DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES AND GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN NAIROBI COUNTY KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF KAMUKUNJI BUSINESS CENTRE
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES AND GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN NAIROBI COUNTY KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF KAMUKUNJI BUSINESS CENTRE
Irene Naishorua Masikonte - Masters Student, School of Management and Leadership, Management University of Africa, Kenya
Brown Kitur - Lecturer, School of Management and Leadership, Management University of Africa, Kenya
Kennedy Chomba Maina - Research Assistant, PhD Student, Kirinyaga University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
This research endeavored to investigate the influence of specific digital marketing strategies on the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises with a specific focus on Kamukunji business Centre in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; To assess the impact of social media marketing on the growth of small and medium enterprises, to examine the influence of search engine optimization marketing on the growth of small and medium enterprises, to evaluate the effectiveness of email marketing on the growth of small and medium enterprises and to analyze the impact of content marketing on the growth of small and medium enterprises. The study adopted the descriptive research design where the population of the study was 1260 small and medium enterprises and the stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 126 small and medium enterprises to take part in the research. The researcher intended to employ questionnaires to obtain data from participants. A total of 126 questionnaires were distributed to business owners and managers of small and medium enterprises operating in Kamukunji business center. The data analysis process employed both qualitative and quantitative procedure. Qualitative data was examined to identify meaningful patterns and themes that aided in summarizing and organizing data. Descriptive statics including frequency counts and percentage were utilized for quantitative analysis. The computer software SPSS was utilized for data entry and analysis of questionnaire driven data. Graphical representation such as tables, bar charts and other visual aids were employed to represent the collected data. The study provided practical recommendations for small and medium enterprises owners and managers, policymakers, and researchers. The findings contributed to the enhancement of competitiveness and sustainability in the digital landscape, aiding small and medium enterprises in navigating challenges and harnessing opportunities for growth. The results showed that content marketing and email marketing strategies were the most influential in driving growth for SMEs, while social media presence had a minimal effect. Regression analyses revealed strong positive correlations between these strategies and enterprise growth, though SEO showed a negative significance. The study faced limitations, encompassing a limited geographical scope and the inability to capture other growth factors like competition and managerial skills. Despite these challenges, the findings provide valuable insights for SMEs, suggesting the need for tailored digital marketing strategies to enhance growth. Recommendations for stakeholders, including enterprise owners and government policy formulating bodies, emphasize how crucial it is to tailor make the digital marketing strategies to suit the needs of the small and medium enterprises.
