Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOTEL INDUSTRY

Exploring the Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing Within Hotel Industry-Research

Proposal

[Name of Institute]

[Name of Student]

[Date]
 Social Media and Hotel Industry 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Rationale.................................................................................................................................4
Aim of the Study....................................................................................................................4
Research objectives................................................................................................................4
Research Questions................................................................................................................5
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................5
Growth Of Social Media Channels.........................................................................................6
Methodology..............................................................................................................................8
Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................9
Justification for Method.........................................................................................................9
Data Collection.......................................................................................................................9
Sample Size..........................................................................................................................10
Data Analysis........................................................................................................................10
Reliability.............................................................................................................................11
Ethical Consideration...........................................................................................................12
Discussion and Conclusion......................................................................................................12
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................14
 Social Media and Hotel Industry 3

Exploring the Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing Within Hotel Industry-Research

Proposal

Introduction

Many hotels find it difficult to quantify the impact of social media. However, they are

still looking for acceptable procedures and metrics to determine where they can contribute

and focus on social media activities (Alalwan et al., 2017). Hence this research explores the

significance of the effectiveness of social media on the productivity of the hotel industry. The

research involved qualitative research for understanding the difficulties they face in

estimating speculative returns from social media activities (Cheung et al., 2020). The next

stage is the data mining phase, which shows the recognition of the guest's/visitor social media

interaction with the hotel before and after booking the venue (Cao and Yu, 2019).

The Internet and social platforms has changed how communication is conducted,

allowing people to penetrate different cultural boundaries, allowing consumers and

organisations to explore the market efficiently and effectively (Shaltoni, 2017). Online

communities allow people to meet online for a variety of reasons, including finding and

sharing information, talking about each other's problems, and making requests which can

influence the sustainability of the hotel industry anywhere around the world (Plowman and

Wilson, 2018). With rapid data innovation changes, another type of communication

innovation (called social media) is being used to implement these online exercises. The

defining feature of social media is the ‘Second Progressive Era and Networking Project’,

which will enhance communication, data sharing, interoperability, and joint efforts on the

World Wide Web (WWW). Therefore for hotels to maintain an effective brand image will be

challenging in this era.

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Furthermore, there are many sites on social media, the most famous of which are

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, that are utilised for analysing the service/product quality of

different hotels (Rehnen et al., 2017). Facebook, in 2010 had more than 500 million

customers. For the year 2020, Twitter listed 75 million customers. Consumers spend more

than 5 hours a day participating in social networking sites as their use continues to increase.

Therefore for hotels to maintain sustainability, detail exploration of different social media

platforms is necessary (Alvarez, 2020).

Rationale

With the increasing demand for social media marketing to interact with customers,

there is a need to investigate the impact of factors on customer satisfaction in social media

marketing in the hotel industry. Previous research has described the importance and

happiness of social media marketing in other countries, but the dimensions that define

consumers' attitudes towards social media marketing show a gap (Rehnen et al., 2017). This

article attempts to examine the factors affecting social media marketing in the hotel industry

and highlights the differences in capital development between traditional and social media

marketing.

Aim of the Study

This study aims to analyse and explore the efficiency of social media marketing and

their influence on business development and gaining customer attention to generate high

revenues.
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Research objectives

 To analyse the importance of social media as the best marketing tool in the hotel

industry.

 To explore the marketing potential of different social media platforms in the hotel

industry.

 To critically analyse the multiple marketing tactics hotel utilises regarding social

media marketing.

 To investigate the customer social media preferences regarding their attitude towards

social media sites.

 To explore the ratio of revenue generated by social media marketing

 To identify the aspects of social media which gain more customer attention

Research Questions

 What is the importance of social media as the best marketing tool in the hotel

industry?

 To what extent social media marketing can increase the revenue when compared with

traditional methods?

 What are the different tactics the hotel uses in terms of social media marketing?

 What is the capital difference in social media marketing and traditional marketing

procedures?

 How can the social media marketing for hotel industry improve/enhance the customer

attention for any hotel?

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Literature Review

Social media has played an essential role in regulating hotel marketing techniques.

Social media encourages two-way communication, as hotels can discuss their needs with

customers and obtain feedback from customers (Wang, et al., 2019). Generally, hotels utilises

different marketing tools and techniques such as brochures, posters within their local market

for spreading brand awareness within the market (Cao and Yu, 2019). This marketing method

cannot be used to target a wide range of customers, especially abroad, and is limited to

specific customer groups. To solve these problems, social media marketing has been

accepted. Social media forces hoteliers to reach the majority of clients restricted by terrain.

As stated above, almost 2.1 million people use social media for various purposes daily;

therefore, according to Devi and Ganguly (2021), using different social media platforms for

marketing can increase hotels' productivity.

