This Friday July 30th in Sydney, learn how airports can leverage their social media for brand building. We’re presenting a Masterclass, the aim of which is to give airport executives a hands-on crash course into airport branding, ultimately helping airports to drive revenue and loyalty through social media conversations.  And you’ll discover the power of social media to engage travelers like Robert.

Participants will walk away with a 6-week plan for executing a social media strategy at their airports.

Introduction: Web 2.0 and Aviation

What is Web 2.0 and why is it an important medium?
Before and after Web 2.0 – how brand conversations have evolved
The basic tenet – building a community on Web 2.0
To start from scratch, or to leverage on existing social networks?
To sell, or not to sell through Web 2.0?
Risks, and how to overcome them?
How to get started with Web 2.0?
How airlines and airports around the world are using social media?
Case Study: JetBlue Airways
Case Study: Melbourne Airport

Deep Dive

Hands-on Simulation exercise
Finding mentions about their airports on Social Media
Finding mentions about airlines that fly their airports
How to identify influencers their airports, on social media
Basic sentiment analysis

Group Exercise …

We have had quite a few requests to update our Twitter and Facebook tables from airports. Yo simplify the process, we’ve created a tool that allows airports to update their own data. The SMI Index Tool is an entry level ranking tool that enables airports to gauge their relative usage of social media.

To Update Your Airport’s # Followers/#Fans:
The SMI Index Tool requires you to input your 3 letter IATA airport code, number of passengers and aircraft movements. If you have a Twitter account, just enter your @airportname and press get count, which retrieves the current # Followers. The process is the same for Facebook and # Fans. To enter the data, you’ll need to enter the Captcha words (spam protection) and then press “Get Your Ranking”. This will update the information on file and provide a relative social media index ranking for your airport.

To Enter Your Airport’s Data as a New Entry:
The SMI Index Tool requires you to input your 3 letter IATA airport code, airport name, the total number of passengers and aircraft movements. If you have …

Before applying Social Media Marketing metrics and analytics to the  streams of social messaging types coming in and going out of airports, it is important to decide on the Top Level Strategic Objectives these metrics will support. In terms of ROI, Social Media can be mapped to business and marketing values as in classical methods – that is, measuring awareness, reach and frequency of messaging. Although these metrics are usually quantifiable, Social Media brings an exciting and new exponential upside to the mix.

We attempt to lay out in a series of short Blogs, the steps required to develop a meaningful, measureable program for implementing Social Media Marketing programs in airports complete with sample metrics and methods as a guide to gauge success.

Our series will bring into play marketing best practices and tools where applicable, in support of both airport Customer Services and airport Retail. We will also share data and concepts that are working with the airlines as well.

Post 1- Mapping Airport Goals to Social Media Models

If we make the assumption that there are only 3 real measurable goals in airports in terms of REAL ROI, we can get past the “promised land” approach of Social Media.
1)    Increase Revenue (s) …

Image by joiseyshowaa via Flickr

I speak at many airport industry conferences which provide an opportunity to re-state the customer’s viewpoint. The message is clear – for airports to adapt to the new economic realities, things must change. If they continue to do more of the same, why do they expect any different results?

A perceptive article in Airport Business written by Agnes Huff on “Delivering What Customers Demand Now” nicely re-states the customer viewpoint. Several of Agnes’ key observations and predictions clearly put the customer at the centre of the airport’s business and here are the critical success factors:

Today’s travelers and customers are thinking, feeling, and acting differently. To really understand what they want now, airports have to take a few steps back to listen, learn, and understand the shifts taking place with their customers.
Hollow marketing and advertising promises will be met with skepticism, and even hostility.
Travelers want choice and control over their experience and offering options will be a brand-building advantage.
Technological improvements need to be reconsidered in light of customer …