Journal Article

Microenterprenurs Perception of Social Media Use on Micro-Business in Khartoum

Khattab, Ishraga

2016

Overview

Social media is a high technological innovation that has changed how microenterprenurs and how their customers communicate and conduct business. Microenterprises benefited from the widespread use of social media, which blurred the geographical barriers with its customers. It enabled them to communicate more swiftly and effectively with customers and business partners. Microenterprenurs became concerned with how social media as a communication and marketing tool affect their business growth. The study focused on examining the use of social media among microenterprenurs in Khartoum, Sudan. This was done by determining the effect of social media among micro-business the effect of social media on accessing a wider market, strengthening customer relationship management, the impact of social media on microenterprenurs. The study used qualitative approach; Interviews were administered on thirty five microenterprises in Khartoum, with the respondents being either the owners or managers. The study established that Facebook is the most preferred social media tool for all sample interviewed. The reasons identified by microenterprenurs for selecting this tool are: it is a dialogue instrument that facilitates the link between them and their customers, it is a platform for advertising, it enables microenterprises to reinvent its business processes and allows work collaboration. Additionally, it acts as an informative channel that enlightens both customers and microenterprenurs. At the same time, social media is founded to help microenterprises to gain more customers, access a wider market and to strengthen their customers' relationships. Furthermore, social media has positive impact on microenterprises; however the result revealed that they yet use informal ways to measure the impact of social media on their work such as number of visitors and overall sales. The study recommends that policy makers should work to develop policies that support microenterprises to further adopt social media tools that would lead to their growth. There is also a need to establish a framework or guidance that develops measures and criteria for monitoring social media impact. Future research should focus on developing this guidance for social media impact on micro business.

• Publisher: أكاديمية السودان للعلوم المصرفية والمالية - مركز البحوث والنشر والاستشارات
• Subject: أصحاب الأعمال / الأعمال المتناهية الصغر / الفيس بوك / وسائل التواصل الاجتماعى