Apple has introduced new tools for enhancing business visibility across its digital ecosystem in an effort to help small and virtual enterprises establish their brand presence among over 1 billion people who use Apple.
On October 16, the Cupertino giant announced an update to its Business Connect initiative, introducing tools designed to help every business grow, including businesses that don’t have a physical location. The update makes it possible for companies of all sizes to manage how they appear across different Apple apps and engage with clients more effectively than ever before.
New features that will help businesses showcase their brand
With the new update, businesses can now opt into Branded Mail, allowing them to display their brand name and logo in email communications sent via Apple’s Mail app. This tool makes it easier for customers to recognize whether they are communicating with legitimate organizations, significantly reducing the chances of being mistaken for suspicious businesses.
Another tool that Apple introduced this week is the Business Caller ID, due out next year. What this does is allow businesses to display their name, logo and department on the inbound call screen of iPhone users. Not only will this help businesses maintain credibility and avoid being dismissed as spam callers, but it will also help users easily differentiate verified businesses from unknown callers.
Additionally, Apple shared an update coming soon to its Tap to Pay feature that will enable businesses to display their logo instead of generic category icons in payment transactions. Despite being a minor change, this could significantly contribute to building brand trust and visibility as customers would be able to see the logo during the critical moment of their purchase.
Reaching customers through Apple’s massive ecosystem
From the get-go, Apple has intended Business Connect to act as a self-service platform that would allow all registered businesses to establish and maintain their brand identity across different Apple apps and experiences, including Maps, Mail and Wallet. When it debuted the platform in January 2023, it empowered organizations by giving them the ability to claim business listings, manage location details and upload logos and photos. Sadly, only those with physical storefronts benefited from the features then.
But now, Apple is making Business Connect more useful to smaller brands, especially those that only operate online and without a brick-and-mortar presence. “We’re excited to offer all businesses—including those without a physical location—the ability to create a brand that appears across the Apple apps that over a billion people use every day,” David Dorn, Apple’s senior director of internet software and services product, said in a news release.
Given today’s competitive marketplace, standing out, let alone gaining traction, can be quite challenging for small businesses, especially when going up against bigger and more established brands. By adding the new tools to Business Connect, Apple is presenting new opportunities for lesser-known brands to showcase their identity across various touch points and increase their chances of growing their customer base.
How to utilize Apple’s new Business Connect update
Small businesses can take full advantage of Apple’s newly introduced tools to build a strong, consistent presence that reaches millions of potential clients online. Business owners may use either an existing Apple account or a new account to register their business on the Apple Business Connect designated website. After signing up, they are free to customize their brand, logo and information cards using the different features and tools available.
Photo courtesy of Apple
