American Airlines Gets Personal with Social Media

Companies are struggling to create a comprehensive social media campaign that is effective in delivering quality service to customers, but American Airlines has tackled the problem by getting personal.

The airline is using its Twitter account to provide light, friendly interactions with consumers to build customer engagement. When the company refocused its social media strategy earlier this year, it decided that every tweet would receive a personal response to create a unique experience.

The strategy may be more time consuming than automated responses, but it is tied to the long-term objectives of building a customer-oriented airline. More consumers now prefer to communicate online than in person and utilizing social media strategies to create a customer-driven culture has helped American Airlines improve the company's brand, CNBC reported.

"The first piece is that mind-set," analyst Zach Hofer-Shall told TechTarget. "If we get to the point that social isn't a new thing -- it's a complement -- that mentality will lead the technical tactics of this. We don't need an entire social media team. It's a business function."