Social Media in Hotels

What is social media?

Social media is a channel which engages users (Starkov, 2011). According to Kaplan and Haenlein, (2010, as cited in Noone et al., 2011) social networking makes reference to “a group of Internet-based applications that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content”. Moreover, Gordon (2010), Hennig-Thurau (2010) and Libai et al., (2010, as cited in Ab Hamid et al., 2013) state that social media allows users to build up and share content, have communication between each other and connect with other users. Consumers contact people they do not know in real life and on a later stage ask them for an opinion or an advice about a product or a service (Choeng and Morrison, 2007, as cited in Kwon, 2008). McCleary and Altin (2011) point out that it is “one of the fastest growing means of communication for business as well as for personal purposes”. Social media is used by different kinds of organisations (Krawczyk and Weltevreden, 2011). Furthermore, Sullivan (2013) claims that using it, is related to a modern method of interacting and that it is all about getting involved in online networks.

Social media is also a new way of marketing businesses, and that companies should use it to their advantage (Luebke, 2010, as cited in Koutroumanis, 2011). Customers use social networks as a tool for collecting information before going on a trip, by looking at reviews by other users (Assenov and Khurana, 2012). Kang (2011) adds that through social channels, users share their experiences and this way they give suggestions to other consumers. According to Kasavana (2008) the attractiveness of social media is closely related to the fact that consumers can share photos and videos as well. It was reported by Travel Trade Gazette (2011) that social media network users research for their holiday trips mainly for hotel experiences that others had had.

Social media networks are a comparatively new topic within researches in the hospitality industry (Leue et al. 2013). According to Smyth et al. (2010) the influence social media has on this sector is currently being researched extensively. In addition, it is really good for some aspects of hospitality industry and rather bad for other aspects (Barsky and Waite, 2012). Rosman and Stuhura (2013) claim that “hotels and social media appear to be a great fit, as hotels are information gatherers”. Lim (2010) adds that hotels are challenged by how to get customers involved, turn them into guests of their hotels and later share their experience in the social media networks. “In recent years, the hotel sector has been concerned at the eroding of loyalty as a result of online channels and intermediaries” (Neslin et al., 2006, as cited in Leue et al., 2013). Law (2009, as cited in Inversini and Masiero, 2014) suggests that online platforms are “revolutionizing the way hotel managers carry out day-to-day business”.