Social Media Platforms Usage for Entrepreneurship Sustainability: A Study of Selected Rural Women Entrepreneurs of Small Businesses

Social media platforms are sustaining technologies that are currently altering the economic and social landscapes by changing the way people live, do business and work. Social media platforms if used properly can provide effective tools to support sustainable entrepreneurial activities with the potential of empowering women entrepreneurs economically, socially as well as enabling them to contribute positively to environmental conservation and protection. This research study sought to evaluate social media platforms usage by women entrepreneurs of small businesses in rural areas for entrepreneurship sustainability. This was achieved by evaluating the usage of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn by women entrepreneurs in selected rural market centres of Siaya County in Kenya. The study was premised on the fact that maximum utilization of the social media platforms by women entrepreneurs of small businesses in rural areas would provide opportunities to accelerate the country’s social, economic and environment well-being. The study initially sought to predict the relationships between usage of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and entrepreneurship sustainability of women entrepreneurs of small businesses in rural areas, then explored the detailed views of these women concerning the use of these social media platforms and finally compared the relationship between their usage and entrepreneurship sustainability. The target population was women entrepreneurs of small businesses in Siaya County. A sample size of 272 was used and a response rate of 91.91% was achieved. Purposive, simple random and snowball sampling techniques were used to aid in data collection. Survey research design was used and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data analysis was done using PLS-SEM statistical model and descriptive, inferential and predictive statistics that encompassed regression and correlation were used to analyse the data. Ethical issues arising from the research such as informed voluntary consent, no harm to participants, confidentiality of information and data integrity were accounted for. The reliability of the research tool was arrived at using composite reliability test and Cronbach’s Alpha test. Validity of the research instrument was assessed using factor analysis. The significance of the study lied in its ability to provide valuable insights into the aspects of social media platforms usage in business and entrepreneurship sustainability.