The Use of Social Media by SMEs in the Tourism Industry

Introduction1

The Internet is currently experiencing an unprecedented rate of growth as a result of social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Social networks are not only profoundly transforming how people use the web (Qualman, 2009) but also challenging the way that entrepreneurs and managers conduct business (Postman, 2009). This shift has given rise to several studies of web business benefits (Miller, 2010) and social media (Safko, 2010; Zarrella, 2009) as new perspectives in marketing strategy. In the tourism sector, where a consumer’s decision is strongly influenced by word of mouth and reputation, the power of social media is undeniable. Zeng and Gerritsen (2014) review research on the link between social media and the tourism sector, and they observe the diversity of studies adopting a strategic perspective (e.g., Hsu, 2012) or a consumer perspective (Sotiriadis & van Zyl, 2013). Relevant to SMEs, social media channels are considered “affordable” marketing tools (Dutta, 2010) for organizations with limited resources in general. This change in perspective has generated a rich body of literature devoted to SME marketing practices.

This research aims to explore the integration of social media into marketing strategy and to answer the following questions:

• 1.

  Do SMEs use social media in their marketing practices?

• 2.

  If so, how?

• 3.

  What is the impact of social media on SME marketing strategies?