Introduction - Airline Social Media Strategies and Recommendations
The report will be comparing the social media strategies of two popular airlines, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. For airlines, social media has become an essential tool for engaging with customers, promoting their brand, and driving revenue (Chatzopoulou et.al 2022). As a result, it is critical for both airlines to assess their content strategy, post popularity and capacity to meet the information needs of various stakeholders. In addition, the research will look at what each airline is doing well on social media and suggest ways they may improve in the future. Finally, the study will recommend a content calendar for both airlines for the coming month. This report gives useful information for Emirates and Singapore Airlines to improve their social media presence and increase their customer relationships.
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Emirates are one of the world's major airlines founded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It operates a vast network of flights, serving over 160 destinations across six continents, and prides itself on its luxurious in-flight experience (Baxter, 2022). Emirates is renowned for its high-quality service, private suites, on-demand dining, and entertainment systems, making it a popular choice among travelers seeking comfort and luxury. Additionally, Emirates is committed to sustainability, with a focus on reducing their carbon footprint by investing in sustainable aviation fuel.
Figure 1 Singapore airlines logo
Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, is a leading airline based in Singapore, serving over 60 destinations worldwide. Singapore Airlines is known for its exceptional service, foodie cuisine, spacious seats, and top-of-the-line entertainment systems. It has been consistently ranked as one of the world's best airlines, offering its passengers a luxurious and comfortable travel experience. Additionally, Singapore Airlines is committed to sustainability and has introduced fuel-efficient aircraft to its fleet to reduce its carbon footprint.
Both Emirates and Singapore Airlines have a strong online presence and leverage social media channels to promote their brand, offer promotions and discounts, and provide information and support to their customers (Golmohammadi et.al 2023). Through their social media channels, these airlines showcase their brand, engage with their audience, and communicate their commitment to sustainability. They have established themselves as industry leaders, providing exceptional in-flight experiences and demonstrating a strong commitment to meeting the needs of their stakeholders.
Comparison of the social media presence of Emirates and Singapore Airlines across multiple platforms from December 2022 to February 2023
Facebook: Emirates has a higher Facebook following, with over 10 million followers, whilst Singapore Airlines has approximately 4.6 million followers. Singapore Airlines posts once a day, whereas Emirates posts many times per day. Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, provides more visually appealing content and makes better use of Facebook features such as stories and live videos (Akb?y?k Çetin, 2022). Emirates, on the other side, use user-generated content and posts more promotional stuff.
Twitter: Emirates has a larger following on Twitter with over 4.6 million followers, whereas Singapore Airlines has around 1.6 million followers. Both airlines post multiple times a day, with Emirates focusing on promotional content and news updates, while Singapore Airlines focuses more on customer engagement and travel inspiration (Farzadnia and Vanani, 2022). Singapore Airlines' use interactive Twitter features like polls and threads makes their content more engaging.
Instagram: Both airlines have a sizable Instagram following, with Emirates having over 14 million followers and Singapore Airlines having approximately 1.5 million. Emirates posts more regularly, approximately three times per day, whilst Singapore Airlines posts once per day. The content on Emirates is more visually attractive, with gorgeous imagery and films, whereas the content on Singapore Airlines is more focused on travel inspiration and the airline's culture.
Both airlines have a significant social media presence in general, but Emirates has a greater following across all channels (Akta? and Kozak, 2022). Emirates concentrate on promotional content, whereas Singapore Airlines engages customers with social media tools such as polls and threads. Singapore Airlines' material is more visually appealing and inspiring, whereas Emirates' content is more reliant on user-generated content.
Content Strategy: Both Emirates and Singapore Airlines utilized social media to promote their brand, engage with customers, and showcase their premium travel experiences. During the holiday season from December 2022 to February 2023, both airlines focused on travel inspiration and customer engagement through various content strategies.
Emirates' content strategy during this period was focused on showcasing their premium travel experiences, including their first-class suites and in-flight dining. They uploaded visually appealing images and videos of their flights, emphasizing the luxurious amenities and services they provide (Gunasekeran et.al 2022). They also posted user-generated content about delighted consumers, their experiences, and their favorite spots. Furthermore, Emirates sponsored holiday promotions to showcase the affordability of premium travel for its clients.
Singapore Airlines' content strategy, on the other hand, was focused on engaging with customers and showcasing their new cabin designs. They shared photos and videos of their new Airbus A380 cabin, which featured a stunning new design that emphasized luxury and comfort. They also ran interactive Twitter polls and engaged with their customers through social media comments and messages. Furthermore, they highlighted the diverse cultures and experiences of their destinations through visually appealing photos and videos.
Popularity of Posts: Both airlines' social media accounts had a significant following, with Emirates having a larger following across all platforms. However, Singapore Airlines' content was more visually appealing and engaging, with a focus on high-quality photos and videos (Saboune, 2022).
On Facebook, Emirates' most popular post during the period was a video showcasing its first-class suites, which received over 167,000 likes and 24,000 shares. Singapore Airlines' most popular post was a photo of its new A380 cabin, which received over 43,000 likes and 1,900 shares (Lohmann and de Oliveira, 2022).
On Twitter, Emirates' most popular post was a tweet featuring a photo of its first-class suite, which received over 5,700 likes and 1,100 retweets. Singapore Airlines' most popular post was a tweet featuring a video of its new cabin, which received over 3,800 likes and 1,200 retweets.
On Instagram, Emirates' most popular post was a video featuring its first-class cabin, which received over 2.4 million views and 76,000 likes. Singapore Airlines' most popular post was a photo of its cabin crew, which received over 107,000 likes.
Generally, the most popular postings on both airlines were about their premium travel experiences, such as their first-class rooms and new cabin decor. Singapore Airlines' content, on the other hand, was more visually appealing and engaging, resulting in a better engagement rate despite having a smaller following.
