategy formulation, aesthetic mobile-based product photography, video editing for social media, and persuasive copywriting. The program was conducted at Padang Panjang Market, West Sumatra, utilizing a participatory workshop approach paired with direct practical mentoring for 15 selected culinary tenant owners. Standardized pre-test and post-test assessments, along with direct content observations, were used to quantitatively measure skill acquisition. The results demonstrated significant improvements across all performance indicators. Specifically, there was a measurable rise in digital marketing awareness by 42.8%, content strategy understanding by 24.3%, and product photography skills by 18.9%. Furthermore, video editing proficiency improved by 31.3%, while copywriting effectiveness grew by 30.8%. In conclusion, technical hands-on education is highly effective in fostering the digital readiness of culinary MSMEs. To ensure sustainability, establishing a dedicated digital assistance post by local authorities is highly recommended.