Strawberry farmers in Patengan Village, Rancabali District, Bandung Regency, sell most of their harvest to middlemen or local buyers, and the boxes they sell carry no logo, label, or phone number. Observations and interviews by the team found that few of them had ever used social media to promote their fruit. This community service activity introduced the farmers to digital marketing through Instagram and to the basics of product branding. The team combined observation, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and hands-on training, using printed handouts, guided practice, and short video tutorials that were also posted to a WhatsApp group for farmers who could not attend. Nine strawberry MSME owners who came in person took the same multiple-choice test before and after the session. Correct answers went up from 75.8% to 100%, and the biggest jumps were on two questions: which platform suits photo and video content, and which Instagram feature is used for short videos. By the end of the session, participants had opened a business Instagram account, made a simple logo, and produced basic product posts. All nine said the activity was useful. The farmers now see social media as a way to reach buyers outside the village, but they will need further mentoring on content, packaging, and branding before they can depend less on middlemen.
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Pangestuti et al. (2026) studied this question.
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