Any branding initiative that doesn’t bring in a return-on-effort is not worth doing. Because then it becomes a hindrance. “Oh, I need to upload the photos onto the Facebook album” shouldn’t end up in deferment of important business-driving efforts. But then again, if uploading photos on Facebook is linked to the business objectives itself, then it’s a different conversation altogether.

At the Online Marketing for Travel Summit in Miami, I am shared my ideas on how travel firms (not just airlines) can drive conversion in online and social marketing. These are the slides from that presentation, with three specific ideas.

1. Converting Youtube lookers to bookers, using the Annotation tool in YouTube videos
2. Driving conversion by adding third party reviews in the booking engine
3. Using Flip.to for driving loyalty by getting people to share their travel plans

Enjoy the presentation! I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on this, and how you drive conversion in your organization. Let’s discuss in the comments section, and on Twitter (@simpliflying)

• 5 Ways Airlines Can Drive Revenue with Social Media (Mashable.com)
• Keynote from IATA Commercial Symposium 2009 – Driving revenue for airlines from real-time customer insights on social media
• Announcing the World’s 1st Twebinar (twitter+webinar) Series for airlines (Plus: How you can win tickets worth $600)
• Travel agents can differentiate by displaying online reviews
• SimpliFlying in the Media: FOX 7, Today, Air Transport News

Virgin America created a splash today, by launching its first international destination, Toronto, on Twitter! They did not spend a cent on traditional advertising for this launch, and I personally think this is one of the smarter uses of social media I’ve seen by an airline in recent times.

The sweetener is that the first 500 people to book tickets using their Twitter ID would be able to redeem a 50% discount (still valid as of 2pm EDT, 20 Feb). If they’re not “following” the airline on Twitter, they will auto-follow. Even the official press release re-directed recipients to the Twitter URL.

“The first 500 Twitter followers who receive the airline’s expansion Tweet can score a 50 percent discount on flights to Toronto for travel June 23-November 17, 2010.*  Virgin America is the only airline based in Silicon Valley, and its inventive use of technology, social media and design has made it a favorite among tech-forward flyers.  For more: www.twitter.com/virginamerica”.

The press release was followed by a single Tweet. And that’s it. That’s a very simple route-launch for you.

What so smart about Virgin America’s use of social media?

I’ve highlighted previously that Virgin America very cleverly uses social media by embedding sharing elements in their email newsletters. Now, they’ve taken the use of the medium to another level. Here’s why.

1. There is completely no support from traditional advertising: I bet the airline has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, by not buying media space in Toronto. I remember when Emirates launched Toronto flights – they had tall buildings in Dundas Square draped in red (see below).
2. Huge boost for social media team: I met with Bowen Payson last month, who leads the social media execution at Virgin America and sensed a lot of passion in him for what he and his team are trying to accomplish. Having no traditional advertising also represents a huge confidence in Bowen’s team by the senior management. It also speaks volumes about how visionary the senior executive team is, being led by Porter Gale and Dimitrios Papadogonas.
3. Fighting the battle on their own turf: Before redeeming voucher, you need to be a followed of Virgin America on Twitter. And not only do they request you, but they automatically verify and get you to follow if you’re not already doing so. They can do this because you’ve entered your Twitter id and password on their website! Now, imagine all the tracking Virgin America can do with this tool as well – identifying which Twitter user logged in, but didn’t buy, and even mapping Twitter-Ids to frequent flier numbers. This is also something I’ve not seen airlines do, but surely reflects the future of social CRM.

All in all, a terrific job by Virgin America. What do you think about their efforts? Do you have examples to share where airlines have done similar things, well? Let’s hear it in the comments, and over on Twitter (@simpliflying)

P.S: Thanks to Dan from Things in the Sky blog for this tip-off.

P.P.S: Here’s how Emirates launched their Toronto flights.

• The day airlines’ Twitter accounts were hacked, and three steps to reverse the brand damage
• Interview with Emirates VP Nigel Page on the A380 flights to JFK, SFO and LAX
• Five lessons in crises handling from the Facebook war between Ryanair and SAS Scandinavian Airlines
• SimpliFlying now helping airports take-off: announcing SimpliFlying Airports
• What makes Virgin America an outstanding airline brand? The delivery.

