7 Key Methods You Should Study From Apple's Advertising

Have you ever looked at a really successful brand or person – such as a celebrity or a large company – and asked yourself, "How on earth do you do this?"

Apple is one of those brands for me. Almost everything the company brings out is successful. The company had near-unprecedented sales growth from 2004 to 2020 – $ 8 billion to $ 2,274 billion. That is amazing.

Apple's success doesn't just depend on making lots of money or selling lots of products, however. How many brands have changed the game in their niches as completely as Apple?

Not only that, Apple has done it multiple times despite fierce criticism from the naysayers. The iPod, the iPhone, the iPad – all of these products have revolutionized their respective market segments. Your success is a direct result of your marketing strategies.

Apple's marketing mix makes for avid fans who stand in line for hours to get the first iteration of a new product the minute it's posted on social media.

Apple does what it does so well that it has entire websites devoted solely to Apple products and Apple marketing. Even high profile journalistic publications like The Atlantic write endlessly about the company, analyzing what it does and how it does it.

Apple goes way beyond the “computer brand” label – they develop products for their target market, loyal customers who believe that these products will be better, easier, more fun, and cooler.

How on earth do you do it?

Design and usefulness are just two of the reasons Apple is so successful and certainly gives it a competitive edge.

More importantly to you and me, however, Apple's secrets for converting casual buyers into brand ambassadors can be applied to just about any company in any niche or industry.

In this article, I'm going to introduce seven pillars of Apple's world-famous marketing mix that you can customize for your own business.

1. Reconsider the need for advertising

It is tempting to invest a lot of money in PPC ads on Google or Facebook if you want to increase your sales. However, Apple knows that this is not always necessary.

In fact, Apple relies on two completely different strategies the most: product placement (especially among celebrities and on popular shows) and the buzz generated by positive reviews in the media.

This secret was revealed in Apple's patent litigation with Samsung, believe it or not:

Even if you don't have Apple's resources and budget, you can use this approach to increase your market share. However, you may be wondering, "How could I implement this Apple marketing secret in my own business?"

Well, it may not be possible to put your product in the hands of a Kardashian or on the set of a popular TV show.

However, you can absolutely turn to insiders and influencers. If you convince an influencer that your product or service is worthwhile and relevant to their audience, they'll share it with their followers.

Another way to take advantage of this Apple secret is to use a free trial program. Offer a free trial of your service or product to get a positive testimonial.

If a free trial of your product is not possible, get in touch with your existing satisfied customers and request a positive testimonial or review.

Publish these testimonials on your website. Developing this marketing mix is ​​not difficult.

I have been posting testimonials from my satisfied customers on this website for a while now and I can confirm that they convince potential customers to convert themselves into customers and subscribers. You can find some of these testimonials on this page.

Don't forget to assign each testimonial, if possible, a picture or avatar, the person's name and a link back to their own website. This adds more social evidence to the customer's positive evaluation of your brand and gives your target market greater legitimacy.

You can also implement this successful Apple strategy by creating more case studies.

Research by Nielsen on consumer trust in marketing shows that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, while 70% of shoppers trust other consumers' opinions posted online e.g. B. Reviews.

Use this outline to build your case studies:

If you want to start a PPC advertising campaign, make sure you are doing it in a smart way.

Choose your PPC network carefully. Create a clean, well-written landing page with a clear call-to-action, and make sure your ad copy and landing page are fully targeted.

If you need more help with PPC Ads, the following resources will help:

2. Avoid price wars by highlighting your unique value proposition

Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that they have to survive in price competition. Nothing is further from the truth.

Indeed, competition for price can hurt your business.

Apple knows this and has never wavered in its pricing strategy.

Price drops and price competition lead to a "race to the bottom". If you've ever looked at freelance job boards, you might see some weird things. For some websites, the price of a blog post is $ 10 or even less!

That might sound like a great idea, but it's very short-sighted when it comes to developing market share. "You get what you pay for" has never been more true than when businesses and professionals try to undercut each other. Content marketing requires quality, and it will be difficult to achieve for dirt cheap prices.

Your $ 10 post will almost certainly be badly written with no exclusive research or data to support opinions. And that post could just be spat on someone else's website, or even copied word for word.

Even Copyscape can't protect you from junk content. The basis of content marketing is high quality content as the cornerstone of a marketing mix.

That's because no freelancer can survive on $ 10 a piece unless they can create each piece in bulk. However, your marketing strategy won't survive if you don't work on smarter quality.

Instead, do what Apple does.

Apple is focused on their MSRP (Clear moral concept), a beautiful design that works immediately with increasingly smaller packaging. It's a marketing strategy that is making waves on social media and is a huge competitive advantage for Apple and its market share.

