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11 If you ask a social media expert what it takes to create a large, highly engaged audience they will likely tell you five things: âBe Authentic, Add Value, Use Images, Curate Great Content, and Tell Amazing Stories.â Although the advice is simple, its implementation requires a plan. This chapter presents a discussion of a content engagement plan, a content plan, and selected customer engagement strategies. CONTENT ENGAGEMENT PLAN A content engagement plan aligns an airportâs marketing and business objectives with its social media strategies. The key elements of a content engagement plan are: 1. Marketing and business goals and objectives. What are your airportâs brand and core values? How can they be amplified in the social space? How will the use of social media platforms relate to other marketing efforts? 2. Social media platforms. Which platforms will be used to publish and share content? Which platforms are most appropriate for your audience? 3. Social media goals and objectives. What are the goals and priorities for your social presence? What BIG things do you want to happen in the next 3 to 12 months? What are the guidelines for the âtime to respondâ to posts and tweets (e.g., Facebook posts answered within 24 hours, Twitter posts answered within 1 hour)? What are the hours of operation for your social media presence (e.g., 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 5 days per week)? Which key performance indicators will be used to measure the success of social media campaigns? How often will you post? 4. Content. What types of content are to be created and distributed? What content is best for your audience? 5. Resources. What resources (e.g., budget and personnel) are required to carry out the plan? CONTENT PLAN A content plan defines and plans specific social media activities for the next 6 to 12 months and may include some or all of the elements noted below. Table 3 presents an example of a social media content plan. 1. Important airport milestones [e.g., anniversaries, capital project completion date(s), construc- tion, detours, new amenities] 2. Visuals (pictures and videos) 3. Contests or giveaways on various social sites 4. Aviation or other trivia about your airport 5. Special holiday promotions 6. Partner promotions (airfare sales, retail offers) 7. Customer incentives to engage with your airport 8. In-terminal support collateral/signage. CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES Many of the social media customer engagement strategies used by airport operators and non-aviation businesses are similar. The following sections summarize customer engagement strategies based on the interviews conducted for this Synthesis and a review of airport social media platforms. chapter three CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES USING SOCIAL MEDIA
12 Customer Service As shown in Table 4, customer service tweets are used by all airport operators surveyed; ranking as the top engagement strategy. However, the practices for providing customer service tweets vary. For example, airport operators may limit the hours that airport staff are available to answer customer tweets because of limited staff resources and/or few evening flights. Typically, limited Twitter hours are posted on an airportâs Twitter page. In contrast, airports such as London Gatwick provide 24-hour Twitter support with a target 30-minute response time (meaning that problems can be dealt with while passengers are at the airport). Contests and Promotions Contests, including sweepstakes and other giveaways, rank second as a customer engagement strat- egy, but are used by 13 of 14 of those surveyed. The characteristics of contests have changed as social media platforms have revised the rules for promotional giveaways and as airports and non- aviation businesses have experimented with different formats. However, based on the interviews and case examples, contests can be one of the most creative engagement strategies and provide an opportunity for contest sponsors to excite and engage their target audience. For example, Akronâ Canton Airport developed a social media campaign called âLUV lands at CAK,â including a âParty with Southwest & WINâ contest that generated excitement for Southwestâs new service, welcomed Southwest Airlines to CAK, and increased customer engagement. Airport Projects and Events Postings of major airport and business events are used by 10 of 14 of those surveyed and typically include the opening of major facility improvements, inaugural airline service, and celebrations of major mile- stones. For example, San Diego International Airport used its social media platforms to provide updates on its âGreen Buildâ Terminal 2 expansion program and to invite the San Diego community to sign up for self-guided tours before the facility opened. In a second example, Boston Logan International Airport partnered with American Airlines and the Hotel de Vigny in Paris to sponsor a contest promoting the return of American Airlines seasonal service to Paris in 2010. To create excitement for Loganâs Paris ser- vice and the contest, contestants had to submit a short video on what it meant to be an American in Paris. Posting and Sharing Content Postings and sharing content, particularly photos and videos, are used by more than 70% of those sur- veyed and provide opportunities to engage airport fans and followers. For example, Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia, consistently posts historical trivia about the airport and pictures of vintage Social Media Activity Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Airfare Deals Throwback Thursdays Holiday Campaigns Community Events Social Media Contests Airport Concession Promotions Source: LeighFisher, May through August 2013, based on interviews with Synthesis participants. TABLE 3 ILLUSTRATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PLAN
13 and new aircraft on its social media platforms, and has established a following in the Charleston community. The most recent âspottingâ at Yeager was a blimp depicting one of the minions of Gru, the main character in the animated movie Despicable Me, âspottedâ by Charleston residents. Strategic Partnerships The partnerships that airports form with airlines, other airports, concessionaires, and the local commu- nity can enhance the level of customer engagement. Airports and non-aviation businesses oftentimes share partnerships with the regional community. For example, in 2013 Eugene Airport partnered with Allegiant Airlines and the local community to participate in Allegiant Airlinesâ national dodgeball league tournament in Eugene. Promoted on social media by the airport and the airlines, all registra- tion fees benefited Make-A-Wish. In a second example, Los Angeles International Airport partnered with the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board to promote the opening of the new Tom Bradley International Terminal in September 2013. Crisis Management Social media platforms are being used by airport operators to manage crisis events such as flight delays related to weather and airport closures resulting from aircraft incidents. In addition to social media content plans, crisis management plans using social media are being developed by a number of airport operators. Rank Customer Engagement Strategy Number of Synthesis Airports and Businesses (out of 17 total) 1 Customer service tweets 17 2 Contests 15 3 Postings of major airport/business events (e.g., new airline service, opening of new facilities) 12 3 Posting and sharing pictures with and from passengers 12 3 Posting videos of major airport/business and community events 12 3 Display of signs throughout the airport/business notifying passengers/customers of social media used by the airport 12 3 Posting alerts on traffic issues affecting airport access 12 4 Partnerships with concessionaires and airlines 8 4 Partnerships with the local community 8 4 Posting status of delayed flights or events affecting airport closure 8 5 Location-based social media contests or discounts using platforms such as Foursquare 7 6 Free airfare or vacation promotions 6 Listed by the total number of Synthesis airports and businesses. Note: The engagement strategies related to airlines, airline service, and airport access do not include responses from non-aviation businesses. Source: LeighFisher, May through August 2013, based on interviews with Synthesis participants. TABLE 4 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES
