Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Social Media Marketing has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with business growth of youth entrepreneurs. This growing interest reflects the recognition that social media marketing does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Kano State.

Kano State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While social media marketing is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business growth of youth entrepreneurs within Kano State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to social media marketing are helping or hindering business growth of youth entrepreneurs — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Social Media Marketing on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Kano State.
2. To assess the extent to which social media marketing influences business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with social media marketing in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing social media marketing in order to improve business growth of youth entrepreneurs.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of social media marketing on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Kano State?
2. To what extent does social media marketing influence business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with social media marketing in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize social media marketing in order to improve business growth of youth entrepreneurs?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around business growth of youth entrepreneurs. For managers and practitioners within Kano State, the study provides practical insight into how social media marketing can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on entrepreneurship by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Social Media Marketing and its relationship with business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the context of Kano State. It reflects a MSc-level scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.