ISSN: 2222-6990
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Despite the acknowledged benefits of digital marketing, its use among ASEAN micro-entrepreneurs remains sporadic. Current scholarship disproportionately frames this phenomenon as an initial "adoption" issue, even though it is equally important to address the critical "adoption-continuance gap" where uptake fails to evolve into a routinised practice. This Systematic Literature Review synthesises the behavioural barriers hindering Sustained Digital Marketing Use (SDMU). Adhering to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 28 empirical studies published between 2021 and 2025 were rigorously analysed using an eight-code deductive framework. The synthesis reveals that SDMU is constrained by a complex interplay of factors: a "capability ceiling" driven by skill deficits and algorithmic complexity; psychological inertia stemming from low self-efficacy and perceived risk as well as habit fragility, which prevents the normalisation of digital routines. The study establishes SDMU as a distinct post-adoption construct involving continuity, routinisation and practice depth. Consequently, the findings suggest that policy interventions must pivot from generic digital literacy training to targeted mechanisms that scaffold habit formation, reduce cognitive load and bolster confidence, ensuring micro-entrepreneurs’ ability to navigate the transition from episodic trial to sustainable digital marketing usage.
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