The Influence Of Social Media On The Growth And Promotion Of SMEs Business In Osun State, South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the main influence of social media platforms such Facebook and WhatsApp on the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Osun State, South-West, Nigeria. The study was descriptive. The general objective of the study was to examine the main influence of social media platforms namely Facebook and WhasApp platforms on the growth of SMEs in Osun State. Specifically, the study identified the contributions of social media platforms namely Facebook and What Sapp to the growth of SMEs in Osun State, determined how often SMEs utilize Facebook and WhatsApp to promote their business in Osun's SMEs and find out how SMEs in Osun State use WhatsApp and Facebook for the growth of their businesses

 A Sample size of 300 SMEs was selected on the basis of the Diffusion of Innovations and Technological Acceptance Models in the specified location. A self- designed structured questionnaire served as the main instrument for data collection. Results showed that What Sapp is widely used by SMEs and this has been shown to increase market accessibility as well as improved customer interactions. These outcomes have been seen to have substantial impact on the growth and development of SMEs. Despite the potential for enhanced visibility and promotion of businesses by the two dynamic social sites, it is rather unfortunate to note that many business owners are still unaware of the importance of these two major social media platforms for enhancing their business growth while others are not even aware of their existence. It is therefore recommended that awareness on the importance of Social media platforms should be intensified while training on how to effectively utilize the social media platforms for business growth and promotion should also be routinely organized for operators and owners of SMEs.