The debut State of Social report has officially launched! Delivered by Kitch and KAM, it is the first industry-wide benchmarking report dedicated to social media metrics for UK hospitality operators.

What does State of Social deliver?

• Exclusive benchmarking data, allowing contributors to analyse performance by estate size and sub-sector.
• Clear insights into how competitors are managing social media.
• A comprehensive look at the challenges and trends shaping social media in the hospitality sector for 2025.
• Data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions at the board level.

An exclusive first look at the report was shared at SERVICE, hosted by Tech on Toast at BrewDog Waterloo. Susan – Kitch’s CMO,  hosted a panel of marketing experts, exploring how they build emotional brand connections and leverage data to shape their social strategies.

Why does it matter?

Social media amplifies brand visibility, builds trust, and influences decision-making. KAM research shows that nearly a fifth (18%) of UK adults use social media when researching a hospitality venue.

Most importantly, 100% of those who follow a hospitality brand are twice as likely to feel emotionally connected to it. While the true value of emotional connection can be hard to quantify, it is key to building brand loyalty and driving footfall.

What are the key takeaways?

The first of its kind, the report captured data from 62 phenomenal brands.

So, what did we find out?

• On average, only 9% of Instagram followers are under 24 years old, compared to the global average of 38%. To capture future generations, operators need to adopt alternative channels. 
• TikTok is for the taking, 81% of our brands are on TikTok, but only 56% have a dedicated platform strategy and TikTok ad spend is also significantly lower than on Meta owned networks. 
• 80% of TikTok followers are under 34 years old, representing the youngest demographics in hospitality. 
• Community management does not mirror the in-venue customer experience. In an industry that thrives ‘out of hours,’ brands fail to listen to or engage with their audience in the evenings or on weekends. 
• Limited resources is the greatest challenge for hospitality marketers. Teams are stretched with limited budgets, headcount and time.
• There was no clear correlation between posting frequency and engagement rate. Ultimately, the strength of a social strategy depends on a brand’s ability to understand each platform’s unique audience.

This is just a taste of what the report reveals. Download it here for FREE to get the full story.

This is just the beginning – year one of this report has only scratched the surface of what we hope this initiative will achieve in the future!

For more information contact susan@kitchsocial.com.

Photos featured supplied by Tech on Toast.