Avionics News June 2017 - 4

Social media in aviation
Are you missing out?

S

ocial media in the aviation and aerospace industry
They don't understand how it works or don't believe
has been particularly conservative over the last
it will work in the general aviation industry. The lack of
decade. But it is getting more popular, and the sky is
understanding or vision keeps some of these companies in
the limit. Companies that are behind on the times or are
the dark ages for marketing purposes.
just afraid to start using social media will soon be left
Some companies think it is too risky. They might not
behind and will start having to play catch-up. This is one
want to risk technology, data or pictures of their products
bandwagon you want to jump on.
getting seen publicly. Some also believe social media will
Here are some facts pulled from an article by Jomer
take too much time and effort to be consistent. They believe
Gregorio titled "6 Hottest B2B Social Media
it may not be productive to have one person or a
Marketing Trends in 2017." In the last year,
group of people working daily on social media.
there were 219 million new social media
The pros of social media far outweigh any
users, and social media accessed by mobile
cons. It helps get your brand recognized by other
devices grew by 283 million users. Social
people or companies that might otherwise have
media advertising is projected to generate
never known you existed. It is an extremely
$11 billion in revenue in 2017.
inexpensive form of marketing that has a far
The top platforms used by businesses
reach. It can drive more traffic to your website,
Shawn Estes
in 2016 ranked by usage were as follows:
which can spark interest in your company and
Southeast

LinkedIn 94 percent; Twitter 87 percent;
create new leads. Another good reason, and an
Aerospace
Facebook 84 percent; YouTube 74 percent;
often overlooked one, is the advantage it can
and Google+ 62 percent.
give your business when recruiting new associates. There
The Content Marketing Institute/Marketing Profs reports
are many smart, qualified, young employment prospects,
the top three tactics most critical to success in 2017 are
and many are getting jobs by word-of-mouth advertising or
blogs 52 percent; email newsletters 40 percent; and social
searching various social media platforms.
media content 40 percent. If your company is not involved
Social media is no longer just for finding lost friends or
in social media, these numbers should be a wake-up call
keeping in touch with friends and family. By taking the time
for you to get on board.
and effort required to be successful at social media, it will pay
What are some of the reasons these aviation companies
off in the long run for your company. Social media is now a
might be reluctant to dive into the social media world?
sophisticated marketing machine. Use it to your advantage. q
The average age of employees at aerospace and aviation
companies is older than many other industries. These
individuals have been working in the industry for a long
SHAWN ESTES
time and seem to be set in ways that have worked for them
in the past. Social media is seen by these individuals as
Sales and Marketing Liaison, Southeast Aerospace
something the younger generation does to connect with
Melbourne, Florida
friends or follow celebrities.
This material first appeared in the Southeast Aerospace blog at seaerospace-blog.com.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News June 2017
