Social Media Marketing: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory in the Hotel Industry

The purpose of this study was to examine the gratification factors that increase user satisfaction of hotels' Facebook pages and to determine how user satisfaction affects visit intention to a hotel by applying the uses and gratifications ( U&G) theory. Using structural equation modeling, this study suggested three gratifications of information, convenience, and self-expression serve as antecedents for user satisfaction with the hotel's Facebook page, but two gratifications of entertainment and social interaction did not significantly affect user satisfaction with the hotel's Facebook page. The results of the study also showed a positive relationship between user satisfaction with a hotel's Facebook page and intention to stay at that hotel in the future. The findings of this study provide theoretical contributions by extending the application of the U&G theory to hotels Facebook usage and these results can guide hotel companies toward improving their Facebook pages in order to meet the users' needs.