The competitiveness and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria increasingly

depend on their ability to leverage digital technologies for effective customer engagement. This study

investigates the role of social media marketing (SMM) in fostering customer engagement (CE) and enhancing

outcomes such as satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy among SMEs in South-East Nigeria. Adopting a

quantitative survey design, data were collected from SME operators and customers across the five states in the

region to identify key drivers of digital interaction and relationship building. Analytical techniques, including

The correlation and path analyses confirmed that SMM positively and significantly affects CE, which in turn

mediates customer loyalty and advocacy.

The study recommends that SMEs invest in creating interactive and personalized digital content, establish

responsive feedback systems, and foster online communities that promote long-term engagement. By adopting

dynamic and customer-centered social media strategies, SMEs can enhance relationship quality, strengthen

digital competitiveness, and sustain performance in Nigeria’s evolving business landscape. These findings

provide valuable insights for practitioners, digital marketers, and policymakers committed to supporting SME

growth in the digital era.

Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Customer Engagement, Customer Loyalty, SMEs, Digital Competitiveness,

South-East Nigeria

opportunities for personalized content, customer feedback, and brand storytelling. Unlike traditional marketing

approaches, SMM enhances customer participation and engagement by fostering dialogue, community building,

and long-term brand-consumer relationships (Brodie et al., 2019; Felix et al., 2017).

In developing economies such as Nigeria, social media has become a powerful driver of customer engagement,

particularly given the rapid rise in internet penetration and mobile technology adoption. According to the

Nigerian Communications Commission (2023), Nigeria has over 109 million active internet users, with more

than 33 million active social media users. This widespread adoption provides firms, especially small and

medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with opportunities to reduce marketing costs, enhance market reach, and

strengthen customer loyalty through innovative online strategies. Moreover, the socio-economic realities of

Nigeria, including high youth unemployment and intense competition among firms, make social media platforms

differentiate products, and resolve complaints promptly. However, despite its widespread adoption, limited

empirical evidence exists on how social media marketing specifically shapes customer engagement behaviors

such as participation, loyalty, advocacy, and satisfaction in South-East Nigeria.

From a theoretical perspective, understanding this dynamic is important because customer engagement is more

than transactional interaction—it involves emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions that deepen long-

term brand-consumer relationships (Hollebeek et al., 2020). Firms that fail to cultivate such engagement risk

losing relevance in highly competitive digital markets. Furthermore, while studies in advanced economies have

demonstrated the role of SMM in enhancing customer engagement (Dessart et al., 2016; Rather, 2019), findings

from sub-Saharan Africa remain sparse, fragmented, and context-specific. Thus, there is a pressing need to

explore how firms in South-East Nigeria leverage SMM to build stronger, more sustainable customer

patronage and advocacy.

By situating the analysis within the frameworks of Relationship Marketing Theory (Morgan & Hunt, 1994) and

Customer Engagement Theory (Brodie et al., 2011), the study contributes to bridging the gap between global

perspectives on digital marketing and local realities in sub-Saharan Africa. Practically, the findings are expected

to provide SMEs and service-oriented businesses in South-East Nigeria with actionable strategies for leveraging

SMM as a tool for deepening customer relationships. For policymakers, the study will also inform digital

inclusion strategies and regulations that support SME competitiveness in the digital economy.

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for customer engagement, enabling businesses worldwide to foster

trust, build communities, and strengthen brand loyalty through interactive platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,

dialogue and sustained engagement. Challenges such as poor responsiveness to customer feedback, inconsistent

content strategies, and underutilization of influencer and community-building initiatives often weaken customer

trust and loyalty (Okoye & Nwakoby, 2022; Eze & Chibueze, 2023). Consequently, customers may remain

passive followers rather than active participants, limiting the transformative potential of SMM for business

sustainability.

Empirical research on SMM in Nigeria has largely focused on its role in business growth and profitability, with

limited attention to customer engagement outcomes such as satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy within the South-

East context. Furthermore, while theories such as Relationship Marketing Theory and Customer Engagement

of how these models operate in African SME environments. This knowledge gap raises critical questions about

how SMM strategies—particularly interactive content, influencer partnerships, and responsiveness—can

enhance customer engagement in South-East Nigeria, making it essential to investigate this phenomenon.

This study is guided by the following research questions:

1. How does interactive social media content influence customer satisfaction and loyalty among SMEs in

Based on the research questions and theoretical foundations, the following hypotheses are formulated:

1. Interactive social media content has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty

among SMEs in South-East Nigeria.

2. Influencer partnerships and digital community-building positively influence customer trust and

engagement in South-East Nigeria.

