Factors that influence the success of social media tactics in brand building in Malawi

This paper examines the factors that influence the success of social media tactics in brand building in Malawi, drawing on Objective Two of the broader study on the efficacy of social media tactics in brand building. The study employed a mixed-methods research design. The quantitative target population comprised 135 marketing-related staff across 10 purposively selected companies, from which a required sample of approximately 101 respondents was determined using a finite-population sample-size formula. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data, while qualitative evidence was obtained through interviews, peer-reviewed literature and content analysis. The data were analysed using MS Excel and SPSS. The findings show comparatively longer brand presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, websites and WhatsApp. Images and videos were the most frequently used content formats, while difficulty in reaching target audiences emerged as the most urgent challenge, alongside lack of resources, inadequate analytics tools and challenges in content creation. The study concludes that effective social media brand building depends on appropriate platform use, relevant content choices and the ability to address implementation challenges.