Social Media Marketing Strategies Used by Small Retail Businesses

Research Method and Design
The three prominent methods of research are qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-
methods (Yin, 2018). Researchers used the research design and method to combine 
various components of research into a feasible plan for exploring questions and forming 
conclusions about a particular study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016). Understanding the 
different research methods brings awareness of the proper techniques to collect and 
analyze data and allowed the researcher to choose the best approach (Bryman & Bell, 
2015). Gelling and Engward (2015) and Yazan (2015) agreed that researchers must 
choose the most appropriate research method and design to answer the central research 
question and accomplish the study goal. The chosen research method and design can 
help guide the researcher to determine the most effective way to answer the research 
question and achieve the goals of the study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016). I conducted a 

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qualitative multiple case study to explore the SMM strategies that small business retailers 
use to engage customers.
Research Method 
Quantitative research aims to answer the 
if 
of a phenomenon, whereas qualitative 
research aims to explore a phenomenon through an activity (Marshall & Rossman, 2016).
Bryman (2015) stated that researchers used the quantitative method to determine the 
measurement, generalization, replication, and causality of the data. The mixed-methods 
approach is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, which can be a way to 
maximize and take advantage of the benefits both methods offer (Bryman, 2015; Morse 
& Cheek, 2014). The goal for qualitative researchers was to understand how participants 
view processes, practices, and phenomena in the contexts of their lives and social 
environments (Koch, Niesz, & McCarthy, 2014). Researchers used the qualitative 
method to discover a phenomenon by conducting interviews, analyzing the data, ensuring 
the quality of the analysis, and synthesizing the literature (Holt & Goulding, 2014). The 
qualitative research method was the best choice for my study because the goal was to 
learn the experiences of small business retailers who successfully used SMM strategies to 
engage customers and remained in business during the first five years. Marshall and 
Rossman (2016) affirmed that qualitative research involved collecting data by observing 
behaviors, exploring documents, and interviewing participants to record their perceptions.
Quantitative research uses measurements and generalizations (Bryman, 2015). Mixed 
method research weakened the influences the qualitative and quantitative methods have 
individually and required a multifaceted approach to research (Hesse-Biber, 2015).

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Neither the quantitative nor the mixed-methods approach was suitable for my study 
because exploring the subject of SMM strategies was too broad and was not applicable to 
all small businesses.