Yesterday, Apple had everyone in the tech world on the edge of their seats. Apple has proven time and again the ability to make millions of middle-aged men giddy like a bunch of middle-school girls getting ready for the big dance. Everyone is hoping to be the first to get a glance of ‘The new iPad’ (yes, that seems to be the working name for what others are calling the iPad 3). When Forrest Gump invested in Apple (even though he thought it was just a fruit company), the iPod was a pipe dream.
Part of what Apple does really well is consistently come up with incredible products. However, what really sets Apple apart is that its cult-like following talks about its products and services without being asked. There are full-time blog sites, such as MacRumors and AppleInsider, that only focus on rumors and reviews regarding what’s next at Apple. The site traffic to MacRumors is 6,500,000 unique visitors per month. Apple.com has nearly 80 MILLION hits per month (reference). Nearly 80 MILLION people are actively looking for information on one company. That’s more than the populations of Shanghai (17M), Beijing (11M), Moscow (11M), Tokyo (9M), Mexico City (9M), New York City (8M), Rio de Janeiro (6M), and Los Angeles (4M) COMBINED.
People all over the world talk about iPads, iPhones, iPods, iTunes and MacBooks. They are devastated when they lose their iPod on the bus, their iPhone drops in the lake, or their iPad gets run over by a car. They post a status update on Facebook Christmas Day when they get the latest Apple gadget. They blog about cool new uses for Apple technology or accessories. They hit the Twitterverse for new app ideas. They talk about Apple to all their friends and family.
One of the biggest things that makes Apple so successful is that it gets people talking about its products and services.
Your customers love you and your services, and that’s why you are in business. Social Media is an incredibly powerful tool for learning what your customers are saying about you and your products. It promotes conversations with them. How do your customers talk to and about your company? If they do, do you know what they are saying? Do you respond? Do you talk to them in the way they want?
