How Steve Jobs Does It

A few days ago I was reading through the responses to the Wired Magazine iPad story: How the Tablet Will Change the World, they reprinted in their mail section and it got me thinking about the importance of the right tool for a given job.

In relation to the iPad, many of the critics bemoaned the small size, lack of tools, small keyboard, etc. Mention is made of gamers, CAD artists, designers, video editors, writers, etc. and how the tablet will not be able to replace a laptop or desktop. The assumption is that the iPad will attempt to replace your PC. I don’t think this was ever the intention.

As I sit back and listen to the pros and cons relating to the iPad I wonder, do users really think that the iPad is meant to replace a workhorse laptop or desktop? As a marketer that seems unlikely. The reality is that there are an enormous amount of people who use a computer for a very few tasks. Some assume that the iPad will never take off. I think it will because it falls into a specific-use sweet spot. It’s too small to replace a laptop, it’s too big to replace an iPod. It probably will kill Kindles and Sony readers, but that’s about it. Maybe the iTouch, I guess it depends on how badly you want those tools in your pocket. For some users it will be all they need. For many more, it will supplement what they already use.

My husband wants an iPad, he wants it bad. I asked what void this $500 bit of technology would fill in his life. He said that many of his coworkers at EffectiveUI in Denver leave the laptop on their desk at home and bring the iPad to the couch to watch movies, surf, etc. It’s more lightweight than trying to get comfortable under a 5-8 lb laptop. My husband also plays in a band. He wants to sit it on a music stand during his band practices/appearances to access and display set lists. As opposed to shuffling thru pieces of paper, which is apparently unacceptable. Of course I think this is absurd but I’m one of those “reluctant adopters”, don’t need it, not getting it. I didn’t even get a cellphone until my employer paid for and insisted I carry one. In 2002. I know.

However, this is a good example of how this particular tool can be the right tool for a given job. I can see the advantages to being able to quickly scroll through a set list and click over to individual songs, I get it. You’re not going to want to try to prop a laptop on a music stand and anything pocket-sized is probably going to be harder to navigate with a guitar strapped to you than a sheaf of paper. It’s big enough, it’s bright enough, and gosh darn it, he may have a point.

As I write this I consider how this comes back to social media. Social media is never going to solve every marketing problem in every instance, but there are some really “right” tools in the mix. Is the ice cream shop down the street going to benefit from, or be able to keep up with Twitter? Maybe not, but I bet Foursquare could be powerful for them (or do I speak too soon?). Does your community garage sale need a Facebook fan page? Unlikely, but Craigslist would be hugely valuable. The right tool for a given job.

I think the iPad will find its place and become indispensible to the adopters, Apple has customer evangelism on its side. My husband wants the iPad and he will actively find jobs that it can be the right tool for, the price point insists upon it. For $500, by god, you will give serious thought to the niches in your life where this tool will fit before you plunk down the Benjamins. I think Steve Jobs knows a bit more about consumer motivation than we do.

The fact that most social media is free or almost free may actually be working against it. Companies are jumping in, flailing around a bit and then sharing their sorry stories of failure. It’s easy to jump in, it’s harder to sit down and really think about how you are going to use these tools and which are the right tools for the job, especially if you’re not even sure what the job IS, which is the crux of the problem.

Before you jump in, identify the job: What results are you hoping to achieve with social media? Be specific, “more sales” or “more traffic” is not specific. Who is the intented target of your campaign? Where are you going to find them? How exactly do you intent to engage them (because it’s more than just delivering a message)? Answer these questions FIRST, then decide which tool/s to use, and you’ll be on your way to developing a successful social media campaign.

Define the job, find the tool. That’s how Steve Jobs does it.