Marketing an Airline Using Social Media
Summary
Today’s era is equipped with a wide array of advanced technologies. The advent of these technologies has brought about a myriad of changes in every aspect of humans’ lives. One of the most popular resultants of advanced technologies is the social media sites. Social media as part of the internet evolution is any platform offering exchange of thoughts or feelings (Wensveen, 2015). Social media is a fundamental technological tool that is gaining popularity among a myriad of existing industries. The introduction of social media sites has brought about significant changes in both business and social aspects of human lives. Indeed, the worldwide number of people actively involved in various social media sites continues to increase at an unprecedented rate. Some of the most popular social media sites that have captured the attention of millions of people include; Twitter, e-magazines, podcasts, Facebook, among many other sites. Most of the airline companies are utilizing the different social media sites to market their products and services. This is because, social media accounts provide the airlines with the most suitable platform needed for mass communication. In return, airlines with a large multitude of social media followers tend to make more revenues in comparison to airlines that are not virtually present on social media. Some of the renowned airlines that have gained popularity through their social media accounts include; Virgin Atlantic airline, JetBlue, AirAsia, and West Jet. Aside from marketing, social media accounts provide the most suitable avenue for airline to communicate and manage any crisis by reaching a multitude of its social media page followers. In addition, social media creates employment to a vast majority of technological and marketing experts who get to utilize their skills in engaging and reaching out to the social media community. The airlines are therefore gain massive profits not only from building a robust brand name for itself but also from maintaining the customers’ loyalty through remarkable online customer care services.
- Definition of social media? How can airlines exercise their presence on social media?
Social media is described as any platform offering exchange of thoughts or feelings (Wensveen, 2015). Most airlines have found it imperative to own various social media pages where they get to gain real-world relationships with the passengers.
- What do airlines focus on when they are cruising on Social media? Why could presence on social media become a very difficult experience for some airlines?
According to Wansveen (2015), most airlines utilize social media with the intent of creating a robust brand name for themselves. Social media thereby continues to provide the most suitable avenue for the airline industry to improve the quality of their services. Some of the most notable airlines that have managed to capture the attention of a vast majority of social media users include; JetBlue, AirAsia, Lufthansa among other airline companies (Wansveen, 2015).
- What are the main objectives of airlines’ presence on social media?
The presence of airline industries on social media sites has raised the need for more social media personnel who play an integral role in marketing and providing quality customer services. Even though social media sites are today praised as excellent marketing platforms, many CEOs are hesitant on stepping into this virtual world in fear of certain risks. However, Bill Marriot and Nigam find it extremely vital for airlines to join social media as a technique for retaining customers’ loyalty as well as inviting more potential customers.
- Best practices in driving customer service and revenue.
Social media plays a paramount role in allowing different airlines to build a robust relationship with its passengers, engage, listen, and act to the passengers’ needs and demands, drive traffic, and create virtual awareness about the airline brand. Customer service is a fundamental aspect in building customers’ trust. An airline company that provides good customer service are bound to have large market base. In essence, customers tend to be attracted to airlines that provide online assistance in a timely and efficient manner (Wansveen, 2015).
- Examples of airlines driving revenue through social media. What are the principles of driving revenue through social media?
Some of the airline organizations that continue to enjoy high revenues from using social media as a tool of marketing include; SouthWest, JetBlue, Air Asia, West Jet, and Virgin Atlantic (Wansveen, 2016). Airlines are able to develop trustworthy relationships with its customers by connecting with them through their official social media pages. As the company continues to have many followers, it reaps big from the resultant massive profits. In 2012, WestJet generated $1.6 million as additional revenue and about 6000 new bookings from an April’s Fools YouTube video (Wansveen, 2016). Furthermore, airline industries can maintain high profit margins if they develop excellent social media campaign.
- Principles that airlines should be looking for when designing their social media campaign
In creating quality social media campaigns, airlines should always keep control over its messages, react promptly to complaints, react instantly in cases of trouble, and make sure that the social media strategy is ‘owned’ by every department. Additionally, it is prudent for airlines to exclusively post high quality content and actively utilize their social media accounts to engage with the social media community (Wansveen, 2015).
- Characteristics of crises in the air transport industry? What airlines should do in order to communicate crisis properly?
Crisis is described as any situation resulting from a major internal or external event which affects various airline services. The internal or external events may have unwanted impacts on airline staff safety, airline service continuity, airline reputation, and public safety (Wansveen, 2015). Crisis in the airline industry is characterized by various features. For instance, it does not provide prior notice, a large majority of people are bound to get distressed because of the events, and crisis necessitates the need for mass communication. For example, during the Ash Cloud Crisis, many airlines used their social media accounts to communicate to a vast majority of their customers concerning the cancellation of 104,000 flights. Even though this natural catastrophe was unfortunate, the airlines gained their customers’ trust and loyalty. In essence, social media serves various critical functions that enable the airline industry to thrive with increasing market share and revenues.
Reference
Wensveen, J. G. (2015). Air transportation: A management perspective. Routledge.