During the holiday season, both Emirates and Singapore Airlines used social media efficiently to highlight their premium travel experiences and communicate with customers. Singapore Airlines' visually appealing and engaging material resulted in a greater engagement rate than Emirates'. Both airlines' material was centered on travel inspiration, customer connection and brand promotion, with an emphasis on their luxury travel experiences.
Global perspective
Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels to promote products, services, or brands. The adoption of digital marketing has become a crucial strategy for businesses to reach their target audience globally. In the context of the Emirates airline, it has used digital marketing to build its brand through various social media platforms, email marketing, search engine optimization, and mobile marketing. The airline has also implemented personalized marketing campaigns and loyalty programs to attract and retain customers.
Similarly, Singapore Airlines has embraced digital marketing to engage its customers, enhance its brand, and drive sales. The airline has leveraged its website and mobile apps to provide customers with a seamless booking experience, offer personalized promotions, and improve its customer service. Singapore Airlines also utilizes social media platforms and email marketing to increase its brand awareness and engage with customers.
Meeting the Information Needs of Stakeholders: Emirates and Singapore Airlines both used social media to address the needs of their stakeholders, including prospective travelers, current customers, and those in need of booking cancellations or complaint handling.
Emirates provided comprehensive information on its website and social media channels regarding booking, baggage, check-in, visa requirements, and travel restrictions. They also provided information on how to manage bookings, including how to cancel or change flights. Emirates' social media team was responsive to customer inquiries and concerns, providing prompt and helpful responses on their social media platforms.
Similarly, Singapore Airlines provided information on their website and social media channels about booking, baggage, check-in, visa requirements, and travel restrictions (Chadwick et.al 2022). They also provided information on how to manage bookings, including how to cancel or change flights. Singapore Airlines' social media team was also responsive to customer inquiries and concerns, providing prompt and helpful responses on their social media platforms.
Comparison: Both Emirates and Singapore Airlines demonstrated a commitment to meeting the information needs of their stakeholders, with responsive and helpful social media teams and comprehensive information available on their websites and social media channels.
However, Emirates had a more prominent and visible customer service presence on social media, with a dedicated support handle on Twitter, "@EmiratesSupport," and a responsive team that provided helpful and timely responses to customer inquiries and concerns. Emirates' customer service team also provided proactive communication during weather disruptions and flight cancellations, offering alternative travel arrangements and updates on the situation.
Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, did not have a specific support handle on Twitter, and their social media customer service presence was less visible than Emirates'. Singapore Airlines' social media team, on the other hand, was attentive and helpful in responding to consumer comments and issues, delivering prompt and helpful responses.
With responsive customer care teams and detailed information available on their websites and social media channels, both Emirates and Singapore Airlines displayed a strong commitment to satisfying the information needs of their stakeholders (Antwi-Boateng and Alhashmi, 2022). Emirates, on the other hand, had a more robust and visible social media customer service presence, enabling preemptive communication amid weather disruptions and flight cancellations.
Areas is which the airlines are excelling and in which they can improve ;
Based on the analysis of Emirates and Singapore Airlines' social media presence during the period of December 2022 to February 2023, there are several areas in which each airline is excelling and areas in which they can improve.
Emirates: At this time period, Emirates' social media presence was robust, with interesting content, a proactive customer support team, and a comprehensive information resource for travelers (Mataruna-Dos-Santos et.al 2022). Emirates displayed a dedication to giving customers with incentives and discounts via their social media channels, as well as engaging and visually appealing material that highlighted their locations, in-flight experiences, and services.
To build on their success, Emirates might establish a content schedule with a greater emphasis on sustainability and community participation. They may provide additional content emphasizing their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, such as their pledge to use sustainable aviation fuel. They could also feature more stories and initiatives that showcase their involvement in local communities in their destinations, such as their support for local charities or sustainable tourism practices.
Singapore Airlines: During the same period, Singapore Airlines' social media presence was also strong, with engaging content, responsive customer service, and a comprehensive information resource for travelers. Singapore Airlines demonstrated a commitment to offering promotions and discounts to customers through their social media channels, as well as providing engaging content that highlighted their destinations, in-flight experiences, and services.
To continue to build on their successes, Singapore Airlines could consider implementing a content calendar that includes a greater focus on user-generated content (UGC) and influencer partnerships (Samarah et.al 2022). By leveraging UGC and partnering with influencers, they can create more authentic and relatable content that resonates with their audience. Singapore Airlines could also consider creating more content that showcases their in-flight experience, including their in-flight entertainment, dining, and comfort features.
To promote engagement with their audience, both airlines should explore introducing more interactive material, such as quizzes, polls, and contests. Companies might also experiment with new social media platforms, such as TikTok, to attract younger people and promote their brand in novel ways (Hurley, 2023). ;
Conclusion
The report has compared the social media strategies of Emirates and Singapore Airlines, two of the world's leading airlines. Through an analysis of their content strategy, popularity of posts and ability to meet the information needs of various stakeholders, the report provide valuable insights into how these airlines engage with their customers, promote their brand, and drive sales through social media. The report is concluded that the both airlines have strong social media strategies, with Emirates excelling in visual storytelling and Singapore Airlines providing valuable travel information to their followers.
The report has recommended several ways in which Emirates and Singapore Airlines can improve their social media strategies. These include increasing engagement through user-generated content, leveraging influencer partnerships, and using social listening tools to understand customer sentiment and improve their overall customer experience. In today's digital age, social media is a crucial tool for airlines to connect with their customers and stay relevant in a highly competitive industry. By taking into account the recommendations and proposed content calendar outlined in this report, Emirates and Singapore Airlines can enhance their social media presence and strengthen their relationship with their customers.
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