Think Different — Apple’s Goals on Staying SMART
When you hear Apple, you probably don’t think of the fruit anymore. You probably think of Apple Inc. Just in case you’re unaware though, “Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. It also sells various related services” (Yahoo! Finance, 2020). These services include Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud.
Everyone has an iPhone, iPad, AirPods, or Macbook nowadays. It seems like everything the company touches turns to gold. We look forward to seeing what Apple will come out with each year, whether a new iPhone or the next version of iOS. So how does Apple keep us coming back for the latest and greatest version? This paper will discuss some company objectives, SMART goals, and social media key performance indicators (KPIs) for how they do just that.
Company Objectives
In 2018, Tim Cook, the current CEO, defined Apple’s mission as “bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services. We believe that we are on the face of the Earth to make great products and that’s not changing” (MSA, 2020).
Let’s break this down.
- Best User Experience- Apple ensures that it’s customers have the best user experience. This means that they prioritize that their products and services are easy to use. Apple is great at looking at the details and they want to make sure that everything is perfect. From security measures to AppleCare, they make sure that every aspect is user-friendly.
- Innovation- “Apple is dedicated to helping close any gaps when it comes to the technology space. Given that technology is ever-evolving, Apple is continually coming up with new designs that meet its clients’ evolving needs as well” (MSA, 2020). Apple is all about being ahead of the game. They know that technology is continuously changing and they make sure that they design the latest and best models to make the life of the user easier. They understand that collaboration is necessary. For example, Apple has teamed up with Google to create a technology that “helps governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security central to the design” (Apple, 2020). The company knows what they need to do to rise above the competition and maintain customer loyalty.
- High Quality- As stated by Tim Cook, Apple looks to create the best quality hardware, software, and services in the industry. They ensure that every product is made top-quality. In 2017, iPhone retention rate was 92% (Statista, 2019), so it is clear that Apple is doing something right to keep customers coming back.
SMART Goals
After understanding the overall objectives and mission of the company, it is time to use these goals and apply them to a social media campaign strategy. For this part of the paper, I will include my personal ideas for Apple on how they can use a SMART analysis to increase revenue and product purchases over Black Friday. Since the start of the pandemic, many people feel unsafe to shop in stores so Apple must change their strategy to implement the current world situation. Although Apple partakes in Cyber Monday sales, it could be beneficial to expand those strategies into the Black Friday sales campaign.
Specific- Increase website traffic and conversion rate by 5% from last years Black Friday sales. Increase customers coming to the Apple website through clicking links from company post on social media platforms.
Measurable- Measure the amount of people who clicked the company’s website link from social media platforms. Then measure how many people who clicked these links from social media convert and make a purchase. Create and measure the amount of people using the hashtags #AppleBlackFriday2020 #AppleBlackFridaySale2020.
Achievable/Attainable- As stated previously, with the increase in the pandemic, social media is even more important than usual to get people to buy Apple products. Using targeted advertising may be a useful approach to attaining the desired results from the Black Friday campaign.
Realistic- With the unemployment rate higher than ever and many people losing their jobs, the amount of people making big purchases may be at a decline. Any increase in any respect would be great for the company and considered a win, but by making the goal a 5% increase in traffic revenue and conversion rate, the goal is realistic. Also by focusing on social media click rates is a realistic approach considering the change from mostly in-store Black Friday sales to online.
Time-Based- By focusing this campaign and SMART analysis to only one sale, the time frame seems realistic and achievable. After the sale, another analysis can be done as well as see what went right and what went wrong during the Black Friday campaign and adjust accordingly.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
What KPIs should be measured? The top 3 are mostly related to the SMART analysis discussed, however the last 2 should also be considered.
- Traffic to website from social media.
- Conversion rate from social media.
- Hashtag usage.
- Engagement, Amplification, and Virality Rate.
- Cost-per-click.
How will social media help me achieve my SMART goals? KPIs?
First, by establishing hashtags specific to the sale, campaign, and year will help the amount of people actually viewing and sharing and engaging with the campaign more measurable. The hashtags will be specific to the year, therefore the engagement from that hashtag will all be relevant and help the company understand the true results.
Second, measuring the traffic and conversion rates that are brought to the website from social media is a great way to see what is working. Apple can see just how effective the posts and media campaign actually is in achieving the desired goals.
What are the outcomes I want from my social media efforts?
The main outcome is to increase traffic and conversions from social media during the Black Friday sale. Usually customers shop in-stores during this time, but because of the pandemic it is necessary to change these efforts and focus on social media and online. Although the main KPI is conversion, it is also important to measure the amount of engagement and use these outcomes to improve strategies for future campaigns.
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