EVALUATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS ON SMEs SPONSORED ADVERTISEMENT AMONGST UMUAHIA RESIDENTS

Social media sponsored advertisement and online marketing are wonderful opportunities in the contemporary business world made possible through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). However, because of these concepts are still novel and involve a lot of process before a transaction is completed and with the traditional means of advertising and marketing well mastered by folks from this part of the globe, it has to ascertain if Umuahia residents are tapping in social media awareness on SMEs sponsored advertisement opportunities and online marketing. The study was anchored on the theoretical framework of technological Acceptance model and diffusion of innovating theory. Survey research design was adopted with questionnaire as Instrument for data collection. A sample size of 380 was arrived at using Australian calculator while multi-stage sampling technique was deployed to determine the available respondents that were chosen or selected at different level. The study concluded among other things that the level of awareness of online advertisements among Umuahia Residents is relatively high and as well as the exposure to online advertisements which results to online shopping, the study therefore recommended that Small Medium Enterprises and businesses should be consistent on sponsored advertisements and delivery of products as ordered by the clients.