Want to know how to use Social Media in Business… Follow an Airline.
I am extremely impressed with how the following four airlines are using Social Media. So much so that I will go as far to say that Business Owners confused with how to use Social Media activities in their business should look towards the following four airlines for examples.
Four Airlines using Social Media Productively
These airlines are using Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and some are Blogging. These all are great ways to get the online community involved… to get them motivated to travel, to get them talking about the airlines…. what they love and what they hate. To get them spreading the word of what airline they should be traveling.
Airlines are using Facebook
Facebook is an excellent way to engage customers. And, Virgin America is doing it well. Check out Virgin America’s amazing Facebook Page:
Their Facebook page reminds me very much of a website. Upon first getting to their facebook page you will first notice the amazing color. Which I feel keeps people there for a while checking things out. But, more than that there is a lot to do once you arrive. Even right there on their facebook page visitors can click links to search flights and check flight statuses. Plus, they can do a bunch of fun Facebook interactions.
On their Facebook Profile you will find:
- Fan Photos
- Videos / Fan Videos
- Customer reviews
- The Wall
- Discussion Board
- Company Information
Their Facebook Profile also offers:
- Search Flights
- Check In/ Travel Manager
- Flight Status
- Elevate – Their Loyalty Program
- Access to their Twitter Profile
- Access to their YouTube Profile
What makes their Facebook Profile stand out to me is the fact that they are encouraging their customers to engage with one another. They make it easy to not only build relationships with other customers, but with the airline themselves. Happy customers mean returning customers and it appears Virgin America gets that.
Airlines are using Flickr
Another great way these airlines are using Social Media to help their business is with Flickr.
Let’s face it when people travel they take pictures. Traveling is very personal. Many people are traveling with family or traveling to visit family. Either way they are making memories and they are counting on every moment of their excursion to be part of it…. including their travels there and back.
So, because of this reason it just makes sense for Flickr, a photo sharing community, to be part of the social media activities being used. And, it certainly is. Let’s look at JetBlue’s Flickr Group as an example…
JetBlue has a nice Flickr Group. In their group there are already 3,777 items…. both photos and videos. Members of this Flickr group can comment on each other photos and can add each other as friends…. encouraging relationship building. These members appear to be customers, fans and employees of JetBlue and from the comments are totally connecting.
The JetBlue Flickr group also has active discussion boards. This is a great place to start discussions in the same format as other message boards and forums. Ask questions, give opinions and even offer suggestions to the airlines or members of the community.
So, as you can see the memories don’t just sit in a photo album in a cabinet at home, but instead are being shared and enjoyed with others. Plus, around these wonderful photos relationships are being made…. it doesn’t get much better than that.
Airlines are using YouTube
Many people are very visual… I’m a very visual person. I love to look at videos when things are being explained to really get a feel of what they are talking about. And, there is no exception when it comes to traveling. If I’m going to be spending hours in the air I want to make sure I’m as comfortable as possible. I want to know exactly what I’m paying for…. video is a great way to do this. Plus, videos are very engaging and entertaining…. they truly hold the viewers attention.
The airlines are using YouTube splendidly. Let’s take Delta for example…
Apparently, Delta’s New In-Flight Safety Video caused a huge buzz in the YouTube world. FoxNews had posted,
“The safety video generated such a buzz after being posted on the Atlanta-based airline’s corporate blog and on the video Web site YouTube that admirers dubbed the 33-year-old Atlanta woman “Deltalina,” a combination of the airline’s name and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who they say she resembles.”
DeltaAirLines on YouTube have tons of other videos to choose from as well. Including, Travel Guides where Delta employees showcase their favorite destinations around the globe.
Airlines are Using Twitter
If you spend any amount of time on Twitter it is hard to not notice somebody talking to or about airlines. Traveling takes a lot of planning and people will ask for suggestions and recommendations when it comes to something important like booking a flight. Also, when people are waiting on a flight or are in an airport during a long lay-over they don’t have much to do so instead they are spending time on Twitter commenting on what they are doing, eating, seeing. If they are happy… they Tweet that. If they are unhappy or disappointed… they will tweet that. Some Airlines are listening. Let’s use Southwest Air as an example…
SouthWestAir does a nice job at using Twitter to help their business. They use it in a number of ways…
- Travel Advisories
- Customer Service
- Points followers to interesting posts…. even if they are not SouthWest Air posts.
- Regular fun Chit Chat
- Informs SouthWest Customers of great places to eat at during lay-overs or delays.
