Paper Details

Name: Ashish Jaswal, Vaishali Rajendra Patil & Harshali Bhalerao
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-13, Issue-1 (January-June)
Page Number: 296-308
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20412251

ABSTRACT
The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed marketing practices, particularly for small businesses operating in highly competitive environments. Despite the growing importance of digital marketing, many small enterprises face challenges related to limited resources, technical expertise, and market visibility. The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in enhancing business performance and customer engagement among small businesses. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data collected from a sample of 150 small business owners through structured online questionnaires with limited qualitative insights. The findings reveal that digital marketing significantly influences business outcomes, with strong positive correlations observed between digital marketing and sales growth (r = 0.68) and customer engagement (r = 0.72). Regression analysis further indicates a substantial impact (β = 0.65, p < 0.001), while social media marketing emerges as the most widely adopted strategy, with 46.7% of respondents reporting high usage. The study highlights that although digital adoption is increasing, gaps remain in advanced tools such as SEO/SEM. Theoretically, the study supports frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model and Resource-Based View, while practically, it provides actionable insights for small businesses to optimize digital strategies and for policymakers to design targeted support programs.

Keywords: Digital Marketing, Small Businesses, Social Media Marketing, Business Performance, Customer Engagement, SEO/SEM, Competitive Markets