Effects of Digital Marketing on the Performance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Municipality of Buea, Cameroon

Abstract

This study examines the effect of digital marketing on the performance of SMEs in Buea, Cameroon, where SMEs play a pivotal role in Buea’s development. Despite broad use and studies on digital marketing, SMEs lack a framework for implementing marketing strategies. This research addresses the gap by investigating the “impact of social media, SEO, and content marketing on the performance of SMEs”. The sample included 50 SMEs executives selected via purposive sampling and 399 digital marketing users determined from Amin’s (2005) formula. Quantitative data were analyzed with the aid of Spearman’s Rho, while qualitative data were investigated using thematic analysis. Finding revealed that SMEs in Buea engaged in digital marketing without a formal plan. Nevertheless, it has a direct positive impact on performance. SMEs are recommended to adopt carefully planned holistic digital marketing strategies. Furthermore, future research should use advanced tools such as marketing analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
Keywords: Digital marketing, Social Media, SEO, SME, Performance