Purpose - The advent of social media is dramatically changing the way marketing communication is conducted. This paper reports a study regarding the use of social media in the wellness industry. This industry is competitive and utterly dependent on creating mutually beneficial relationships with customers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of social media marketing in the wellness industry. Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative methods have been used. In-depth interviews have been carried out with marketing communication professionals in seven leading Swedish spa-hotels. The data from the interviews were analysed utilising the constant comparative method from the grounded theory approach. Findings - Dimensions describing the activities, challenges and results of social media in the hotels have been defined. The findings are related to service quality theory, in particular the service dominant logic of marketing (SDL), and a comprehensive framework is proposed. Research limitations/implications - The findings should be useful for the scientific understanding of the effects of social media in marketing. The study is based entirely on qualitative data. Practical implications - The results of the study should be useful for managers trying to market their offers effectively through social media. Originality/value - The connections between social media and the SDL has not previously been studied in the wellness industry and such studies in other industries are rare. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.