Factors Influencing the Selection and Review of Social Media Platforms in the South African SMME Hospitality Industry

The adoption and use of social media by Small, Medium and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) is an area that has received attention from scholars. Yet, there remains a limited understanding of what informs an SMME’s decision to adopt a specific social media platform and how SMMEs review the performance of adopted platforms. The study sought to address this gap and primarily examined SMMEs in the hospitality sector in South Africa. The study followed a qualitative enquiry with data collection using semi-structured interviews from 15 Small, Medium and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs). The findings identified four key factors that influenced the selection of social media platforms within the trade and accommodation industry. Additional findings elicited the various techniques utilised by SMMEs to review the performance of adopted social media platforms and the impact of analysed data in guiding strategic decision-making. Key organisational driver behind SMMEs selection of a particular social media platform was the business value they anticipated to create from its integration with business objectives. Individual factors of age and digital literacy of the manager influenced the selection of a particular social media platform. The findings provide practical implications to practice and a better explanation of how SMMEs make strategic decisions when adopting and use social medial.