How the transportation industry is using social networks and media to improve communications

1. From the Social Network
to the Transportation
Network
How the transportation industry is using social networks and
media to improve communications
Presented by Jason Martin

2. Introduction

3. Introduction
This presentation has three key learning
objectives:
1. Define how public transportation
organizations use social media to achieve
better communications;
2. Identify best practices, as well as concerns,
organizations may have with regard to social
media;
3. Identify some lessons learned and next steps
for social media for public transportation.

4. Introduction
Questions asked of social media practitioners:
1. How do you use social media?
2. What has worked well for you? Suggestions
of best practices?
3. What concerns did you have? Do you have
some lessons learned?
4. Where is social media going next for your
organization?

5. Introduction
Questions asked of social media practitioners:
• How do you use social media?
• All channels purpose strategy customers updated and informed
• Specific cases used for social media engagement seek feedback and public consultation
• Listening and paying attention what is on the mind – two way communications
• What has worked well for you? Suggestions of best practices?
• To be forthright, honest and clear; times when you might know everything that is going on, be up to date and very current, accuracy and
timeliness, make sure your tone is correct keep it business-like but approachable; starting small and building your way up; not necessarily
your top priority, need to have the fundamentals such as website and accurate schedules, need foundations
• What concerns did you have? Do you have some lessons learned?
• Learned a lot along the way, been in it 5 years, time resource is always an issue, need to have priorities straight, don’t get caught with just
serving zero sum game; you can’t respond to every single questions, address themes and frequently asked; one on one better for customer
service exchange by email or by telephone; challenge to move from centralized to decentralized; social media guidelines in place
• Where is social media going next for your organization?
• Mobile usage is growing incredibly and is very important for transit organizations; decentralization to educate other departments can use the
social media, being a resource for the organization, central place to go question.

6. Introduction
Questions asked of social media practitioners ttc:
• How do you use social media? What are your communication goals?
• Reach out to customers service advisories, change in regular route, customer--- e-alert service subscription base via email, website, platform
screens, facebook and twitter, ttcnotices, executive support and participation, ttchelps customer service
• Educate customers why we do what we do, very service driven, no wiifii underground yet, responding to customers already engaging through
social media; resources are a challenge,
• What has worked well for you? Suggestions of best practices?
• Difficult fine tuned.. Started as one-way communication, challenge of fitting in discussion 140 characters, created format that could be easily
understand, scripting to ensure consitency, and do it in a timely manner, clarity and timeliness are critical to transit; get the tone and getting
messages; getting all the delay notices, add flitering for email alerts, Use 140 characters for all platoforms to make it more efficienct
• What concerns did you have? Do you have some lessons learned?
• Spelling and grammar is always a concern—because of the rapid pace of social media, Need to determine when your making notices (e.g.
15 minutes), Social media is engaging and constant, you need new information everyday, we also put in common education and answer
broader questions; if negative monitor closely to understand the meaning behind it—is it venting or is something more
• Where is social media going next for your organization?
• We have recently added next vehicle arrival, register for various apps that will provide information
• Open data for developers for mobile applications
• Win-win as TTC doesn’t have the resources to build such apps
• Mobility a big trend to watch

7. Background

8. Background
Social media for this presentation is defined as:
• Blogs
• Social networking sites (e.g. Facebook)
• Micro-blogging (e.g. Twitter)
• Media sharing (e.g. YouTube)
• Geo-mapping applications (e.g. Foursquare)

9. Background
Transportation organization’s use of social media
Other
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Source: The Urban Transportation Monitor

10. Background
Why social media?
Source: Translink

11. Background
How do they use certain social media channels?
• Twitter used for brief communications and
service updates;
• Facebook used for announcements, service
updates, branding and community building;
• YouTube used for wide variety of
topics, including how to information, project
updates, stories and testimonials, ―ride-
alongs‖ and ―behind the scenes‖ footage.

12. Background
Transportation organization’s reasons for using
social media could be categorized as:
• Updates for schedules and service
• Public information
• Fun and engagement
• Customer engagement
• Policy and advocacy

13. Background
Transportation organization’s reasons for using
social media could be categorized as:
• Updates for schedules and service
• Public information
• Fun and engagement
• Customer engagement
• Policy and advocacy

14. Background
Importance versus effectiveness
Source: Transit Cooperative Research Program

15. Background
Effectiveness of Social Media For Reaching Audiences
Source: Transit Cooperative Research Program

16. Background
Example of updates for schedules and services

17. Background
• Example of public information

18. Background
• Example of fun and entertainment
Pet Peeves Etiquette Campaign (November 2011)
• 12-day battle of the pet peeves
• Page visited more than 18,000 times
• Grew audience reach (2,500 before campaign to 4,600+ today)

19. Background
• Example of customer and policy engagement

20. Best Practices

21. Best Practices
• Key best practices put forward by interviewees
and complimentary research included:
– Establish your fundamentals
– Walk before you run (pilot projects)
– Accuracy and timeliness is critical for transit
– Keep social media in perspective
– Consider organizational impacts
– Identify what the costs are
– Establish your voice
– Listen carefully to your followers

22. Best Practices
• Case Study: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
– Uses blog, Facebook, Twitter, You
Tube, Flickr, LinkedIn and Foursquare
– Twitter used primarily for customer communication
and service updates
– YouTube provides story telling and how to vignettes
– Blog is used for longer feature pieces
– Uses social media to push people back to
website, which is the primary foundational
communication tool

23. Best Practices
• Case Study: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

24. Best Practices
• Case Study: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

25. Best Practices
• Case Study: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
- Communication Goals and Considerations
• Be more approachable and achieve two-way
communications
• Reposition the brand (not just a utility)
• Provide timely and accurate updates to customers
• Manage resources effectively
• Put fundamentals such as trip planning tools, transit
advisories, web assets and email alert features in place
before moving to social media

26. Best Practices
• Case Study: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
- Best practices and recommendations
• Keep social media in perspective
• Get the fundamentals in place
• Find the right voice and tone (business-like but
approachable)
• Manage your resources (you can’t answer every
question, respond to themes and develop responses to
common transit issues)
• Acknowledge mistakes and own up to missteps in social
media

27. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink
– Uses blog, Facebook, Twitter, You
Tube, Storify, Foursquare
– Social media linked to becoming more customer
focused organization and in preparation for the 2010
Olympics
– Twitter is a critical channel for customer service with
more than 20,000 followers (one of the strongest
followings in the region)

28. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink
– Developed a dedicated Twitter/social media customer
service team in addition to blogging and social media
staff
– Established strong growth in service by twitter in less
than a year
– Blog the Buzzer Blog has established a unique voice
and strong niche following among transit enthusiasts;
viral grass roots type movements have grown out of
this such as the creation of ―I Love Transit‖ week.

29. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink
- Communication Goals and Considerations
• Increase customer focus and two-way dialogue
• Begin to establish dialogue on policy issues in addition to
service inquiries
• Gather important feedback to guide policy discussions and
changes
• Establish and grow advocates and ambassadors for transit
and TransLink
• Can not ―repackage‖ traditional customer communications

30. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink

31. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink

32. Best Practices
• Case Study: TransLink