Social media: the sky’s the limit

British Airways recently launched their Future Pilot Scheme using You Tube as a key component of their awareness campaign.
The Future Pilot Programme is part of a wider pilot recruitment plan at British Airways supporting budding pilots and helping them access funding (circa. £100k of it!) which is then paid back later in their career. The airline has a target to add another 800 new pilots by 2016, and the scheme is a joint venture between the British Airways and the armed forces.
According to British Airways, the You Tube ad explains more about the initiative and offers soundbites from current pilots advising that recruits need “a passion for flying and a passion for our customers.”

Sounds fair. But what does You Tube really add to the equation? And why are more and more brands turning to You Tube as the final piece of their digital strategy puzzle?

There is a wealth of thinking in the field on You Tube as a social media channel and why brands have not been as quick to embrace it as Facebook and Twitter. But the tides are most certainly turning.

At Liquid Graphic, we think You Tube serves as an important element of an online marketing strategy for two reasons:

1. It’s the second biggest search engine. Second only to it’s parent company, Google. If a customer’s searching your product and you’re not there, someone else will be.
2. It’s the emotional connection. Video has the capacity to draw us in like no other medium. Customers searching for video are almost certainly at the last stage of research before affirmation of purchase – ie, if they want to see a product in action it’s usually because they want to buy it.

Brands are increasingly realising that You Tube can no longer be ignored and many are developing their own dedicated channels. You Tube has a great resource with plenty of do’s and don’t's advice to help brands get off the ground.

But while brands learn to fly the mothership that is You Tube, there’s plenty of turbulence in the sky. You Tube has served as a more true form of social media and citizen journalism over the years and, as such, there are plenty of anti-corporation videos to be found and brands have to be wary of search results that appear alongside their brand name.

The sky is the limit for brands when it comes to You Tube and 2011 is looking set to become the year that take off really happens.

Get in touch with Liquid Graphic to talk about social media and why it’s relevant to your business.