Among the landslide of ‘Apple is doomed‘ narratives the past year we’ve not seen much about how the company totally missed the social media revolution.
Facebook just added video clips to form an instant mini-YouTube while Apple remains busy making products we buy, use, and buy again. The closest Apple goes social is iMessage and FaceTime. Does Apple need a social media connection?
Join ‘Em, Or Buy ‘Em?
Instead of jumping in feet first to compete with Twitter and Facebook or Google Plus, Apple seems content to integrate complimentary services instead of owning them.
Facebook’s Instagram now has video clips and that means millions of new videos will show up online. Instead of owning that audience, Apple seems to prefer deep integration of select social media.
Notice that Facebook and Twitter are integrated into iOS and OS X for Mac. Word on the streets is that networking giant LinkedIn might be the button to grace Apple’s sharing attitude.
Of course, there’s not much on iOS or OS X for Google except Google’s own apps, so what kind of game is Apple playing here? Obviously, Google is on the outs and has to go it alone with their own iOS apps.
Apple has the money and the technical expertise. So, why doesn’t Apple do what Microsoft and Google have done and create (or, buy) their own social media service?
I have a theory.
Discipline, Grasshopper
Just between you and me, I think Apple recognizes a fad. Social media is a fad. Users are bouncing from one to another as quickly as politicians change positions.
Social media is also becoming fragmented, and the only dollars appear to be in advertising, not exactly Apple’s forte. Obviously, the company is content to partner with popular services but doesn’t seem to want to engage with customers in a social way.
Customers never tire of great products, but users often tire of the latest trendy social media platform. Already there’s talk of Twitter and Facebook fatigue, and the rest of the social media parade is a lesson in fragmentation. There are so many ways to connect online these days that it’s difficult to keep up. What’s hot today, cools off tomorrow.
While Google and Facebook want to make money from you by selling ads and data, Apple prefers the old fashioned way. Products. People never tire of better products, right? Instead of a social media component, Apple simply makes it easier for users to choose and use any one of the trendy social networks.
Which would you prefer? An Apple device which gives you the opportunity to choose how you want to connect to others, or Google’s approach, which is to shove their network down your throat at every turn?
Constable Odo says
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 4:13 AMI’d prefer Apple stayed away from social media. Personally, I don’t like that social stuff. Let Facebook have that whole area and see what they can get out of it. It’s got major market share and they’re still not making much money. LinkedIn stock is flying high but I’m willing to bet the company itself isn’t making much money, either. It’s just another vapor stock the hedge funds can pump the hell out of. I’m sure it’s hard to actually monetize social media companies. Apple needs to stick with stuff it can monetize. I’d like to see Apple go into the search engine business and make money from ad placement like Google does. With all those Apple devices, how can it not succeed. Cut Google right out of the iOS ecosystem. It’ll also give Google some competition and that way the hedge funds can’t just give it a free ride like they’re doing now.
Sure, Apple sells decent products and financially they’re doing great but the hedge funds are screwing over Apple shareholders saying that Apple has too much competition and cheap products are just as good as high-quality products. It’s a total insult to consumers who are willing to pay more for good products. Apple has some of the best products around for consumers and Wall Street thinks Apple is worth crap as an investment. What a joke.
chris says
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 4:41 AMI just uploaded a photo I shot on my iPhone 5 to FB
I uploaded a video from my iPhone 5 to youtube just the other day.
I just tweeted from my iPhone 5 and used it to chat back and forth with my gal – so apple is sitting right in the non changing sweet spot when it come to the ever changing social companies out there!
Martin says
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 4:47 AMI have yet to understand why companies like Google and Microsoft are so paranoid that they feel they must be in every possible product market. It’s insane.
Google’s profit comes from advertising but they compete in hardware, software, search, social media, and much more.
Microsoft isn’t much different. Their profits come from Windows and Office, but they’re into cloud services, search engine, advertising, smartphones and notebooks and tablets, and who knows what else.
Apple’s disciplined focus means growing revenue and high profits from a line of products that interact well. Google and Microsoft are unfocused and only make money on their core businesses.
lrd555 says
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 4:04 PMAint making Facebook a whole lot of $. I prefer Apple sell apps, songs,ebooks & movies. There’s $ to be had in that social aspect called- selling goods.
Chas says
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 6:38 PMLooks to me that Google and Microsoft are desperate to find the ‘next great thing’ and that’s not working out too well. Meanwhile, Apple chugs along making product after product that customers are willing to stand in line to buy. That might be old fashioned, but it seems to work well.
I truly wish Apple would come down on the side of privacy, buy or build a search engine, keep advertising to a minimum, and make the Mac and iOS devices as private and anonymous as possible.