The strong cultural linkage between Ireland and North America now presents a unique opportunity for the Irish tourism sector via social media. There the industry can engage with existing and potential customers around the online presence of items of cultural interest that can influence the decision to visit (and revisit) Ireland and experience a wider range of attractions. The main objective of this study is to examine the role of social media in marketing Ireland as a destination to the North American market. Various quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to obtain the perspectives of visitors and of key stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of social media in attracting these North American visitors (NAVs) to Ireland. Methods included online surveys of visitors and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with those responsible for implementing social media strategies in the Irish tourism sector. Furthermore, a Netnographic analysis of the key stakeholders’ social media strategies was carried out using the Nvivo 11(Ncapture) software. This approach generated a large amount of data that had to be analysed and coded so the emerging themes relevant to the main objective could be identified. This analysis revealed the potential for social media to transform Irish-North American tourism strategies for the various stakeholders. Nevertheless the analysis also particularly provides key insights into the knowledge and resource requirements of the Irish SMEs operating in this sector. One of the conclusions of this study is that the enormous potential of social media to provide a cost-effective strategy for Irish SMEs can only be realised if issues relating to knowledge and resource limitations are properly addressed. In an effort to address the challenges and opportunities for growth posed by social media for Irish tourism SMEs, this study proposes adaptations of existing theoretical models such as the Ansoff and BCG matrices. This study’s innovation includes a proposed key performance indicator (KPI) framework that can be applied as a cost effective social media strategy. The study demonstrates how the proposed strategy can be put into practice and become of practical benefit to the Irish SMEs who wish to move from a position as peripheral agents. This can happen through implementing such a technologically-enabled market strategy and using a network of contacts freely available through social media platforms.

1. “Investigating How Social Media Can Augment
Existing Marketing Strategies for All Stakeholders
in the North American Visitor-Irish Tourism
Market”
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2. Dr. Garvan Whelan is a Lecturer
& Financial Research Analyst at
ITT Dublin since 2004
Colm Barcoe BBS, MBS
(Research) is currently a
Teacher in St Colmcilles
Secondry School in Knocklyon
Dublin 16
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3. Presentation Content
Introduction to the Completed Research
Literature Review: Secondary Analysis
The Irish-North American Tourism Sector
Theoretical Background to the Thesis
Methodology
Findings
Data Analysis
The Proposed Framework
Conclusions
Summary
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4. Introduction to the Completed Research
This Research Project was funded by a PPRA
Scholarship in IT Tallaght
Research Began in September 2016 and Culminated
in September 2018
The Purpose of this Investigation was to Explore How
Social Media is used to Market Ireland as a
Destination to North American Visitors (NAV)
The Findings Revealed Significant Managerial
Implications for Irish SMEs in Relation to the use of
Social Media Insights and as Marketing Channel 4

5. Literature Review: Secondary Analysis
The Literary Analysis was Continuous Throughout
the Investigation
There were many Considerations to be Analysed
like the Irish-North American Heritage
The First Aspect of this Analysis was the use of
Social Media as a Digital Marketing Channel
 The Final Consideration was the adaptation of the
Medium in Relation to SMEs in the Irish Tourism
Sector
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6. The Irish-North American Tourism Sector
Over the Past Seven Years the Irish-North-American
Tourism Sector has Grown Exponentially
Tourism Ireland has Reported on Average a 6%
Increase in Visitations Annually in this Period
The Popularity of North Ireland as a Destination has
Grown with a 30% Increase in Visitations Over the
Past Two Years
Social Media has made the NAV very Accessible to
the Irish Tourism Sector
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7. Theoretical Background to the Thesis
 Wright (2008) Explores the Ancestral links that give
Ireland an Advantage in the North American Sector
 Durkin, Mc Kewon, and Mc Gowan (2013) Identified the
need for SMEs to Assess their Potential use of Social
Media in Irish Tourism
 Bolan, Crossan, and O’Connor (2013) Illustrate the use of
TV and Movies as Marketing Content that Engages NAVs
 Buhalis et al (2013) Highlights the Potential of Social
Media Insights when Marketing a Destination like Ireland
 Tourism Ireland (2017) Recommended the Irish SMEs use
Social Media and Engage with the Content Provided as
Part of the Marketing Strategies 7