Airlines are Blogging
And two of the airlines are blogging very well. You should check out both the Delta Blog and SouthWest’s Blog. They both are doing an excellent job. They blog regularly about everything from airline news to airport food to new airplanes to new airports. They are also making sure to list all of their other social profiles oin their blogs…. helping their fans and customers stay in contact with them all over the internet. Very Cool!!!
Let’s take a look at SouthWest’s Blog…. truly, their blog is exceptional. Not only is it extremely user-friendly and very easy to follow…. It is set up so wonderfully. Check it out…
Tell me this blog isn’t nice!! On the left you have little summaries of posts… and they post very regularly. And on the right hand side they have pictures from the Flickr Group and beneath that you have their video portion of their blog. Lower down on the blog you will see that you are able to listen to their podcasts… yes, SouthWest does podcasting too!!
And, the bottom half of their blog is just as good as the top part. Check this out….
The one area all Airlines need to work on…..
Using Twitter consistently as a Customer Service Tool.
Airlines have a chance to get personal with their customers and potential customers. They can calm down the lost traveler, entertain them when they are delayed, feed them when they are hungry. They can use their customer service skills to make an ornery traveler happy again. I’m not sure they are doing this. Even SouthWest that I used as an example above isn’t twittering enough. Sometimes they go days without a tweet and I’m sure there are people tweeting them and about them 24/7, so they are missing a lot…. a lot of good Customer Service via Twitter.
Even the other airlines that are using Twitter aren’t posting enough to be using it effectively. As much as the airlines are being talked about via Twitter they don’t respond nearly enough. I understand that they have a huge mass of customers and responding to all would be extremely difficult. But, in my mind they need to hire more people to cover this and to treat Twitter as a Customer Service Platform. The more happy customers the more returning customers. Even a question posted directly at some airlines go unanswered. As of the writing of this post my question has been unanswered 3 days later…
For the most part Airlines are using Social Media effectively
Even with the Twitter area that needs improving… I am totally impressed with how these four Airlines are using Social Media. They are keeping their customer’s engaged which keeps the Internet talking about them. As long as there is a talk about these airlines it keeps them on the mind of travelers and future travelers. Grant it, the talk should be good. But, if it is not all positive this is the Airline’s chance to step up…. to help the traveler, to make the traveler happy, to help them become content and satisfied. If the airlines aren’t responding they aren’t making the impression they should on their customers. If they won’t step up….. another airline will.
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHow Airlines are using Social MediaHere’s a quick excerptBut, in my mind they need to hire more people to cover this and to treat Twitter as a Customer Service Platform. The more happy customers the more returning customers. Even a question posted directly at some airlines go unanswered. … […]
great information!!
great information!!
Thank you so much @Happytraveler. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the post.
Thank you so much @Happytraveler. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the post.
Hey Shana, great post – I’ve forwarded it already 🙂
I’d be remiss not to mention the blogging efforts of Northwest Airlines Worldvacations group: http://blog.nwaworldvacations.com/ a client that is using a travel blog (it’s not a corp blog like SW) to reach more customers and is doing so successfully.
Cheers!
Hey Shana, great post – I’ve forwarded it already 🙂
I’d be remiss not to mention the blogging efforts of Northwest Airlines Worldvacations group: http://blog.nwaworldvacations.com/ a client that is using a travel blog (it’s not a corp blog like SW) to reach more customers and is doing so successfully.
Cheers!
Hi Shana, Great post. We work with a major airline and you just saved me about 4 hours of research! We’re in the process of putting together a Web 2.0 package that includes Facebook and Twitter. Your examples are great! Thanks!
Hi Shana, Great post. We work with a major airline and you just saved me about 4 hours of research! We’re in the process of putting together a Web 2.0 package that includes Facebook and Twitter. Your examples are great! Thanks!
@Lee Odden – Thank you so much, Lee. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the post. Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the Northwest Airlines World Vacations Group Blog. They have done a really great job with it. I am so impressed with how the airlines grasp the fact that building relationships with the traveler is not only important, but it is a must. These travelers are taking their families…. the people they love the most on their flights. They are building memories while traveling with them. I love that the airlines get that.
Thank you so much for leaving your comment, Lee. 🙂
@Lee Odden – Thank you so much, Lee. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the post. Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the Northwest Airlines World Vacations Group Blog. They have done a really great job with it. I am so impressed with how the airlines grasp the fact that building relationships with the traveler is not only important, but it is a must. These travelers are taking their families…. the people they love the most on their flights. They are building memories while traveling with them. I love that the airlines get that.
