The Effects of Social Media on the Success of Small Businesses in the Wedding Industry

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2021

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The purpose of this study is to explore the role social media has on the success of small businesses in the wedding industry, specifically in Hawai'i. This study aims to investigate both the benefits and challenges small businesses face in the wedding industry using social media as their primary source of marketing to grow their businesses. This research utilizes semi-structured interviews including 13 small business owners involved in the Hawai'i wedding industry, examining how they use social media to promote their business, what challenges they face, as well as what successes they have had using online platforms to promote their business to potential wedding clientele. The research aims to examine what impact social media platforms, like Instagram, have had on the success of small business owners success on a local, national, and global scale. The results of this study offer a glimpse into the positive impact Instagram has had on the ability of small business owners to flourish in a competitive industry. Among the responses, the biggest conversation revolved around what features and affordances of social media platforms allowed them to be successful in the wedding industry; Instagram being the top choice for these wedding vendors. Understanding how to proficiently navigate through social media with knowledge of the platforms is integral for success when running a small business in the wedding industry.

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Communication, Small business, Social media, Wedding industry

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77 pages

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