Social Media Entrepreneurship: Youth Participation, Evolving Business Norms, and Communication Strategies

Abstract

This research delves into the dynamic transformation ignited by social media within Ghana’s business landscape of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the COM-B theory of behaviour change, the research examines how capability, motivation, and opportunity influence business shifts from conventional to online platforms and identifies effective communication strategies for online business growth. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from 127 youth-owned online enterprises and qualitative insights from 15 in-depth interviews with purposively selected entrepreneurs. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis via STATA 17, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings from the quantitative analysis revealed that financial limitations, difficulty accessing credit, and regulatory restrictions significantly influence youth participation in social media businesses. While the qualitative analyses also evident that content marketing and audience engagement were the most utilized communication strategies. This study advocates for a comprehensive re-evaluation of business regulations that seamlessly accommodates both online and hybrid social media models. Furthermore, there is the need for social media entrepreneurs to also extend their communication strategies to embrace those of analytical and evaluation strategies which are equally important for business success and their continued employability.