NB: This is a guest article by Mike Benjamin, CEO of flight information company FlightView.
When you take the social out of Twitter, what do you get? A stripped down content management system.
And, let's remember, it's a pretty simple one at that – just think, virtually zero training or expertise and anyone can master the platform.
Traditionally, for airports and airlines it’s been a channel for customer service, engagement, and brand presence – but that role is shifting as they realize that social media doesn’t always have to be social. It can also be a useful platform for improving operational efficiencies.
When Dane County Airport in Milwaukee launched a mobile website last year, the channel was an instant hit with passengers. It’s not surprising – 2012 smartphone sales paint a clear picture that mobile is the future.
And Gartner predicts continued popularity with 1.2 billion smartphones and tablets being bought in 2013.
One of mobile’s greatest strengths is instant access and communication – any time, anywhere. And why is that so critical in today’s travel market?
Because we’ve entered the age of the next-generation traveler who’s always connected. He expects information at all times, and at the tips of his fingers – both before and during his travels.
Airports are experiencing first-hand that satisfying the connected traveler goes beyond providing routine information. It’s also about ensuring that crucial information is delivered at the same high speed as the planes arriving and departing from Dane’s gates every day.
But there's a major problem here for some airports: Many don't have the tools or resources to communicate information at the speed demanded by today's travelers.
For a solution, Dane County looked to Twitter – although not for its social power – but rather, its core capability – quick and easy distribution of information.
How it works
With one tweet the airport can disseminate information to all mobile website users.
Of course, airports using Twitter to communicate with customers is nothing new. But at the rate that tweets are sent and consumed each day, key announcements and critical information tweeted by an airport is unlikely to stay at the top of users' feeds for very long.
The reality is that most travelers may never see that important tweet.
The new system integrates a separate tweet stream on the top of Dane County’s mobile website, displaying only the most recent message on any page the user visits.
This new capability keeps Dane County’s travelers informed of route changes, service disruptions, closed access roads or parking lots, and weather advisories.
And in an industry that experiences so many sudden disruptions – operating at a speed any slower than real-time damages customer perception.
For small and mid-sized airports like Dane County, leveraging a mobile-alert Twitter system to communicate urgent travel information is an easier and more affordable option than using a complex content management system.
Instead of having to submit a request to the web team, which may then have to submit the request to development, the airport communications team can instantly give customers the information they need.
NB: This is a guest article by Mike Benjamin, CEO of flight information company FlightView.