(CNN) — You’re delayed at the airport. It’s going to be hours before the airline can get you on another flight. You log onto your computer and answer your e-mails. You surf the Web for a while. You’re still waiting. This is taking way too long.
Might as well tweet about it.

And if you do, the chances are ever increasing that someone at the airline will see what you have written. They may even respond to it.

Airlines are ramping up their use of social networking sites. Several have one employee in the communications department whose primary job is to monitor what is being said about them and to create a presence in the world of Twitter and Facebook. Other staff members also watch the sites in search of opportunities to improve relationships with customers.

“Promotions clearly work well, but there is also an opportunity for airlines to improve customer service and brand perception,” Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief of social media guide Mashable.com and a commentator on social networking sites, wrote in an e-mail interview. “If you’re stuck at an airport, and it’s the airline’s fault, you’re going to tweet about it. If the airline responds to those tweets in a positive fashion, it at least shows they care, even if they can’t immediately remedy the issue.”

JetBlue has embraced Twitter as both a medium to update the public on its latest news and a sounding board for how the airline is doing.

The airline has more than 1 million followers on Twitter and it also follows about 120,000 of those tweeters.

“The tricky thing with following people is that you don’t want to creep anyone out,” said Alex Headrick, senior analyst of corporate communications at JetBlue. “You don’t want to look like you are stalking them just because they are talking about us.”
The trick is to watch them and see if the tweeter is trying to actively engage the airline in conversation, he said. Often when that happens, someone from the company will send a private message to that person.

The main goal for JetBlue is to “humanize the brand,” Headrick said.

Like other airlines, JetBlue approached social networking sites by slowly scaling up its presence.

American Airlines also took its time. Billy Sanez, director of customer communications, said the airline has been watching the growth of social media for several years.

The interactive team brought up the idea of using Facebook about a year ago, Sanez said, and the airline added its fan page about four months ago. It has been increasing its use of the site by adding modules, including a yet-to-be-named feature that helps users find fares.

“We still have a lot to learn from customers and from how customers interact in these mediums,” he said. “But it has worked because we have been able to do targeted promotions to consumers, and because we have been able to get feedback from consumers, and in a very easy way.”

Not to mention an inexpensive way. Mashable’s Ostrow said social media is still a small part of most marketing budgets (not only for airlines but for many companies) but it is attractive because the costs are minimal.

“It also can be essentially cost-free to get started, since all one needs to do is open a Facebook, Twitter or YouTube account and get creative,” Ostrow said. “In a down economy, the low cost of entry certainly makes social media even more attractive than it might have already been otherwise.”

As for the unfavorable comments people post, American Airlines’ Sanez says it can be a chance to turn a negative experience into something positive. He thinks it can be good for customers to use the forum to get something off their chest.

The airline looks for opportunities to interact with users. If people want to express something, let them express it, he said. If they are frustrated, they should be able to complain.

“If they want a resolution, we want to engage them and come up with options and get them to the right people with the right information,” he said.

Twitter followers and Facebook fans can also get the scoop on fare sales. JetBlue has a Twitter feed called JetBlueCheeps, where travelers can get some last-minute deals. For instance, on Monday, September 7, the airline posted on its Twitter feed that there were 25 seats available on a flight from New York’s LaGuardia to Orlando, Florida, for $39. Tickets for the Saturday flight had to be purchased by 6 p.m. Monday evening.

Headrick said that JetBlue times Twitter updates to coincide with releases to the media.

While airlines appear to be happy so far with the results they are getting from their social media ventures, some are still not ready to expand dramatically just yet. Headrick said JetBlue was studying how to use Facebook.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has established its social media presence with more than 600,000 followers on Twitter and more than 76,000 fans on Facebook.

Other major carriers also have thousands of followers on Twitter. Delta Air Lines, for instance, has about 11,000 followers, while United Airlines has more than 33,000 watchers.

Continental is also looking at Facebook and other sites where a presence makes sense, according to airline spokeswoman Mary Clark. Continental is focusing on Twitter, where it has about 3,000 followers, and FlyerTalk.com, a Web site devoted to frequent flyers, she said.

I’ve put together this list of online tools that I think are the easiest to use, most comprehensive for their service and cheapest (free or nearly free). This way you’ll spend less time learning how to use the software and more time getting things done.

Website Solutions

1. Facebook Cause: A Facebook page for your nonprofit is a quick solution to a website and a “Cause” page through Facebook had added benefits like being displayed on your supporters’ pages to video sharing and the ability for visitors to donate at the click of a button.
Best part, it’s free.

2.  Ning: Similar to Facebook, but more specialized for your network of followers. Has multiple pages built-in for more of a “website” feel. Ning allows for forum posting and interactive calendar.
Free.

3.  Yola: Build and host your website completely free. It makes creating a website as easy as clicking and dragging.  You can also add popular social media widgets, PayPal, chatroom, and your fundraising badges.
Free.

