A determination of the extent to which social media marketing is practiced by small and medium hotels in Nairobi

Abstract

Social media marketing has been identified as the new way to promote businesses in the world over. Consumers are turning away from the traditional sources of advertising: radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. Social media tools have provided a platform where consumers can demand what they want and be able to communicate that with the producers. This study had two objectives. One was to find out the extent to which small and medium businesses practice Social Media Marketing and the other was to establish the problems associated with the practice. In undertaking this study, small and medium hotels in Nairobi were targeted. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The research instrument was administered directly by the researcher within the selected areas. The data collected was analyzed using percentages and frequency tables. Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis of the written materials drawn from expressions of the participants. The study found that 14% of the small and 36% of medium hotels had adopted social media tools for their marketing practices and the majority of the small and medium hotels still relied on traditional media to promote their services. The problems identified included unreliability of internet services providence by the service providers and lack of technological knowhow to effectively engage in SMM. On the basis of the study, it was suggested that further research be carried out in other industries as well and recommended that small and medium businesses adopt SMM