You're Doing Social Media Wrong. JetBlue Does It Best.

JetBlue is an international airline company. They hadn't had the best of luck in customer satisfaction or gathering a high audience. They even had a blog in the early '00s, but that fell flat due to the lack of engagement. However, in February of 2007, something changed the way JetBlue used social media forever.

When a bad storm knocked out their ability to communicate, along with their reservation system, about 1,000 flights had to be canceled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on Valentine's Day (of all the days, honestly). This was a disaster, and many companies wouldn't have even recovered, let alone live to tell the tale. But JetBlue was different; they went on the offense for damage control.

The CEO, David Neeleman, went on YouTube to plead their case and calm any public concerns about the blackout. In an unscripted video, he created what's known now as the "Customer's Bill of Rights," which included information about compensation for cancellations on the company's fault. It also included information about delayed times, accommodations, and overbookings.

The apology was so well received that people have actually said it's the "perfect business apology," This is how businesses should handle their errors moving forward. Since this, JetBlue's social media presence has exploded in followers and loyal customers. In the seventeen months after the apology, JetBlue's Twitter went from 700 followers to over 1.1 million in August 2009 (it currently stands at 1.8 million followers and counting). And that's just one example of their increase; their whole image was changed and exploded due to this. So there are many valid reasons why they continue to use social media, but here's another one for reference.

JetBlue became more active on more social media platforms because they saw that their following was established. For any company, you have to remember we don't live in a world where TVs are only for the rich; anyone and anything can become the next big thing because of cell phones. This applies to how we do business and communicate with companies; people would rather chat with customer service than sit on the phone for five hours only to get no answer. With the immediacy combined with the blooming audience, JetBlue couldn't pass up this chance of immediate connection with its audience.

This type of apology would work for a company if they did it promptly. However, in the age of the Internet, everything is more accessible now more than ever. People can send a message to a company, and if it's not replied to in a good way-your company will trend for all the wrong reasons. So companies have to be prepared with answers before situations happen.

These also can't just be answers anymore; they need to be extremely vetted by all community members (i.e., people of color, the queer community, women, etc.). This is because written communication can be quickly misinterpreted if not presented properly. So yes, it can definitely work in our day and age, there's more that's required for an apology, but companies can do it.

I think JetBlue's response was the best it could be at that time, with the resources and information they had. Of course, having any customers stranded is bad, but it's horrible when your main job is transportation. The thing is that not everything can be guaranteed; people can plan for what's in their control, but the weather is uncontrollable.

No one could have predicted that storm, and there was no way to guarantee that everything would go off without a hitch. The best thing to do was recognize that you weren't prepared, that any trouble caused by the company will be accounted for, and move forward or impose rules to prevent it from happening again. The accountability element was the most important, and JetBlue did that correctly. That's nothing that I personally would have changed, both in hindsight and in that moment.

Twitter is a great platform for connecting with millions of people in 150 words or less. These aren't just people in your neighborhood; these people all across the world share the same values and beliefs as you. JetBlue understands that many travelers have accounts on Twitter for travel needs, news updates, real-time updates on the country they're traveling to, and much more.

They also know that people are keen to have their needs met. People want things done quickly and efficiently; this can be from how they shop to travel. Traveling is one of the most intense experiences anyone can take, which applies to solo and group. The idea of having someone at the tip of your fingers guide you through the process with any questions, comments, and concerns that you may have. And JetBlue has mastered this to a tee allowing other businesses to follow suit.

JetBlue isn't the only company that's had controversies. Any organization that deals with people, and the uncontrollable elements, have had problems in the past. The thing that sets companies apart from each other is how they handle these issues. And this doesn't apply to organizations like when Burger King UK said 'women need to get back to the kitchen,' or CDC's recent tweet about not going swimming with an upset stomach.

This applies to people too; Gabbie Hannah, Jake and Logan Paul, Kid Rock, and so many more can (and should) follow in JetBlue's example when it comes to taking accountability and fixing mistakes to ensure repeat mistakes aren't made. However, not everyone is capable of communicating their ideas or problem-solving as JetBlue did. Therefore, the apology should be a benchmark for other apologies and how influencers and brands can re-establish/redeem themselves.