Whether you are a Swiftie or not, we’ve all heard a Taylor Swift song at least once. A household name since 2006, not only is Swift a remarkable singer-songwriter, but she is also a great marketer. She has sold around 14 million album units worldwide, releasing chart-topping hits one after another. Her highly anticipated tenth studio album will be released this October 21st. The way she stays relevant and keeps her fans on their toes can be partly attributed to her marketing strategies – her promotional activities always include fan interactions, exclusive and bonus content, and the use of social media platforms to forward a message.
So, what can influencers and brands learn from Taylor Swift?
Tell a story
The central core of Taylor Swift’s charisma is that she has perfected the art of storytelling. She always highlights in interviews that she identifies as a songwriter first, and she pays close attention to incorporating narratives in the lyrics of her songs. The way Swift writes about the feelings of love, loss, heartbreak, and growth is rich with personal and specific details, but in a way that does not alienate her listeners. Instead, it allows them to revisit their own memory banks, and ponder on and connect their experiences to the stories and music they’re hearing. We always love to hear something we can relate to.
PopStar Tip: Influencer marketing is all about using narratives to communicate your message. Spell out the context around the products or services that you are marketing by writing captions that capture your day-to-day activities. For example, you may share how the brand helps with your morning routine. “Storytime” videos that feature your products are even better in terms of immersing your audience in the experience and making them think of how it can also be helpful to them personally.
Build and maintain a connection with your community
Taylor Swift has a passionate and dedicated fan base which only keeps growing as she releases more music. This is built from years of personal offline and online artist-to-fan interactions, and even fan-to-fan interactions. When you show people that you really care about them and their needs, chances are they will stick around for a long time. Meanwhile, maintaining this existing relationship is about making sure that her audience has something to look forward to at regular intervals of time.
PopStar Tip: Interact with your audience. This may be through replying to their comments on your posts – people appreciate feeling seen and heard. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to remind your audience about your products regularly. Sharing sneak peeks such as posts and short videos about your future releases will help your brand stay in the minds of your audience. Lastly, sharing exclusive content through email sign-ups may also help in building a sense of community with your audience.
Encourage your audience to speak about their experiences with the brand
Not only does the Taylor Swift experience stay between her and her fans, but she also makes it a point that they tell other people about it. She encourages the fans to share their favorite lyrics, their favorite moments in music videos, and their feelings about the content she releases. There is a reason that our Facebook and Twitter feeds get flooded with Taylor Swift content every time she does something. In a way, this helps with visibility as more people talking about a topic online means more people get to hear about the news. This influencer marketing strategy is especially effective because when we see ordinary people like our target audience talking about a brand, it feels authentic and credible.
PopStar Tip: Encourage your loyal customers to speak about their experience with the brand. For example, if your brand releases beauty products, you may ask them to share a selfie in a place they visited lately while showing their peers the makeup they are wearing. You may also provide rewards through giveaways when they share their experiences.
Final PopStar Tip!
If there’s something we can learn about influencer marketing from Taylor Swift, it’s that narratives help sell your brand. But for these narratives to be long-lasting, a connection with the audience must be maintained, and the stories must be shared with the rest of the world.
Visit www.pop-star.me or email our Accounts Group Head at jamie.garcia@pop-star.me for more information on how PopStar Philippines can help you in your Influencer Marketing today.