3. Responsiveness to customer complaints on social media positively and significantly affects repeat

patronage and customer advocacy in South-East Nigeria.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to the deliberate use of social networking platforms to create,

Content Creation and Interactivity – Engaging posts such as images, videos, live streams, polls, and user-

generated content stimulate dialogue and increase customer involvement (Ashley & Tuten, 2015). Interactivity

ensures that customers do not remain passive consumers but become active participants in shaping brand

meaning.

Influencer Partnerships – Collaborating with individuals who possess credibility, large followership, and

influence over consumer behavior has become a dominant strategy (De Veirman, Cauberghe, & Hudders, 2017).

Influencers help businesses bridge the trust gap and reach wider audiences, especially in youth-dominated digital

spaces.

Responsiveness and Customer Care – SMM allows firms to respond to customer inquiries, resolve complaints,

and provide personalized assistance in real time. Responsiveness builds trust and reinforces long-term

relationships, aligning with the principles of Relationship Marketing Theory (Trainor, Andzulis, Rapp, &

Agnihotri, 2014).

Personalization increases relevance and enhances customer experiences, which is critical for driving engagement

customer engagement outcomes in developing contexts.

The relationship between Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Customer Engagement (CE) has attracted

significant scholarly and managerial attention in recent years. Social media platforms provide firms with unique

opportunities to create interactive spaces where customers not only consume information but also co-create value

with brands. Unlike traditional marketing channels that often focus on one-way communication, SMM fosters

two-way and many-to-many interactions that are central to customer engagement outcomes (Brodie et al., 2011;

Felix, Rauschnabel, & Hinsch, 2017).

Interactive content is one of the strongest drivers of engagement. Posts that stimulate dialogue, such as polls,

quizzes, contests, live chats, and videos, encourage customers to actively participate in brand conversations

satisfaction, and commitment (Trainor, Andzulis, Rapp, & Agnihotri, 2014). This responsiveness is consistent

with the principles of Relationship Marketing Theory (Morgan & Hunt, 1994), which emphasizes trust and

South-East increasingly use social media for visibility, they often underexploit its relational and community-

building potential, leading to weak customer loyalty and advocacy.

responsiveness enhances behavioral loyalty and advocacy. When integrated, SMM becomes not just a marketing

tool but a strategic mechanism for sustaining competitive advantage through engaged customers who exhibit

satisfaction, trust, loyalty, and advocacy (Hollebeek, Srivastava, & Chen, 2019).

the active, multidimensional ways in which customers interact with businesses beyond simple transactions. It

attention, absorption, and thought a customer devotes to brand-related activities, such as actively following

passion, and emotional connection that customers develop toward a brand, which influences their trust and

attachment (Hollebeek et al., 2014). Behavioral engagement manifests in observable actions such as repeat

patronage, word-of-mouth advocacy, content sharing, participation in online discussions, and contributions to

brand communities (van Doorn et al., 2010). These dimensions reinforce one another, making CE a holistic

construct that drives long-term relational outcomes.

online interactions into lasting customer relationships. Together, these theories offer a robust foundation for

understanding how businesses in South-East Nigeria can strategically employ social media marketing to cultivate

customer engagement.

participate in brand-related activities, thereby deepening engagement (Kapoor et al., 2021; Hollebeek et al.,

interactive campaigns on Instagram and Facebook often witness higher customer participation and positive

Influencer Marketing and Emotional Attachment

The growing popularity of influencer marketing further illustrates the link between SMM and CE. Influencers

with their followers (Casaló et al., 2018). Collaborations with influencers can strengthen emotional engagement

by making brands more appealing and trustworthy, particularly in contexts where traditional advertising is met

as a relational tool that drives customer-centric value creation, sustaining both firms and customer relationships

in highly competitive markets.

Instagram, Twitter (X), and WhatsApp. SMEs were selected because they are vital to economic growth and

increasingly use social media to enhance customer engagement.

This chapter presents the results of the data collected from respondents on the influence of Social Media

Marketing (SMM) on Customer Engagement (CE) in selected SMEs across South-East Nigeria. The analysis is

guided by the research objectives, questions, and hypotheses formulated in Chapter One. Data are presented

using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, and inferential analyses such as correlation and regression/structural

equation modeling (SEM).

A total of 400 questionnaires were administered proportionally across the five states of South-East Nigeria, based

on the sampling frame. Out of these, 372 questionnaires were correctly completed and returned, representing a

Interpretation: The response rate across all states exceeded 90%, indicating high participant willingness to

engage with the study and ensuring that the sample is representative of the population.

Table 4.3: Reliability Statistics (Illustrative)

Interpretation: All constructs exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.70 (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994),

confirming strong internal consistency and reliability of the scales used.