How businesswomen engage customers on social media?

Purpose – This studyaims to explore howbusinesswomen running microand smallenterprises (MSEs) use social media (SM) to engage customers. The study also investigates how SM (vs traditional media) and customer engagement improve business performance. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitativestudy is based oninterviewswith businesswomen. Findings – Businesswomen use SM actively but not effectively. SM are used primarily for advertising and promotion. External factors, such as family and friends, are more in ﬂ uential in the decision of women to use SM in business. Women mostly use defensive rather than offensive strategies. Effective use of SM in conjunction with conventional marketing tools can improve customer engagement and increase business performance. Practical implications – The research ﬁ ndings are valuable for marketing managers, women entrepreneursandmicroandsmallbusinessesinmakingdecisions to effectivelyuseSM. Originality/value – This study investigates customer engagement from the owner/manager ’ s perspective in contrast to the general customer-centric approach. The study contributes analysing an important and scarcely explored area, which is the use of SM by women-run MSEs in less developed countries to engage consumers.

Metodología -Este estudio cualitativo se basa en entrevistas con mujeres empresarias. Conclusiones -Las mujeres empresarias utilizan las redes sociales de forma activa, pero no eficaz. Las redes sociales se utilizan principalmente para la publicidad y la promoci on. Los factores externos, como la familia y los amigos, influyen m as en la decisi on de las mujeres de utilizar las redes sociales en los negocios. Las empresarias utilizan sobre todo estrategias defensivas en lugar de ofensivas. El uso eficaz de las redes sociales junto con las herramientas de marketing convencionales puede mejorar el compromiso de los clientes y aumentar el rendimiento de la empresa.
Implicaciones pr acticas -Los resultados de la investigaci on son valiosos para las directivas de marketing, las mujeres empresarias y las micro y pequeñas empresas a la hora de tomar decisiones y para utilizar eficazmente las redes sociales.
Originalidad -Este estudio investiga el compromiso del cliente desde la perspectiva del propietario/ gerente en contraste con el enfoque general centrado en el cliente. El estudio contribuye a analizar un area importante y escasamente explorada, que es el uso de las redes sociales por parte de las microempresas dirigidas por mujeres en los países menos desarrollados para involucrar a los consumidores.

