Impact of Social Media Marketing on Customer Patronage: A Study of Small Scale Enterprises in South East Nigeria

This study focuses on how social media marketing stimulates customer patronage in the South East zone of Nigeria. In particular, the study was carried out to determine how Twitter usage influences and enhances customer acquisition and customer loyalty of small scale enterprises in South East Nigeria; concentrating on Aba, Enugu and Owerri cities. Survey research design was used and questionnaires were distributed as instrument for data collection to 380 respondents. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as simple percentages, mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis. Findings showed that the use of Twitter as a marketing tool has a positive and significant effect on customer acquisition and retention of small scale enterprises in the South East of Nigeria. The researchers recommend that small scale enterprises in the South East should avail themselves the opportunity of using social media (Twitter) to acquire and retain customers and at the same time enable them compete favourably in the market.