Wow. In its first weekend, Apple sold over 4 million iPhone 4Ss. That’s just a-m-a-z-i-n-g. A big part of the buzz was Siri – your personal assistant.
“You speak. Siri helps. Say hello to the most amazing iPhone yet.” – Apple
Interestingly enough, Siri was not the first voice control software. So, why all of a sudden is voice command so popular? Everyone’s talking about Siri.
- There are websites dedicated to Siri (e.g., shit that siri says).
- Even Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien used Siri as part of their shows.
Humor
You probably guessed humor. And you’re right. Siri has an amazing personality.
That’s why I always imagined how fun it would be to have a GPS tell a driver how horrifically off course he or she may be.
A Name
Part of Siri’s success is that it has, although uncommon, a (pronounceable) name — Siri. It is unbiased — it takes no political position, race, creed, etc. Everyone could relate to her.
Having a relatable persona is important in creating relationships. Or, more importantly, in creating a community. Think about the following companies and their corresponding relatable names and faces.
- Apple – Steve Jobs
- Facebook – Mark Zuckerberg
- Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
- Mashable – Pete Cashmore
The list goes on … Building a tribe (e.g., Apple Fan Boys) requires a spokesperson (e.g., Steve Jobs). This concept is so powerful that I dedicated a whole chapter to this in my upcoming book Social Media Marketing For Digital Photographers. Of course, this is only a smidgen of its entirety.
Steve Jobs Tribute with Apple Logo
What’s Next?
If you could take two things from this post, these are it. First, humor and other positive emotions are welcomed. Second, transparency is vital for success. Ultimately, people trust people.
So, put your face out there! I don’t mean just on your social media avatars; include marketing brochures, advertisements, website, etc. And one of you smiling might help. It’s humanizing the experience …
Like the post? Share with social media buttons. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Lawrence Chan
P.S. If you have [or could have] an iPhone 4S, what would you ask Siri? Comment below.
P.P.S. Interested in more about tribes and social media marketing? Details about my CliffsNotes seminar will be on my Facebook Page.
P.P.P.S. Speaking of faces, look at this giant head I saw in Sydney, Australia! It’s Rilakkuma. They apparently make cups, lunch boxes, pillows and other cute things … including condoms. Weird.
Siri: What is that little squiggly line in my eye?
Siri: Which is better: Nikon or Canon?
Siri: What if I’m afraid of looking like a megalomaniac?
My girlfriend didn’t believe me when I told her that my Android phone has had voice capabilities for more than a year… because no one at Google really pushed it as a feature. Only super-users really know about/use it frequently, and even then, it’s information-only. It’s not a toy, and it doesn’t have a personality.
:)
Apple has always been good about taking a standard feature, tweaking it, and promoting it as a unique feature.
Now how can you do that with photography?
For sure! But what do you call it? There’s no cute name like Siri.
There are ways to apply this concept, but it gets complicated. That’s why I had to dedicate a whole chapter to this
Pronunciation of “Siri” sounds like how Indians say “smile” in their language. Learnt “siri” from my Indian client to make their family members smile :)
Nice! Thanks for that insightful tidbit.
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