The Influence of Social Media Marketing Management, Risk Perception, and Perceived Usefulness on the Performance of Tourism Businesses in Thailand

Aim/Purpose: This study investigated how Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Risk (PR) influenced the Business Performance (BP) of tourism enterprises in Thailand, with Social Media Marketing Management (SMMM) positioned as a mediating mechanism. By integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Resource-Based View (RBV), the research sought to explain how entrepreneurs’ cognitive perceptions of digital technologies were transformed into organizational capabilities and, ultimately, performance outcomes. The study specifically investigated whether SMMM functions as a strategic capability that links Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Risk of digital marketing to improved Business Performance in the context of tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Introduction/Background: The tourism industry has long been a significant contributor to Thailand’s economic growth, employment, and regional development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural weaknesses among tourism SMEs, particularly in digital readiness and resilience. As travel declined and uncertainty increased, tourism enterprises relied more heavily on digital platforms to maintain visibility, engage customers, and rebuild trust. Consequently, social media marketing has evolved into a strategic managerial function. Despite evidence that social media marketing enhances firm performance, limited research explains how entrepreneurs’ perceptions of digital technologies influence effective social media management and business outcomes in developing economies. Methodology: In this study, a quantitative design was adopted using survey data from 335 registered tourism entrepreneurs across seven regions of Thailand. Respondents were business owners and senior managers involved in strategic and digital marketing decisions. Data was collected through an online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. Measurement items were adapted from established studies and validated through expert review and pilot testing. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, with reliability, validity, and common method variance assessed to ensure robust results. Findings: The empirical results provided several important findings. First, Perceived Usefulness was found to exert a strong and significant positive effect on both Social Media Marketing Management and Business Performance. This indicated that when tourism entrepreneurs recognize the operational and strategic benefits of digital technologies, they were more likely to adopt structured SMMM practices and achieve superior performance outcomes. Second, Perceived Risk did not have a direct effect on Business Performance; however, it showed a significant positive influence on SMMM. This suggests that higher levels of perceived risk motivate entrepreneurs to manage social media more systematically as a means of reducing uncertainty, enhancing transparency, and building customer trust. Third, Social Media Marketing Management had a significant positive effect on business performance, confirming its role as a critical driver of competitiveness in the tourism sector. Mediation analysis further revealed that SMMM partially mediated the relationship between Perceived Usefulness and Business Performance, whereas it fully mediated the relationship between Perceived Risk and Business Performance. These findings underscore the central role of SMMM as a mechanism that converts cognitive perceptions into tangible organizational outcomes. Contributions/Impact on Society: This study advances the literature by integrating TAM and RBV in the context of social media marketing. It demonstrates that digital technology perceptions (PU, PR) must be understood alongside managerial processes (SMMM) to explain performance outcomes in SMEs. By highlighting the dual roles of PU and PR, and the central mediating mechanism of SMMM, the study provides a nuanced understanding of how SMEs in emerging markets may leverage digital tools to sustain competitiveness in tourism. Recommendations: Based on the findings, tourism entrepreneurs are encouraged to move beyond ad hoc social media usage and invest in systematic social media marketing management practices, including content strategy, customer engagement, and performance monitoring. Policymakers and industry stakeholders should support SMEs through targeted training programs that enhance digital competencies and risk management skills. Such initiatives can strengthen the strategic use of social media and amplify its contribution to business performance. Research Limitations: As with all empirical studies, this research has limitations that present opportunities for future inquiry. The study focused on Thai tourism SMEs, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other sectors or cultural contexts. Future research could conduct cross-country comparisons or explore variations across industries to assess the robustness of the model. In addition, this study employed a cross-sectional design; longitudinal studies are recommended to capture how perceptions of usefulness and risk, along with SMMM practices, evolve over time. Finally, future work could incorporate additional variables, such as entrepreneurial orientation, digital literacy, or customer trust, to enrich the explanatory power of the mode Future Research: Future research should employ longitudinal designs to track the developing impact of digital trends. Testing more moderators, such as digital literacy and technological infrastructure, across diverse tourism sectors would enhance generalizability. Further studies could also focus on the role of artificial intelligence in social media marketing management to determine its specific influence on long-term business sustainability.