Website Monitoring

4.  Google Analytics + Webmaster Central: These two Google services are a perfect pair for analyzing the effectiveness of your website. The detailed reports of Google Analytics show you who your website visitors are, where they come from, and how they interact with your website. Webmaster Central gives you access to tips on making your site more search engine friendly as well as a message board to ask questions to qualified webmasters.
Free.

5.  Mon.itor.us: Powerful tool to monitor the activity of you server to make sure your website is loading and responding properly. Also gives easy to read graphics of website traffic and interactivity. Proactively informs you of potential problems.
“Forever free.”

Contact Management

6.  BatchBook by BatchBlue: This tool is much like its more expensive counterparts, like Common Ground by Convio, in that it helps you keep track of your contacts and their activity. Intuitively fills in contact information and easily integrates with Google, MailChimp and Shoebox. It follows their activity on social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, automatically.  Also, follows your email correspondence when you BCC your account when you send emails from anywhere.
Paid plans from $9.95 to $99.95 per month

Email Marketing

7.  AWeber: AWeber email marketing software offers email newsletters, autoresponders, RSS to Email, website sign-up forms, email web analytics tools, and a good reputation for deliverability.
Nonprofts get 3 months free service, then prices start at $19 per month.

8.  Constant Contact: Constant Contact gives you the tools to create professional-looking emails with no technical expertise, manage your contact lists and measure results. More than 400 templates, a step-by step Email Wizard, and point-and-click interface. You can also create free online surveys.
Free 60-day trial. Plans start at $15/month.

9.  MailChimp: User friendly design studio to create custom emails and email templates. Easily integrates with Excel, BatchBlue, Salesforce, Paypal, Google analytics and others to import contacts and track your email marketing, all the way to the dollar amount raised.
Free for email lists of less than 100.  Monthly plans start at $10 per month.

10.  Vertical Response: Easy way to build, target, send and track email marketing newsletters, online surveys and direct mail postcards. Nonprofits can send 10,000 email messages per month FREE plus nonprofits are eligible to receive 15% off on all emails over 10,000.
Basically free.

Event and Volunteer Organizing

11.  Eventbrite: Set up an online registration page for your nonprofit event in minutes, then take advantage of Eventbrite’s promotional tools to send up to 2,000 email invitations per day or publicize your event on social networks (Facebook, Twitter).
Free for free events.

12.  VolunteerSpot: Doing Good gets easier with this scheduler for coordinating volunteers. Simple volunteer management software that any volunteer leader, committee chair or board member can use to schedule, coordinate and send reminders about events.
Free.

Interactivity

13.  Wikis: You’ve probably read many wiki’s yourself, but how about creating one about your organization? This will allow searchers to read up on your organization and link back to your site. A well developed wiki increases your organization’s level of professionalism in the mind of searchers.
Free.

14.  World Crossings: Fast, easy, and free way to add forums, message boards or chat rooms to your Web site, customized to match the look of your site. Interactivity keeps visitors on your site and engaged in your nonprofit.
Free.

Fundraising

15.  ChipIn: The ChipIn widget is an application that shows the details of fundraising goals, how much money has been raised, and when your drive ends. The best part is that the ChipIn widget can be embedded almost everywhere, MySpace, Typepad, Blogger or websites.
Free.

16.  Donor Perfect: This is comprehensive fundraising management software. Manages and grows your relationships with donors, volunteers, foundations, and other constituents. It track and manage your campaigns and results and can produce targeted mailings and email.
$31 per month for smaller nonprofits.

17.  mGive: Takes fundraising to the mobile world. Allows users to text their donation and are charged automatically to their cell phone bill, no need to input credit card information.
Free for nonprofits.

Advertising

18.  Google AdWords with Google Grants: In-kind advertising for nonprofits. It’s as simple as filling out a Google grants application and opening and AdWords account. Google AdWords ads appear when users search on Google and when you click on one of the ads, you are brought to the website being advertised.
Free for nonprofits.

Billing

19.  CurdBee: QuickBooks beware, online billing and invoicing software Curdbee is a free solution to adding unlimited clients and creating unlimited invoices, accepting payments online through Paypal and Google Checkout and importing or exporting to other software.
Basic version is free.

20.  Billing Manager: So, QuickBooks doesn’t make the list because of its cost, but another Intuit product does, Billing Manager. Billing Manager is an online invoicing tool that tracks invoices and payments for you. Log in anywhere and see who owes what, email invoices and send reminders. Let’s you customize the invoices as well.
Free.

I hope these are helpful.  If you use one that you think is fabulous and don’t see it here, please feel free to leave a comment with your recommendation.

And of course, Vektor Studio is available to assist your organization in getting you started in these new programs and your data transferred to them.

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Posted by Nicole Hess
Social Media Consultant at Vektor Studio
www.vektorstudio.com

Nonprofits can sign up to receive free help in other areas, graphic design, etc through Mozilla.
If you can donate your tech knowledge go to http://bit.ly/152UBz