Affordable Digital Marketing Adoption and Business Performance among Rural Women-Led Businesses in Karnataka: A Qualitative Study

This study demonstrates that affordable digital marketing can contribute to multiple dimensions of business performance among rural women entrepreneurs in Karnataka. The qualitative evidence identified four major dimensions including financial growth, market visibility, business resilience and customer engagement. Among the identified outcomes, increased sales revenue, brand awareness, online presence, direct customer communication, higher profitability, and wider market reach emerged as prominent sub-theme. The findings suggests that adoption of digital marketing offers as a cost effective and budget friendly promotional channel by facilitating customer acquisition and contribute to business continuity. The study therefore highlights the importance of moving beyond mere access to digital technology towards its meaningful adoption.

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