The Role of Social Media Marketing in Enhancing Brand Awareness for Turkish SMEs: A Case Study of SMEs in OSTIM Industrial Zone, Ankara, Turkey

Çakırca, Suay (2025) The Role of Social Media Marketing in Enhancing Brand Awareness for Turkish SMEs: A Case Study of SMEs in OSTIM Industrial Zone, Ankara, Turkey. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This study explores the impact of social media marketing on brand awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the OSTİM Industrial Zone, Ankara, Turkey. With the increasing importance of digital marketing strategies, this research investigates how SMEs engage with social media platforms, the frequency of their activities, the effectiveness of paid advertising campaigns, and the role of social media budgets in enhancing brand awareness. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and independent-samples t-tests to assess the relationships between social media engagement, content creation, ad reach, and perceived brand awareness.

The findings reveal a strong positive correlation between social media content engagement and brand awareness, with higher levels of engagement significantly contributing to improved brand visibility. However, while a dedicated social media marketing budget was associated with higher brand awareness, the statistical tests did not show a significant difference between SMEs with and without a budget. Additionally, the study found that ad campaign reach was positively linked to the perceived effectiveness of social media marketing efforts, indicating that broader reach contributes to higher perceptions of campaign success. Despite these findings, SME managers' perceptions of social media marketing's effectiveness were not always aligned with measurable outcomes.

This research contributes to the understanding of social media marketing practices within SMEs, particularly in industrial zones, and offers practical recommendations for optimizing social media strategies. The study also highlights the need for further research, particularly longitudinal studies and broader geographical and industry-specific samples, to deepen the understanding of social media’s role in SME marketing. The results emphasize the importance of strategic content engagement, targeted advertising, and efficient resource allocation for SMEs seeking to enhance their brand awareness through social media.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Barone, Gaia UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Branding H Social Sciences > Economics > Business Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > ZA Information resources > ZA4150 Computer Network Resources > The Internet > World Wide Web > Websites > Online social networks T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering > Telecommunications > The Internet > World Wide Web > Websites > Online social networks H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Small Business Sector
Divisions:	School of Business (- 2025) > Master of Science in International Business
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	13 Dec 2025 15:00
Last Modified:	13 Dec 2025 15:00
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9031

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