社群媒體在社會中的存在與日俱增，許多中小企業希望將其用作具有成本效益的行銷工具。此研究報告的目的是確認哪種社群媒體平台在中小企業中最受歡迎，以及出於什麼原因。此外，還研究了在新冠疫情大流行期間中小企業所採取的社群媒體策略及其如何受到的影響。為了回答所提出的研究問題，已經採訪了10家中小型企業，其中五家來自波蘭，五家來自英國。而其中被選中的五家中小型企業是在新冠疫情大流行期間所成立的，而其餘五家則是在疫情爆發前成立的。這些中小企業都是使用社群媒體作為主要行銷工具並在一個或多個社群媒體平台上擁有公司簡介。

調查結果表明，Instagram是受訪中小企業中最受歡迎的平台。由於其易於使用，內容的分佈有效和易於客製化的美學，因此最受到喜歡。僅次於Instagram，Facebook也是用於行銷方面上流行的社群媒體平台，尤其是在中小型企業針對較老的顧客群時。在新冠疫情大流行期間，所有十家中小企業都將重點放在社群媒體行銷上。中小企業產生線上銷售最受歡迎的社群媒體策略是發放贈品已被證實。這種方法有效地吸引了潛在的新消費者，因為這些內容在消費者之間分享並且迅速擴散。在新冠疫情大流行期間，中小型企業透過每天在社群媒體上發布貼文來增加其線上存在感，讓現在的客戶持續感興趣並與之保持聯絡。

這項研究的結果可以幫助中小型企業了解採取社群媒體行銷策略的重要性，並為中小型企業建議一些方法去建立用於行銷目的的社群媒體。

Social media is an ever-growing presence in society and many SMEs look to utilise it as a cost-effective marketing tool. The purpose of this research paper is to identify what social media platform proves most popular amongst SMEs and for what reasons. Additionally, the social media strategy adopted by SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it was affected is investigated. To answer the proposed research questions, 10 SMEs have been interviewed, five from Poland and five from the UK. Five of the SMEs selected were founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the other five were founded before it began. The SMEs are all small businesses that use social media as its primary marketing tool and possess a company profile on one or more social media platforms.

The findings show that Instagram is the most popular platform amongst the SMEs interviewed. It is preferred for its ease of use, effective content distribution and its readily customisable aesthetics. Second to Instagram, Facebook was also a popular social media platform for marketing purposes, particularly when the SME is targeting an older demographic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all ten SMEs have put a focus on social media marketing efforts. It has been identified that the most popular social media strategy for generating online sales by the SMEs is organising a giveaway. This method is effective at attracting potential new consumers, as the content is shared amongst consumers and often spreads rapidly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SMEs have increased its online presence by posting on social media daily to keep in touch with current customers and maintain interest.

The results of this research can help SMEs understand the importance of adapting its social media marketing strategy and suggests measures for SMEs looking to establish a social media presence for marketing purposes.

Table of Contents
1. Thesis Validation Letter ii
2. Dissertation Authorisation Letter iii
3. Abstract (Chinese) iv
4. Abstract (English) v
5. Acknowledgments vii
Table of Contents viii
6. Introduction 1
6.1 Background 1
6.2 Research Questions 2
6.3 Purpose 3
6.4 Structure 3
7. Literature Review 4
7.1 Social Media Marketing 4
7.2 SMEs 8
7.3 SMEs during the COVID-19 Pandemic 11
7.4 SMEs Marketing Strategy 12
7.5 SMEs and its Usage of Social Media Marketing 14
8. Methodology 18
8.1 Qualitative Research Strategy 18
8.2 Data Sources 19
8.3 Data Collection Method – Interview 20
8.4 Data Analysis Method 21
8.5 Sample Selection and Sample Size 21
8.6 Ethical Considerations 25
9 Findings 27
9.1 Social Media Platforms Most Popular Amongst SMEs 27
9.2 Changes in SMM Implemented by SMEs During COVID-19 32
9.3 SMM Strategies Implemented by SMEs Founded During COVID-19 36
10. Conclusion 40
10.1 Concluding Research Questions 40
10.2 Research Reflections 42
10.3 Research Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research 43
11. References 45
12. Appendices 59
Appendix 1: Interview Questions 59
Appendix 2: Participant Information Sheet 60
Appendix 3: Ethics Declaration 63

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