Introduction
Social media (SM) have become an essential element of our private and social lives (Mack et al., 2017). Such media are used to approach customers and as strategic business tools to enhance customer engagement, business performance and competitiveness (Kumar et al., 2022;Sashi, 2012). The proliferation of digital media and internet sources has become excellent support for many new local and international level micro and small businesses. It is evident from the extant literature that SM are transforming the economies through small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth (Pergelova et al., 2019) and the development of women digital entrepreneurs (Jiménez-Zarco et al., 2021;McAdam et al., 2019).
Most of the studies on SM and customer engagement have been conducted in developed economies, mainly in the context of large organizations (Eze et al., 2021;Ahmad et al., 2018;Parveen et al., 2016). Large organizations and multinationals (as compared to small enterprises) may tend to emphasize more on customer engagement (and therefore on SM) in their marketing strategy to achieve competitive advantage (Genç and Öksüz, 2015). However, SM usage and customer engagement can be equally important for small and even micro-enterprises. The existing literature suggests that small enterprises behave differently than large organizations (Hill, 2001;Gilmore et al., 2001). Developing a good understanding of SM usage for customer engagement by smaller enterprises, particularly in less developed countries, is an important area of research that is largely ignored in the previous literature (Mukolwe and Korir, 2016). Therefore, this study selects the research setting of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) operating in a developing economy.
SM offer vast and equal opportunities for women to work from home with limited resources and time (Patil, 2021;Olsson and Bernhard, 2020). Because of such factors, it is observed that many educated and skilled women are now contributing to the economic wellbeing of their families and nations (Fischer and Reuber, 2011). Still, there are calls for more empirical research regarding digital media, women entrepreneurs and small businesses (Olsson and Bernhard, 2020;McAdam et al., 2019;Mukolwe and Korir, 2016). A deeper and richer understanding of the role and competencies of women entrepreneurs in SM-based businesses is needed. Studying how they use SM to engage customers and leverage the business performance of MSEs would contribute to the literature on women entrepreneurship.
Customer engagement, by definition, refers to "a psychological state that happens by interactive, co-creative customer experiences with a focal agent/object (e.g., a brand) in focal service relationships. . ." (Brodie et al., 2011). It involves both a subject (i.e. customer/buyer) and an object (i.e. brand/seller) (Dessart et al., 2015). Research studies on customer engagement have explored the concept, i.e. customer engagement with different engagement objects such as product or service brands, SM pages or websites, online communities and organizational offerings (Dessart et al., 2015). Although customer engagement refers to a mutual and interactive relationship between two parties (i.e. buyer and seller), most of the studies have examined the customer engagement concept from the customer's point of view. We know relatively less about customer engagement from the seller/manager or the brand's perspective. This study contributes by developing an understanding of what (female) owners/ managers (of MSEs) know and think about customer engagement. Moreover, the customer engagement concept is evolving with the introduction of the latest technology (Hollebeek et al., 2021). The dynamic nature of this concept and lack of uniformity in customer engagement conceptualization (Hollebeek, 2019) generate the need for continuous screening and empirical development of the concept with multiple stakeholders and engagement objects (Hollebeek et al., 2021;Ng et al., 2020;Mitchell and Clark, 2019;Alexander et al., 2018). This study also explores the effective use of SM to enhance customer engagement and business performance. Various studies have mentioned such research gap Syaifullah et al., 2021;Ahmad et al., 2018).
In summary, this study aims to address the following objectives in the context of womenrun MSEs in a developing country: to explore the motives of women owners/managers for using SM in business; to understand the effectiveness of SM as a customer engagement tool; to explore the impact of SM usage and customer engagement on business performance; and to compare the effectiveness of SM with other conventional tools used to enhance customer engagement and business performance.
This study contributes to the existing literature in multiple ways by addressing the objectives mentioned above. First, this study helps understand how businesswomen running MSEs in developing countries use SM to engage customers. Second, this study contributes towards a conceptual understanding of customer engagement from the owner/ manager's point of view. Finally, this study attempts to uncover how SM can effectively enhance customer engagement and business performance.
2. Literature review 2.1 Customer engagementthe concept and outcomes The concept of customer engagement has gained the attention of practitioners and researchers (Rather et al., 2022). Engaging customers can significantly influence customer relationship management and business performance (Bowden, 2009). Brodie et al. (2011, p. 260) defined customer engagement as "a psychological state that occurs by interactive, cocreative customer experiences with a focal agent/object (e.g. a brand)". Extant literature on customer engagement has widely studied the concept in the context of SM (Casal o et al., 2021;Wang and Lee, 2020;Hollebeek et al., 2014). SM provide great opportunities for brands to interact with and engage customers. They may listen to their opinions and perceptions about brands through likes, dislikes, shares and comments on SM pages (Brodie et al., 2013). Therefore, the number of likes and shares can be seen as signs of a customer's future engagement with brands (Wang and Kim, 2017). Customer interaction and active participation on SM networks may largely influence product development and SM marketing decisions of MSEs (Kumar et al., 2022).
Previous studies have shown in their findings that customer engagement results in an improved customer relationship, brand intimacy (Wang and Lee, 2020), satisfaction and loyalty (Vinerean and Opreana, 2021;Brodie et al., 2013), which lead to generating more sales and hence improve business performance (Hollebeek, 2011).
2.2 Social media as a tool for customer engagement SM and customer engagement have become important considerations for marketers to develop any marketing and business strategy (Vinerean and Opreana, 2021;Hollebeek et al., 2014). Similarly, the use of SM as an advertising tool to enhance financial performance in SMEs and developing countries is already reported (Amoah and Jibril, 2021). Businesses interact with customers and remain socially active on different SM channels and networks. In this way, businesses intend to become competitive, and try to engage customers for their long-lasting, co-creative and superlative brand experience (Casal o et al., 2021;Dessart et al., 2015). SM provide customers equal opportunities to make their voices recognized by the brands (Sashi, 2012). Customers may participate in product development, promotion and marketing through conversation on the brand's SM page or within the brand's communities (Kumar et al., 2022;Sashi, 2012).
The social presence theory provides an excellent approach for understanding the SM engagement of customers and brands. This theory explains the degree of salience and visibility of a person in any subsequent interaction and interpersonal relationship through electronic media (Short et al., 1976). This theory also explains that the quality of medium may affect the degree of social presence. Such social presence may determine how individuals interact and how much influence they can create through any electronic or SM (Gunawardena, 1995).
Based on the previous literature, this study suggests the following proposition: P1. SM can effectively enhance customer engagement for women-run MSEs in developing countries.

