It’s been a stellar year for Taylor Swift. Just last month the pop queen released her new album “1989” to critical acclaim and it has already sold over two million copies worldwide. Even Swift-haters (“haters gonna hate, hate hate, hate, hate”) praised her album, citing it as a new era for the singer.
Swift’s album success can be attributed in part to her social media savvy. Some have even called her the “Queen of Celebrity Social Media.” And for good reason too. Swift has over 70 million likes on Facebook, 43 million followers on Twitter and 14 million followers on Instagram. Even when she started her career in the music biz, she was active on Myspace.
Celebrities normally have an upper hand when it comes to social media. They already have famous faces, so people are more willing to follow them. That only accounts for part of why T Swift is so popular on social media. Here are a few lessons we can learn from Swift on social media use.
1. Know your audience.
Swift listens to her fans. Sometimes she even responds to them with heartfelt messages. In the past, Swift has replied to a girl who had been bullied and to another fan who was recently heartbroken. Swift’s messages show that she genuinely cares about her fans. She’s one of the busiest people on the planet, so if she can take the time to reply to comments, you can too.
2. Engage with others.
To be successful on social media, we have to actively post and interact with other users. Swift does this routinely with fans. She replies back and retweets them, which shows that she often reads what they have to write. Swift’s actions show a genuine concern for her fanbase.
3. Share original content.
Sometimes it’s obvious when an assistant or team posts for a celebrity. Swift doesn’t allow that though. She’s responsible for her own content. Since she posts her own photos and updates, she gives her social media presence a boost of authenticity. Though it may be curated, it doesn’t feel that way. She shares both updates on her music, press, and appearances but also snapshots of her daily life.
4. Diversify your accounts.
Swift manages to spread unique content across her different social media accounts. Instead of having them echo each other, each account has something new to offer. On her platforms, Swift diversifies her posts and photos. This gives an incentive to follow her on all her accounts to get the most out of her updates.
On Twitter, Swift can often be found interacting with other artists and bonding over their craft. She tweets and retweets positive news from media outlets, just in case you missed it. On Instagram, Tay Tay mostly shares photos from her personal life but occasionally includes career wins (like her TIME magazine cover). On Tumblr, she can be found reblogging edits and videos fans have made for her while adding witty commentary and/or explanations.
5. Be creative with your message.
Swift could have had over-the-top marketing for “1989,” but she chose not to do that. Instead she teased her album with a number of fun photos and videos on her social media accounts. She also had secret sessions (dubbed “1989 Secret Sessions) that were hosted in her homes across the U.S., inviting her fans to hang out and eat homemade cookies while listening to the entire album before its release. These unique strategies encouraged fans to buy the album without being overly pushy.
Original photo via Eva Rinaldi
About the Author
Molly is a graduate student at UGA studying mass communication and public relations. Her interests include social media, marketing research, traveling, writing, and networking.
Website: www.mollykateberg.com