Are you part of the Swiftie movement?
Whether you’re a fan or not, there seems to be a method to the madness when it comes to Taylor Swift’s marketing strategy. The bottom line? Swift’s strategy is a blueprint that businesses can (and should) use as a framework for growing brand awareness and knowing what to do when success takes over.
Many people believe that Taylor Swift’s (34) rise to stardom began with her first released pop-country 2006 single “Tim McGraw”. However, becoming a star is a dream that Swift and her team have worked tirelessly to build since signing with Big Machine Records in 2005.
The ultimate dream for businesses mimicking Swift’s marketing style? Worldwide success and the ability to break free from trends and set them yourself.
Strategizing your business’s long-term success? Join us at AMPLIFY to plan a Swift-worthy event for your business.
7 Steps Of Building Your Business’s Reputation Using The Taylor Swift Marketing Strategy: Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, & Remix
Becoming a celebrity takes a ton of work behind the scenes that you never truly see. Unless, of course, you know what you’re looking for. This is why we’re breaking down one of the most famous marketing strategies into easy-to-digest actions.
In the mid-2000s, Swift appears to be a rising country music star. But behind every hit, there’s a plan in place to take her success to the next level.
1. Navigating Industry Dynamics & Finding The Gap
The music industry is a highly competitive space where very few people make a life-long career out of it. Before quick videos like TikTok and Instagram reels, your best bet to becoming famous meant…
- Being discovered organically at in-person events
- Putting it all out there on TV shows like American Idol
- Recording videos for platforms like YouTube
- Knowing valuable people already in music and production
- Cultivating industry connections
Where do you start when you’re trying to make a name for yourself?
Inspired by country music stars like LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain, Swift felt the need to start her career in Nashville. This made sense at the time as pop was heavily saturated with a mature look and style that didn’t fit her music. There were also far fewer known female entertainers in country music and room for fresh ideas to take off. Leaning toward a less saturated genre of music gave Swift’s lyrics and voice more of a chance to stand out – and stand out she did!
2. Refining Natural Skills With A Mentor
Before reaching any type of success, you need to refine your craft and connect with your audience. Even when you think you know what you’re doing best, having a mentor or someone who can guide you through the process is vital.
Swift started songwriting as young as 9 years old. Although she had a natural talent for writing, she still needed someone with relevant industry experience to propel her forward. This is why she began working with professional songwriter, Liz Rose, through Writers ‘Round in Knoxville, Tennessee. For Swift, working with Rose helped her produce hits like “Teardrops On My Guitar”, “You Belong With Me”, and “White Horse.”
3. Relating Authentically To Customers
Having trouble connecting with your audience? Think about what you’re trying to say and how it relates to those you want to do business with.
In the country music genre, Swift built an audience interested in her music based on her storytelling abilities. As a teenager, boyfriends, break-ups, teen drama, and friendships were what she knew, so she wrote about them!
Being able to transform personal experiences into ones that can be shared is what connects us to many of the melodies that we know and love today. The same can be said for brands that go above and beyond marketing expectations to create a genuine connection with their customers.
4. Creating A Marketable Image
Beyond finding where you fit in, you also need to rely on growing your brand as much as possible to make your name known. One of the best ways to do this is by learning everything about your audience to market your business best.
Swift took this step by embracing herself and her image as the face of a new generation of country music using opportunities to leverage her success with endorsements, partnerships, and appearances. Think bedazzled cowboy boots, a slight Southern drawl, boho chic looks, and appearances in popular magazines like Seventeen, Allure, and Teen Vogue. Everything down to the particular shade of red lipstick she uses is marketable, appearing in headlines without fail.
5. Knowing When To Grow & Expand
Your business may not look the same over time and that’s okay! On top of building brand awareness and maintaining its image, you also need to know when it’s time to move on.
After building a solid following of young female listeners in country music, Swift made a choice. No longer a teenager and with the support of an already successful singing career, Swift was in her 20s when she officially transitioned into pop with her 2014 “1989” album.
As a strategy, she maintained connections with her loyal customer base through public appearances, signings, meet and greets, and similar efforts. With the launch of her pop album, she unlocked an opportunity to build a new type of following through storytelling to attract a much larger audience (and one that felt more relatable to Swift in her 20s). It’s from this transition that she would go on to become a worldwide superstar, adjusting her strategy from building her brand to maintaining its relevance.
Ready to relaunch or refresh how your brand shows up through events? Join us at AMPLIFY and we’ll show you how.
6. Old Content Isn’t Old
By using older (but not old) material and refreshing its messaging to give it new life, you keep the focus on your brand with less effort moving forward. This is HUGE for entrepreneurs as continuously creating, producing, and delivering can be an excruciating process.
Swift’s re-recorded studio albums and remixed tracks offer proof of using an old-to-new strategy as you should. As a business owner, you can repurpose content by:
- Placing the spotlight back on your best-selling product or service
- Expanding your best-performing blogs with compelling copy
- Resharing social media posts to recapture your audience
- Keeping customers engaged with a snazzy launch or re-launch of a product or service
If you’ve hit a point of what feels like no return in your business, try repurposing your most valuable content to maximize its effectiveness and save yourself from having to innovate – all the time.
7. Dealing With Public Scrutiny
Even when getting a viral amount of attention, you need to know what to do with it to keep the momentum going. As with any other high level of fame comes intense public scrutiny, which can be damaging to your brand – unless you know how to harness its power.
When everyone’s watching and judging every move you make, it can feel stressful. But, we’re human so mistakes are bound to happen! Even big brands like Kate Spade and Adidas have fallen victim to making marketing mistakes that left a bitter aftertaste for their most loyal customers.
P.S. Both multi-million dollar mistakes could have been avoided with careful proofreading!
Even when in the public eye negatively, Swift has bounced back through…
- Media training
- Carefully crafted public apologies
- Reclaiming her artistic rights
- Embracing “bad press”
- Being able to laugh at herself
When addressing a mini or major marketing mistake, it’s best to acknowledge, apologize, and move on. Be authentic, avoid rambling, stick to the facts, and don’t forget to have someone read it well before you publish.
Craft Your Success With The Right Marketing Recipe
Effective marketing strategies are essential for the success of any business. It’s also crucial to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape and offer your value upfront to your customers. And we believe it all starts with tailored copy to establish your core values and set the foundation for your growing success.
For a limited time, you can sign up for AMPLIFY to learn more about building a business and brand that you’re passionate about.
