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Understanding Social Media and

Marketing trends in Public


Transportation

By Matt McCord
Arkansas Tech University
The role that Public Relations plays in the transit industry is vast. It is

important to understand why Social Media Networks are valuable tools for

the public outreach needs of transportation providers: they are free,

instantaneous, and reach large numbers of people simultaneously. When

transportation providers are trying to notify large numbers of passengers

about delays, drivers about construction work, or bus riders about re-

routing, they can blast messages through social media channels to reach

their intended audience immediately. Most public transit users will access

these networks far more frequently than the websites of their local

transportation agencies.

Ultimately, the goals of social media in transportation are to inform

(alert riders of a situation), motivate (to opt for an alternate route), and

engage (amplify the message to their friends and neighbors) (Kaufman,

2012). Ideally, these actions would occur within minutes of an accident or

incident. Thus, Social Media and Marketing trends are quickly evolving

from a novelty to a necessity and the usage of such has become more

widespread and frequent.

Robin Chase, the co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest

car-sharing company in the world. She is also the former CEO of Buzzcar, a

peer-to-peer car sharing service. In addition to her long tenured career in

transportation, she has won numerous awards and was listed as one of
Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2009. She claims that transportation

is the center of the world! It is the glue of our daily lives. When it goes well,

we don't see it. When it goes wrong, it negatively colors our day, makes us

feel angry and impotent, curtails our possibilities (Schawbel 2012). Her

viewpoint that transportation is the center of the world, could not be more

accurate. Additionally, that role goes a step further for those dependent on

public transit. While connecting with riders hasnt been a major point of

focus for transit organizations in the past, it is imperative that agencies take

steps to connect with their clients moving forward. Research shows,

traditionally, to find out what riders thought of transit service, agencies

used periodic surveys to gauge performance, interest in new transit projects

and to monitor conditions. But thanks to social media, agencies now have

an opportunity to connect with their customers, putting a personal face on

what appears to be a faceless bureaucracy. Social media tools and platforms

ranging from Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to Instagram photo

sharing, YouTubes media sharing and GPS location platform have

created new avenues through which agencies can engage riders

(Newcombe 2015).

Public Relations as we know it is quickly changing. Its no longer the

public relations of yesterday. It has become the big shift in the role that

people are easily facilitating new communications. The future of public

relations will provide one of the most credible forms and communication,

which builds trust and strong relationships with media, customers and new
social networking. The social web gives business and public relations

professionals the powerful tools to share their voices, build long term

relationships and shape perceptions and decisions in the new world of

public relations. Public relations professionals must understand the needs

of their clients through technologies, business models, services and more

and experiment with these new distribution channels. Unfortunately, the

characteristics of social media users are not yet well documented and

questions remain about whether social media platforms can bridge the

digital divide, or the perceived gap between people who have access to

information technology and those who do not. While inconclusive, research

suggests that social media attract users from multiple demographic

categories. Further research could provide more data on the demographics

of social media users and help determine whether public transportation

agencies must take additional actions to ensure that all riders can access

online information and social networking sites (Newcombe 2015).

The time for transit agencies to get in line with Social Media and

Marketing trends is now. The revenue potential in an ever-growing industry

is huge. The growth in mobile applications and traveler information services

is ongoing and there is anticipation for further growth in these specific

areas, which include location based technology, social-buying services

(transit tickets/passes), and agency-to-agency integration. The

implementation of such dimensions will help organizations achieve agency

goals and reach specific marketed areas.


Vehicles are one of the best modes of transportation. Relationships

are one of the best vehicles of transformation. Kate McGahan (Author,

Psychologist)

References

Shawbel, D. How Robin Chase Reinvented the Transportation Industry


(2012) Retrived from forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2012/06/22/how-robin-chase-
reinvented-the-transportation-industry/#1af1061f796d

Kaufman, Sarah M. How Social Media Moves New York: Twitter Use
by Transportation Providers in the New York Region (2012) Retrieved from
wagner.nyu.edu https://wagner.nyu.edu/rudincenter/publication/how-social-
media-moves-new-york-twitter-use-by-transportation-providers-in-the-new-
york-region-2/

Newcombe, Tod, Social Media Keeps Transit Agencies Informed About


its Riders (2015) Retrieved from govtech.com

http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Social-Media-Keeps-Transit-Agencies-
Informed-About-its-Riders.html

American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation


Fact Book. Public Transportation Benefits (2016) Retrieved from
apta.com.
http://www.apta.com/

Solis, B. & Breakenridge, D. (2010) Putting the public back in public


relations. How social media is reinventing the aging business of pr.

Wilcox, D. L. & Cameron, G. T. (2009) Public relations strategies and


tactics. What is public relations, p.5.

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