Three continents, three encounters, same story

Story 1, Los Angeles, early March 2010: Early last month, after a 22 hour flight from Singapore to Los Angeles, I was picked up by someone who works at Boeing, has a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from Stanford, and an MBA from UC Irvine. In the six hours I had in LA, he introduced me to another very talented friend of his, who drove us to a vantage point from where we could see all of the LAX runways. We ended up spotting planes for over an hour.

Then we drove to the famous “In & Out” to spot more planes, before heading to a restaurant under the flight path of landing planes, for dinner. For a plane freak like me, this was like putting a kid in a candy store – all day long!

Story 2, Santiago de Chile, late March 2010: I had spent my first day in Santiago mostly sleeping in the hotel, as opposed to checking out the city. In the evening, I met with an airline industry veteran, who not only met me for dinner, but also for breakfast the next day, and we actually went hiking early in the morning to a hill nearby. All the while, sharing airline stores, start-up challenges and just learning about each others’ cultures.

Story 3, Kolkota, late December 2009: As my delayed train pulled in to the crowded Howrah railway station, this gentlemen who reminded me of a Harley Davidson fan, picked me up after waiting for over two hours, from 6am! For the rest of the day, he took me for a walking tour of the city I had never been to, then we tried local seafood with a Canadian lady, before more sightseeing. Finally he dropped me off at the airport after dinner!

So, what’s common about these stories? I met them on Twitter first.

All of the people mentioned above, I first “met” on Twitter, and these were the first meetings with them, in their respective cities. In Los Angeles, Zsolt Kiraly (@zkiraly) met me; in Santiago, it was Andro Lindsay (@androlindsay) who hiked with me, and in Kolkota, it was Sumit Roy (@univbrands).

To an outsider, these were strangers I was meeting. But due to our previous interaction on Twitter, followed by LinkedIn and emails, we already knew so much about one another that we could totally hit it off.

And these are just three of the many encounters I’ve had around the world. In Dubai, two techies came to see me off at the airport, and one showed me around the Emirates/FlyDubai HQ (@fahadosman). In Greece, one drove me up to Delphi, for a weekend, to check out the ancient city. In Melbourne, I almost got a balloon ride thanks to @falcon124 and in London, I was shown around by @StuartBarwood for a whole day! In Bangalore, Devesh (@blraviation) took me for the best kebabs I’ve ever had! And the list doesn’t stop there…

So what am I getting at?

Social media “we”b is about the real world, as much as it is about online relationships

If you think about it, almost all of our online interactions are rooted in the real-world. Personally, most of the over 1000 people I’m connected to on Facebook – I’ve met at least once in my life. And on Twitter, the over 4,000 followers I have today – I aim to meet at least once in my life.

I think Twitter, specifically, has allowed me to connect with like-minded people, with similar passions, who respect me for my ideas even before I’ve met them. And then when we meet, the interactions are at a different level altogether.

Just yesterday, I was hanging out in Toronto with Yash (@airceo) and learnt that we have very similar backgrounds – both have a tech education, and have a passion for aviation, and are born 15 days apart! Our conversations were so much richer due to our previous interactions on Twitter. I can’t imagine talking to someone like that at a cocktail party, especially the first time I meet him or her.

Twitter and other social media tools have helped me be inspired by people whom I’ve met over the last couple of years in my travel. And I probably wouldn’t have met them if it wasn’t for our online interactions, first.

So, keep the #FollowFriday tradition going!

For the unaware, every Friday, on Twitter, people recommend others whom they think their followers will benefit by following as well. It’s a simple way of expressing gratitude, as well as adding value to your followers. It’s through this practice a lot of people have followed me, and I’ve met them in the real world. And I cherish these relationships. So, let’s keep these going.

And thank you, to all those who’ve met me around the world (even those I missed above). And I look forward to meeting a lot more of you!

• 8 ways airlines can foster real-world interaction to complement their social media strategy (and how 8 airlines do it!)
• Three ways the Cathay Pacific brand can come alive by infusing social media into the People site
• Is Alaska Airlines’ Social Media Execution heading South of Expected?
• The Point (or Secret) of Social Media for airlines
• Six ways to leverage social media for better travel – A travel revolution (MSNBC)

I’ve been a guest writer for Mashable.com for a few months now, and my latest article was about how airlines can drive revenue from social media. Those of you who’ve attended my keynote presentation (view slides) on the topic know that I classify this as the holy grail for airlines – something not many have been able to achieve, and there are no “numbers” released from airlines on their social media efforts either.

