While earlier a person's public influence was judged by the cloud of companies he managed, the new norms set by the 21st century have added another quality to the list, the number of twitter followers you have. With the advent of social media in the advertising world and its corresponding usage by more than 38% of US travelers before booking their tickets, airlines have understood the potential unearthed in this frame of advertising. One of the world's first few airlines to adopt social media for brand promotion was KLM and the outstanding results were for everyone to see. From connecting you with passengers who carry the same interest using Facebook to replying to customer queries using YouTube, KLM has certainly marked its presence with the younger lot. The world is changing and how? While earlier a person's public influence was judged by the car he arrived in or the cloud of companies he managed, the norms set by the 21st century have added another quality to the list, the number of twitter followers you have. Yes you heard it right, social media is changing the rules of the advertising world and everyone from the telecom industry to aviation is embracing it for brand communication. Consider these facts, according to a survey done by NIIT Technologies, 38% of US travelers use social media platforms before they buy a ticket or a package, and with a whopping 70% of young minds using it to research travel trips, this is one industry which simply can't be taken lightly by any airline. One of the world's first few airlines that could foresee the potential of social media was KLM which flies to more than 130 destinations across more than 65 countries. KLM knew that social media was not only a great way to connect with the younger generation, but it was also a nice way to improve customer service, enhance brand reach and help in lead generation. The results of KLM's campaign were for everyone to see and also follow. After KLM's successful social media campaigns, all the other major airlines expanded their social media departments by more than 40%. These are some of the most popular social media campaigns that were implemented by KLM. • Meet & Seat: One of KLM's most successful social media campaigns, Meet & Seat uses a passenger's Facebook Id to connect him with other passengers who carry the same interests. This way you can not only know about the exciting personalities who will be boarding the same flight but also connect with them on-board and share your experiences. • #Live Reply: Major chunk of the business in the aviation world depends on word of mouth publicity and customer service. Keeping this aspect in mind, KLM launched the #Live Reply program on YouTube to enhance its brand reach. In this program, travelers asked questions on social media platforms which were answered by KLM employees in the form of a movie. The campaign went a long way in establishing KLM's motto of 24*7 customer service and was a huge success. • Trip Planner: How many airlines in the world organize travel trips with your Facebook friends? Well KLM does. The airline uses your Facebook Id to help you plan an exciting trip with your Facebook friends, it simply can't get better than this. • KLM Surprise: Rewards are a big part of KLM's innovative campaigns. The KLM Surprise campaign was the brainchild of KLM's social media team and was used to surprise its loyal customers. In this program, KLM gave personal gifts to passengers who checked in with Foursquare on the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and indicated that they were flying with KLM. To be on the top of your game, you have to think out of the box and adopt the best practices and using social media is one of those practices that every airline would need to master in the near future. Neha is a travel writer with her main focus on budget traveling. She writes travel tips and guide for travelers looking to save on airfares and destination specific guides like getting cheap flights for KLM Airlines or on particular routes like Military Travel.
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