Taylor Swift’s image has changed drastically over the years. Once a wide-eyed country singer, she has now become an internationally known pop star. Her success comes not only from her talent, but also her marketing team, who are known to be one of the strongest in Hollywood. They carefully project Swift’s image to the world. Whether it be her disagreements with Kanye or her famous Fourth of July parties, Swift manages to always stay America’s sweetheart.
Her success is evident with her album 1989, which was the first album that appointed her complete transition from pop to country. 1989 also ended up being the only album to go platinum in 2014, an amazing feat for the singer! Here are some things any musician looking to release their music can learn from Taylor Swift and her marketing team!
1. Build up the anticipation before an album release.
Although there were talks that a new single and album were in the works, Taylor Swift stayed relatively quiet until she set a date for the airing of her Yahoo live stream. Thousands tuned in to hear what she had to say and Swift did not disappoint. Not only did she release her single “Shake It Off” live, she also announced her new album and all the extras that would come with it, such as her ‘secret sessions’.
Having a direct conversation with your fans while also leaving space for anticipation is a lesson that any musician can take from the country turned pop singer. She knew the perfect way to give her fans what she wanted, while at the same time keeping them wanting more!
2. Show your fans your appreciation.
One thing no one can deny about Taylor Swift is her appreciation for her fans. It’s easy to see your listeners as people who just love your music, but it gets harder to interact and connect with them on a personal basis. This is especially true if you’re as big as Taylor Swift! Somehow she managed to do just that while at the same time promoting her album.
Searching the web through her social platforms (Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter), she found devoted fans based on their interactions with her and had them attend ‘secret sessions’. In these events, Taylor Swift played her new album live to these lucky few. This was a perfect marketing plan, for after the secret sessions, fans went home to their computers to share their experience. This created buzz around her album and Swift’s reputation as a singer!
3. Add an element that is unique to you as a musician.
Making sure no fans were left out, Swift included thirteen album artwork Polaroids and secret messages in the lyrics along with her CD. This accomplished two things in one- she established an interactive relationship with all her listeners and increased the ‘need’ to buy her album. By having 1989 in tangible form, fans were able to have the Polaroids in their hands and go on the hunt for her hidden messages.
Adding an extra kick to your album generates a higher interest. An especially smart move is to find something that can only be seen in person, thus lowering the incentive to rip or buy the musical digitally. Taylor Swift knew this would be a great way to support the sales of her album, leading to the highest CD purchases of that year.
Taylor Swift might seem to have unlimited resources, especially when it comes to marketing her music through crafty and costly ways. But taking these three major examples from the singer and incorporating it into your musical career doesn’t need to be impossible! Take into consideration how Swift has taken over the hearts of her fans and follow suit!
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Barbara Kandek enjoys writing stories and listening to music. She also loves traveling the world and taking pictures of her adventures. You can find her on Instagram @b.vd.k
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