Critically Evaluating Social Media in Hotel Singapore E-Tourism

This case study critically evaluates the use of social media in Hotel Singapore's e-tourism strategy. It examines online marketing practices, focusing on social media's role in brand building, destination promotion, and audience engagement. The research explores how Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to reach potential visitors. It analyzes Hilton Singapore's existing online marketing strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. The study employs both primary and secondary data collection methods, including surveys and interviews, to assess the effectiveness of social media campaigns. Statistical analysis, charts, and graphs are used to interpret the data and provide recommendations for improving Hilton Singapore's social media strategy. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of online marketing and social media participation for DMOs to achieve their marketing objectives.

Hotel Singapore E-Tourism
E-Tourism
Critically evaluate the use of Social Media in Hotel Singapore
Institution Affiliation
Student Name
CourseID
August 29, 2024
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Executive Summary
The research has investigated on the approaches of online marketing practices using the social-
media as a digital marketing options in communication to build the brands destinations and
engaging the audience in reaching the potential visitors. The reason for taking the research was
examining the roles of online-marketing and the social media marketing strategies destinations
and the managements. The most important finding that emerge in this study is that Destinations
Marketing Organizations needs to give more emphasis by widely participating in the online
marketing as well on the activities in the social media for them to achieve the associated benefits.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background of the hotel..................................................................................................................5
1.2 Problem Statement..........................................................................................................................9
1.3 Significance of Study...............................................................................................................10
1.4 Research Objective........................................................................................................................10
1.5 Research Question.........................................................................................................................11
2.0 Literature Review..............................................................................................................................11
2.1 Case Study/ Boundaries.................................................................................................................11
2.2 Online Marketing..............................................................................................................................12
2.3 Hilton Singapore Online Marketing Strategies in Existence and Proposed Ones....................13
2.3.1 Search Engines Optimizations. (SEO)...................................................................................13
2.3.2 Email Marketing..............................................................................................................14
2.3.3 Social Media Marketing.........................................................................................................14
2.3.4 Paying on per click (PPC)......................................................................................................15
2.4 Social Media...................................................................................................................................15
2.4.1 Web 2.0....................................................................................................................................15
2.4.2 Social Media Optimization.....................................................................................................16
2.4.3 Social Market Strategies.........................................................................................................19
3.0 Methodology.......................................................................................................................................20
3.1 Strategy of Research......................................................................................................................20
3.2 Case study selection.......................................................................................................................21
4.0 Data Analysis and Discussions..........................................................................................................21
4.1 Data Collection...............................................................................................................................21
4.1.1 Primary data collection..........................................................................................................21
4.1.2 Secondary Data Collection.....................................................................................................22
4.2 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................22
4.2.1 Primary Data...........................................................................................................................23
4.3 Statistical Analysis, charts, graphs, excel data analysis and the personal interpretation.........23
4.3.1 Respondents with regards to the distribution of gender......................................................27
4.3.2 frequency of using social media.............................................................................................27
4.3.3 Respondents with regards to number of hours per day social media is used.....................28
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4.3.4. social media channel favorited..............................................................................................29
4.3.5 Respondents agreement on the advertisements to be attractive enough.............................30
4.3.6 Availability of events organized by Hilton Singapore on Social Media channels...............31
4.3.7 Frequency of evaluating the social media in Hilton Singapore...........................................32
Discussions and Recommendations........................................................................................................32
Conclusions..............................................................................................................................................33
List of References....................................................................................................................................34
APPENDICES.........................................................................................................................................36
A. Questionnaire Form.....................................................................................................................36
B. Interview Form............................................................................................................................37
C. Survey Form.................................................................................................................................38
D. Execution of Modes, Median, Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation FOR THE
INTERVIEW.......................................................................................................................................47
Graph for Interview participants...................................................................................................48
Chart for Interview Participants.........................................................................................................48
E. Execution of Modes, Median, Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation for the questionnaire.
49
Graph for questionnaire Results....................................................................................................50
Chart for Questionnaire Results.....................................................................................................50
SURVEY RESPONSES GRAPHS AND CHARTS..........................................................................51
Content of Figures
Figure 1 Web 2.0.......................................................................................................................................15
Figure 2 Landscape of SMO......................................................................................................................16
Figure 3 comparison of people who trust online customer reviews and a recommendation towards their
saying........................................................................................................................................................18
Figure 4 social media goals.......................................................................................................................19
Figure 5Execution of Modes, Median, Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation FOR INTERVIEWEE. .47
Figure 6 Graph for Interview participants..................................................................................................48
Figure 7 Execution of Modes, Median, Mean, Variance and Standard Deviation FOR
QUESTIONNAIRES.................................................................................................................................49
Figure 8 GRAPH FOR QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS............................................................................50
Figure 9 CHART FOR QUESTIONNAIRE RESLUTS............................................................................50
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1. Introduction.
The major reason to this research is giving an overview of the scope by providing the readers
with a good outline in relation to the paper. The research begins by discussing the background,
research problems, objectives of the study and the associated questions to be researched. The
boundary is also subjected which in this case is hotel case study. In conclusion, an outline of the
research study will be presented.
