Theoretical aspects of social media and rural business

Abstract

The paper seeks to discuss theoretical aspects of social media and rural business. Thus, this theoretical discussion explores the theoretical insights on: the meaning of rural, the meaning of business, the meaning of rural business, the meaning of social media, social media marketing as the tool for promotion. The analysis of social media as the tool to promote rural business raised the following questions: do rural businesses require social media to promote their businesses? Do rural business owners have the knowledge know-how to utilize social media as a marketing tool to an optimal result achievement for their business? Are social media platform i.e. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat fit-to use for rural inhabitants based on information technology (IT) as a result of the high level of illiteracy? Are rural inhabitants ready to follow the modern-day era trend of using social media as a form of advertisement for their rural business? (Behavioral vs Psychological factors)? Can rural business owner bear the cost of running a social media ad or challenge their rival in urban areas that has huge financial resources to sponsor their business page clicks and profile visit via social advertisement daily? Is it cost-effective in the long run? All mentioned questions above are the main objectives that arose when considering how effective social media advertisement are for the promotion and awareness of rural business. Another argument arises again, is it sustainable? Since sustainability talks about not only now but past and future, which brings the concern about the rural business owner not finding social media advertisement efficient from an expenditure point of view for small scale rural business owners.