Socialmediaworx

While not fortunate enough to be among those at the Moscone Center on Tuesday to hear Steve Jobs deliver his keynote speech at Macworld 2008, I did tune in via a number of blogs working overtime to give a play-by-play.

And as I watched Jobs give yet another masterful presentation, I was again struck by the sheer number and intensity of Apple fans. Hardly any other companies in the world have created this level of devotion among their faithful fans.

So maybe that’s why it bothers me that much more to see Apple do all it can to avoid and at times any level of social media engagement.

Why doesn’t Apple get social media?

They show love and care for their customers in every product they create, yet they respond online by forcing one diehard fanboy to shut his site down.

Why the duplicitous relationship?

Apple has among the most rabid fans in the world, but it’s a core that Apple will need to foster and grow and they become ever more popular, particularly among businesses.  Most organizations throw all their might into building a dedicated base – Apple has one waiting for them with baited breath. But it could be so much more. Why not leverage passionate fans that are nearly begging for more opportunities to champion their products, ideas and the Apple experience?

They even have the foundation laid for an incredible social network through their .Mac and iLife product suite. The closest they’ve come is the networks formed through the wildly popular Nike+ partnership. How can they create so many of the requisite tools for their social media expert, yet completely miss the boat when it comes  joining the conversation with their own customers? To not capitalize on an opportunity such as this seems irresponsible, and to ignore the increasingly requisite participation with online communities is foolish.

One might argue that at this time, Apple doesn’t need to engage in social media – that they have enough fans online to defend their name and promote their products on their behalf. But as they build their market share with new customers, and enter into new product categories, I can’t help but wonder if in time they simply won’t be able to afford to give their most ardent supporters the cold shoulder.

Granted, Steve Jobs considers himself something of an artist – a profession that isn’t exactly crowd-sourced. Yet the savviest artists today recognize the value of engaging in a thoughtful social media strategy.

Social media comes down to two core values:

1. Having a story to tell
2. Building relationships

Apple – along with their faithful fans around the world – have both. Here’s to seeing a social media shift in 2008 for Apple.

PS – This was proudly written from a brand new Macbook Pro.