General motives for social media usage
Owners in small businesses can be solely responsible for all business decisions, including marketing and promotion. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the owner/manager's traits while exploring the motives for SM usage in small business enterprises (Chua et al., 2009). Such personal traits may include age, qualification, entrepreneurial orientation (Fan et al., 2021) and attitude toward the latest technology (Chua et al., 2009). It is observed that enterprises with a high entrepreneurial orientation usually encourage innovation and usage of the latest technology in businesses (Fan et al., 2021;Mack et al., 2017). Minimal expense and expertise required may also be a significant determinant of SM adoption (Abbasi et al., 2022). Some studies reveal that firms' internal and external pressures may play an essential role in decisions to use digital technologies, i.e. SM, in their businesses. Some internal factors include firm size, experience (Dholakia and Kshetri, 2004), ease of use and perceived benefits of technology (Mack et al., 2017). The significant external factors include industry trends, suppliers, customers, competitors, family influence and other macroeconomic trends (Dholakia and Kshetri, 2004).
Some behavioural theories, such as technology acceptance model (TAM), help explain SM usage and adoption behaviour (Al-Emran et al., 2020). TAM's two key components may affect an individual's intention to use any technology: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. These factors describe the core of TAM, which are also known as prior or external factors. Many researchers have extended and strengthened the application of TAM by including some factors other than the core factors. These factors are contextual and consequent factors (i.e. factors related to behavioural intention, usage and attitude) (Al-Qaysi et al., 2020). Similarly, Rauniar et al. (2014) expanded the TAM and stated that usage behaviour might also be influenced by some other factors, including critical mass, perceived playfulness (entertainment) and trustworthiness. Therefore, this model is more relevant to MSEs, where an individual (owner or manager) may be exclusively responsible for all the decisions in bringing new technology into the firm's operations (Davis, 1985;Davis, 1989).

Business use of social media by micro and small enterprises and women entrepreneurs
The technological advancement and rising SM users have helped produce various new businesses and women entrepreneurs (Fischer and Reuber, 2011). For many large-scale organizations, SM are being used in addition to their existing conventional marketing tools. However, for many MSEs, SM is used as the only marketing tool to perform almost all the marketing activities because of their insufficient financial and technical resources and capabilities (Genç and Öksüz, 2015).
Women increasingly use SM to promote their business in national and international markets (Fischer and Reuber, 2011). As women in developing countries may face many challenges in mobility and access to international markets, smartphone technology and SM applications are big support for women entrepreneurs to efficiently operate their businesses from home (Jose, 2018;Ukpere et al., 2014).

Social media and firm performance
Market research reveals that very few marketing managers could evaluate the impact of SM on their business performance in computable terms (Mack et al., 2017). Large firms can measure the return on SM marketing expenditure with ease. However, in the case of small, medium and, especially micro-enterprises, it is relatively difficult to measure return on investment because they may not be performing formal marketing functions and may not be allocating proper budget to marketing and promotional activities. Such enterprises may be performing the marketing function informally through word of mouth and SM, with minor or zero investment in the marketing budget (Indrupati and Henari, 2012).
Researchers have used multiple approaches to measure the effectiveness of SM. For example, the popularity of a brand over different SM channels may signal the success of a business, and the number of "likes" on a brand's SM page may genuinely reflect the brand's popularity (Indrupati and Henari, 2012). Similarly, some researchers suggested that the key performance indicators should not be restricted to sales and profit. Instead, they should be capable of measuring the customer's value extracted from a brand's offering throughout the customer life cycle (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016), such as a delightful customer experience, brand awareness and better networking prospects (Wang and Kim, 2017).
The previous literature largely supports a significant positive relationship between SM usage and improved business performance (Jiménez-Zarco et al., 2021;Ahmad et al., 2018;Parveen et al., 2016;Wang and Kim, 2017). Some recent studies also reveal that SM analytics, digital marketing and customer engagement have significant positive relationships with business performance (Fan et al., 2021;Boonmalert et al., 2021;Chatterjee and Kar, 2020). Engaged customers are more likely to make purchases and recommend the purchased products or services to others and therefore help improve business performance in the marketplace (Garg et al., 2020). Based on the existing literature, we suggest the following proposition: P2. Usage of SM for customer engagement may enhance the business performance of women-run MSEs in developing countries.

