Beware of SEO firms making big promises

I am amazed at the vast number of emails I get from SEO companies promising to get my aviation marketing website on page 1 of Google. These firms must not be doing their homework because my website is already on page 1.

Many times , these so called SEO experts who spam your inbox are snake-oil salesmen reincarnated, using unethical techniques to drive up search rankings. If you’re a novice to search engine optimization, you may be tempted to contact one of these firms – especially those who offer an enticing ploy of not charging until they achieve a target search objective. The problem is that in search engine optimization there is the right way (“White Hat” methods) to achieve good search rankings, and the wrong way (“Black Hat” methods).

Black Hat Methods Can Get You Blacklisted

SEO firms that employ “black hat” methods such as keyword stuffing, hidden text, cloaked and doorway pages, link farming, and blog spamming, can indeed improve your search rankings short-term, but these techniques violate search engine terms of service, putting your website at risk of being banned. Search algorithms identify these SEO tricks and will eventually blacklist your site from future searches, keeping potential customers from being able to find you. It happens every day, and quite often business don’t even realize it until much later.

More money to reinstate your site’s SEO status and integrity

One day your aviation business website appears on page 1 of Google and you happily pay the charlatan’s SEO fee; the next day, your website has been “blacklisted” and doesn’t appear on any search engine. Now that great deal is going to cost you more money, time and resources to correct the damage done.

The first clue a SEO firm may be unscrupulous is the fact they promote themselves via unsolicited emails; if they market their own company by using unethical spam techniques, how ethical will they be in their SEO practices to promote your aviation company? Not very.

In choosing a search engine optimization firm, you want a firm who has a proven track record of results and satisfied customers. It’s always a good idea to check a firm’s background and ask for references.

Low-cost marketing tips that will keep your charter company flying

The economy has been in a slump for some time, and while there are signs of improvement, the recovery is not here quite yet. Unfortunately, aviation has taken a disproportionate hit during these tough times, undeservedly positioned by the media as a prime example of corporate excess. Automobile executives flying corporate jets to Senate hearings only added fuel to the fire, and flamed an anti-aviation agenda in the news media.

Even those not hard hit by the economic downturn feel it is bad taste to flaunt their wealth. For example, a neighbor is installing a luxury pool in their backyard, but won’t allow the contractor to place a lawn sign advertising the pool company so as not to draw attention to this display of wealth.

Aircraft Charter Especially Susceptible in Tough Times

In good economic times, wealth expands, allowing for discretionary dollars to flow towards activities like private jet travel. During a recession, the opposite occurs, and businesses look to cut costs. They limit air travel in general and air charter in particular. Because an air charter company’s aircraft and infrastructure costs remain fixed despite the economic climate, an extended downturn can have a major impact on the company’s ability to sustain itself resulting with a number of high profile companies like JetDirect going bankrupt.

Smart Marketing Can Help Your Air Charter Company Get Through Tough Economic Times

In a down economy, aircraft charter companies that are able to maintain – even increase their marketing and sales efforts, through a smart, low-cost marketing program – will be best able to weather the downturn and emerge even stronger when the economy eventually improves.

Aircraft Charter Recession Strategy

PART I: Utilize cost-effective marketing tools

The first part of the air charter recession strategy is to utilize low-cost marketing tools that can have an immediate impact in generating sales. Look no further than your website.

1. How easy is it to book a flight or request a quote from your website? Many air charter websites have the ability to request a quote right from the homepage. Prospective customers may visit two or three websites. The one easiest to use, wins the business.
2. Is your website optimized for search engines? Will a prospective customer find you via a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search for air charter in your particular city? If you type “aircraft charter (your city)” into Google and your website does not appear in the first three pages, then you are at a definite disadvantage to those competitors that appear higher in the search ranking.
3. Are you active in industry groups that serve aviation as well as industries that use air charter services? Networking is still a great, low-cost way to meet new customers and build a network of associates who can refer business to you.
4. Are you getting your story out to the press on a consistent and frequent basis? An on-going public relations campaign is another relatively low-cost, but effective way to build awareness for your air charter business with prospective new customers.

PART II: New Opportunities Exist, Find Them!

Lady Gaga would find charter more comfortable in her crazy costumes

The second part of our Air Charter Recession Strategy is to be on the lookout for new opportunities – even when business turns south.

1. Corporations that have closed flight departments. Many of the aforementioned automakers have sold off their corporate jets, and closed or reduced their flight departments. However, these high-level business executives will prefer not to fly commercial if a practical charter alternative is made known to them.

2. Individuals who have sold their private jets. Like those celebrities that have traded Humvees for a Tesla, owning a private jet these days is considered much too bourgeois. But Lady Gaga must travel, and she’s not going to feel comfortable in one of her crazy outfits, even if she flies first-class.

3. Companies sending teams of people on location. Any company that needs to send a team of employees to service a client’s needs on location is going to find air charter an attractive and cost effective alternative to commercial air travel. Research engineering and consulting firms or other industries that need to transport teams of staff to the same locale. Reach out to them and show them how a private charter flying direct to their destination can provide considerable savings in cost and time.

4. Companies doing business in locations not served by major airports. If a business executive needs to book connecting flights into regional, rural or secondary airports, the cost for commercial flying rises dramatically. Educate these companies about the savings air charter can provide in terms of money and time when travelling to regions not served by major airlines.

The girls learned about aviation careers, demoed a flight simulator, toured the flight school, went on a plane ride, and received free aviation accessories such as logbooks, stickers and pins. A variety of aviation companies partnered to contribute the necessary resources for this successful community outreach.

