Abstract

This essay is an analysis of the effects of social media advertising on small businesses in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon. Social media, a new dimension of marketing promotion mix, has made it possible for users to express their views about the companies, as well as their advertising.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of social media advertising on small businesses in Buea.

This objective was carried out through a random sampling technique, through semi structured interviews with customers of small scale businesses, where they were asked about their usage of social media advertising for their purchase, its positive effects and challenges.

The result identifies a common increase in customers due to advertising on social media. It equally revealed that, social media advertising has served as a tool in building brand and customer trust and relationships.

This study provides some indications for using and developing social media platform to make it an ideal method of advertising. In order to achieve the aforementioned, the government should facilitate the creation of a house numbering system which will enable home or door to door delivery of goods purchased online.

Equally, curriculum in higher institutions especially in the social departments or degree programs should be designed that will teach students how to effectively manage a social media page and market online.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

Social media is a tool which enables small businesses to reach a large and potentially global audience in a very short period of time with relatively little energy. This has opened a whole new opportunity to the way a small business can develop awareness about its goods/services/marketing activities does it is able to develop relationships by communicating positive image and dialogue about a brand

Social media advertising or social media targeting, is advertisement served to users on social media platforms. Social networks utilize user information to serve highly relevant advertisement based on interactions within a specific platform. Small scale businesses use social media platforms to connect to their audience so as to build brand reputation and increase sales this invokes publishing great content on the social media platforms.

There are a range of social media management tools that help businesses to get the most out of the social media platforms. Nowadays small scale businesses in bueause social media in different ways. For instance, a small scale business that is concerned about what people are saying about its brand would monitor social media comments and respond to relevant mentions. Social media has the capacity to enable a business to target a particular object.

Added to the above Facebook founded in 2004 published its first ad with images in may2005. In august 2011, Facebook introduced advertising API. Furthermore, social media advertising gives small scale businesses the opportunity to build brand awareness. The target audience is based on geographical demographically and behavioral characteristics (douglaskarr, A brief history of social media advertising)

1.2 Statement of the problem

The Emergence of Social media tools have change the style and method of communication a message that was communicated in 1000 words is misuse in 100 words. These social media tools provide business enterprises a number of opportunities to present their product and services to larger audience quickly. The techniques of social media when use appropriately can reach as wide audiences and  improve a lot of business people small business use advertory to send out messages about it product online

1.3 Research Question

The researcher will use the following research questions to guide the study.

1. How does adverts on social media attract the attention  and curiosity of the audience?
2. Do adverts on social media inform the audience about goods or services?
3. Do adverts on social media convince the audience to buy or adapt to their products and services?

1.4 Objectives Of The Study

1. To evaluate the effectiveness of social media advertisement on brand awareness about products/services of small scale businesses in Buea
2. To determine whether social media advertising has increased the sales of small scale businesses in buea
3. To find out if social media advertising has improved the relationship between small businesses and their customers in Buea.

1.5 Hypothesis

H1- social media helps facilitate small scale businesses and also to gain customers easily

H2- on the other hand, it is somehow not reliable as some persons may not get their goods that they have paid for

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