Social Media Marketing Strategies Used by Small Retail Businesses

Data Collection Technique 
The contributing factors to small business failure warranted further exploration.
Interviews were a common data collection method in qualitative research and allowed 
participants to give information beyond the interview questions (Doody & Noonan, 
2013). DeMassis and Kotlar (2014) posited that interviews were the best tool to gather 
information about a phenomenon from the participant’s perspective. Each interview 
followed the same construct; semistructured, face-to-face interviews that consisted of 
predetermined questions (Appendix A) to gain an understanding of the participants’ 
SMM strategies. I contacted the San Antonio SBDC to obtain contact information for 
potential participants and then contacted each participant via email to introduce myself, 
build rapport, and to state the reason for my study. When choosing an interview location, 
Scheibe, Reichelt, Bellmann, and Kirch (2015) stated that researchers should conduct 
interviews at locations comfortable for the participants. Some researchers conduct pilot 
studies, which can validate the study design; however, pilot studies could also 
compromise internal validity if study logistics are deemed insufficient (Kistin & 
Silverstein, 2015). I did not conduct a pilot study because I used a semistructured 
interview technique. 
To improve the rigor of my research, I followed the same interview protocol (see 
Appendix B) for all the interviews with the participants. Following a set construct for 
interviews increased reliability and validity (Marshall & Rossman, 2016). Notes taken 

---

46 
throughout the interview and using an audio recording device ensured I have accurate 
information to record my findings (Griffith, 2014). Transcription of the interviews using 
NVivo, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, helped to identify themes 
and discover patterns in the data. Each participant participated in member checking to 
ensure the accuracy of my interpretations of their responses to the interview questions.
Participants had the opportunity to confirm my interpretation of the interview through 
member checking. All notes and any audio recordings will remain locked in a fireproof 
safe for five years and then destroyed.