While the girls learned plenty, the participating aviation companies learned important marketing lessons as well. The simple-give back program to the community was picked up by several local TV stations and newspapers called for interviews and photographs. The coverage was so great that the program is being expanded to include regional high schools in the area for next year. And Dolphin Aviation has seen a tremendous amount of interest and inquires from the event.   This is a great example of how giving back to the community earns you much more in the long run.

This kind of public relations event can have an immediate and measurable impact on your business.

Think outside the marketing box, and see what you can give your community. The right event, planned properly can provide invaluable exposure for free. And change the lives of a group of girls.

Avinash Kaushik

Social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter) is in vogue among connected consumers and many companies are hoping to capitalize on this marketing avenue to promote their business. I was curious to know how effective (or not) social media has been for other marketing aviation professionals — are they truly walking the walk, rather than talking (tweeting) the talk — I recently posted the above quote on LinkedIn to learn what experiences my colleagues have had using Social Media.

Troy B. reported, “Frankly, we’re loving it. . . When I reach someone who buys an airline ticket, parks in on-airport parking, purchases food, beverages and a magazine, brags about our WiFi and speedy screening lines, and plans to do it again soon — all based on info I’ve tweeted — I start to like the results.”

However, some are not 100% confident in this colleague’s social media experience.

“… there are a great many people who have learned the hard way that the medium is far less benign that was first assumed,” said Ronald K. “A lesson of both teenage sex and social media is that both are best done with adequate protection in place.”

I agree social media can often be impulsive, not to be taken lightly with its implications, and often times regrettable, not unlike teen sex.

And also concede that as a customer service tool, social media may well be worth the time and effort, especially for brand/image sensitive businesses. However, many of my own clients are in B2B space, and I hesitate to recommend Facebook or Twitter as a marketing tool because it is hard to quantify its effectiveness. I know from experience placing an ad for these clients will make the phones ring, and public relations will build awareness.

Steve E. said, “If you compare dollar-to-dollar spending, I’ll take social media over standard media any day as the immediate discussion that ensues is direct and instant and something that far exceeds anything standard advertising has to offer.”

But how well will social media generate new businesses as compared to traditional media is the question I need answered before recommending social media to my clients.

Allow me this hypothetical:

Using traditional marketing tools, say I run a 6-month, $10,000 advertising campaign for a client in a trade publication reaching their target audience. Assume this campaign generates 100 leads and the client closes 10. The cost per new customer acquisition is $1,000.

Alternatively, the client contracts to develop and monitor a social media program. We spend on average one hour a day building their network, making posts, responding to queries and, at the end of six months, the program has also yielded 10 sales. Assuming $100 per hour is charged (social media needs to be monitored by qualified staff, thus a higher per hour fee), then the cost to the client is $13,000! (5 hrs/week over 26 weeks = 130 hours x $100/hour). This is significantly higher than traditional advertising.

Granted, one can argue with my numbers in my hypothetical example, but to do social media effectively, you have to commit to high level of time management, and you also need to highly capable people managing your social media programs (otherwise more harm than good may be generated). With these facts in mind, social media may not be the holy grail of marketing as many proponents suggest.

Social media has a definite role in marketing, such as customer service and company announcements. But as an effective sales generating tool, I remain skeptical. I continue to encourage my clients to wait before they act impulsively and regret it.

Much like I advise the teenagers in my life.

Piper entered the Light Sport Aircraft market with its announcement at last month’s Sebring Expo of an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement made with Czech Sport Aircraft for the SportCruiser light sport aircraft manufactured in the Czech Republic. The deal gives Piper a low-wing LSA to compete with the other prominent entry in this market, Cessna’s Skycatcher.

The financial stability of Czech Sport Aircraft was sales killer

In my dealings with buyers considering the SportCruiser, the financial stability of Czech Sport Aircraft company was a stumbling block. The original SportCruiser manufacturer, the Czech Aircraft Works founded by American Chip Erwin declaring bankruptcy in 2008. The company was take over by Slave Capital, renamed Czech Sport Aircraft and Martin Zikes was installed to run the company. Sales still flounder due in part to the global recession and also to linger doubts about financial solvency of the the company. No one wanted to buy a plane from a company that may be out of business in a year.

Piper and Czech Sport Aircraft have hit a home-run

With the deal, both companies may have hit a home-run. Piper gets a one of the top LSA in the market to add to their stable of aircraft without the costs Cessna incurred (and bad press) in development of the Skycatcher. The Czech Sport Aircraft company now has a solid partner in Piper to handle worldwide distribution and sales with an established dealer network.

Piper CEO Kevin Gould introducing the new PiperSport during the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, FL recalled, “Seventy-five years ago, Piper offered an aircraft that was easy-to-learn in, fun-to-fly, and affordable,” Gould said. “The PiperSport has the same characteristics, and it will have the same impact on aviation. It’s a blast to fly, and it will lead people to fall in love with our sport and our industry.”

Will Piper fully embrace an aircraft not actually made by them

One issue I see is how strongly will Piper and its dealers with fully embrace and support an aircraft not actually made by them. In addition, the margins on the PiperSport will be much lower for dealers, who may be much more interested in selling the million dollar Piper Meridians and Matix. Another issue is whether Piper will continue to provide service and support for SportCruisers already in the market.

In spite of these issues, on the surface, with the backing of Piper, the SportCruiser, rebranded as the PiperSport should have a great future.