1.1 Background of the hotel
In the current world, people are living in the real time age of info & communications as it
spreads globally. In June 2010, about 30% of earth population were using internet (WorldStats,
2011). Internet users have become more connected than it ever happened there before. Through
the engagement and interaction with the info channels and the use of social virtual medias and
communities many people have been brought together in one platform. The vast development of
such media platforms such as the Google, Use of Facebook, website that has Video-sharing
features like YouTube, Blogs and articles as well as micro-blogs platforms such as the Twitter.
The mentioned platforms have created efficient evidences, where in consideration they have
changed channels of communication and the virtuality of the social life.
According to the BF (Brand-Finance), which is the world known detailed body in
performing survey for brand values has ranked Google to be the most Valuable brand across and
over all major markets (BF, 2011). Google, domination in the website information in the search
engine sectors, is very much valuable in the manner in that it is worth $44.3 billion followed by
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Microsoft Edge with about $42.8 billion. Brand Finance Report has shown that people have
increased their dependency on the internet which has been evident by Google being No 1.
Facebook has over 1 billion users who are active and thus it has become the most used and
famous social networking social media platforms (Facebook, 2011) which is about almost a
quarter of the world population.
In the current economy of globe, there has been vast growth and tourism diversifying for
some years as it has become a phenomenon globally and thus affecting the economy nation
significantly (UNWTO, 2010). In the activities of tourism, the destination of tourism is very
crucial and termed as fundamental element tourism occurrence. Marketing and their strategies as
well as the ways through which they are implemented have been termed as backbones of
destination activities (YourSingapores, 2011). If Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)
was to be applied s many will take the advantage of the ICT and thus help in social media
development in marketing in all the destinations as the distinctive strategies in marketing online.
Tourism Organization board and Europeans Travels Commissions (2008) showed that the
purposes and strategies of the online marketing was exploiting the internet and the associated
forms of the digital communication in corresponding to the market targeted in a way that is very
effective. Internet is one of the platforms which has helped in increasing the means and channels
of promotions as well as distribution of tourism services. In this case of tourism, the DOMs
platforms have been created through ways such as websites being linked where
customers/viewers and visitor’s ca be able to access information and purchase and make order of
numerous mechanisms in a given outing when online (McColes, 2001). Marketing online has
been termed to be a relative new-fangled aspect of strategic enactment which have expanded
speedily and thus becoming very significant. Marketing online may be put in to considerations to
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be one of the aspects of operational and functional aspects of strategies in marketing (Pearson,
2010). Marketing Online has offered Destination Marketing Organization (DMOs) a potential
that is so real in reaching the far away audience than it used to be there before (Kester, 2008).
The inception of social media is still one due to the constant evolution that has been
witnessed and seen each and very minute because of the development of the internet and
information technologies. Social media has been categorized and considered to be one of the best
channels of communication. However, internet and social media has greatly influenced people in
many ways. Nevertheless, for a company to use the anticipated social media, they may need to
have a plan and defines their distinctive strategies.
According to Altimeter Group Report in 2009, company was deeply engaged in different
channels of social media, revenue of growth by over 18% for the last few years while those
companies that were engaged least had a drop in the average by having about 6% of total
revenue for over the same period (Cucx, 2009). In the environment of academic, there have been
less research done and the demonstration practical of online marketing as well as the studies of
social-media in the industry of tourism in general and the marking destinations administration in
specific.
1.2 Problem Statement
This study has used the case study of VisitSingapore, which is the Singapore National
Marketing Body for tourism, which is owned almost equally by the government of Singapore via
the existing enterprises, Energy and communications ministries as well as the tourism industry of
Singapore. VisitSingapore has been able to identify the marketing assignments by putting a lot of
focus on marketing international the Singapore brands and the destinations as well as the
experiences of Singapore.
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There are other Destinations Marketing Organizations who has not made in any effort in
integration of digital marketing in their businesses but VisitSingapore has made a greater effort
in integrating the digital marketing and thus doing away with traditional techniques used for
marketing. VisitSingapore has been engaged and involved in the marketing using social media
thus using it in to build such platforms in strengthening the existing brands and reaching to the
potential visitors. VisitSingapore report in 2008 by Develop has shown that by the time the
official online community was launched, VisitSingapore made use of platforms of social media
as a major strategy to promote Singapore Brands and thus engaging them to online communities
with an aim of reaching may potential customers.
In the tourism industry people may tend to book their travel trips when still at home, they can get
arrangement with regards to the accommodations and the respective to and fro air tickets as well
as finding information for the travel destination in a given travel forum. As a result of the above
information, it will be evident to say that the use of the internets and the information
communication technologies has really helped in marketing and thus becoming a priority for
both enterprise of tourism and that of DMOs. More knowledge has been displayed to the public
as nowadays as a traveler, one doesn’t need to go to the airport or the booking place but one can
have the knowledge of the destinations if before the they have arrived to their destinations and
they can do this by searching information in blogs of travels and they can ask questions in the
available forum where they will get instant feedbacks.
