Airline Facebook pages – a content analysis

Abstract

Purpose The emergence of new media has changed the way how airlines interact with the public. This study analyzes how airlines use one of the most popular new media platforms, Facebook, to manage public relations, communicate with customers and diversify their sales channels. This topic has not been covered by scientific literature so far. Methods This paper uses content analysis to identify types of content provided by airlines on their official Facebook pages and extent of services offered (customer service, flight booking applications etc.). It focuses on Facebook pages of 250 largest airlines by number of passengers. Results The study shows that airline Facebook pages contain limited information and are not substitutes for airline websites. Three fourths of airlines enable users to post content. By replying to users' posts, 68 % of airlines use FB as a customer service platform. The major determinants of whether an airline operates a FB page are airline size and its business model. Conclusions Social networks play an increasingly important role in marketing and customer service of airlines. We expect the usage of social media by airlines to further increase in the future as a direct result of increasing importance of "generation Z" on the market.

The relationship between the firm's social media strategy and the consumers' engagement behavior in aviation

“…Brand posts constitute an important component of airlines' social media activities (Grančay, ), and “ fan engagement ” is an important attribute of airlines' social media usage (see, e.g., Parveen et al, ). Travelers who are fans of an airline can see brand posts and engage with them by liking, commenting, and sharing.…”

“…We contribute to that literature but focus more on the strategy and tactics of the marketing firm itself, as an important gap in the literature. The aviation industry was chosen because firms of this sector adopt an active approach to social media marketing, many of which have large fan bases following their brand messages on social media (Grančay, ). We study engagement to a greater extent than previous studies of the airline sector.…”

“…By “liking” a fan page, consumers become “fans” of a brand/firm. A firm can post messages, photos, and videos on its Facebook profile, and upon adding a new brand post to its wall, all fans are notified on their “news feeds” (Grančay, ). To extend their reach, firms can also promote their brand posts through paid services so that Facebook users who are not their fans see these posts.…”

“…To extend their reach, firms can also promote their brand posts through paid services so that Facebook users who are not their fans see these posts. As such, social media plays an increasingly important role in airline communication strategies (Grančay, ), and passengers' use of airline social media is expected to continuously increase (Seo & Park, ). Research shows that airlines' social media marketing activities affect brand awareness, brand image, and the extent to which consumers speak positively about an airline on social media (Dijkmans, Kerkhof, & Beukeboom, ; Dijkmans, Kerkhof, Buyukcan‐Tetik, & Beukeboom, ; Hudson & Thal, ; Seo & Park, ).…”

Company Facebook and Crisis Signal: The Case of Malaysian Airline Companies

“…A study of Facebook of airlines using content analysis was done by Grancay (2014). The findings revealed that Airline FB pages contained only limited information and are not substitutes for airline websites.…”