What about the cost? Let's just say Apple is absolutely not competing for price! In fact, you will almost certainly pay more – sometimes much more – for an Apple product than you would for a competitor's version of the same product.

Take some computers, for example – let's say two similar laptops like the Microsoft Surface Pro, which costs around $ 900. The MacBook Pro from Apple, on the other hand, costs over $ 1,200.

How can Apple keep its fans with a pricing strategy so much higher than the competition?

This is because Apple doesn't see PCs as competitors. While others focus on a single killer feature through a variety of content marketing, Apple focuses on the entire product, and it shows.

In fact, Apple routinely earns its higher prices with top notch features and specifications.

You can implement the same strategy no matter what niche or industry you are in and no matter your business model.

Regardless of whether you are selling products or services, the key to making this strategy work for you is to make sure that you are justifying that higher price in order to gain your market share.

For SaaS companies, this could mean providing a higher level of personalized service or a full money-back guarantee.

For trainers or consultants, the competitive advantage could mean branded products in addition to work sessions or Skype calls.

You can also follow Apple's lead by offering a variety of options for your products and services at different prices. For example, Apple's Macbook laptop line offers bigger screens and other advanced features at a higher price.

Yes, Apple is like the Rolls Royce of technology products with a retail design that looks more like a showroom. Your customers are more than happy to pay this premium because they know they will get their money's worth.

3. Keep your marketing and products simple

More is not always better.

Apple recognizes that technology consumers are often overwhelmed. This also applies to other niches and industries. Overwhelming can lead to confusion in a marketing mix.

Apple reduces this consumer confusion by simplifying web and retail copy. You avoid technical jargon or industry terms completely. Instead, they use simple, straightforward words, constantly emphasizing the benefits consumers desperately need and will love. This is part of their brilliance in content marketing. High-tech without high-tech terms.

This approach doesn't confuse your customers with too much information. As Leonardo da Vinci said:

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Apple keeps it simple and their customers love to give them unparalleled loyalty with market share.

Apple also follows this principle in the advertisements it places. Do you remember those classic Mac vs. PC spots?

What Apple's ads and marketing strategies convey aren't specs and features, but rather how the product can change and improve your life.

But Apple doesn't stop there. This is only the first step in your marketing strategies.

They also incorporate this philosophy of “easier is better” into their product lines. You don't overwhelm potential customers with too many choices, parameters, or options. An Apple retail store is designed for test drive products that do not have boxes packed.

Even the products themselves are sleek and minimal, with simple color schemes and clean, uncluttered designs. The names are short and easy to remember, including the “App Store” which has made third party partners very successful.

How can you follow Apple's marketing strategies in your own company to get the largest market share?

First of all, make sure your website and blog have scannable content. Research shows that only 16% of website visitors read every word on a page. The vast majority of users – 79% of web users – simply scan the page. This is essential to understanding your content marketing and potentially using social media with smaller digestible data.

Use bullets to make your content scannable and convey benefits. Make sure your headings and subheadings are clear, vibrant, and surrounded by plenty of white space. Easy to read means the target market will stay on the page and come back, increasing your market share.

Check out my homepage here to see how I did it:

In the screenshot above, you'll notice that I didn't clutter the page with tons of text. There is a lot of white space around the bullet points and just one picture – mine – to draw attention to the bullet points.

Don't try to put every single characteristic of your product or service on the side.

Instead, focus on the most valuable MSRP for each product. Then emphasize that.

A good example of this is Virgin Mobile's phone page:

Choose a clean, minimalist design for your landing pages. Reduce clutter in key sections of your page's content, such as: B. Sidebars and Widgets. Then the user's gaze is directed to the product or the copy itself.

If you have the budget, I would recommend hiring a professional copywriter, especially on major sales pages for products and services. It is not easy to provide enough information to trigger a conversion or a sale while maintaining this streamlined, simplified approach.

4. Know your audience and speak to them in their language

It's not that Apple doesn't mention product specifications and technical details at all. In fact, every product page on Apple's website mentions these things.

But they put it under the fold. Visitors to the Apple website must first scroll past beautiful product images and simple copies in large type to inform about the benefits of the product.

Apple customers initially cannot find words like megabytes or gigahertz. You will find words that you know and understand:

• "Edge to Edge Glass"
• "Retina Display"
• "LED backlight"

Apple knows its customers very well and has developed loyalty in their market share. And they know how to speak to them in a language that they feel comfortable in, not overwhelmed and confused.

The products themselves are a marketing mix that shows their relevance to the way Apple's customers actually live their lives. For example…

• In addition to being a “music player and storage device”, the iPod allows you to store hours of music in your pocket.
• The iMac is not just a computer, it makes your computing experience exciting and enjoyable.
• The iPhone is not just a smartphone, it allows you to build the power of an Apple computer into your phone.