This article seeks inspiration from the likes of Dell, who made $6.4million for selling on Twitter, and applies the lessons to airlines.  Here’s a quick summary of the article and you can read the full version over at Mashable.

1. Clear distressed inventory using real-time mediums like Twitter, e.g. JetBlue Cheeps and United Twares
2. Integrate independent social media reviews in the booking path – to boost conversion
3. Integrate with social media travel tools like TripIt – Leverage on the loads of travel information publicly available, like travel plans, to send specific deals to people
4. Create private online communities – exclusive “velvet-rope” clubs of your most valued customers who’re active on social media
5. Build relationships. Don’t just think profits. Think conversations and give free love. They’ll love you back, like Lufthansa’s MySkyStatus.com

So, what do you think? Can airlines actually drive revenue from social media? Do you know of any success stories? We’d love to hear. Let’s discuss in the comments section, and on Twitter (@simpliflying)

• Five and a half secrets for airlines to drive revenue from social media: Keynote presentation from LCC Summit in Al-Ain
• Announcing the World’s 1st Twebinar (twitter+webinar) Series for airlines (Plus: How you can win tickets worth $600)
• How can airlines optimize social media content for maximum conversion? [keynote presentation]
• SimpliFlying in The Media: CNBC, ex-United, Flightglobal, Los Angeles Times, Tips from the T-List, Mashable…
• 3 speaking engagements on Airlines and social media in October

Let me begin by clarifying that this article is not about whether Lufthansa’s MySkyStatus will take off or not. It has already taken off. Because the amount of discussion I’ve had about it with my friends from around the world, online and offline, is phenomenal. Just today, my status updates on Facebook by this app generated over 30 comments by friends from Dubai to Chicago (check out the screenshot below for a sample set). It’s thanks to these friends that I’ve been inspired to write this article.

MySkyStatus – what’s the fuss about?

For the unaware, MySkyStatus is a tool that posts your flight info (altitude, location and arrival updates) automatically to Facebook and/or Twitter while you fly. And you guessed it, it’s the real-time nature of this app that’s making it go viral. And as you can see below, the updates can generate quite a discussion.

At first glance,  MySkyStatus is true value add for the customer. But the application is not perfect – and it need not be perfect in its first release anyway. However, there are some small tweaks that can be made, as well as some enhancements, which will make MySkyStatus a win-win proposition for both Lufthansa and the customer. And if I was the Product Manager, here are the ten things I’d do to ensure that the application flies.

Four things Lufthansa should tweak on MySkyStatus 1.0

1. Cut down on the Lufthansa branding: The most confusing aspect of this application seems to be the overdose of Lufthansa (LH) branding. The website is in LH colors, along with the logo and each update ends with “Powered by Lufthansa”. I think it’s confuses the user if this service is exclusively for LH flights. This is accentuated by the fact that other than the three “Add a flight”, “Confirm”, “Preview” links, everything leads to the LH website. It’d be much better if there was just a small link to the LH website, and just a small “Powered by Lufthansa” button on the website. I think a link in the update is more than enough.
2. State clearly that the updates are not real-time. It’s just predicted path: Although it appears that the application is tracking a flight in real-time, it actually isn’t the case – something I realized when a friend’s flight was delayed and the updates were being sent out while he sat at the airport. In social media, a lack of information is often construed as mis-information. And LH can avoid this by putting in a disclaimer that updates are not based on dynamic data. Transparency is king on the social web.
3. Be a bit more specific about the locations. “Flying over Asia” isn’t really insightful. If LH can tweak the system a little to give more specific locations, the updates might be more interesting.
4. Connect users with the people behind the app. One big advantage social media applications have is the ability to facilitate 1-1 communications. And I personally would love to meet the people behind the app. But that’s not an option right now. Just digging around, I could only find out that @kateobriennyc was somehow involved in the development process. It’ll be great to “meet” the others too.