Research methodology
This study used the qualitative approach to collect the required information from the respondents through in-depth interviews and open-ended questions. As the aim and the objectives of this study are exploratory for which an in-depth and richer understanding of SM usage by businesswomen was required, the qualitative approach and methods look appropriate (Eze et al., 2021) The study sample consists of women who own and run MSEs in a developing country (i.e. Pakistan). For the selection of MSEs, this study used the definitions of MSEs given by the "State Bank of Pakistan" (SBP). According to SBP, small enterprises have up to 50 employees and an annual sales turnover not exceeding 150m Pakistani Rupees, whereas micro-enterprises are businesses that employ up to 10 individuals (SBP, 2016;SBP, 2018;Jassim and Khawar, 2018). Only the criterion of the total number of employees was used to qualify businesses as MSEs because all respondents were comfortable disclosing such information. Three primary sources used to identify and select MSEs, and target respondents included: the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, SM and personal references of the first author.
All the participants agreed to participate in the study, and their respective consent was taken on the phone before the interview. Out of 17 women, 14 showed their willingness to participate (including two for pilot study). All interviews were conducted face to face, and the interview duration ranged between 60 min to 80 min. An interview guide consisting of two sections was prepared based on the research objectives. The first section included questions related to a respondent's personal information (Table 1), whereas the second section included open-ended questions related to the research objectives. Findings from this section have been summarized into different themes and subthemes (Table 2).
After conducting a pilot study with two of the respondents, some modifications were made to the interview guide and the interview process, which included the translation of the interview guide into the national language of Pakistan (i.e. Urdu) along with using its English language version. Some probing and respondents' profiles related questions were also added. Moreover, the criteria for the selection of respondents were modified. Because of such modification, the final sample consisted of only the businesswomen who were business owners managing their MSEs, were at least graduated and had at least one year of experience in using SM for business. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded with the consent of respondents. Table 1 presents the brief profile of sample respondents.
The data collected from respondents were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six steps of thematic analysis, a useful and flexible technique commonly used in qualitative studies (Eze et al., 2021;Maguire and Delahunt, 2017;Braun and Clarke, 2006). The steps followed in analysing qualitative data are summarized in the following flow chart (Figure 1). Notes: a Scope of business: 1 = Regional, 2 = National, 3 = International; b Social media channels: 1 = Facebook, 2 = WhatsApp, 3 = Instagram, 4 = Pinterest, 5 = YouTube Each audio-recorded interview has been listened to multiple times before making transcripts. Initial codes were developed manually on hard copies of the transcripts. A theme is usually portrayed by its relevance to the research objectives. Then, initially developed codes were examined, and some of them fitted together into themes. In the next step, themes were analysed and revised to check their relevance with the entire data set and to see if there were other themes (i.e. subthemes) within themes.

Results and discussion
A thorough thematic analysis of the responses (keeping in view the study's objectives) helped develop themes and subthemes to derive meaningful results (Table 2). This section reports such results. Moreover, this section discusses the same themes, subthemes and results.
4.1 Social media usage 4.1.1 Choice of media. Most of the businesswomen use multiple SM channels. However, this study finds Facebook as the most popular medium among businesswomen, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. Most women preferred this network because they already used Facebook and were familiar with this medium. Second, such women think the majority of the population in Pakistan use Facebook. Therefore, to target the maximum number of people, they prefer Facebook. Women usually prefer WhatsApp for private chat and group discussions. Instagram is becoming popular nowadays, and many young professionals are found on Instagram. Therefore, many young women entrepreneurs prefer using Instagram to target the young generation. Two of the respondents were using Pinterest, and only one was using YouTube for product promotions, whereas no one among the respondents was using a Twitter account for business promotion.
4.1.2 Motives behind using social media. Respondents were probed to discuss the primary reason for using SM in business. Results show that SM is used to satisfy numerous motives. Such motives are arranged as follows, according to the relative importance assigned by the respondents ranging from the most to the least important: product promotion and marketing; business visibility; business extension; Figure 1.

