SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND CUSTOMER BRAND AWARENESS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study is concerned with social media marketing and customer brand awareness in the hotel industry in Delta State Nigeria. The specific objectives are to: determine the effect of customer engagement on brand awareness in the hotel industry; ascertain the influence of social customer relationship management on brand awareness in the hotel industry; examine the effect of word-of-mouth communications on brand awareness in the hotel industry; evaluate the influence of social customer trust on customer brand awareness in the hotel industry; and determine the effect of online brand community on customer brand awareness in the hotel industry. The study adopted survey research design and the population was unknown. The sample size was statistically determined to 246 respondents out of which 160 or approximately 65% responded. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data while the data was analysed with the aid of JASP software using multiple regression analysis. The results show that there is a statistically significant relationship between social customer engagement, social customer relationship management, word-of-mouth communications, social customer trust, and online brand communities. The implications of the findings were discussed and recommendation were also made including modernising and improving service quality to the customers.