Does your copy of your website speak the language of your prospects? Creating a customer profile for each of your main audience segments is the best way to find out. This will help develop the content marketing strategies specific to your audience.

Even better, creating these profiles will help you understand your audience better. Then you can give them what they are looking for – and make your content even more attractive and valuable to them.

This ensures that you speak to your users and customers in a way that they understand and are comfortable with.

Create customer profiles

Create customer personalities for every important audience segment of your company. The more detailed these profiles are, the more useful and useful they are for your marketing strategy.

Take into account factors such as age, gender, occupation and other demographic information as well as psychographics – their weaknesses, fears, desires, etc. What motivates them to buy? What do they need before they trust you? How can you meet this need?

You may have more than one profile that expands your marketing mix – e.g. E.g. elderly couples whose children have already left home, singles who have graduated from college and are not yet married or have no children, etc.

Name your profile

Name and find a picture of a person – either from Google Images or a stock image site – that matches the profile. The idea here is to make each profile appear like an actual, living human.

Here is an example of an expanded customer profile with the name and picture of Convince and Convert:

Speak your language

In your marketing copy, speak to these people in the language they understand. Take a look at every page of your website and revise anything that doesn't sound like you would actually speak to these people.

Imagine actually speaking to that person and your copy will be very appealing to similar customers.

You can also take this customer-centric approach in all aspects of the customer journey, including customer service. Yes, customer service is a key component in marketing strategies to develop loyalty and maintain your market share.

Let's say you serve an older generation. Don't force them to use a chat-based system for customer service. Give them a phone number and a person to talk to. Also, make sure your website copy is large enough for the elderly to read. If you give people what they want, you will gain greater market share.

Millennials, on the other hand, prefer chat-based systems because they are faster and easier to use for this generation. Don't let these customers pick up the phone if they really prefer to solve their problem and get a response right away. Understanding this diversity of your customers can help you develop the right marketing mix.

5. Design a better customer experience

Did you know that Apple fans often create videos of themselves by unpacking their new Apple products and uploading the video to YouTube?

It's true. It's called unboxing. If you search on YouTube, you will find hundreds of Apple unboxings, each from different users around the world.

Why is this happening?

Because Apple created a customer experience that goes way beyond actually buying from a retail store. They don't even have to be responsible for a large chunk of their content marketing anymore as their target market does it for them.

The “Apple Experience” includes elements from all aspects of the buying process – comparing different versions of the product, trying products in a retail store, actually buying the item, receiving it, unpacking (sorry, unpacking), and setting it up.

Each of these elements is no accident. They have all been carefully crafted, revised and refined to appeal to all of the consumer's senses.

Take installation, for example. One of the things that Apple fans really appreciate about Apple's computers is how easy it is to set up. It's literally as easy as opening it, plugging it in, switching it on and voila – it all just works.

Yes, Apple spends thousands of hours testing, drafting, and refining these designs. You do this so that what's in the box matches the box and the box matches what's in the box.

The Apple Retail Store experience is not just a short journey for most people. Most people who walk into an Apple Store stay in retail stores, trying the products and asking questions of the “geniuses” who work there – and many of them go out of business with a new purchase. The Apple Store inspires buying.

The retail store has been carefully designed and recreated to create the right “feel” upon entering. Warm lighting, monochromatic color schemes, and the store's layout appeal to the buyer's senses without feeling cold and impersonal. Even the large front windows, through which people outside can see everyone enjoying themselves inside, are by design.

To implement Apple's “Eye for Design” secret, first record your customers' experiences with your brand. Make a note of each important step and the place it takes place (i.e. on your Facebook page, a specific page on your website, etc.).

Next, analyze each piece of this “experience puzzle” and rate how well it fits your overall brand. What can you improve?

Think about how you can make each point of contact with your prospect or customer cleaner, clearer, and simpler. Make every part of the journey more consistent with your brand's appearance, brand visual elements, and personality.

Then think about going further. What can you do to excite your customer?

This is the Apple way!

6. Target the emotions of your potential customers

Think back to the first ads for the iPad after its busy start in 2010 and how easy it was to market content.

Do you remember the pictures of people relaxing in the living room with that strange new device? They looked happy and comfortable.

They didn't talk about display dimensions or processing power. They just enjoyed their iPads.

These ads, like all of Apple's marketing, hit their customers where they really live – not in paperback (we've already seen that this is not true at all!), But in their hearts.

Emotional connections are the key to successful marketing strategies. This makes certain stories, videos, and memes go viral.

The famous study by Dr. Jonah Berger has shown that content that evokes high levels of arousal is more likely to go viral than content that does not evoke an emotional response. Examples of strong feelings of arousal are happiness, awe, amusement, and fear.

Additionally, positive content is more likely to go viral than negative. Positive emotions simply trigger a stronger reaction in users' brains than negative ones. These are simple marketing strategies.

