Understanding the Value of Social Media at Airports for Customer Engagement (2014)

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133 chapter seven CONCLUSIONS Social media platforms are growing in importance, but are one part of an overall marketing strat- egy that includes a combination of public relations, advertising, and networking tools. Measuring the value of social media is possible within the framework of an airport operator’s marketing and business goals and objectives. To meet those goals and make the most of social media platforms, an airport operator needs a content engagement plan to align an airport’s marketing and business objectives with its social media strategies, and a content plan to define and plan specific social media activities. By creating a social media program that uses the appropriate strategies, policies and guide- lines, and tools airport operators can use social media to enhance the travel experience, facilitate the management of their airports, and identify opportunities for revenue enhancement. The key findings of this synthesis are summarized in the following sections. SELECTING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS • Twitter and Facebook are the primary social media platforms used by those airport opera- tors and non-aviation businesses surveyed because of their ease of use and established large audiences. The two platforms are typically the first used by airport operators and could be an effective starting point for new social media users. The use of other platforms is deter- mined by the availability of personnel resources and the number of active users in the regional community. • Hootsuite and TweetDeck are the primary social media management tools used by airport opera- tors and non-aviation businesses to monitor social conversations and schedule posts. However, there is general agreement that these tools have limitations and that more than one tool must be used to accurately evaluate social media data and conversations. As a result, organizations with large social media audiences active on a variety of platforms are investigating other tools such as enhanced service portals to consolidate the data from multiple sources. CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES USING SOCIAL MEDIA • Customer engagement strategies are more likely to be effective if based on a content engage- ment plan, a content plan, and consideration of the key performance indicators that will be used to judge the effectiveness of a campaign. For example, the effectiveness of the Los Angeles International Airport new Tom Bradley International Terminal (LAX) opening day campaign was facilitated by a clearly defined content plan for the events of the days before and after the opening and had high customer engagement rates, as discussed in chapter four. • Customer engagement strategies based on content appropriate for their audience are more likely to have high levels of engagement and a continued following of social media fans. CRISIS MANAGEMENT USING SOCIAL MEDIA • The successful use of social media during recent unfortunate events such as the LAX active shooter, the Asiana Flight 214 incident at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the Boston Marathon bombing, and Hurricane Sandy, have all shown the importance of social media, in particular Twitter, when providing information real time during a crisis and has raised public expectations regarding the sharing of real-time information.

134 • Social media play an important role in providing real-time information about airport operations, including posting alerts about airport closures resulting from inclement weather, network outages, airline computer system failures, air traffic control system delays, and ground traffic delays. MEASURING THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA • Each of the social media managers interviewed for this synthesis indicated that the use of social media platforms enhanced customer engagement and promoted the role of their airport or business. The prevailing sentiment among those interviewed is that social media platforms are valuable tools that customers expect airports and businesses to be using. • However, the social media managers interviewed did not indicate a need to quantitatively measure the value of social media or justify the use of social media to senior management. It is important to note that there is a perception among those interviewed that there is no to little cost in establish- ing and maintaining social media programs. As more staff resources are devoted to social media efforts, however, there may be a greater need to evaluate the costs and value of social media. • In most cases, senior management was initially supportive of the development of social media programs, with some senior managers later taking part in social conversations. In the few cases where there was initial resistance, the positive public response changed those initial views. • Each of the airports and non-aviation businesses surveyed monitored likes, followers, views, and check-ins. However, the level of engagement, in terms of tweets, comments, and shares, was identified as the real measure of social media results. • Benchmarking an airport’s social media activity to that of other airports was the most fre- quently cited method used to evaluate trends. Other methods included calculating the growth in the number of followers or likes, tracking changes in “unlikes” and “unfollowers,” and compar- ing an airport’s social media activity with that of major regional entities. ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL MEDIA • Social media guidelines and policies are in the initial stages of development at many airports and businesses. Given the diverse range of jobs and responsibilities at airports, additional research needs to be conducted on issues such as security protocols for the use of social media on airports, social media policies for the employees of third-party vendors, and employee train- ing on the use of social media platforms for business and personal use. • The incorporation of social media guidelines and policies in airport agreements will facilitate strategic partnerships with airlines and airport concessionaires and increase the overall effec- tiveness of social media campaigns. Special consideration, in advance, should be given to the rules of social media platforms for contests and promotions. • Many of the managers of social media interviewed for this Synthesis are not formally desig- nated as “Social Media Managers.” The formal designation of this role and the allocation within the airport budget for social media efforts are likely to place increased emphasis on estimating the value of social media campaigns in the future. ADDRESSING SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES • The availability of staff resources was cited as the biggest challenge in maintaining social media programs. Each of the airport social media managers interviewed had other job responsibilities. The non-aviation businesses surveyed had dedicated social media personnel, but operated with small teams relative to their customer base. Addressing the challenge of limited staff resources has been gradual, with the establishment of new positions (some part time) and prioritizing social media efforts. • Based on the survey results, information obtained in real time through social media has resulted in changes in airport operations and management such as the maintenance of restrooms during peak times, additional signage, the availability of food concessions post-security, and adjust- ments in WiFi access in certain parts of an airport. Although these changes have a positive impact on customer service, the availability of real-time information requires constant monitoring of social media channels and a short response time in order to maintain a high level of service.

135 COMPARING SOCIAL MEDIA USE FOR AIRPORTS AND NON-AVIATION BUSINESSES • The social media customer engagement strategies used by non-aviation businesses are, in many ways, similar to those of airports; that is, both promote the services they provide through con- tests and discounts and sponsor community and charity initiatives. Any differences in customer engagement strategies are related to the “fit” of certain social media platforms to the business and/or the market served by an airport. For example, YouTube has a good “fit” with the Staples Center and Mayo Clinic, but is less prevalent at most of the airports surveyed. Similarly, Four- square is frequently used at large-hub airports such as Dallas/Fort Worth International, LAX, Minneapolis–St. Paul International, and SFO, but is not popular with social media fans at small airports in Akron–Canton (Ohio), Charleston (West Virginia), and Eugene (Oregon). • The following key lessons learned from establishing social media programs were shared by airports and non-aviation businesses: – Keep it simple – Understand what is involved and manage expectations – Define your personality and identity and consistently communicate your message – Establish an authentic tone and voice – Know your customers and find the right content for your customer base – Hire the right people who have a passion for social media – Prioritize tasks and manage your time. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH There are a number of related subject areas where further research could be beneficial to this audi- ence. These areas include where gaps were found during the study review phase of this project or where the scope did not incorporate the work: • Identifying and defining the key elements of airport social media guidelines and policies. • Understanding the customer engagement strategies used by airlines and the opportunities for collaboration with airports. • Estimating the real cost of social media programs as customer engagement increases. • Researching changes in technology that will consolidate data from a variety of social media platforms and multiple devices. • Identifying crisis management strategies and policies for social media.