1.3 Significance of Study
In the given study, the findings in the research is practical and much more theoretical
significant. At the first stage of the research findings, there are some current theories for the
social media in marketing and the industry of hospitality which has temporarily been lacking in
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the given research. In conclusion of the research, one will be expected to give some
recommendations that could be used in improving some of the strategy for the hotels of Hilton
Singapore that will have some social marketing in the coming future.
1.4 Research Objective.
The research has focused on the discussion and the analysis on the title role of marketing
online using the social media as the destination. In this case Leverage of online marketing and
the use of social media have been used in convincing the Destination Marketing Organizations
that social networking media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube among others as the
marketing tools for communication which will be a necessity used to build and strengthen the
brands of destination as well encouraging engagement of audience as well as attracting the
potential visitors. In discussing with regards to the case study of Hilton Singapore the following
research question should be looked upon and tackled in details.
1.5 Research Question
1. How has Destination Marketing Organizations used social media in engaging the
audience in reaching to the potential group?
2. How has DMOs been able to build the brands using the social networking media?
3. What are some of the strategies of Social media in Tourism sector considering the case of
Hilton Singapore Hotel?
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Case Study/ Boundaries.
Singapore has been known to be a city that has greater name internationally because of its
growth in the tourism sector especially in the executive and classic hotels in existence. It also
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known for the efficiency which is fast-paced and vibrancy which is multi-cultural and thus
making it a home where enclaves is waiting to be discovered. Hilton Singapore is a hotel located
in Singapore that has been known for having a well-appointed accommodation that has been
offering not only retreats but also offering excellent springboards which have been used in
exploring Singapore which may includes the step in to Hilton Singapore Hotel.
2.2 Online Marketing
According to Tiley & Eleiy (2009), online marketing can be termed to be activity for
promoting brands over the internet which may include emails. It is known for taking many forms
which may include tools such as the search engines for marketing such as Google and Bing,
marketing through emails, online advertising, use of social media platforms as well as usage of
affiliate marketing.
Online marketing can also be used by different authors in many ways which may seem to
be different such as when one does electronic marketing, digital marketing, marketing on the
internet (Tilleys, 2009)and marketing on the web-based platforms. Johnston & Chaffey (2006)
has explained the internet marketing to be simply termed as the “concept of achieving the
objectives of marketing through the application of digital technologies” (Chaffey, 2007).
2.3 Hilton Singapore Online Marketing Strategies in Existence and Proposed Ones
This topic is known for its vast features and characteristics and for Hilton Singapore to
become successful through use of online marketing it has to find strategies of marketing which
are suitable in reaching the target audience in their market and thus helping them in taking the
full advantage and possession of online marketing. The following are some of the online
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marketing types and strategies that has been applied by Hilton Singapore and those that they
need to put in to implementation.
2.3.1 Search Engines Optimizations. (SEO)
This is using techniques to increase traffic in the website. If Hilton Singapore visitors can use
the techniques wisely they can get the content in the website of the company as the search
engines in the hotel website will be displayed on top bar results from the search and thus help to
obtain more traffic. They can be classified in to three categories as explained here below.
Primary Search Engine – this is also referred to as the Major and is commonly known
by many people who uses search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo. Primary search
engines have brought many people in to traffic of the hotel website. Primary search
engines may differ slightly from the other depending on the functional operations it is
intended to achieve.
Secondary Search Engines- are search engines which are known to have some general
content and always targets a smaller and much more a specific audience. They are useful
in regional as well as searches which are narrowly focused in generating the traffic which
is valuable. Some of the examples of such engines are such as Lycos, Look Smart,
Ask.com among others. Their ranking always varies from one to the other.
Targeted Search Engines – they are also known as the topical search engines which are
known for being specific search engines when compared with the other two. They focus
on narrow areas in most cases it is usually in a general topic like Engineering, Medicine,
Travel, sports among others. A good example is the city search in yahoo.
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2.3.2 Email Marketing
This is use of social media in promotion of a company’s product to known DB of the
potential and existing customers via the use of email. This type of marketing has been so
essential and thus becoming an integral part of the online marketing due to its acceptance as a
mean of communication for the business and the consumers.
2.3.3 Social Media Marketing
This is one of the most popular type of online marketing strategy in the present world.
This tool is used by most companies in obtaining more traffic through interactions with the
customers. This has impacted in many ways the way the company and the consumers
communicate. Social media marketing has offered platforms which are easily accessed by each
and every individual through the internet.
2.3.4 Paying on per click (PPC)
This is an online marketing strategy where one must incur. In this strategy one must
create dissimilar adverts with the keywords and placing them on the website they intend to. The
much the organization will pay for the clicks the more its adverts will be appearing on the search
engine. In order for one to succeed at Pay Per Click type of advertising, the most significant
factor is one having the ability in persuading people by taking actions such as use of well-chosen
words.
2.4 Social Media.
2.4.1 Web 2.0
Safko (2010) explained that social media and the web 2.0 can work come together
because both of them have similar goals which are principled in enabling a community to form a
interaction forum with one another. According to Reilly (2005), web 2.0 concept was initially
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