Effects of Social Media Marketing on the Growth of Small Businesses in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the effects of customer engagement through social media marketing on the growth of small businesses in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. The study was guided by Customer Engagement Theory and Relationship Marketing Theory and employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional explanatory research design. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 100 owners or managers of registered small businesses selected from a population of 500 businesses through purposive and simple random sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that customer engagement through social media marketing contributes to small-business growth by enhancing customer interaction, business visibility, and market reach. Specifically, 70.0% of respondents indicated that likes and reactions contributed to business growth, while 76.0% reported that comments and shares increased business visibility. Furthermore, 73.0% agreed that direct interaction with customers improved customer relationships. The study concludes that effective customer engagement through social media marketing is associated with the improved growth of small businesses. It recommends that small-business owners strengthen interactive social media practices through relevant content, timely responses, and continuous customer engagement, while municipal authorities and business support organisations should provide digital marketing training and improve access to affordable digital infrastructure.