The current qualitative research study aimed to select six to eight social media
marketing professionals and until saturation was achieved from the study’s population
(Yin, 2014). The number of social media marketing professionals was seven. Several of
these professionals were identified from marketing groups on the LinkedIn and Viadeo
professional social networks. Individuals whose experience and working background was
directed in the social media marketing area and within the hospitality and tourism
industry as presented in these professional social networks were invited to participate in
this study. The selected participants had to be familiar with social media marketing,
particularly within the hospitality and tourism industry. The sample was purposive, and
the participants were requested to provide information on their experience with social
media marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2012).
According to Agranoff (2012), social media experience, should not be computed by time,
but by precision and expertise with the presence, performance, and reputation of social
media sites the experts are involved in.