Six things Lufthansa should add to MySkyStatus 2.0

1. Track the users. LH is probably already doing this, but keeping track of all the Twitter users and Facebook users who sign up for the application can be beneficial for mining in the future. If not for flying habits, then just as an independent source of data for LH to analyze when planning its own routes and capacity.
2. Apply basic analytics.  How about applying basic analytics to determine the most popular route? Seeing what segment of travelers visit certain destinations during certain months? The options are endless.
3. Ask for LH FFP numbers. How about putting in a field where travelers can input their LH frequent flier number? This would allow LH insight into when its own FFP members are not flying LH on certain routes – and generally airlines do not have any insight into this data.
4. Allow people to earn LH FFP miles when they fly on any partner airline. It may be just 10 miles per flight, but at lease something. If I’m in an adventurous mood, I’d even open it up to passengers on any airline! And give them half of what I’d give them for flying an LH partner airline. Ultimately, I’m getting them enticed into the LH FFP cycle. Unless they earn, they won’t redeem. And everyone likes miles, no matter how little.
5. Destination specific data-mining. I’d have the Revenue Management team cross-check with their highest yielding destinations or lowest yielding and give those who use MySkyStatus an incentive to fly LH the next time round? Good way to acquire new customers, isn’t it?
6. Partner with the likes of TripIt, AirValid and FlightMemory. These are websites where travelers already track their mileage and review airlines. How about partnering with these sites to provide additional value to travelers?

So, what do you think? Is this a good initiative by Lufthansa? Will it fly? Let’s discuss in the comments or over on Twitter (@simpliflying)

Special thanks to @singabai , @smarketer , @frittatun , @bretthenry and @martinmorjet for providing fodder for this article.

• 5 Ways Airlines Can Drive Revenue with Social Media (Mashable.com)
• Are location-based services a blessing for the airline brand?
• Keynote from IATA Commercial Symposium 2009 – Driving revenue for airlines from real-time customer insights on social media
• Three keys to making loyalty programs work for the airline brand of the future
• [LIVE!] How airlines and EuroControl are conquering Icelandinc volcanic ash through social media #ashtag

Twitter has a huge aviation community – from airlines and airports, to cabin crew and aviation enthusiasts. Whether you like to fly a plane or just watch planes fly, there are lots of aviation geeks on Twitter with whom you can converse about your passions or just listen.

Many of these (very interesting) Tweeps are tapping into Twitter’s real-time network to offer up travel tips, airline recommendations (or warnings), and an inside look at life in the cockpit (or cabin). Personally, I have made some amazingly talented new friends on Twitter, whom I wouldn’t have known otherwise, from Melbourne to Muscat.

This list has 11 great aviation geeks to follow on Twitter, however please feel free to suggest others in the comments (or if you tweet on things that fly, leave your own Twitter info – for individuals only, not companies). These are in no particular order.

And you can certainly start with this list if you’re looking to follow my 11 suggested steps to lead the social media strategy for your airline!

Of course, if you aren’t following us on Twitter yet, we’re @simpliflying.

11 airline Journalists/Bloggers to follow on Twitter

AvWeekBenet : One of the aviation journalism “legends” of our times, Benet Wilson has some amazing knowledge about the industry and always a pleasure to Tweet with. Everyone who’s anyone in aviation has probably been interviewed by Benet at some point of his or her career.  Benet currently writes on Business Aviation for Aviation Week and she’s one of my personal favorites.

flyingwithfish : Steve Frischling is an ace photographer turned travel guru. His advice on how to pack light, or travel safe is invaluable. I personally love the travel iPhone App reviews he does at his blog, Flying with Fish. His tweets are a perfect blend of photo tips, travel tips and views on airlines. Some Twitter services tell me that I @reply to him the most!

danwebbage : Dan Webb is a wonderkid, who’s quite an aviation freak. Still a college student, he does an outstanding job blogging passionately about the industry over at Things in the Sky blog. He’s also the co-host of the Airplane Geeks Podcast. Always full of his unique personal insights on Twitter.

roncallari : Ron Callari has a ton of experience working in the travel industry. He blogs at InventorSpot and works with travel and hospitality companies around the world. His over 4,000 followers on Twitter sure like his Tweets. Be sure to check out ‘United Breaks Guitars’ Viral Video Gets Counterpunched! http://bit.ly/4EYhF

aschonland : Addison Schonland hosts the very popular IAG Podcasts. He’s one of the most forward-thinking Gen X persons I’ve known, and is always brimming with great ideas about the next big thing in aviation. Always a pleasure to Tweet with. For some inspiration, just listen in.

BLRAviation : No one knows Indian aviation better than Devesh Aggarwal. Once a million-miler with Singapore Airlines, he’s now based out of Bangalore and runs the Bangalore Aviation blog. His insights and statistics on Indian aviation are a revelation on Twitter. He also knows the best kebab places in Bangalore (and has taken me there too!)

