Apple’s Lack of Social Media Strategy IS a Strategy
Response to: Apple has no social media Strategy, Kif Leswing, Business Insider
“These posts are ‘dark social,’ which means that Apple is taking advantage of advertising tools to promote posts that don’t show on the main account’s feed.”
While Leswing is correct that Apple takes advantage of “dark social,” this concept actually encompasses users going directly to Apple’s products without the medium of social media. So, the idea that they use their pages for advertising doesn’t hold with the definition of “dark social.” Apple’s direct strategy works for two reasons: first, Apple has built a brand which is recognizable without marketing, and second, the buzz around their products grows organically without their input. Why spend money on something when people are freely giving it to you anyway?
“Apple already has the platform to stay in contact with its most engaged customers. It just has to tell the world what’s on its mind.”
The common belief among marketers is that word of mouth is the strongest persuader. Apple takes this too literally by letting customers speak for their products. Their senior vp of worldwide marketing has said that customer rave reviews are better than any marketing campaign he could develop, so why should Apple create more work for themselves? Maintaining a social media presence would require them to relinquish control, something they struggle with, and reallocate resources to police comments. Apple don’t got time for that.
“Apple Needs to Hire Some Teens to Help with Its Social Media Strategy.”
Word to the Wise: Let’s not.
Would you trust your younger sibling to handle your social media accounts for even five minutes? Probably not! So why would Apple take the risk of putting millennials and interns in charge of a billion dollar company? Even though Apple’s growth is slowing down, the early warning signs of trouble have yet to show. In the words of T. B. Lance, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.