Social Media Platform Utilization and Perceived Business Growth Among Food Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
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Mark Anthony N. Polinar*
Norma P. Cereno
Food Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Cebu City, Philippines, face increasing pressure to adopt digital platforms, yet evidence on how such utilization relates to perceived growth remains limited. This study examined associations between social media platform utilization and perceived business growth among food MSMEs, focusing on four dimensions: social media marketing, online selling, online payment systems, and customer communication. The study used a descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design and included 100 registered food MSME owners selected through simple random sampling. The researchers collected data using an adapted questionnaire validated by experts and pilot-tested for reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.93). Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank-order correlation were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that respondents reported high levels of utilization across all four dimensions (social media marketing (M = 4.98, SD = 0.921), online selling (M = 4.75, SD = 0.976), online payment systems (M = 5.10, SD = 0.982), and customer communication (M = 4.86, SD = 0.897)) as well as high perceived business growth (M = 4.97, SD = 0.798). Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant positive associations between each dimension and perceived business growth, with customer communication showing the strongest relationship (ρ = .729, p < .001). While these findings highlight important linkages between digital engagement and MSME owners’ perceptions of growth, the study’s cross-sectional, observational design precludes causal inference. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and control for potential confounding variables such as firm size, age, and resources to clarify the direction and mechanisms of these relationships.
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