Process of analysing qualitative data
Step 1: Become familiar with the data Step 2: Generate iniƟal codes Step 3:

Search for themes
Step 4: Review themes Step 5: Define themes Step 6: Write-up Source: Braun and Clarke (2006) SJME decreasing setup, advertising and travel costs; communication and customer relationship management; convenience to operate the business from home; and following SM trends and business demand.
Contrary to our expectation based on reviewed literature on TAM, ease of use was not the primary factor in deciding to use SM for business. Such finding contrasts with the findings of Jose (2018) and Ukpere et al. (2014). Rather, some perceived benefits of using SM (i.e. product promotion, business visibility, business extension and cost reduction) are more influential factors in deciding to use SM for business. When respondents were asked to specify who inspired or motivated them to use SM in business, most stated that they were more influenced by their family and friends, followed by competitors and customer demands.
A respondent explained how her family helped and motivated her to use SM in business: My son helped me a lot to develop and run my Facebook page and how to create ads for promotion on different other social media channels as well (Respondent 10, 40 years, health industry).
Similarly, another respondent stated: I got inspired by one very famous jewellery brand on social media managed by a girl in Karachi (i.e., the largest city in Pakistan). After much appreciation and good customer response, she expanded her business from one retail shop to many, and now she has a huge setup nationwide and internationally through online sales (Respondent 3, Age 32, Jewellery business).
These findings suggest that perceived benefits from SM can be significant factor in developing individuals' intentions to use SM for business purposes. However, these core factors are not enough to explain the individuals' behaviour towards SM usage. Some contextual factors (e.g. family and friends' influence) can also significantly impact individuals' behaviour to use SM in business.

Social media activities.
It is important to understand how and to what extent SM are used for business purposes. We found that most of the women were active internet and SM users. They were usually spending four to six hours daily on SM. They mostly spent time staying in touch with customers, order taking, follow-ups and responding to comments and queries of online customers. When asked, most women were not posting or updating their page daily, except a few. They update their business page once or twice a week. The response time for customers ranged from 10 to 60 min. Respondent 5 (dealing with the frozen food business) commented on her responsiveness as follows: I never switch off or silent my mobile even if I had to take a nap in order to give prompt response to each customer contacting me online or offline (Respondent 5, age 25, Frozen food business).
It is observed that respondents were not spending much time on SM to attract new customers. It was surprising that none of the respondents preferred to buy materials online from any supplier or wholesaler. Moreover, very few (i.e. just two) of the respondents used paid posts for advertising and promotions on Facebook.
4.2 Customer engagement 4.2.1 Customer engagement conceptualization. Manager's or seller's perceptions about customer engagement may play a critical role in the overall business and marketing strategy. Such perception may affect the extent to which the manager/sellers would incorporate the concept of customer engagement in their SM strategy to achieve their business goals.
The respondents in this study had varying perceptions about customer engagement. They shared their own descriptions and meanings of customer engagement as follows: understanding customer needs, likes and preferences; long-lasting and positive relationship with customers; strengthening brand image through frequent interactions; customer satisfaction; winning customer trust through quality products and services; and facilitate customers by telling them about the company's offerings.
Based on such perceptions, we propose that customer engagement can be conceptualized as: Satisfied customers' desire to strengthen the seller's brand image and build a long-lasting positive relationship with the seller through frequent interactions and trusting seller for the quality of its offerings, where seller understands customers' needs and preferences, and effectively communicates about its products and services.
The perceived meanings of customer engagement were compared with the SM activities of each participant. As a result, it was found that the respondents who emphasize more on customer satisfaction and trust are more product-oriented. They emphasize delivering excellent and high-quality products. However, those respondents who think that customer engagement is more about building strong relationships with customers tend to be more customer-oriented. They do their best to satisfy and please customers on SM. 4.2.2 Social media strategies to engage customers. All of the participants have similar responses about the ability of SM to engage customers. The participants consider that SM provide enormous opportunities to interact and communicate with customers by using various features available online (e.g. watch parties, live sessions, group chat and online communities). The smart blend of SM applications and marketing strategies may make brands stand out. Respondents have mentioned different strategies they use to promote customer engagement on SM, for example: offering sales, coupons, discounts and giveaways on special occasions; offering unique, exclusive and superior products; keeping in touch with customers through messages daily; being very humble and polite upon interaction on SM; providing higher valued products at a low price; prompt response to each customer; and being honest and open on SM without exaggerating the product's actual value.

