Assessing the Impact of Social Media Content on Sales Volume in Zimbabwe Automobile Battery Industry: Strategies for Effective Content De

Abstract

The study assesses the impact of social media content strategies on sales volume in the Zimbabwe automobile battery industry. The study objectives were to examine the effect of social media engagement on sales volume; assess the influence of promotional offers on social media on sales volume; evaluate the impact of influencer endorsements on social media on sales volume and to determine the effect of posting frequency on social media on sales volume of automobile batteries in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted in Harare and four (4) major players in the sector were chosen, namely, Exide, Battery Warehouse, Raylite and Ducelier. The study was underpinned by the Uses and Gratification Theory and AIDA model. The study adopted a quantitative approach, explanatory and descriptive research designs, stratified and systematic random sampling techniques and survey questionnaires to gather data from 196 customers. Data was analysed quantitatively using SPSS software to produce descriptive statistics in the form of tables and graphs. Correlation and regression analysed was also performed to ascertain the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The study results showed that the independent variables (ENG, PO, EI and PF) have statistically significant but weak positive association with sales volume in the Zimbabwe automobile battery industry at least for now. It was thus concluded that though the social media content strategies and sales volume are statistically significant, their effect is relatively weak to contribute to the model, particularly IE and PF which were excluded in the regression analysis for their insignificant effect on sales volume. Nevertheless, all the alternative hypotheses were not rejected. It was thus recommended that the management of automobile battery firms should invest more in social media content strategies that encourage two-way communication and provide direct value to customers; should partner with industry-relevant and technical stakeholders, such as, , battery specialists and auto-reviewers to promote influencer endorsements and subsequently boost sales volume; engage experienced experts for developing quality content that is more targeted and able to track actual sales from social media campaigns; build capacity in social media content strategy, customer engagement as well as analytics for better execution of campaigns and should integrate social media campaigns with offline channels, such as, trade shows, workshops as well as partnerships with auto-service providers to enhance effectiveness. Future studies should therefore attempt to explore other variables, such as, product quality, brand loyalty, pricing and after-sales service to understand their effect on sales volume. Further, qualitative or mixed methods should be used to use different research instruments to gather data from different participants. In addition, similar studies should expand to other sectors and regions.