A digital marketing training program organized by the Finance and Banking Study Program of Semarang State Polytechnic has successfully helped Funny Catering Semarang improve its digital promotion and business communication capabilities. The community service initiative was led by Jati Handayani, Winarni, Aris Sunindyo, Nina Woelan Soebroto, and Prihatiningsih, and was published in 2026 in the Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bestari (JPMB). The program focused on optimizing the use of WhatsApp Business to strengthen customer service and expand marketing reach for small and medium enterprises in the digital era.
The study was motivated by changing consumer behavior that increasingly relies on digital technology for accessing information and making purchases. Many Indonesian SMEs still depend on conventional promotional methods, limiting their ability to reach wider markets. Meanwhile, the SME sector contributes more than 60 percent to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product and employs approximately 97 percent of the national workforce.
Funny Catering, a catering business located in Sawah Besar XI, Kaligawe, Semarang, became the main partner in the program. Before the training was conducted, business promotion relied mainly on inactive Instagram uploads and direct customer communication through personal messages without an automated system. This situation often resulted in slow customer service and inefficient communication.
The community service team introduced WhatsApp Business as a simple yet effective solution to improve business communication. The application offers various features suitable for SMEs, including digital product catalogs, automated replies, customer labels, message statistics, and professional business profiles.
The program was implemented over five months, from May to October 2025, involving 13 lecturers and three students from Semarang State Polytechnic. Activities were conducted directly at the Funny Catering business location through several stages:
- Observation and analysis of SME needs
- Digital marketing and WhatsApp Business training
- Consultation and mentoring for digital promotion strategies
- Monitoring and evaluation of program implementation
During the training sessions, participants learned how to create business profiles, develop digital food catalogs, and configure automated messages to respond to customers more efficiently. The materials also included social media communication strategies and the integration of Instagram with WhatsApp links to simplify customer ordering processes.
The training results showed a clear improvement in participants’ ability to manage business communication professionally. Participants became familiar with WhatsApp Business features and successfully created simple digital catalogs containing menu items, prices, and product photos for Funny Catering.
According to the research team, most participants were previously unaware that WhatsApp had a business version with more advanced features than the regular application. After the training, participants realized that digital technology could help accelerate customer service while improving promotional effectiveness.
The program also increased participants’ motivation to develop their businesses digitally. During discussions, participants proposed ideas such as using broadcast messages to distribute weekly menu information and utilizing digital catalogs as promotional tools for loyal customers. Researchers observed a significant increase in awareness regarding the importance of digital transformation for SMEs.
Initial evaluations through questionnaires showed that around 90 percent of participants felt they had a better understanding of digital media functions after the training. The hands-on training method was considered highly effective in helping participants quickly master the application.
Researchers also noted a shift in participants’ perceptions of digital technology. Before the training, many SME owners believed business applications required advanced technical skills. However, after direct practice, they found WhatsApp Business easy to use and highly relevant for supporting small business operations.
According to Jati Handayani and the research team from Semarang State Polytechnic, the program represents an important first step in Funny Catering’s digital transformation. The use of simple technologies such as WhatsApp Business was shown to improve service professionalism and expand marketing opportunities amid increasingly competitive digital business conditions.
The researchers recommended continuous mentoring to ensure SMEs can consistently apply digital features in their daily business operations. Additional training on digital content strategies and customer interaction management was also considered important for strengthening SME competitiveness in the future.
Author Profiles
- Jati Handayani – Program Studi Keuangan dan Perbankan, Politeknik Negeri Semarang; bidang keahlian digital marketing dan pemberdayaan UMKM.
- Winarni – Program Studi Keuangan dan Perbankan, Politeknik Negeri Semarang.
- Aris Sunindyo – Program Studi Keuangan dan Perbankan, Politeknik Negeri Semarang.
- Nina Woelan Soebroto – Program Studi Keuangan dan Perbankan, Politeknik Negeri Semarang.
- Prihatiningsih – Program Studi Keuangan dan Perbankan, Politeknik Negeri Semarang.
Research Source
Handayani, J., Winarni, Sunindyo, A., Soebroto, N. W., & Prihatiningsih. (2026). Digital Marketing Optimization and Production Capacity Improvement in Funny Catering Semarang SMEs. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bestari (JPMB), Vol. 5 No. 4, April 2026, pp. 323–334.
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