HomeInternational Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Researchvol. 4 no. 8 (2023)

Unlocking Growth Opportunities for Philippine Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Facebook Advertising and Growth Hacking Strategies in the Post-Pandemic Era

Nelson B. Guillen Jr. | Cristina Teresa Lim

 

Abstract:

The rapid digitalization brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the business landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines. This study investigates the potential of Facebook advertising and growth hacking strategies as practical tools to unlock growth for MSMEs in this evolving context. A survey of 100 MSME owners/managers in Metro Manila examined the current usage, perceptions, and effectiveness of these digital marketing tactics. The results reveal that both Facebook advertising and growth hacking can significantly impact key metrics like revenue, profitability, customer acquisition, and retention if executed effectively. However, challenges like limited resources and digital skills constrain adoption for many MSMEs. The study's conceptual framework, grounded in the HP Growth Engine model, establishes linkages between Facebook advertising, growth hacking, and MSME growth. Statistical analysis confirms significant positive relationships, supporting the strategic integration of these approaches. Practical implications highlight the need for MSMEs to embrace Facebook advertising, implement growth hacking techniques, enhance digital literacy, and foster stakeholder collaborations. By leveraging Facebook advertising and growth hacking, Philippine MSMEs can seize growth opportunities in the post-pandemic landscape. This study provides empirical insights to guide MSMEs, marketers and policymakers in harnessing these strategies for sustainable growth.



References:

  1. Aria, E., Tanyag, M. M., & Delos Santos, R. J. (2021). The impact of Facebook advertis-ing on small and medium enterprises in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pan-demic. Journal of International Studies, 14(1), 107-119. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-8330.2021/14-1/8
  2. Bronson, J. (2017). Growth hacking your small business: Tips and tools for en-trepreneurs. Business Horizons, 60(6), 877-885.
  3. Cauilan, R. A., Fajardo, C. A., & Jumaquio, A. J. (2021). Exploring the effectiveness of growth hacking for small and medi-um enterprises in the Philippines dur-ing the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Research in Marketing, 1(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/jormk1010001
  4. Check, J., & Schutt, R. K. (2012). Social re-search methods: Qualitative and quan-titative approaches (9th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
  5. Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psy-chometrika, 16, 297-334.
  6. Cruz, D. A., Dela Rosa, J. A. D., & Ascano, A. D. (2020). Growth hacking, business model, and firm performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 23(3), 1-15.
  7. Dizon, E. C., & Palattao, M. A. (2019). Digital marketing and SME growth in the Phil-ippines. Journal of Asian Finance, Eco-nomics and Business, 6(2), 111-119.
  8. DTI. (2021). MSMEs During COVID-19 Crisis.
  9. Facebook. (2019). The future of business in ASEAN: New digital survey reveals how small businesses are adapting to digital technologies. Retrieved from www.facebook.com
  10. Guillen Jr., N. B. (2022). Continuance Inten-tion of Massive Open Online Course Learners in Higher Education: A Sus-tainable Development Initiative. SEISENSE Business Review, 2(1), 67–79. https://doi.org/10.33215/sbr.v2i1.810
  11. Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: An alternative to structural equation modeling. Journal of Business Research, 64(2), 207-214.
  12. Hair, J. F., Wolfinbarger, M., Celsi, M., Mon-ey, A. H., Samouel, P., & Page, S. (2011). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publi-cations.
  13. Hewlett Packard, (2023). HP Growth engine course. HP. Palo Alto, CA.
  14. HubSpot, & Talkwalker. (2021). Social Me-dia Trends. Association for Computing Machinery.
  15. Kahn, B. E. (2021). Retail Marketing Strate-gy: How to Win Customers in an Era of Disruption. Wharton Press.
  16. Kannan, P. K., & Li, H. “Alice.” (2017). Digital marketing: A framework, review and research agenda. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 34(1), 22-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.11.006
  17. Ketchen, D. J., Jr. (2013). The evolving role of strategy research in the field of management. Journal of Management, 39(6), 1785-1806.
  18. Lobschat, L., Mueller, B., Eggers, F., Brandimarte, L., Diefenbach, S., Kroschke, M., & Wirtz, J. (2021). Cor-porate digital responsibility. Journal of Business Research, 122, 875-888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.006
  19. Meta. (2021). All About Facebook Market-ing.
  20. Mora, V. S., Vasquez, A. L., & Bonilla, S. H. (2019). Social media marketing and its impact on small and medium-sized en-terprises: A systematic literature re-view.
  21. Peterson, R. (1994). A Meta-Analysis of Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha. Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 381-391.
  22. Sabado, L. A., & Encinas, J. B. (2021). Social media marketing and small and medi-um enterprises performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philip-pines. Journal of Business and Man-agement, 10(1), 48-58. https://doi.org/10.21275/jbm.2021.10.1.06
  23. Singleton, R. A., & Straits, B. C. (2009). Ap-proaches to social research (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
  24. Sison, J. R., Arida, S. S., & Alzona, P. (2021). Leveraging digital marketing for the performance of small and medium
  25. enterprises in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of In-novation and Entrepreneurship, 10(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.
  26. Smith, H. J. (2018). Social media in market-ing: Exploring the ethical dilemma of digital marketing. Journal of Business Ethics, 152(3), 743-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3401-y.
  27. Statista. (2021). The most popular social media platforms in 2021. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/