Customer engagement indicators.
It is challenging to measure customer engagement with a particular brand accurately. However, some indicators on SM may help measure customer engagement to some extent. For example, Facebook has a unique feature of Page Insights, which provides complete information about page likes, views, post reach and check-ins for a particular time. However, very few of the respondents were aware of such features. Respondents described the following indicators on SM, which reflect customer engagement: comments, number of likes, personal messages, hash-tags and page reviews. According to the respondents, such indicators may reflect different levels of customer engagement at different times. The majority of the respondents do not manage and keep a record of any customer database. Only one respondent stated: We have started using a software that keeps record of every customer data, which could be used to improve our services and system. This software records (customers') information regarding the number of visits per month, payment mode, preferences, satisfaction level with the service, etcetera. Keeping a record of customer-centric information helps us provide customized services and manage customer relationships (Respondent 9, age 47, Saloon owner).

Impact of social media on business performance 4.3.1 Business performance measures.
It is important to measure the efficacy of SM either in quantitative way (e.g. sales, number of satisfied customers) or qualitative way (e.g. the feedback/comments of customers) when it is used in business settings. It is observed that SM usage accelerates business performance in terms of repeat purchases, satisfied customers and reduced marketing expenses. This finding is consistent with Fan et al. (2021), Boonmalert et al. (2021), Garg et al. (2020), Ahmad et al. (2018). Respondents were requested to explain how they measure the performance of the business after using SM as a marketing tool. The majority preferred the measures such as the number of likes, customers' praising comments and thanks calling. This result aligns with the findings of some previous research studies (i.e. Jiménez-Zarco et al., 2021;Lei et al., 2017). Some of the respondents revealed that sales also increase with the number of likes on SM.
A respondent explained how she measures business performance on SM. She said: I usually keep track of the Facebook insights on my Facebook business page to know about the weekly number of page likes and views. The number of likes and comments of the audience on social media indicates how well a business is performing, and through repeat customers, I come to know that my business is successfully growing and performing better day by day (Respondent 5, Age 25, Food industry).
It is observed that businesses on SM, especially MSEs, cannot depend on any single parameter to measure business performance. Therefore, based on observed responses, it seems essential to think of all applicable qualitative and quantitative measures when assessing the business performance of MSEs on SM. 4.3.2 Customer engagement and social media effectiveness. Almost all respondents used both media (i.e. digital and non-digital/traditional media), and they agree that SM play a vital role in marketing and promotional activities. Marketing communications have become very easy for them because even an untrained person can easily understand and use the modern techniques in business, including voice chat and group chat on different SM apps.
When respondents were inquired to elaborate on the effective use of SM, they responded in such a way: To use social media effectively, every business should have a clear understanding of their business objectives and focus on these business goals/objectives when using social media. Do not just imitate others but understand the latest trends in business and try to create your niche (Respondent 1, age 33, Fashion brand).

One respondent commented:
To maximize business efficiency on social media, everyone should have complete knowledge of social media or digital marketing skills. Paid post is an effective tool to increase customer reach and gives many options for targeted promotions. Initially, prices should be kept low to catch more traffic on social media (Respondent 4, age 39, Home textile).
The effective use of SM may optimize its advantages and minimize the disadvantages. By synthesizing the received responses, we have developed three key dimensions of the effective use of SM for customer engagement, which include as follows: (1) Knowledge about different SM channels (i.e. their features and requirements) and SM marketing skills are essential to get the maximum benefit of using SM in business. Different channels having different users with respect to age, education, attitude, the social and cultural background may have different social impacts.
(2) Activities on SM may depict how business is performing. The marketing and brand managers should focus on targeted campaigns. The shared marketing content should be product-focused, brief, informative and entertaining to get more exposure and engage customers in a short time.
(3) Interactions with customers should be frequent, which must not end up with sales.
Marketers should focus not only on retaining the existing customers but also on forming relationships with prospective customers.
In short, the effective use of SM may engage customers, which results in a higher level of customer satisfaction, and satisfied customers may then spread the brand message through word of mouth. The brand message circulated through customers can create a positive and strong brand image, likely resulting in improved performance (Nguyen et al., 2022).

