Impact of content marketing on eWOM and bookings in rural hotels

This study aims to analyze the influence of digital advertising disseminated by rural hotels on electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and room bookings. To fulfill this purpose, 1,017 Instagram posts from 14 Colombian hotels were reviewed through content analysis, and independent and mediating variables were coded. The dependent variable (bookings) was operationalized using primary information. Finally, to test the research hypotheses, a generalized structural equation model was applied, with a negative binomial distribution family. The study results show that advertising content significantly affects eWOM, both in its passive and active versions, and also influences the establishment’s income. On the other hand, it was found that passive eWOM expressed as likes on the post is related to a higher volume of visits to the hotel. Specifically, it was found that celebrity endorsement in Instagram posts improves all evaluated metrics (likes, comments, and income), while entertainment content has a negative effect on them.