What is Affecting Customers’ Intention to Perform Social Media Marketing Activities in the Hotel Industry?

Abstract

Social media marketing is a connection between brands and consumers, offering a personal channel for user centered networking and social interaction. The research employs constructs adapted from the Technology Acceptance Model, integrates them with other constructs and investigates factors affecting Greek consumers’ acceptance of social media marketing in the hotel industry. The conceptual model is tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The study identifies six factors that directly or indirectly influence intention to perform Social Media Marketing Activities. These factors are: Perceived ease of use, Perceived usefulness, Permission Based Acceptance, Fear about social media marketing, Social media Use, and Attitudes towards marketing with social media. The model raises fundamental issues that hotel managers, decision-makers and social media specialists should take into account to increase customers’ intention to perform social media marketing activities, like booking, using social media applications.