Using your content as a currency. Emerging Media Coordinator Brooks E Thomas demonstrates how Southwest Airlines provides the best online content of any airline and shares how they measure their success.

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
NUTS ABOUT COMMUNICATION
USING YOUR CONTENT AS A CURRENCY
Session Hashtag: #FreeHobbyAirport
April 2012
@brooksethomas

2. The Evolution of Storytelling
Cave Drawings Stone Tablets Papyrus Rolls
Computer Typewriter Pen & Paper

3. Storytelling in 2012

4. How Media Has Changed
40% social
media users on
their mobile
phone
Over 55 y/o
driving the
growth of
social
networking

5. Social Media Awards &
Recognition

6. Where We’ve Been
Oct. 09: Southwest
Jan. 11: Social
Airlines streams a
Media Policy
press conference
July 09: The Social and Handbook
April 06: The “Nuts February 07: A announcing ECP
Media crisis are created.
About Southwest” media buy is used to service.
response is tested
Blog is launched, launch a Facebook
when Flight 2294
picking up where page to host a May 08: The Nuts March 10: The
makes an
Airline left off. basketball bracket About Southwest Blog Employee Blog
Emergency Landing.
game. get a makeover! launches.
December 06: The Southwest June 11:
Summer 07: Sept 09: The Emerging
Airlines Marketing Team uses Employee
Southwest begins a Media Team is converged
YouTube to host a “Wanna Get App created.
YouTube channel. with the PR and Employee
Away”video submission contest
And joins Twitter! Communication team
May. 11: Social
Media Customer
Relations
Jan 10: The Social Specialists are
Aug 08: The Emerging Media
Media Council and The hired to help
May 07: A Social Media Team is developed within
Rapid Response teams manage online
integration team is created Communications and includes 4
are created. CR issues.
between Communications full-time Social Media
and Marketing. employees.

7. Southwest Social Fans
2.2 Million 1.3 Million
Fans Followers

8. Fan Page created: March,
2007
Nearly 2.2 million fans
Facebook is a hub for
Customer interaction!
Using Facebook, we link to a
Southwest page (typically,
Nuts About Southwest or
southwest.com).

9. Twitter is a tool used to share short (140
character) updates to anyone who chooses
to follow your updates.
On Twitter, SouthwestAir has more than
1.2 million followers!

10. Top Things We Do on Twitter
• Monitor: We monitor keywords regarding the industry and Southwest.
• Respond: If necessary, we respond to questions and concerns.
• Live Tweet Events: From plane pulls to city openings – we provide real time updates to followers.
• Behind the Scenes Glimpse: Followers love to see what’s going on behind the scenes at SWA.
• Connect with Reporters/Bloggers: We respond to media or put them in touch with a spokesperson.
• Create Buzz: We alert followers to sales, giveaways, or news announcements.
• Crowdsource: We ask our Followers for what they would like to see (Gary’s Halloween costume, a headline on a press
release, how we should celebrate our Millionth follower).
• Emergency Notifications: we’ve used Twitter multiple times to share information regarding emergencies or incidents.
• Sharing our Story! Southwest has a long history or being FUN, friendly, and outgoing. Twitter takes that persona and
brings it to the Internet. For example, singing flight attendants, LUV couples, and the best inflight/gate agent humor are all
shared via Twitter.

11. Our Hub Where we Showcase:
• Stories From Around the System
• Company News
• Contests

12. Blog Basics
Story Submission Sheet
• Idea: the storyline
• Multimedia: the elements
• Timeline: when to expect it
• Misc.: what we can do to help

13. Content Sharing
• Our Digital Presence Enables Us to
Broadcast Our Story to Millions
• Once a Particular Story is Crafted and
Sent Through Corporate Accounts, it
is then Shared by Others, to Others
(Domino Effect)
• Media Sees the Initial Story, or the
Buzz Surrounding it, and Covers our
Story
• What this looks like…

14. Content Sharing

15. We browse for content
everywhere.

16. Holly’s Story

17. Holly’s Story
• Using WiFi, Rowland comments on our Facebook
Page.
• Rowland asks us to appreciate Holly somehow,
vows to sign contract saying he’ll only fly
Southwest .
• Marketing Employee Matt J. sees comment, alerts
us & PHX Inflight Supervisor Stephen D.

18. Holly’s Story
• Flight lands, Rowland is escorted off plane with
Holly.
• Holly is presented with a sash and “cookie cake of
appreciation”

19. Holly’s Story
• And, of course, we had Rowland sign the contract.

20. • Employee-Generated Content
– Events/News Items Around the System
– Unsolicited Submissions
– Internal Stories that Warrant External
Publicity
• Customer-Generated Content
– Social Media Mentions (Direct & Indirect)
– Customer Relations/CS&S Phone Calls
– Emails
Identifying Content

21. • Field Employees Are:
– Pitchers
– Facilitators
– Reporters
• Why Southwest is a Natural Fit
– Established Internal Communication
– Education in Storytelling & Policy
– Empowerment (Confidence in Your
People)
Employee Content

22. It’s a lot easier to catch a story
when you’re ahead of it.

23. Employee Content: ATL at Last
• Know Your Plans
- Have you
accounted for
everything?
• Know What’s Visual
- Are you in a
position to
capture the best
elements?
• Know Your
Timeframe
- Is the content
time-sensitive, or
evergreen?

24. Customer Content

25. Customer Content
Every Tweet or Facebook Post is a Story
Idea
– Evaluate: is it worth pursuing?
– Engage: Contact People Involved, get the
whole story
• Multimedia
• Who else was involved? (Should you contact
them?)
– Determine: is this better as a first-person
account or third-person account?
• Options: Customer, Employee involved, or Blog
Team Member

26. Customer Content
The Customer often tells the
story, but in most cases,
Employees write it based on
their actions.

27. Customer Content
Customer Content not only benefits the Customers involved, but also the Employees
involved. When relatable content is shared, our audience is also affected.

28. Editorial Calendar
The editorial calendar helps us
stay organized, stay full, and
determine timeliness.

29. Repurposing Content
SWA Stew
• Weekly Top 5
• Decided by Google Analytics
• Talk Soup‐esque
One Report
• Annual Effort
• Showcases Leaders

30. Franchises
• Content You Can Rely On
• Ideally Never‐ending
• Conditions User Habits

31. Questions?
@brooksethomas