The Impact of Social Media Marketing On SMES: A Case Study of Nigeria

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of social media marketing on Nigerian SMEs, using a case study approach. The focus will be on the role played by social media marketing, social media, word of mouth, purchase intention, customer engagement, and brand awareness, in the growth of SMEs in Nigeria. Methodology: The study will adopt a quantitative approach using online questionnaires to gather data. The research will adopt a case study approach, where respondents from SMEs from various industries will participate voluntarily in the study. The research will collect up to 200 data from different locations and industries in Nigeria. The questionnaire will be designed to take cues from (Nya Gibson 2018; Danho et al 2020). The collected data will be processed using a 5-point Likert scale, and the relationship between variables tested with Cronbach reliability test, correlation, and regression analysis. Findings – The research findings strongly indicate that social media marketing has a significant and positive impact on both brand awareness and customer engagement for Nigerian SMEs. This study concludes that there exists a significant and positive relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention for Nigerian SMEs. The research reveals a positive relationship between social media marketing and word of mouth for Nigerian SMEs. Originality/value – The value of the study is that it will evaluate the impact of social media marketing on SMEs in Nigeria. It will also examine the role of social media, word of mouth, customer engagement, purchase intention, and brand awareness has played in the growth of SMEs in Nigeria. The study will also highlight the challenges faced by SMEs while implementing social media marketing and then proffer suggestions on how to mitigate them.