Digital disruption in the marketing landscape of small businesses: A strategic pathway to success

Big businesses have over the years exploited digital marketing to expand their reach and sustain their performance, however, the extent to which SMEs in Nigeria have utilized DM tools and techniques in improving their performance is still relatively understudied, hence, necessitating this study to examine how DM has cause disruption in the marketing landscape of small businesses in Nigerian. The study employed a survey research design. The population of the study comprised 12,301 SMEs from the five South-Eastern states of Nigeria and the sample size was 372 using Krejcie and Morgan formula. A self-structured questionnaire was employed for data collection, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed a generally low level of digital marketing tool usage among the sampled SMEs and that there is limited adoption of digital marketing practices among SMEs in the area. It was concluded that numerous SMEs have not completely capitalized on the potential presented by digital disruption in the marketing arena. Sequel to this, among others, it was recommended that government agencies, businesses and support organizations ought to conduct regular training on digital literacy and marketing for SME proprietors. It was also recommended that relevant stakeholders need to enhance access to cheap internet services, digital infrastructure, and smart devices, particularly in underdeveloped regions, to promote digital inclusion.