EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATION ON PERFORMANCE OF SMES AMONG STUDENTS OF JOSEPH AYO BABALOLA UNIVERSITY

This study examines the effect of social media applications on the performance of youth-owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) among students of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU). With the growing reliance on digital tools for entrepreneurship, especially among young individuals in academic settings, this research explores how platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok influence business operations, customer engagement, marketing strategies, and overall business performance. A mixed-method approach was adopted, utilizing both structured questionnaires and interviews to gather qualitative and quantitative data from student entrepreneurs. The sample was selected using stratified random sampling to ensure representation across different types of businesses. Statistical tools including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between social media usage and SME performance, particularly in areas of brand visibility, customer reach, and sales growth. However, the study also highlights challenges such as content creation pressure, time management, and digital marketing knowledge gaps. The research concludes that social media is a valuable asset for youth entrepreneurs, and recommends enhanced digital training, university-led entrepreneurship programs and improved access to digital marketing resources. This study contributes to the growing literature on digital entrepreneurship and provides practical insights for students, educators, and policymakers aiming to hardness social media for SME development.