Impact of multiple social media channels
Different SM channels have different audiences, as supported by study findings, where respondents post the same content on different channels but get different responses. Similarly, according to the response from different channels, respondents use these channels for different purposes. As one respondent stated: I have got more responses from WhatsApp. It is user-friendly and easy to get in touch with anyone anywhere. Facebook is good because it gives exposure to a large number of people around the world, and it is best for product promotion and marketing, but WhatsApp is good for personal contact, and usually, serious customers are found on WhatsApp (Respondent 1, age 33, Fashion brand).
The visual content generated on different SM networks may help create customers' positive emotions and brand commitment via frequent interactions and feedback (Casal o et al., 2021). Respondent No. 7 also recommended the usage of multiple channels. She said that: Yes, different social media channels affect performance differently. All social media channels have different audiences with respect to age, attitude and preferences. Each channel has its pros and cons, so we should use multiple channels to exploit all benefits and should not restrict ourselves to one channel (Respondent 7, age 29, Service provider).
However, women entrepreneurs should carefully select an appropriate mix of SM networks according to the business need, target audience and product category (Patil, 2021).
4.4 Social media effectiveness in comparison with other tools 4.4.1 Marketing tools commonly used by women. A majority of the respondents were using both digital and traditional media for product promotion and marketing. Traditional media used by women entrepreneurs include exhibitions, outlets or retail shops and print media, whereas SM marketing and direct marketing play a significant role in their promotional activities.
The respondents state that most of the business comes through personal contacts, and family and friends are supposed to be the biggest support in their businesses. Some of the respondents used to participate in national and international exhibitions. They believe exhibitions are an excellent source of exposure through which they may get transparent and prompt feedback on their products. SM offer great help to spread the marketing messages among their social circle, customers and non-customers, to make their participation in the exhibitions successful.
Product promotion through a retail shop needs significant financial investment, especially in the case of MSEs. This seems true in our study sample, where only a few (i.e. two) respondents have their retail outlets or display shops. For the promotion of any such retail business, social and digital media play an important role by spreading marketing messages to thousands and millions of people.
4.4.2 Online versus face-to-face customer contact. SM provide valuable advertisement options. It may help approach distant customers and generate a greater number of referrals. However, it is not possible to have personal (i.e. face-to-face) contact with all the customers on SM. Most respondents preferred face-to-face contact with customers because they think face-to-face contact results in real-time, transparent and quick feedback that increases loyalty and long-lasting customer relationships. Therefore, most of the women in our sample prefer to use both media (i.e. social and traditional media) side by side. As Respondent 8 said: Online customers are normally one-time customers. Their responses are uncertain and they are not reliable at all. The referrals they give online are not long-term. However, the customers with face to face interaction are more reliable, trustworthy and long-term (Respondent 8, age 22, Bakery/food products). Table 3 presents the key concepts explored in this study and their brief descriptions, along with the supporting comments of the respondents, by following the presentation style of Barta et al. (2022).

Conclusion
This study aimed to explore how businesswomen running MSEs use SM to engage customers and how such usage of SM (as compared to other traditional media) and customer engagement may help improve business performance. The study findings reveal that social influences such as family and friends may be an important factor in predicting women's behaviour to adopt SM for business purposes. However, the primary motives behind SM usage for the majority of the respondents include promoting business and approaching distant customers. These findings are consistent with some previous research findings Ali Qalati et al., 2021;Ahmad et al., 2018). This study finds women spending more time on SM with existing customers than trying to persuade or attract new customers and often using defensive marketing strategies.
Study findings reveal that customer satisfaction is considered an important driver of customer engagement. Effective use of SM is crucial to engage customers and accelerate business performance. However, it is observed that the concept of customer engagement is not deeply rooted in the marketing and business strategies of women run MSEs. Therefore, a deeper understanding of customer engagement and SM marketing is obligatory for businesswomen to exploit the benefits of SM.
The results suggest that SM usage positively impacts business performance. Such finding is consistent with the previous findings of Nguyen et al. (2022), Fan et al. (2021, Boonmalert et al. (2021), Garg et al. (2020), Ahmad et al. (2018), Wang and Kim (2017), Hutter et al. (2013) and Hollebeek (2011). The customers engaged through SM help spread positive word of mouth and thus enhance brand image.
This study compared the effectiveness of SM and other traditional media. Although SM may have far more business advantages for MSEs, many of them still prefer face-to-face contact with customers due to lack of trust and risk-averse behaviour among women. The results suggest that a combination of SM and traditional media should be used to enhance customer engagement and business performance. However, it also depends upon one's business objectives and nature of the business to decide what type of media is more effective.

