Excellent Customer Experience in the Tertiary Higher Education Sector in Botswana as a Competitive Advantage

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This study was aimed at developing a framework for the adoption of social media marketing by Small and Medium Enterprises in the manufacturing sector to improve their sales performance. This study was guided by objectives such as to ascertain how WhatsApp can improve the sales performance of SMEs in Botswana, to assess how Facebook can be used as a tool for increasing SME sales performance, to evaluate how effective LinkedIn is in improving SME sales performance, to determine strategies to implement social media marketing framework for SMEs and to develop a framework for the adoption of social media marketing by small and medium enterprise to improve sales performance. This study adopted pragmatism research philosophy which assisted the researcher in making decisions in regard to what worked best in finding answers for the research objectives mentioned. A sample size of 218 was determined using Taro Yamane sample size determination method. In this study it was established that SMEs have a Facebook page which they use to market its products and communicate with its customers. More so it was established that the majority of SMEs had a limited comprehension of the notion of social media marketing. The notions can be understood in a variety of ways by some. The term social media marketing is frequently used to refer to web-based platforms for engagement that, in addition to facilitating communication, enable users to share content such as photographs, videos, and links to other sites. The study established that WhatsApp has the potential to positively influence consumer purchasing decisions, thereby contributing to the growth of sales for local culinary items. It is important to comprehend the ramifications of Facebook strategies from the customer standpoint, as well as the determinants that contribute to the triumph of brands in the social media realm. It was observed that LinkedIn can assist SMEs to connect with potential customers, enhance brand visibility, and drive sales. The research suggests that policymakers should establish an index on social media marketing to serve as a reference for all small and medium businesses as a way of improving implementation of social media marketing. This research contributes to the academia and industry by identifying some research gaps and providing directions for future researches.