"What does it mean that none of Apple’s demos today involved Twitter or Facebook, the hottest two sites on the Internet? It means Apple hasn’t internalized the social networks craze...Instead, Apple’s onstage ignorance of social networking shows how slow-moving and out of touch the company can be. It’s easy to find Microsoft shortcomings to mock. It’s harder to recognize your own." This was written by Paul Boutin at VentureBeat in his article 'The Three Things Apple Didn't Say'.
Thank goodness. A company that doesn't find it necessary to Twitter in their demonstration. Maybe they see the future of companies trying to find a way to use Twitter and know that the future is bleak. I've tried following several companies that are noted for their "compelling" Twitter posts, but let's face it...they just aren't that compelling. None of the ongoing content is keeping me involved. I'm a Mileage Plus whore, so I read the posts from United, and aside from the Twitter Fares (twares? ugh.) I scan the posts but don't read anything of interest. Would I be willing to fill up Twitter by following five companies? six? More likely one or two. You'd better be giving me something of interest to stay in the top two.
I understand Boutin's point that a Twitter demonstration would have been a good fit with the iPhone's ability to post video and photos easily on these sites, but I don't know of an iPhone/Twitter user that doesn't get that fact without having to be hit over the head with the fact.
I guess what brings this post up is that right now, I feel hit over the head by Twitter. I attended a search engine summit last week and heard over and over how you aren't creating a full marketing campaign without working Twitter into the mix. While I see a definite place for incorporating Twitter or Facebook into a marketing campaign when it is a fit - especially when trying to reach your advocates - it is not a necessity for every campaign. I didn't hear anything about the fit of the audience to the sites, just repeated jokes about "finding your voice" on Twitter.
My company has a Facebook Fan site where we enjoy posting engaging content, but it is to build the loyalty of the advocates, not to try to be cool. Not to try to prove that we "get" social media. And not to (blatantly) sell products. It's to have a truly useful site for our customers. It's not there yet, but hopefully we're getting there.
Thank you, Apple, for not being as obvious as to include Twitter in your presentation. This is one of your advocates that appreciates it.
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