Sunday, October 15, 2017

10 Things You Need to Learn From Apple's Marketing

Steve Jobs didn't have a master's degree, and he certainly wasn't an engineer, but he excelled at marketing. Those marketing skills propelled Apple into the top spot and turned the company around from near bankruptcy. 

Apple’s marketing has become a benchmark for other companies that want to reach similar heights of recognition and revenue. Whether you are a top tier content marketing agency or a SaaS (software as a service) product, you can learn a thing or two from Apple. Here are 10 big lessons:

1. Keep it simple.

Customers and prospects don’t need complex marketing campaigns that overwhelm them with information. Apple understood this concept early on and made sure that their marketing was as simple as possible. They took out product feature lists, price, voice-overs and special effects.

In Apple marketing, there isn’t typically any information on where and how to buy their products. Instead, the ads and other marketing messages are very straightforward -- typically showing the product and letting it speak for itself. Leave out the flashy noise, strip down the content to the bare minimum, and display simple graphics that translate your message.

There is no need for jargon or technical terms that take away from what you are really offering your audience.

2. Use product placement.

Apple has the budget to get its devices on television shows and movies, but it's fine to start smaller too. Any marketer can place a product with an influencer who can then share it on their social media sites like Instagram or Snapchat. Once an influencer shares your product and shows their followers how beneficial it is, the seed is planted and leads are made.

3. Leverage reviews.

Apple has done well getting reviews from its customers -- and you can too. A free trial or sample can be offered in exchange for a testimonial or a review that appears on social media or a review website. Many times, customers are happy to give a review if you just ask them. A coupon or some other exclusive deal is icing on the cake.

Make sure each testimonial has the person’s name and image or avatar. If it’s a B2B relationship, be sure to add a link back to their website for further credibility.

4. Focus on unique value proposition rather than price.

A big part of Apple’s marketing strategy is that they never get involved in price wars. They stick to their pricing albeit it is often much higher than any of the competition. They can do this because they focus on touting their unique value proposition that no other competitor has been able to emulate -- beautiful products that work straight from the box.

Apple also focuses on providing a great user experience with cool features and extensive applications that put it in a product class by itself. Whatever device Apple is offering, they make sure the customer feels like it’s worth paying the higher price. This method of thought can be used to market any product or service environment. Just focus on what sets you apart from the rest of the market.

5. Stand for something.

Customers want to know that you represent something --  core values that they can see in action in order to feel comfortable buying and using your products. This stand goes beyond just the product. It must be apparent in everything else connected to it -- the packaging, retail appearance and marketing collateral. The messages must repeat those values throughout all platforms.

Messaging consistency reinforces the beliefs of your audience; that your brand can always be counted on to deliver what they stand for. You need to look at everything related to your marketing efforts and make sure there is a unified look and feel.

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