Social Media Marketing and Sales Performance of Fashion SMEs in Anambra State, Nigeria

The rapid growth of social media platforms has transformed marketing strategies, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria’s vibrant fashion and clothing sector. Despite this, there is limited empirical evidence on how social media marketing influences the sales performance of SMEs in Anambra State. This study seeks to examine the effect of social media marketing activities specifically, frequency of social media posts, types of platforms used, engagement activities, content quality, and advertising expenditure on the sales volume of fashion and clothing SMEs in Anambra State, Nigeria. The problem stems from the inconsistent adoption and uncertain impact of social media marketing on sales outcomes among SMEs in the region, which may hinder their growth and competitiveness. The study employed a descriptive survey design, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 227 respondents drawn from fashion and clothing SMEs in Anambra State. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics such as simple percentages, means, and standard deviations to describe the respondents’ social media marketing practices. Inferential analysis was conducted using the econometric Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression technique to determine the relationship between the independent variables and sales volume. The findings reveal that all independent variables significantly influence sales volume. Specifically, the frequency of social media posts (β = 0.184, p < 0.05), types of platforms used (β = 0.271, p < 0.01), engagement activities (β = 0.223, p < 0.01), content quality (β = 0.198, p < 0.05), and advertising expenditure (β = 0.312, p < 0.01) positively impact sales volume. The model explains approximately 68% of the variation in sales volume (R² = 0.68), indicating a strong relationship between social media marketing activities and sales performance. Based on these findings, it is recommended that SMEs in the fashion and clothing sector in Anambra State intensify their social media marketing efforts by increasing post frequency, investing in diverse platforms, enhancing content quality, and allocating adequate budgets for advertising. Policymakers and stakeholders should also support SMEs with training on effective social media strategies to foster sustainable business growth.