SMEs IN THE DIGITAL AGE: PRELIMINARY INSIGHTS INTO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Abstract

In the digital era, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have opportunities and challenges when adopting social media for marketing. Grounded in the Resource-based View (RBV) and Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theories, this study aims to explore the use of social media marketing strategies by SMEs in response to the unprecedented business disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative approach was employed, involving three in-depth interviews with a marketing manager and two SME owners from three different SMEs. The data were analysed thematically using NVivo software. This study found that SMEs prefer to use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to increase brand awareness, engage with consumers, and increase revenue. Preliminary findings also show that SMEs have improved their business performance while reducing marketing expenses using social media marketing. However, SMEs face difficulties in navigating the digital marketing landscape due to internet access problems, limited resources, lack of new ideas for creating attractive promotional ads, and changes in consumer buying behaviour. These region-specific and nongeneralizable insights offer practical guidance for SMEs seeking to leverage digital tools for resilience and growth. Moreover, the findings provide preliminary implications for policymakers in supporting sustainable SME’s development through initiatives such as digital literacy training and targeted financial assistance.