The unprecedented popularity of social media has deterred researchers from

questioning what marketing is right for them, especially in the hotel industry. This study

sought to verify the importance of marketing two different social media sites (Facebook and

Twitter) in the hotel industry (Cao and Yu, 2019). Based on data gathered from an online

survey,interviews and questionnaires, the study concluded that the social media provides a

suitable structure to explain the market viability of social media in the hospitality industry

(Doyle, et al., 2020). The results of meeting hotel customers on social networks affect their

attitude towards the social networking site, which affects their attitude towards the hotel logo

and that the attitude of the hotel customers towards the hotel logo affects their intentions and

hotel reservations (Devi and Ganguly, 2021).

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Growth Of Social Media Channels

According to several studies such as Leung et al. (2017), the rapid growth of social

media channels has changed the way many consumers communicate with each other and with

companies. The study found that the hotel industry within the UK often uses social media

channels to attract customers or get leads from Google. 70% of companies use Facebook,

46% of companies use “Twitter, 37% of LinkedIn and 25% of YouTube” (Devi and Ganguly,

2021). It has been indicated that the awareness regarding the usage of different social media

platforms for marketing purposes is increasing exponentially within the UK hotel industry.

Furthermore, another study by Alawan et al. (2017) indicates that in the hotel industry,

around 75% of hotels use social media for marketing purposes.

As more and more hotels add social media to their curated marketing

communications, there are more considerations about its effectiveness. Although it is

believed that social media has improved marketing exercises, the qualitative exploration

provided to reinforce these situations is limited (Leung et al., 2017). According to the annual

industry report, determining the marketing impacts of social media may be an essential topic

that advertisers should continue to explore. Regardless, few studies have examined the

effectiveness of social media developments in the scientific world (Alalwan et al., 2017).

When publishing a research report, a long-term approach is required to understand the cycle

of promotional activities affecting customer behaviour (Cao and Yu, 2019).

Through social media, consumers will exchange their encounters with others and

recommend ideas to others whilst creating new connections in the community (Alalwan et al.,

2017). Therefore, many catering companies consider social media as a useful product to

improve customer reliability and satisfaction. A survey by “Cornell University's Center for

Hotel Management Center for Hospitality Research” shows that nearly 25% of business

people and more than 30% of leisure travellers use social media sites to check hotel reviews
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and travel data campaigns before setting their schedules (Cheung et al., 2020). The study

found that Facebook is a good example of effective local areas, with more than 500 million

customers worldwide (Parvez, et al., 2018). Given the number of clients, the luxury hotel or

warehouse properties that the tourism industry primarily opposes should create a business

page on Facebook to keep visitors redirected and talking to future visitors (Cao and Yu,

2019).

The study identified three types of interests: social, tolerance, and spiritual interests,

and found that these interests influence the actual or potential participation of members

(Rehnen et al., 2017). Although the above reviews have advantages, they have different

categories of benefits due to inconsistent results from these surveys. These errors may result

from changes in online customer’s attributes, such as membership quality, members' common

interests, and community motivations (Plowman and Wilson, 2018). Current reviews believe

that aside from the three types of benefits listed above, monetary benefits will affect local

members' online support. Consumers regularly seek cash rewards for domestic and

community support (Devi and Ganguly, 2021).

Methodology

This section of the study will discuss the methodological strategy, which will be

conducted in the data collection procedure in order to achieve the research objectives. For

this study, qualitative methods will be appropriate in gathering relevant and accurate

information regarding the effectiveness of social media platforms within the hotel industry of

the UK (Shaltoni, 2017). Qualitative research method is characterized as a market research

strategy that focuses on gathering data through open communication and available databases.

The qualitative method is guided by sociologists such as psychology, sociology, and

anthropology (Alvarez, 2020). In this way, the qualitative research technology takes into
 Social Media and Hotel Industry 9

account internal and external questions and respondents' headlines based on their responses,

while the interviewer / expert tries to further understand their inspiration and feelings

(Rehnen et al., 2017).

By breaking down the consumer reviews, the study will get a series of quality

guidelines that provide general perspectives on the guest's experience by helping hotels in

exploring whether social media has a positive effect or negative affect. The primary

qualitative approach is an ideal way to gather consumer loyalty responses, as it draws on

glowing results and makes more meaningful assessments of what constitutes positive or

negative perceptions (Shaltoni, 2017).

Research Philosophy

Study will consider the interpretivism research philosophy for this thesis as the study

is focusing towards one of the largest leisure/hospitality business industry. A the research will

follow the qualitative approaches and data, the interpretivism philosophy will directly relate

to the social factors of the study, which could enhace the reliability of study outcomes

(Shaltoni, 2017).

Justification for Method

There are several reasons for using the primary qualitative approach for this study.

One of them is the abundance of relevant, accurate and up-to-date information collected from

both customers and hotel employees' responses (Wang, et al., 2019). Another reason is that

primary qualitative will enable the author to deeply analyse the customer's expectation and

perception regarding the usage of social media platform. Using research surveys and social

events that visitors enter through surveys, questionnaires, and interviews, the author has the

opportunity to conduct a series of open inquiries to distinguish the factors that constitute
 Social Media and Hotel Industry 10

positive reviews and to organise the business environment to improve visitor access

(Lepkowska-White, 2017).

