A Narrative Inquiry Into the Role of Social Media in Online Businesses in the Philippines

Social media is not only used for entertainment and personal communication. It is also utilized in transactions of businesses and interactions with customers. This research explores the perceptions and experiences of online business owners concerning the role of social media in their businesses. Narrative inquiry was used as a research design. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews online. The study used purposive sampling to identify people who are willing to share their perspectives and experiences. The results show that business owners attribute the increase of their consumers’ reach and consequently growth in sales to social media. While business owners believe in the essential engagement of social media in businesses, they offer a caveat to be observant of the comments inputted by the people who interact with their online business presence because they can make or break the business reputation.