RunwayGirl : Mary Kirby adds the oomph factor to aviation geeks on Twitter! No one knows in-flight entertainment and equipment better than her. She gives us the ins and outs of what’s in the plane, from wifi to the IFE. She writes for  Flight International at RunwayGirl.

crankyflier : The self-acclaimed “airline dork”, Brett Snyder is probably one of the most famous aviation bloggers, having worked in a travel agency when we was a teenager and been totally “into” airlines ever since! His insights on his CrankyFlier blog and on Twitter are daring, straight-forward and always make you stop and think. Very intriguing perspectives.

jetwhine : Rob Mark is very experienced in the industry, and authors the award-winning JetWhine blog. He’s also the co-host of the Airplane Geeks Podcast.

MiddleSeat : Scott McCartney writes The Wall Street Journal’s “Middle Seat” column and is the author of the new book “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact.” He’s got very refreshing perspectives on the latest happenings in aviation, and if you can’t keep up with his column, do read his Tweets.

flightblogger : How can this list be complete without mentioning probably the only Boeing outsider who often knows more than the insiders! Jon Ostrower is the FlightBlogger and tweets about the latest Boeing updates. Even the employees read his blog and Tweets to keep up to date with the latest developments in the company!

Feel free to add your favorite aviation Tweeters on this list, ans share this resource with your friends!

• Announcing the Aviation Geeks Meetup @ Sydney, on Aug 5, 2009 #sydneyfly
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• Social Media creates waves at the Singapore Airshow 2010
• The day airlines’ Twitter accounts were hacked, and three steps to reverse the brand damage

I’ve been seeing a lot of airlines jump into social media lately – especially on Twitter. But once they do that, most of them run around like a headless chicken – or at least that how it appears to the outsider viewer. Let me share with you a couple of examples.

Emirates Airlines – which pitches itself as one of the best in the world, joined Twitter at the start of the year, and posted 19 updates about their destinations – all on the same day (see pic below). And at the other end of the spectrum, JetBlue does quite a good job of engaging over half a million of its followers with a mix of witty remarks, contests and deals. But all of them seem to be figuring out what to do. So here’s an analogy that might explain things a little.

Why Social Media = BBQ Cookout Party

At a BBQ cookout party, people are with those they trust, with those they consider friends. They give advice, seek advice (often on BBQ cooking), share thoughts and stories, laugh a little and have fun. What they DO NOT do is only talk about their company’s product updates or swipe a credit card an buy products.

Much of social media is like a cookout. People hangout with many they know on Facebook – hence their ability to open up so easily. On Twitter, people are either imparting knowledge, gaining knowledge or sharing quick thoughts with their “followers”.  And mixing direct selling is not good in such a situation.

So how did Dell make $1 million off Twitter?

But then, Dell announced recently that they had made $1 million by selling their products on Twitter. How did they do it? They have a dedicated channel (@delloutlet) which clearly tells its followers that it will only have offers. Once the expectations are set, then people expect the same and even the followers are those looking for deals, not for help setting up their computer! And that’s where airlines are failing.

Lufthansa also started a Twitter account recently. A friend from Switzerland wrote to me, “Lufthansa is just posting auctions. There is no added value for customers and no involvement except monetary incentive.” This is a perfect example of not setting the right expectations, and hence creating disappointment among followers. They’d have done much better, had they gone with an @lufthansaAuctions account name. Don’t you think?

I don’t think indiscrimanately selling on Twitter is going to work. It might hurt the brand even more. It’s like going to a cookout, and then trying to sell your software with a discount.

Having said that, there’s a reason why Tupperware parties exist and why @DellOutlet made dell a million bucks!

What do you think? How should airline brands utilize Twitter and other social media? What are they doing wrong? Let’s discuss.

P.S: This article was inspired by my conversations with my Italian friend, Sergio Mello, of Satisfly, and my Swiss friend, Rico Wyder.

• 5 Ways Airlines Can Drive Revenue with Social Media (Mashable.com)
• Here is why JetBlue is the most loved airline brand on Twitter
• The Point (or Secret) of Social Media for airlines
• “Chris Brogan: If I was an airline CEO.” Exclusive video interview with the social media mogul
• 8 ways airlines can foster real-world interaction to complement their social media strategy (and how 8 airlines do it!)