The Influence of Digital Marketing Platforms on the Performance of Small and Medium Business Retailers in Kamukunji Market, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The primary objective of this project was to examine the Influence of Digital Marketing Platforms on the performance of Small Business Retailers in Kamukunji Market, Nairobi, Kenya. The projects main objectives included to establish the digital marketing platforms used by small businesses in Kamukunji market, Nairobi, Kenya and also to determine the influence of the digital marketing platforms on productivity of SMEs. The study reviewed related research on SMEs issues in embracing technology, the growing social-media marketing, and the components of the take-up. The study employed the use of a descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design. This technique involves collecting data across many research units simultaneously, primarily through questionnaires (Gujarati, Porter & Gunasekar 2013). The study population included approximately 7000 jua kali entrepreneurs in the Kamukunji market in Kenya and used a systematic random sampling technique to select a sample of 250 participants for the data collection. Data was collected from business owners and shop attendants by using questionnaires. Subsequently, data was analyzed using quantitative analysis techniques comprising of descriptive statistics for the univariate variables and bivariate analysis conducted via Pearson's correlation test and also applied the Kruskal-Wallis’s test. The project noted that the retail industry is a vital employer, whether directly or not. The study on the Influence of Digital Marketing Platforms on the performance of Small Business Retailers in Kamukunji Market, Nairobi, Kenya was premised on various theories that include the social network theory, the theory of collective intelligence and the generational theory. The main findings of the study indicated that most of the entrepreneurs at Kamukunji market do not actively use email marketing despite its relative significance on the growth of the business. Secondly, mobile marketing was the second-best used strategy behind social media marketing which was largely used by a larger population in the study. Social media marketing was best preferred because of its affordability and the large number of social media users across the nation. The project noted that the retail industry is a vital employer, whether directly or not. The study on the Influence of Digital Marketing Platforms on the performance of Small Business Retailers in Kamukunji Market, Nairobi, Kenya was premised on various theories that include the social network theory, the theory of collective intelligence and the generational theory.