UNIB Lecturer Service Group, DIKTI DRTPM Scheme, Successfully Educates the Community and Opens Market Access for Gapoktan HKm Trisetia, Tebat Pulau Village
Bengkulu, August 21, 2024 – The University of Bengkulu (UNIB) Lecturer Service Group has again made a brilliant achievement through the DIKTI DRTPM scheme, with the success of the “Development of Social Forestry Farmer Learning Houses and Utilization of Digital Marketing” program. This program aims to empower farming communities in Tebat Pulau Village, especially members of Gapoktan HKm Trisetia, by increasing capacity in sustainable forest management and utilizing digital technology to open wider market access.
The two main results of this program were achieved through intensive collaboration between lecturers, students, and the local community. The first result is the establishment of the Social Forestry Farmer Learning House, which provides farmers with access to training and guidance in managing forest resources wisely and efficiently. This learning house is equipped with innovative technology such as Airtable, which allows institutional management to be more transparent and organized. With Airtable, farmers can easily monitor delegated tasks, track activity progress, and coordinate better. This makes the institutional management process more collaborative and has a positive impact on the sustainability of Gapoktan’s business in the long term.
The second result that is no less important is the implementation of omnichannel technology in marketing local coffee products produced by Gapoktan HKm Trisetia. Farmers are trained to use various digital platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and websites as a means of promoting and selling their products. This training includes not only a basic understanding of platform usage but also strategies for creating content that is interesting and relevant to the target market. Gapoktan members are also taught about online interaction management, such as how to communicate with consumers and maintain customer relationships, as well as data analysis techniques from each platform to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.
Mentoring from the UNIB Lecturer Service Group covers various aspects of digital marketing, from creating creative content to analyzing market trends, to help Gapoktan understand consumer behaviour patterns and create more effective marketing strategies. The success of this program not only educates the community about the importance of digital marketing but also opens up wider opportunities for Gapoktan to reach a larger market and improve its economic welfare.
This program is expected to be a model for other regions to utilize digital technology to support local economic empowerment. The UNIB Lecturer Service Group continues to be committed to providing innovative solutions in supporting community development, especially through a technology-based approach that is sustainable and relevant to today’s challenges. In the future, this program will continue to be expanded with additional mentoring and the development of a wider market network so that local products from Tebat Pulau Village can compete at the national and even international levels.
With this success, Gapoktan HKm Trisetia Tebat Pulau Village has proven that digital technology is not only a tool for selling products but also a medium for social transformation that allows communities to develop economically and independently in managing the natural resources they have.
