Anguyo Amos  & Prof. Maxwell Adea

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of online marketing strategies and the challenges affecting their adoption on the financial performance of small-scale enterprises (SSEs) in Juba City, South Sudan. As digital platforms increasingly shape business promotion, SSEs face both opportunities and constraints in leveraging online marketing to enhance competitiveness, customer reach, and profitability. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires and focus group discussions to examine the extent of online marketing adoption, the barriers encountered, and the relationship between digital marketing practices and financial outcomes. The findings reveal that while many SSEs have begun using social media, mobile advertising, and e-commerce tools, adoption remains constrained by infrastructural limitations, low digital literacy, high internet costs, and inconsistent government policies. Nevertheless, enterprises that systematically integrate online marketing strategies achieve higher sales, broader customer engagement, and improved financial performance compared to those relying solely on traditional marketing. The study concludes that online marketing holds substantial potential for driving SSE growth in Juba City, contingent on strengthened policy support, capacity-building initiatives, and improved digital infrastructure. These findings contribute to the literature on digital entrepreneurship in developing economies and provide actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs aiming to foster sustainable small-scale business growth.

Keywords: Online marketing, small-scale business enterprises (SSBEs), digital marketing strategies, Juba City, South Sudan, mixed-methods research.

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