Besides perfect hair and an ex-boyfriend roster that reads like People’s Sexiest Man Alive list, Taylor Swift has also seemed to knock it out of the park when it comes to social media. With over 20 million followers on Twitter, 35 million likes on Facebook and 3 million followers on Instagram she’s leading the numbers game. But there’s more to it than that. Marketers take note; your social media strategy comes wrapped in bubble gum pop songs.
1) Share stories – Taylor Swift shares photos, tweets and snippets from her everyday life and gives her fans a glimpse into what she’s doing. Whether it’s reading a book, wrapping her family’s Christmas gifts or snapping a photo from inside a pre-show huddle, Swift is constantly telling the masses the stories that make up her very famous life. Brands can take a cue here and mimic Swift’s commitment to transparency. It’s not all about your product or service – it’s what happens behind the scenes that give your fans a glimpse of your organization. Do this and you’ll have fans for life.
Swift and her cat watching the Olympics… posted on her Instagram feed
2) Authentically share your voice – Taylor Swift is basically the queen of nice. She’s beem parodied on Saturday Night Live for being so happy all the time. But that’s just her and you can tell. Swift is gracious and girly and it works for her. She’s the one taking pictures of her cat and Instagramming it like everyone else – and isn’t afraid to show that. Companies spend big dollars trying to define and express their brand voice, yet so many of them are afraid to let the public hear it on a regular basis through social media. Don’t be one of those companies – find your brand’s voice and let it be heard online.
3) Engage – Ever take a look through Taylor’s Twitter feed? On the day of her latest album release, Swift went through and responded to fans (even those who has under 100 followers — it’s not a numbers game for her) just to say “thanks”. Did she respond to every single tweet that came through that day? No, of course not. But every so often she does. And she’s a pop singer with 35 million followers. Likeable CEO, Dave Kerpen, always says two of the most important words you can say in social media are “thank you”. Your brand needs to respond to its customers – even if it’s just to say thanks. It could make a huge difference in their experience and will increase the likelihood of them spreading the word about you to their friends and followers.
A tweet from Swift to a protected user with just over 300 followers.
4) Give your community what they want – Swift fans are crazy obsessed and can’t wait to hear and see Taylor next. Her stream is sneak peaks of her newest singles (she released about 4 before this album even came out), teasers for big announcements, and updates about where she’ll be appearing next. Her fans want to see what her life looks like when professional photographers aren’t capturing her every move so she posts a pie she just made and the notes on her Starbucks cups. Your communities will let you know what they want to hear from you in social media – make sure you listen and give them what they ask for.
What other social media lessons have you learned from an unexpected example?
