Apple spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Twitter in the run-up to the launch of its iPhone XS, in order to get the world talking about their trio of new phones, but still refused to tweet organically.
In fact, Apple has never tweeted, so why did it think Twitter was the right platform?
DigiDay recently ran the story ‘Apple doesn’t tweet, but it blanketed Twitter with ads for its iPhone XS launch’.
That anyone is aghast that a corporation is advertising here without being an avid tweeter is beyond me, but since DigiDay headlined it, here’s my tuppence.
So what if you don’t use social media
Up until about a year or so ago, the most common retort to my recommendations to use Facebook ads was ‘I don’t use Facebook.’ This was the response from several company owners who didn’t think they could advertise on Facebook because they didn’t use it much.
Interestingly, that’s not the most common response any more, but people do still say it, and I’ll save the top retort of 2018 for another blog post!
Now you’re probably quite aware that you don’t need to read The Telegraph to advertise in it. It’s the same for Facebook, Twitter, The Big Issue or the Forres Gazette – not only will they happily take your money for ads, they certainly won’t check your brand loyalty before asking for your 16-digit card number.
I love it that Apple has never tweeted. It’s my party trick, or rather my party trick spoiler. I roll it out when cocky social media types ask: ‘Tell me one big brand that doesn’t use Twitter?’ Me: ‘Er, Apple”. Although I have to say that it has started a support channel on Twitter, and so I now just say Weatherspoons 😉
Prioritise – advertise, then socialise
Anyway, my point today is to emphasise that you don’t have to be a social media maven to advertise.
Advertising is a completely different ball game to the social media game, yet so many people are treating them as joined at the hip. Advertising is picking an audience and sending it a message, whether on Twitter, or the back of a van.
In fact, it doubles my argument that businesses shouldn’t be coerced into believing organic social media is a replacement for advertising or even a precursor to it. Advertise, then socialise.
Any company that has a sales or marketing strategy will put advertising ahead of social media.
[bctt tweet=”Advertise, then socialise – get your marketing priorities right” username=”marchindley”]
The biggest company in the world shunning social media shows that it isn’t a prerequisite for success, and it perhaps also demonstrates the strategic choice to run campaigns with more control. Twitter was a good choice for Apple given that it’s a staple platform for journalists, and particularly tech journalists and that the conversation is tied to a particular timed event. The fact it has never tweeted is irrelevant.