FLY with Social Media

Blowing social media flies with some good airlines companies. I am impressed with how the airlines are using Social Media activities in their business.
Here is an example of some airlines using Social Media aggrievedly.
Four Airlines using Social Media Productively

• Southwest Airlines

• JetBlue Airways

• Kingfisher Airlines

• Delta Airlines

• Virgin America

These airlines are using Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blogspot etc. Using Social media for Airline business help business owner as well as consumer. Social Media is a great way to get the consumer 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.

Some 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:

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

“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.
When you Travel you like taking picture to keep your good time memorized. Traveling is very personal for you as you may 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 Airlines.

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.

Airlines are using YouTube

Youtube an another social Media channel helping many industries to Grew not only in Customer base but in revenue too. Video is a great way to engaging and entertaining customers. Video’s truly hold the viewers attention.

Delta’s New In-Flight Safety Video caused a huge buzz in the YouTube world.

“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

India,Mumbai; April 27, 2009—Kingfisher Airlines, India’s market-leading airline, today became the first airline from India to embrace social media and set up a full-fledged formal presence on www.twitter.com . This initiative will make it easier for anyone to receive instant updates from Kingfisher Airlines and more importantly, opens up a new platform for the brand to actively converse with its guests. With the debut of this service, Kingfisher Airlines joins a growing global band of savvy marketers who have recognized the power and reach of new media like the social and community networking.
FlyKingfisher on Twitter is a free social service that enables guests and users to read updates from Kingfisher Airlines and in social media lingo, these are known as the FlyKingfisher tweets.

The service due to commence shortly, will provide information about:

• Urgent updates e.g. an development at an airport that may impact flight arrivals / departures
• Instant and simple messages about special promotions
• Latest news at Kingfisher Airlines

Given the fact that ‘airlines’ are one of the most commonly mentioned categories of brands on Twitter, this service will be a very valuable tool for Kingfisher Airlines to start a dialogue with stakeholders and actively participate in the conversation. Kingfisher Airlines has a dedicated Guest Commitment team and now, with a presence on Twitter, they will be able to receive instant and fist-hand feedback.

Airlines are Blogging

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 in their blogs…. helping their fans and customers stay in contact with them all over the internet. Very Cool!!!

Happy Reading !

nitin@maximumhit.com
www.maximumhit.com www.maximumhit.co.uk