Adoption of social media by small-scale businesses a case study of Obuasi central market

Abstract

The adoption of social media by small and emerging businesses as a communication tool has led to the decrease on patronage of the services of people who work in the traditional media sector. Most businesses, notably small ones, now rarely use the traditional communication tool for advertising their products and services except in rural communities that are less abreast with the digital phenomenon. At Obuasi Central Market, an urban and vibrant economic centre at Obuasi in the Ashanti region, lies several small-scale businesses which were the participants of this research. The main objective of this research study was to establish the relationship between these small-scale businesses and social media. These questions that needed to be answered included the impacts of social media on small-scale businesses, the challenges faced by small-scale businesses using social media and the factors causing small-scale businesses to adopt social media as a communication tool. The quantitative research approach was used in this research. Forty respondents were used in this study. In the research findings, it was revealed that one of the factors why small-scale businesses are adopting social media is because of its affordability. 65% of business owners in this study also stated that they used social media because they wanted to reach more customers and potential customers within a short time. 62% of customer of small scall businesses in the study also stated that they preferred to buy via social media because of free delivery packages and its easy way of making purchases. Overall, it became so clear that the relation between small-scale businesses and social media was one of a gradual dependency on the part of the small-scale businesses on social media. Although small-scale businesses have a ready market on social media to capture, they also have to make sure that they win over their trust, since it was the major way to keep the customer.