By Priya Ramesh
I make it a point to emphasize to my clients at CRT-tanaka that social media is NOT for all and it’s not a mere check mark on the marketing plan. There needs to be some strategic thinking behind engaging on social networks with a clearly thought out goals as noted PR metrics veterans Katie Paine and Shonali Burke would say. But let’s take two steps back before considering social media engagement and ask the following questions:
- Do you have a product/service that you are confident of?
- Are you willing to take both positive and constructive
feedback and DO something about it?
- Does your company believe in an open culture?
- Does your company encourage employees to become company evangelists?
- Are you committed to expanding community engagement efforts once you get their attention?
Apple probably has a roaring “YES” to the first question above and a “No” to the rest. They have been constantly criticized for not doing enough to engage with their community. John Batelle and Tim O’ Reilly, founders of Web 2.0 Summit recently sent an open letter to Apple asking them to do a better job of social engagement.
Are you serious? I think we need to look at “engagement” differently when it comes to Apple. Is Steve Jobs blogging about the upcoming release? Does Apple have a Facebook fan page? Is Apple’s customer support responding to customer complaints on Twitter? A big “No” to all of those and they don’t need to because they have focused all their efforts in doing just one thing and doing it right. Apple builds products that revolutionize how other companies do business. Their products define how customers should start communicating online, this is a paradigm shift. There are hundreds of mentions of Apple’s products online on a daily basis and almost all of them are user generated product reviews.
By staying focused on one goal which is to deliver a disruptive product that consumers fall in love with, Apple has reaped the benefits of third party validations online, something a lot of companies struggle to achieve. A company’s products and services speak louder than their Facebook and Twitter updates. I understand not every company can be an Apple but my key point is that without a successful product that your customers find valuable, your social media engagement metrics may not look as appealing.
Like my mom would say to me growing up as a ten year old, “Let’s first ensure you develop a habit to keep your room clean before you start planning for sleepovers.” I think you get my point.
Chris Brogan, a social media realist did an excellent post on “The Building Blocks of Social Media for Business” that every company should think through. Don’t engage in social media just because everyone else is but if you do then let’s make sure we understand we are opening the doors to all kinds of feedback and be prepared to use that feedback to make positive changes.
As far as Apple is concerned, I don’t know about you but I think they ARE engaged in social media in a way that most companies aspire to. They have created a movement of followers who have created a perenial source of conversation both online and offline! What’s your take on that?
Image courtesy: http://onthebutton.files.wordpress.com.
Hi Priya,I think Apple was one of the first few companies which utilized the power of evangelism with front leaders like Guy Kawasaki,they have maintained a culture of innovation in each of there products.
The difference between Apple and other companies which use social media is that Apple knew way before social media, what the power of community is and how one is nurtured with constant innovations.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Priya – interesting post. I’m not sure that Apple is engaged in anything except Apple. While the product might speak volumes, the company doesn’t give a rat’s ass about their constituents or their constituent’s conversations; what they care about is the bottom line. They’ve adopted a successful holier than thou attitude that their followers ascribe to and if they don’t, well Apple doesn’t really care because the proof is in the profit. Apple won’t get on board with the caring application until it starts to lose revenue. Until then, all bets are off and in some respects, this conversation seems to be more of an exercise than a worthwhile model for other companies.
Priya,
I agree with you on many points. Apple has become one of the most social companies around, but not because they are a social company. They have social consumers.
I do think Apple is undersold on its engagement. Steve Jobs does sometimes answer consumer questions personally, does listen to the buzz about social, and (in a Seth Godin sort of way) has a blog that Stever Jobs contributes too. Sure, some people call it a letter … but what makes this all that different from a post?
All my best,
Rich
Rich,
Thanks so much for stopping by. I like how you put it…Apple has “social customers.” You are right they do engage but they are definitely not a Dell or a Comcast. Do come back to Buzz Bin.
Thx,
Priya
Liz, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Apple Computers: the most sophisticated marketing machine in the world, the creators of the technology that make social media possible, knows what it’s doing and it doesn’t use social media to market its products. It knows that social media, despite the many amazing things it can accomplish, is not an effective marketing tool. Of course, this has the SMM stakeholders in a tizzy and maybe Apple will go through the motions to assuage them. But SMM is the Emperor’s Clothes of marketing. Eventually perhaps, companies will understand that and leave social media to its primary use: non-sales socializing.
Great post! This is a brilliant take on Apple’s position to not do any social media. As a marketer, I admire the empire Apple has built; as a social media strategist, this post reminds me that the simplest strategy (focusing on only one thing and doing it well) is always the best. :)