Theoretical contribution
This study's findings contribute to the literature on women entrepreneurship and digital marketing in the SM context. "Customer engagement means constantly keeping in touch with customers by showing your presence on social media" (Res.3, Age 32) "Engagement refers to how you facilitate and respond to customers before, during, and after purchase and making stronger relationship with customers day by day" (Res.11. Age 32) "Understanding and meeting customer's needs and demands, satisfying customers with quality products/ services" (Res.4, Age 39) Impact of social media on business performance (Assessing the financial and non-financial improvements in business after using SM) "Frequent interactions with customers through SM help increase engagement which results in more number of likes, views and shares" (Res. 9, Age 47) "After using SM I have observed visible upsurge in sales. Through Facebook insights, number of page likes, views and repeat customers I came to know my business is performing better day by day" (Res. 5,Age 25) In most of the marketing literature, the customer engagement concept has been explored from customer's perspective instead of seller's perspective. This study has contributed towards the conceptual understanding of the nascent concept of "customer engagement" from the seller's (or brand's) point of view. This study has also developed a comprehensive definition of customer engagement, based on the respondents' opinions.
The study has made another valuable contribution by exploring the motives behind SM usage by businesswomen, and the relationship between SM usage and business performance. The study findings support some of the previous studies (Fan et al., 2021;Boonmalert et al., 2021;Garg et al., 2020;Parveen et al., 2016;Ahmad et al., 2018;Indrupati and Henari, 2012;Wang and Kim, 2017). The study findings in this regard have meaningful contributions to the literature on the choice and usage of media by businesswomen.
This study proposes that the effective use of SM may comprise the following: complete knowledge about different SM networks; frequent interactions with existing and potential customers on SM by using effective marketing strategies; and targeted and product-focused SM marketing campaigns.

Practical implications
This study offers practical implications for marketing managers, entrepreneurs, information technology professionals and policymakers, particularly within the economic and business settings selected for this study. The first implication is related to planning phase of businesses. By using the findings of this study, business individuals may develop more precise and targeted marketing and customer engagement strategies to improve business performance (Jiménez-Zarco et al., 2021;Garg et al., 2020;Jose, 2018). For example, this study finds that family and friends may play an influential role in businesswomen' decision to use SM for business. Therefore, marketers and entrepreneurs may plan for influencer marketing in their marketing campaigns to persuade businesswomen (through their friends and family members) for using SM in their businesses. Secondly, this study provides valuable insights for practitioners (i.e. software/application developers) for developing SM applications according to the needs and preferences of women entrepreneurs running MSEs. It is proposed that the applications and features of SM channels should be made more accessible, simple and easier.
The third implication is for government, educational institutions and corporate entities. It is observed that women have great potential and skills to make significant contributions to the growth of MSEs. More training and workshops can be helpful to educate women entrepreneurs seize business opportunities and expand businesses through SM marketing skills. Businesswomen should also develop and learn more soft skills (i.e. critical thinking, design thinking and communication skills) to use SM networks efficiently and effectively (Jiménez-Zarco et al., 2021). Government, educational institutions and corporate entities may play an important role in organizing such trainings and workshops.
Finally, this study can help businesswomen (running MSEs) in media selection for their promotional campaigns. SM platforms may play an important role in the decision making process of MSEs (Kumar et al., 2022). Similarly, the relevance and effectiveness of traditional media may not be ignored for MSEs. The findings of this study encourage the businesswomen (running MSEs) to use a smart blend of digital and non-digital media for promotion purposes.
A brief snapshot of study findings and implications are presented in Table 4.

Research limitations and future research implications
This study has certain research limitations, leading to future research opportunities. This study is conducted in a single country, and a small sample is drawn from specific areas. It is suggested that future researchers should collect large data from different geographical areas including other developing countries to have better insights and inclusive results. Furthermore, this study's exploratory and subjective nature has directed to gather and analyse the empirical data by using qualitative methods. Future research may replicate this study by using quantitative methods to study large populations and broader groups of people and to generalize about them (Swanson and Holton, 2005). This study focuses on the customer engagement concept from the seller/brand's point of view, whereas there is sizable literature available on the same concept from the customer's point of view. Future studies may collect data from both customers and sellers/business owners or managers simultaneously and compare both perspectives. Future studies may also compare their findings with the existing literature on customer engagement dimensions. It would be a valuable contribution to the conceptual and theoretical development of this emerging concept. It would also help in formulating a more precise and comprehensive definition of customer engagement.