In his book Descartes' Error, author Antonio Damasio, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California, explains that our emotions play a crucial role in our decision-making processes, especially when we buy something. Marketing strategies have to start with emotions.

And neurological science tells us the same thing. Functional MRI testing shows that when evaluating businesses, consumers primarily use the parts of their brain associated with emotions, personal feelings, and memories / experiences, not the parts associated with facts.

Most of all, you need to understand and publish the type of content that your audience wants the most. Can you make the most of the leading social media networks on the Internet with intelligent content marketing? It turns out that the content evokes either awe or laughter – or both.

The BuzzSumo test team wanted to understand how content goes viral and is shared by users thousands of times. That's why they partnered with OKDork and conducted a comprehensive study of the marketing mix on social media.

First, the team identified the most shared content across the web over a period of time. Next, they assigned each article to a specific emotion, such as: B. Joy, anger, sadness, happiness, laughter, amusement, empathy, etc.

Here's what the breakdown they made looked like:

As you can see from this table, the top two emotions that generated the most viral content in readers were awe (25%) and laughter (17%). Similar emotions such as joy and pleasure made up a further 29%.

This means that if you can literally keep your readers happy with your content, you've really got there.

To evoke and build on the emotions of your customers like Apple, use emotional language in your copy where it makes sense. Make sure it flows naturally. One way to do this is to use emotion triggering words in your copy to develop smart content marketing material.

Tip: To make sure the copy flows naturally, record yourself reading aloud. Then play it again. If it sounds stilted or formal, revise it until it sounds more talkative.

Also think about the emotional impact your product or service will have on your customers. Then find or create images that evoke the same emotion.

Here's an example: JustGiving, the world's leading online donation platform, raised nearly $ 1.5 million for its nonprofit partners. Take a look at this landing page image used on the website:

What emotions does this picture evoke for you? Personally, I see joy and awe – after all, skydiving has to be one of the most awesome activities in the world.

There is also the empathy and happiness that generosity and charitable giving can create for people who make charitable giving.

Finding the right images for your content can take time and patience, but it's well worth it. Images not only create visual interest on your site and break up long, boring blocks of text. They can also help communicate your message and convert readers into subscribers.

In fact, I believe so strongly in the power of great images and screenshots that I routinely use up to sixty in a single post – but I always make sure they add value and represent the right emotional state in my readers. This is part of my marketing mix.

7. Build a community of users or customers

Over the years, Apple has built one of the most hardcore fan bases for every brand around the world.

The “fanboys” (and “fangirls”) searching for new product launches may represent a small percentage of Apple consumers as a whole, but this kind of fanaticism and enthusiasm is rare.

Apple has created a brand personality and culture that is cool, fun, and friendly – the opposite of some of its competitors. One of Apple's marketing strategies is to get customers to be part of this community. Their market share shows how successful they have been.

Do you remember Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign? It started with a voice-over narration that said, "Here are the madmen. The outsiders. The rebels. The troublemakers." Haven't we all felt this way at one point or another in our lives?

Apple intelligently exploited the universality of this self-perception, making its customers believe the brand understands them and is like them.

Even small brands can build a community of engaged users and customers. You can start building a community before you put your first item up for sale.

The first and most important step in building a strong, vibrant, and engaged user community is making your brand values ​​and personality crystal clear.

You need to first create a vivid and accurate picture of your brand in your own mind – your brand's core message, its ingrained values, its personality, and most importantly, what it stands for.

Then the next thing to do is make sure your pages, marketing copy, and content express those values ​​and personality. Every aspect of your website should match the words you chose to describe your brand, from graphics to fonts to color scheme.

Finally, show your readers and users that you value them and their opinions. Let them know that you care deeply in them with your content.

How can you do this effectively on the web? You can try some or all of the following tips first:

• Ask open-ended questions in your content.
• Reply to comments on your blog posts – have a conversation.
• Try to initiate conversations with your users / readers on social media.
• Create a referral rewards program for customers who refer other new customers.
• Reach customers via email.

Conclusion

One of the fastest ways to achieve a goal is to model those who have previously successfully achieved the same goal.

Apple, the App Store, and their retail stores are role models for any smart, modern brand looking to create an enthusiastic fan base and super loyal customers who recommend their friends and family members.

The idea is not to imitate Apple. Rather, get an idea of ​​what Apple – or any other successful company – is doing well and then find creative ways to do the same in your company while keeping the marketing mix in line with your brand.

Sie können auch viel von Ihrer Konkurrenz lernen. Mit der Mitbewerberanalyse können Sie feststellen, was sie richtig machen und was Sie aus Ihrem eigenen Marketing lernen und in dieses umsetzen können.

Welche weiteren Lehren können Sie aus den Marketingbemühungen von Apple ziehen?

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