4 Things That Steve Jobs Taught the Business World About Marketing
With the recent passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, retailers of all products and services – even everyday items like fresh fruit, gym memberships and dental checkups – would be wise to understand that Jobs leaves the world much more than iPods, iPads, desktop computers and other lifestyle-changing gadgets.
He also leaves valuable lessons in marketing. True, Jobs’ product lineup was revolutionary, and without those products there would have been no Apple, regardless of his marketing skills. But in order to build one of the most successful companies of all time, Jobs relied heavily on his proven ability to get people to believe in those products, and his knack for accomplishing it is something from which all retailers can learn.
As you develop your next marketing campaign – even as you consider small details like the phrasing of your next text message ad to opt-in customers – keep in mind the efforts that helped Jobs attain such remarkable success. See how you can implement these four core fundamentals into your next marketing strategy.
Believe in what you sell
As a small-business owner, your company is more than a source of income; it’s something you deeply cherish, protect, and nurture. You take great pride in your products or services, whether a round of golf or a quality hairstyle. The belief you have in your company, in yourself, is the fuel that drives your entire organization, and it should be the focus of your marketing efforts. You likely aren’t the only golf course or salon in town. Consumers have options. Leading them to share your belief is why they’ll choose your place of business over the one down the street. Getting millions of others to believe that Mac products were state-of-the-art is what helped Jobs sell computers, mp3 players and phones to a world full of digital gadget options.
Communicate clearly what you stand for
You don’t just sell cakes, flowers or hardware supplies. You sell YOUR cakes, YOUR flowers, or YOUR hardware supplies. Jobs hit it big time by showing the world that he wasn’t just selling another computer; he was selling a computer like no other. His marketing message made promises that his products could keep, and while many small-business owners may have trouble paralleling the lofty nature of Apple’s greatness, those parallels exist. Find them. Don’t just tell people they should buy your products. Make them understand why.
Build a sense of community
No company in recent history has succeeded in creating a cult reputation like Apple. That cult reputation was at the core of Jobs’ creating a community of devoted Apple buyers, and in the end, sales that numbered into the billions. As local business owners strive to develop a similar community of loyal customers, they shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity that mobile marketing presents. By its opt-in nature, text message advertising allows business owners to form the roots of such a community, one that will become the heart of a business’ customer base.
Create a buzz
Who needs to advertise when your every move becomes headline news? Jobs was so successful in positioning the launch of Apple’s products as ground-breaking that there was hardly a need for Apple to run a traditional campaign. Strive to create a similar buzz with your products, using a blend of traditional outlets and new platforms to accomplish it. Mobile marketing, with its ability to work in tandem with print ads, online ads and social media platforms, presents a great opportunity to plant the seeds for community excitement.
By studying Jobs’ efforts with Apple and applying those efforts to their own product line, small-business owners can understand that advertising isn’t necessarily about sale prices and savings. It’s about building a public persona, an identity that makes customers feel as connected to your company as you already do.
How has Steve Jobs inspired you in your business? Did we miss a key point in our tips? We want to hear what you think!
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He will be remembered. He has done great things that’s why people are loving him. He’s a genious by heart, may he rest in peace.
Indeed, he’s a great man. These four things are with in us, and I believe that he’s all telling us that we can be good as he did, we can even be greater than him. We will truly miss Steve Jobs.
Steve Job’s legacy with Apple and business in general is very interesting. What he left in terms of these 4 points that you point out are fairly “generic” in some sense, but he is truly the representation of them. Most businesses base themselves on these 4 ideals, but very few of them live them out with such flying colors as Steve Jobs did with Apple computers. Most importantly from this list was Apple’s ability to build a “sense of community.” I have witnessed this first hand as they marketed their computers to the niche group of artists and students. My girlfriend initially bought a Macbook Pro laptop when she entered into the graphic design field, and I myself ended up falling in love with the presentation and the quality of the computer. I ended up buying the same computer for myself, and have had it for a few years. This by far surpasses Microsoft and their PC computers, of which I was purchasing roughly every year or so because of how poor they were constructed. That is not to say that Microsoft is all bad or anything, but product quality alone and it is hard to believe that Apple only controls a small fraction of the computer world. But that portion they control they essentially have on a long leash. It is definitely a very cool story, and one everyone getting into business should be aware of!