Thank you so much for leaving your comment, Lee. 🙂
@Olivier Amar – You are most welcome, Oliver. Thank you for reading and leaving your comment.
Happy New Years!! 🙂
@Olivier Amar – You are most welcome, Oliver. Thank you for reading and leaving your comment.
Happy New Years!! 🙂
JetBlue is also on Twitter and the only airline to have responded to my question regarding the lack of female pilots 🙂
JetBlue is also on Twitter and the only airline to have responded to my question regarding the lack of female pilots 🙂
Hi Shana
Great post!
After that comprehensive post I am interested to know which airline company do you think is using social media in the most efficient way. I mean which company can really say that they are creating positive ROI from their investment in social media.
Hi Shana
Great post!
After that comprehensive post I am interested to know which airline company do you think is using social media in the most efficient way. I mean which company can really say that they are creating positive ROI from their investment in social media.
It is not only the airlines that are getting in on the act – our organisation represents the entire aviation industry and with our members, we have launched a website to engage the public in our environmental activities. You may be interested in http://www.enviro.aero. This web resource also has a blog (http://www.enviro.aero/blog), a YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/enviroaero), a Facebook page (http://tinyurl.com/8hmrly) and a Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/enviroaero). This ensures that we keep our audience up-to-date on all the projects occurring across the aviation industry to reduce our environmental footprint, including live blogging on today’s Continental Airlines biofuel flight.
Haldane Dodd
Air Transport Action Group, Geneva
It is not only the airlines that are getting in on the act – our organisation represents the entire aviation industry and with our members, we have launched a website to engage the public in our environmental activities. You may be interested in http://www.enviro.aero. This web resource also has a blog (http://www.enviro.aero/blog), a YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/enviroaero), a Facebook page (http://tinyurl.com/8hmrly) and a Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/enviroaero). This ensures that we keep our audience up-to-date on all the projects occurring across the aviation industry to reduce our environmental footprint, including live blogging on today’s Continental Airlines biofuel flight.
Haldane Dodd
Air Transport Action Group, Geneva
[…] Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel and the DOT Secretary crawl as far out on a limb for change by real hiring leaders as they seem to […]
[…] How Airlines are Using Social Media […]
Interesting post! I haven’t come upon any of them on Twitter. I’m not surprised that Virgin is on the bandwagon though. @Backporchsoap aka Marla
Interesting post! I haven’t come upon any of them on Twitter. I’m not surprised that Virgin is on the bandwagon though. @Backporchsoap aka Marla
[…] Virgin Americas Facebook Page courtesy of […]
[…] above of the Southwest Blog as a means to connect with customers via […]
[…] is not for them and that it is not in their interest to engage with bloggers and customers online, other airlines have embraced blogging and proven that there is significant value spending time on social media […]
Thank you for this excellent analysis. We are aggregating the data (as we find it) and doing some rudimentary scoring of airlines’ use of certain social media (Twitter, Facebook, and blogs) on this page:
http://www.ex-united.com/social-media/clickable-data-airline-social-media-all-stars/
We have, in one clickable table, the data plus links to each airline’s accounts.
Best regards —
Thank you for this excellent analysis. We are aggregating the data (as we find it) and doing some rudimentary scoring of airlines’ use of certain social media (Twitter, Facebook, and blogs) on this page:
http://www.ex-united.com/social-media/clickable-data-airline-social-media-all-stars/
We have, in one clickable table, the data plus links to each airline’s accounts.
Best regards —
[…] here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet BoxSocial Media and Airlines share a long tradition (if you can talk about tradition in this field). The reasons seem obvious: […]
Great post. It saved me lot of time in researching.. Your examples are great! Thanks!
Great post. It saved me lot of time in researching.. Your examples are great! Thanks!
Great Article
Awesome
Great amount of Information.
Can you please help me with some information about the Current Status of the Airline Industry getting towards Social Media usage as in till 2010.
It would be a great help.
Thanks
[…] There are great examples of how airlines uses Social media, Shana Albert writes about this here […]
Excellent Article..Has helped me a lot for my assignments..Bunch of Thanks..
Bless you. Thank you. I appreciate that very much.
This is a really interesting article. I especially liked the twitter updates about travel advice. This is doubly great if you have the twitter app on your phone.
It stored me lot of your time and effort in researching Thank you for sharing this information. You guided me well
For large companies who employ a social media team, they may have a bilingual member. For small businesses, an online translation tool can be helpful. Aside from literally speaking their language, you may also want to consider responding differently based on the tone of a particular comment.
[…] Article derived from Directory Journal […]