The Science of Optimism

6 Ways Taylor Swift Excels at Content Marketing By John Boitnott - Everything Entrepreneurship

Like Madonna before her, Taylor Swift is viewed by many as a creator of fluffy pop sensibilities. But if that’s the only way you see her, you’re not getting the full picture. That perceived bubblegum image with mass appeal actually masks a sharply savvy businesswoman who understandsthe power of contentin developing and growing a brand.

No matter what your business model, you can use the Swiftian model to raise your own content marketing profile, attract new audiences, inspire true fan devotion, and grow your brand. So take a look at how you can borrow her approach for your own content marketing work.

1. Taylor Swift took control over her brand

Late in 2020, Taylor addressed the sale of her master recordings by Scooter Braun and her prior record label, to a private equity holding company by publishing a written explanationon her social media accounts.

Taylor announced she had already started to re-record her back catalog, starting with her first six albums, in an attempt to regain control of her brand and creative mission. Her fresh take on 2008’s ‘Fearless’ arrived on April 9, 2021, and ‘Red’ (Taylor’s Version) was released on Nov. 12, 2021. Thefuller contextof Taylor’s re-recording of her back catalog was complex. However, the content marketing lesson here is fairly simple: Keep control over your content and don’t let it get redirected to someone else’s hands.

In Swift’s case, the sales were legitimized by a contract she’d signed when she was 15. Once she gained a few years of experience and business acumen, she realized her content wasn’t in safe hands. That feeling was validated when her fan base bought the album releases in droves.

How to make it work for you: For content marketers, the strategy isn’t much different. Take control of your content. If something isn’t working or producing expected results,diagnose the content marketing problemand fix it. That doesn’t mean you can’toutsource its creation, formatting, or promotion. It just means you must stay aware of the content processes carried out on your brand’s behalf. Moreover, you can’t shy away from stepping in if those processes go off-track. In addition, consider keeping most of your content on your own blog, rather than placing it on large social networks every time you publish. This way you own your own content going forward.

2. She mines her life for her content competitors as something odd or inappropriate. In fact, it’s a smart content creation strategy.

How to make it work for you: You don’t have to unload every irrelevant story from your life on your audience. Just be willing to share the unvarnished truth about your experience with your audience. Storiestransform good content into great content, and the very best stories for content marketing are the ones that elevate, connect, and evoke an emotional response from the audience. Share your brand stories and personalize the members of your team by sharing past events that involved them. Nothing helps you establish a winning brand through content like your or your brand’s past.

3. She knows her brand and her audience

While Swift may, on occasion, push the envelope with a creative risk or two, she generally delivers the content her audience has come to love and expect. Without enforcing an insistently uniform sound or style, she creates music and other content that delivers the emotional, aesthetic, and kinesthetic experiences her audience members embrace. She makes sure her creative output keeps pace with evolving tastes and trends without merely imitating them. The result is pure Taylor Swift while still seeking an authentic connection with her fans.

How to make it work for you: You can exercise that same brand power and audience awareness by integrating modern tools and strategies that help you collect, collate, and understand relevant data and metrics about your audience and how they interact with your brand along every point inthe buyer’s journey. From awareness at the top of the funnel (TOFU) to the purchasing decision at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), each stage in that customer’s journey presents unique needs, points and desires. Use data collection and analytical tools to get to know your audience, then use that deeper understanding to adjust your content accordingly.

Social listeningis another tool that will help you get to know your audience and how they perceive your brand. Pay attention to the conversations surrounding your brand specifically on LinkedIn or Twitter. Those mentions will help you understand your audience and how they see your company more deeply, which in turn empowers you to create content that better aligns with that audience.

4. She talks to her audience where they are and how they like. because that’s where a lot of her young fans were congregating online. And what does she share on TikTok? A solid mix of funny videos of cats, music video clips and her own take on “The Assignment,” each with its own authentic imprint. Her audience can relate to her commentary positively because it comes across as genuine.

How to make it work for you: By all means, put your best foot forward on your brand’s social media accounts, butkeep it real and authentic. Don’t try come off as something you’re not, either for yourself or your brand. Similarly, meet your audience and prospects where they already are. If they’re not really that into Twitter, why spend your precious time. Go where they are, andmeets your fans.

5. She understands her platforms

Look at Taylor’s TikTok page and compare it to her Instagram or her Twitter accounts. Notice anything interesting? There might be some similarities there, but it’s not all the same. Instead, she shares content that’s well suited to each platform in a format that aligns with its needs and limitations.

How to make it work for you: Make sure you’re sharing content in formats that suit the platform and its technical limitations. If you’re composing a tweet, try to keep it succinct. Think about your user’s expectations and context when they encounter your content, and try to craft the best possible experience.

6. She encourages fan loyalty

There are Taylor Swift fans, and then there are superfans. And while the former are devoted to her music, Taylor knows how important the latter are to her brand. That’s why she creates unique experiences that reward their loyalty. From pre-release listening parties in her own home to special merchandise, Swifties get treats and bonuses just for being consistently loyal. In turn, of course, these rewards simply make the super-fans even more devoted.

How to make it work for you: Don’t ignore existing customers in your lust for acquiring new ones. Don’t let it get to the point where longtime customers never, ever want to get back together with you. Improve your CLV (customer lifetime value) byrewarding customer loyaltywith earned and free but unique perks.

Taylor Swift’s key takeaway: Always keep your audience top of mind