8. 1998 Tourism
Ireland was
Formed as Part of
the Good Friday
Agreement
2005-2009: Many
Social Media
Platforms emerged
2013 The Gathering
and Wild Atlantic Way
were Launched using
Social Media as a
Marketing Channel
2018:Tourism Ireland use
a Variety of Social Media
Campaigns to Market
Ireland as a Destination
1998 2005 2013 2018
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10. Research Design
The main purpose of this research was to Investigate the
impact of social media on the decision making process of
the NAV to Ireland
Previous Research had not fully Explored the Existing and
Potential use of Social Media, in an Irish-North American
Context
Stakeholders of the Tourism Sector were divided into Four
Categories:
1) Tourism Ireland as an Irish Destination Market
Organisation
2) Large-sized providers of tourism services
3) Small and medium-sized Providers of Tourism
Services
4) Intermediaries and Agents
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11. Methodology
It was Decided to use Three Methods in Relation to the
Research
A Survey Instrument was used in order to Question the
NAVs in the Pre, and Post Trip Phases, this was
Supported by a Face to Face Survey of NAVs in locations
around Ireland
Semi-Structured In-Depth Interviews were used in order
to Gain Insights into How Social Media is used as both
an analytic tool and a Marketing Channel
Netnography was used to Monitor Stakeholders in Real
Time across Twitter, TripAdvisor, Facebook, You Tube,
and Facebook
NVivo 11, a Software Assistant, was used to Sort,
Arrange, and Analyse the Large Volume of Data
Obtained 11

12. Table 4.1 Methods of the Study
Method Categories
1
Surveys of North American visitors
with three categories of
respondents
Respondents in three phases:
a) Pre-trip
b) During trip
c) Post trip
2
Semi-structured in-depth
interviews with the four categories
of stakeholders
Four categories of stakeholders:
a) Tourism Ireland
b) Large scale operators
c) SMEs
d) Intermediaries and Agents
3
Netnographic analysis The Netnographic analysis in two stages:
a) Primary qualitative
b) Secondary data
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13. Research Questions
 There Were Three Research Questions Devised based on the
Secondary Analysis of the Literature
 How Do the Various Stakeholders Currently Use Social Media?
 Which Social Media Marketing Channels are most effective in
the Influencing of NAVS to Travel to Ireland?
 What form of Social Media Analysis will best inform the
marketing strategies of organisations involved in the Irish
North American sector?
 Each Question was Directly Linked to the Methodologies that
would be the most Appropriate to the Stakeholder Concerned
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14. Findings
There were four Themes Identified by the Data Analysis:
The Cultural Linkage Between Ireland and North America
and its Impact on the Desire of the North American to Visit
Ireland
The Benefits Obtained from Social Media Marketing
Strategies When Promoting Ireland to North America
The Different Approaches Adopted by Large-Scale Operators
and SMEs when using Social Media as Channels to promote
Ireland to North America
The Role of Social Media and Mobile Technologies When
Targeting the North American Visitors in the Future 14

15. Data Analysis
The First Significant Finding was the Desire of the NAV to
engage with all Things Irish across Social Media Platforms
The Current use of Social Media is Varied Between the
Categories of Stakeholders with the Majority of SMEs
Dependant on TripAdvisor Reviews for Insights
Most SMEs Do Not see the Return on Investment in Relation
to Social Media and Find it to Time Consuming
The Future of Social Media Marketing in Ireland will
Somewhat Depend on SMEs Interacting with the Larger
Stakeholders Forming an Online Network of Alliances to
Generate NAV Engagement
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21. The Proposed Framework
Common Elements of the Data Analysis Suggested that
Irish SMEs are not using Social Media to its Full
Potential
In the Post Primary Phase it was decided to adapt and
Propose Three Frameworks that would Benefit all
Interested Parties
The Strategy was Based on Penrose’s (1959) firm
Growth Model for SMEs
Gibb and Scott’s (1988) Resource Model was also
Adapted in Order to Benefit SMEs in Irish Tourism
Dewhurst and Burns (1986) Ansoff Model was used to
Highlight How Social Media can Augment Traditional
Marketing Matrices
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33. Table 6.1 Proposed KPI Framework of the Study
Social Media
(1=10)
Reach (1-10)
Platform Visits (1-10)
Likes (1-10)
Comments (1-10)
Shares (1-10)
Sales Conversions (1-10)
Total Overall Interactions (/60)
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34. Conclusions
Social Media was Found to be a very Cost-effective
Approach to Marketing Ireland as a Destination
This Requires the Forming of A Network of Alliances
Online in Order to Maximise all Available Resources
The Benefits that are Obtained From Monitoring and
Measuring Social Media Insights Shed Light on
Opportunities for Irish SMEs
The Proposed Frameworks Led to the Implementation of a
Strategy that was Implemented in September 2018
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36. In Summary
It was Found that there is a Great Pool of Knowledge
Available to Irish SMEs in Relation to Social Media
SME Managers can be Quite Dismissive of the Potential
of Social Media as a Digital Marketing Channel
Most SME Managers Just use TripAdvisor to Gauge
Customer Satisfaction and Promote their Product
Not Enough SMEs Engage with other Stakeholders and
Remain Peripheral Agents
Stakeholders in the Irish Tourism Sector need to Form a
Network of Alliances in Order to Maximise their
Available Resources Through Social Media
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37. Thank You for
Listening!!
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