The Power of Digital Stories: A Sequential Explanatory Study on Fostering Consumer Loyalty in Small Business Brands

The conducted study entitled The Power of Digital Stories: A Sequential Explanatory Study on Fostering Consumer Loyalty in Small Business Brands aimed to identify simple, cost-effective, and practical strategies for small businesses in Noveleta, Cavite, enabling them to create engaging digital stories that resonate with consumers, build trust, and increase loyalty. By focusing on accessible methods such as social media, the research explored how businesses can effectively communicate their brand, products, and values despite limited resources. The researchers used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate how digital storytelling influenced consumer loyalty in small business brands. The study began with the collection of quantitative data through surveys distributed to 60 respondents aged 18 and above from Noveleta, Cavite, identifying trends in consumer engagement and preferences. To gain deeper insights, qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 respondents from the same group, exploring emotional responses and personal connections to digital stories. The combination of descriptive and correlational methods in the quantitative phase and the phenomenological approach in the qualitative phase provided a comprehensive understanding of how digital storytelling impacted consumer loyalty in small businesses. The researchers selected 60 respondents for the quantitative phase using stratified random sampling, a probability sampling technique, and chose 10 participants from the same group for the qualitative phase using purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling technique. Findings showed that video-based storytelling was the most preferred format, highlighting the importance of visually dynamic content. While digital storytelling increased engagement and brand recognition, its impact on long-term loyalty remained moderate. Trust in small businesses also relied on factors such as reviews, consistent communication, and strong customer service. The study concluded that digital storytelling alone is insufficient to ensure repeat purchases. Small businesses must improve product quality, customer service, and pricing while addressing content consistency and quality to maximize the impact of digital storytelling. Recommendations included integrating transparency, timely responses, and structured content planning to strengthen consumer confidence and drive long-term success.