Data Collection

An online review using a primary qualitative objective will be conducted, and

welcome emails will be sent to all participants of the research for their availability of giving

responses. Eligible members can participate in the study through the link provided in the

email. All members will complete their participation by giving their responses within seven

days of the data collection process (Doyle, et al., 2020). The condition for participating in this

survey is that respondents must have a social media account, must be a frequent traveller and

must be an employee within the hotel.

There are several sustainability aspects that will be considered during this data

collection procedure. One of them is confidentiality. Each participant will be given security

about confidentiality regarding their personal information. Furthermore, before their

involvement, each participant will be given a participation form in which research aim,

objectives, and methodological strategy will be demonstrated so that they could review them

before participating in the research (Parvez, et al., 2018).

Sample Size

A sample of this survey is the four and five-star hotels in the United Kingdom. Since

this research will be using interview questions, five members will be chosen for this study. A

sample size of 50 members will be chosen in the initial stage, upon which five members will

be shortlisted. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will include whether the member has a

social media account, is the member a frequent traveller, and is a hotel member and

employee. These criteria will be utilised during the shortlisting of the 50 candidates.
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Data Analysis

Primary qualitative data analysis includes interpreting the data, generating variables,

and various themes or cases describing the study scope (Shaltoni, 2017). Data analysis will

involve indexing in which the researcher will identify concepts, perception, expectation,

behaviour and phrases (Plowman and Wilson, 2018). In addition, in this study, data analysis

includes three main indicators: (a) identifying patterns, (b) classification, and (c)

identification of major themes. The study suggested a triangulation method to analyse

different types of data (Rehnen et al., 2017). The researcher will have a semi-structured

conversation with the control group to collect data. The study recorded member responses

from open-ended interviews. The study added important data gathered from document

reviews and statistical attributes shared with members.

This study identified essential topics related to social media market systems, brand

merit, and growth presentation and linked key topics to test questions, rational relationship

marketing structure, and customer reviews. The study suggested a triangulation method to

analyse different types of data. According to Ebrahim (2020), scholars use triangulation to

analyse data through various data collection methods, decoding and analysis, thus gaining a

broader scope for investigation. This research uses triangulation to refine details whilst

analysing data gathered from semi-structured interviews, recordings, and document reviews

(social media marketing materials, social media posts, etc.) to help with its findings (Wang, et

al., 2019).

Reliability

The reliability of the qualitative evidence includes reliability, validity, and the ability

to analyse data from repeated surveys. If a researcher investigates similar details, then the
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aspect of credibility will not be maintained within the research, which reduces its

sustainability. According to Leung et al. (2017), the first several measures to ensure

reliability and validity include a decent research theme, peer review, triangulation, and

external review (Alvarez, 2020). By applying the method of triangulation in the data

collection, the research has established the reliability and validity of this research (Rehnen et

al., 2017). This research classifies systematic triangulation as the use of different strategies or

data sources, such as semi-structured interviews, document analysis, public data review, and

similar reports, to improve reliability and credibility (Lepkowska-White, 2017).

The source triangulation method reinforces this research because it fully demonstrates

that the test has enhanced reliability and credibility. The survey uses multiple sources to

collect data, including semi-structured interviews, marketing materials, and social media.

This data represents an increase in the reliability and credibility of the search results.

Furthermore, there are several ethical considerations that will be kept in focus during this

study (Plowman and Wilson, 2018). One of them is the consent form. Each participant will be

given a consent and participation form in which research objectives, questions and

methodological strategy will be discussed so that each participant can review them before

involving them in the research.

Ethical Consideration

This study follows all the ethical aspects of the research. During the process of

research, no information was interpreted or manipulated and only reliable databases are

searched. The study did not use vague and bogus facts and figures and ensure the reliablity of

the data and findings.

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Discussion and Conclusion

As social media has spread and cell phones are becoming more and more popular in

daily life, it has become an important marketing channel with a special focus on young

travellers (Alalwan et al., 2017). Although some well-known hotel brands have begun to

demonstrate the use of these social networks for marketing and brand awareness, analysing

the effectiveness of different social media platforms will not be bad for exploring the

customers' perception (Shaltoni, 2017). Furthermore, the hotel industry is one of the areas

with great potential for social media marketing. This is especially true for the global business

sector, where traditional media can be hindered by geographic or social barriers.

When interpreting between the social media advertisers and their consumers, it is easy

to confuse the basic data, especially the global manipulators who have just contacted them in

their country/region (Rehnen et al., 2017). The best way to address this cultural difference is

to conduct direct marketing responses through social media and online platforms (Ebrahim,

2020). In recent years, social media marketing (SM) has shown exponential growth and is

becoming increasingly important in the evolving global media (Devi and Ganguly, 2021).
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