Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Hospitality Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhm Research Paper Hotel social media metrics: The ROI dilemma Eleni Michopoulou a, ⁎ , Delia Gabriela Moisa b a University of Derby, United Kingdom b Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Social media Metrics ROI Hotel Online marketing ABSTRACT This study offers a perspective of social media performance measurement techniques adopted by hoteliers, with a focus on financial returns. The research adopted a qualitative approach, data was collected through semi- structured, open-ended interviews. Findings indicate that ROI is understood as an umbrella concept, where engagement rates, customer response and volume of likes and comments are most important. However, the element of ROI in the form of financial outcomes derived from social media remains elusive. This research contributes to social media adoption literature by investigating current social media mea- surement practices within the hospitality industry. While hotel managers employ diverse strategies for social media deployment, the focus on the effectiveness of these strategies is questionable, particularly considering financial metrics. This study presents key metrics currently used, but more importantly highlights which aspects of social media performance measurement are neglected and the gap they create in assessing social media strategies holistically and effectively. 1. Introduction The present times phenomena represented by the worldwide ac- cessibility to the Internet is reshaping the world as we know it. Defined as ‘the lovechild’ of the World Wide Web, social media comes in various forms, including forums, blogs, microblogs, photo-sharing platforms, social gaming, business networks, chat apps, and social networks (Statista Inc., 2016). The power of social networking is supported by the recent statistics, showing that the number of worldwide users on social networking is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2018, an equivalent of approximately a third of the Earth’s entire population (Statista Inc., 2016). Global internet users spend, on average, 101.4 min per day surfing social networks, with user engagement continuing to grow (Statista Inc., 2016). The main social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and their global usage have grown to a scale that can only be described as ubiquitous (Hoffman and Novak, 2012). In the United Kingdom alone, the statistics from January 2016, show that 59.47 million people are internet users, a total of 92% of the total po- pulation of the country using the Internet, and 85% of them using it on a daily basis. This prompts the regional, national, worldwide brands and marketers to use that time and screen space to promote various products or services via social media advertising or marketing. For example, considering its 22 billion ad clicks per year, Facebook is of- fering businesses the biggest advertising opportunity since search functionalities (Wordstream Inc, 2015). However, finding a firm foun- dation on which to base strategic decisions regarding on how to employ social media, to influence, and to engage their customers, still remains a challenge for many marketers. And although it has become easier to set a well-established social media strategy, the question naturally arises whether the money and time invested into a social media strategy is actually resulting in a better performance for the whole business (Nadda et al., 2015). In 2016, the hospitality industry generated over 73bn of Gross Value Added directly to the UK economy, it accounts for 3.2 million jobs through direct employment, which makes it the 4th biggest employer in the UK, succeeding the business services, wholesale and retail, human health and social work (BHA, 2017). The industry’s success is heavily dependent on consumers’ purchasing patterns, which have recently been shaped by the various dimensions of social media, including social networking sites, user generated content, Web 2.0 contents and mobile applications (Kizildag et al., 2017). As studies have shown, social media directly affects consumer experiences, travel movements, selections as well as behaviours (Kizildag et al., 2017), and managers must place great importance on the use of technological advances, while aiming to boost market performance growth and profitability. Even more im- portantly, considering the nature of the hospitality industry, which is characterized by seasonality, intangibility, and perishability (Gonzalez- Rodriguez et al., 2018), and the current market conditions where people are constantly connected to social media, it becomes clear that https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.05.019 Received 27 October 2017; Received in revised form 15 May 2018; Accepted 16 May 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: E.Michopoulou@derby.ac.uk (E. Michopoulou), moisa.delia@yahoo.com, deliagmoisa@gmail.com (D.G. Moisa). International Journal of Hospitality Management xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0278-4319/ © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Michopoulou, E., International Journal of Hospitality Management (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.05.019