Following the report on the social media campaigns of the top ten airlines (by frequency), Routesonline delved into the social media activity of the top ten airports.
The first thing that became clear was the lack of social media accounts and activity. Although it cannot be said for all ten of the airports, the social media presence was less apparent in comparison to the top ten airlines.
Many of the airports either had no social media account to speak of, or hadn’t posted anything since 2007. Google+ seemingly is not the social media platform of choice for airports, as only 4 out of ten Airports had an account - and that’s not to say that those with a Google+ account were utilising it well, as the greatest following came in at a whopping 686 followers.
As the graph shows, the numbers are extremely varied. Although numbers don’t always equal a strong social media presence, our research shows that those with a higher following are more active than those with a very small following, in this case.
It isn’t all doom and gloom however, some airports were utilising social media (Facebook & Twitter) and engaging with customers on a daily basis. But for those who appeared a little less active on social media, Routesonline are here to help you get social media savvy, and connect with your millions of customers online:
Get connected with Google+
Although it doesn’t appear to be known to many, there are 540 million monthly active users on Google+. It is the ‘up and coming’ social network of our time and is great for businesses. One of the greatest features of Google+ is Google Hangouts, which allows you to connect via a video link to colleagues and customers- so could be a great opportunity to offer great customer service, or connect with colleagues even more efficiently. Similar to Facebook and Twitter, it allows you to update your page with regular posts, creating an even wider online audience for you to cater to. Larger audience equals more revenue.
Regular updates
It’s fine to have social media channels and update them every few days, but particularly with regards to Twitter, social networks should be updated more than once a day. Twitter has become the go-to source for breaking news, and it is the perfect platform for airports to alert passengers of any delays, runway closures and service updates. It’s also the perfect marketing tool and will enable you to promote airport shopping areas and restaurants.
Customer engagement
Let’s be honest- there is always going to be one unhappy customer, but engaging with them and offering easily accessible customer service will alleviate complaints procedures. On a more positive note, it is also a great place for customers to tell you what they love about your services, which in turn gives you the opportunity to broadcast this to all of your followers.
Time management
Be careful not to focus all of your attention on one social network. Your customers come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and some will have a preference as to which social network they use. Spread your time equally- both with regards to sharing and engaging with customers.
Take interest
Re-tweet, reply, do whatever you must to show customers you are interested. You may surprised at how much satisfaction it gives a customer to receive a reply and know their voice is being heard, or that their favourite airport is interested in the fact that they are going to Venice this weekend.
Broaden your horizons
You are not limited to Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Offer your customers alternative platforms such as Instagram and YouTube- not only will this encourage a greater online following, but will allow you to experiment with video and photographic content, which is proven to have a better engagement rate than a regular status update.
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