Strategic Marketing Practices and Small and Medium Enterprises Performance: The Moderating Role of Talent Management in Niger State, Nigeria

This study examines how strategic marketing practices influence the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Niger State, Nigeria, with a focus on the moderating role of talent management. SMEs in Nigeria operate in highly competitive and resource-constrained environments, making the integration of effective marketing strategies and human capital management essential for sustained performance. Guided by Strategic Choice Theory and the Resource-Based View, the study investigates the effects of market orientation, innovation orientation, and digital marketing on SME performance while assessing whether talent management enhances these relationships. A descriptive survey design was employed, targeting 793 SMEs registered with the Niger State Board of Internal Revenue, with a sample of 260 selected using the Krejcie and Morgan technique, resulting in 253 valid responses collected through simple random sampling. Reliability of the measurement instrument was confirmed using the Kuder–Richardson Formula 20, with coefficients exceeding 0.70. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression, incorporating interaction terms to capture the moderating influence of talent management. Results reveal that market orientation, innovation orientation, and digital marketing positively and significantly affect SME performance, with innovation orientation showing the strongest impact. Talent management contributes directly to performance and significantly strengthens the effects of strategic marketing practices. The study concludes that the success of SME marketing strategies depends heavily on effective talent management and recommends structured recruitment, targeted training, performance-based incentives, and retention strategies to ensure marketing initiatives translate into measurable performance outcomes. These findings provide empirical evidence on how talent management moderates the effectiveness of strategic marketing practices, offering actionable insights for SME owners, managers, and policymakers seeking to enhance firm performance in developing economies.