What Taylor Swift can teach you about personal branding

What Taylor Swift taught us all about personal brand

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What Taylor Swift taught us all about personal brand

Image taken by GabboT, used under Creative Commons license.

Love her or hate her, Taylor Swift is the most relevant and successful example of doing personal brand right. Here are 5 things we can learn from Swifty herself.

Personal brand is an essential part of everyday business. How you represent yourself can severely affect your business, as people buy from people they like and trust. How can you make the most of personal brand?

 

Change with the times

One of the biggest changes in how people connect with customers or fans, is social media. It’s something that many companies still shy away from, but it can work wonders for your business.

Using Taylor as an example, she was able to gain a fiercely loyal fan base by connecting with them over social media. Responding to their posts. Adding personality to an industry that is famously impersonal. Meant she could propel herself into the spotlight, setting herself apart from other stars who did not appear to care about their fans.

Many customer service responses to Facebook posts and tweets have gone viral. As they show outstanding service. Tesco for example have been in the news a number of times this year. For taking the time to write a poetic reply or even just declaring their love of bacon. Taking the time to reply to the people reaching out to you shows respect, and creates loyalty, and sometimes even a viral campaign.

 

Stick with your morals

Taylor is well known for calling journalists out when they make a sexist remark, and for speaking quite honestly.

It can be tempting when building up a business, to begin trying to please every prospect, but the truth is, everyone does that, and it only comes back to bite you later if you agree or go along with things you don’t actually believe in.

Stand up for yourself, and respect what you believe and the ethics of how you work. Others will come to respect you, and if they don’t, do you really want their approval or business anyway?

 

Take the negative on the chin

Taylor is no stranger to being judged and receiving negative comments, mostly about her personal life.

As the old saying goes ‘jealously can be an ugly thing’, and people making negative comments about your business or brand without genuine reason are more than likely worried about the competition.

Unfortunately, you just have to take it on the chin and keep on doing what you do best. Making other people look bad won’t make you look good, and sinking down to someone else’s level will make you look worse.

 

Use the power you have to empower other businesses

It was one of the biggest news stories of June when Taylor Swift stood up to the big boys Apple, and refused to let her work go out for free. The even bigger news was that Apple backed down and agreed with Taylor that all artists should be paid for their work.

There are a number of things to look at here. Taylor could of stomped her feet and screamed and shouted that it wasn’t fair, but she was savvy, and used her business mind to leverage Apple to see the unfair and accept responsibility. She also didn’t just do this for her music, she did it for all the artists. Meaning artists who haven’t quite gained the same following yet so don’t have the same power behind them still have a voice too.

If you have power or influence and can use it to make changes for the local community and local businesses, use it.

 

Show you care

If you want a lesson in how to show your audience that you care about them, look no further than Taylor. She is well-known for keeping an eye on her fans and rewarding those who are loyal.

Before her latest album, 1989, launched she invited dedicated fans to secret listening parties after stalking them (or ‘taylurking’ as she calls it) on social media.

In the run up to Christmas, she surprised some fans with gifts, such as $1989 dollars to go towards a fan paying off her student loans, and sending people stage costumes or items of clothing she’d worn.

Now, you don’t have to go as far as offering to pay off your audiences’ debts, but the occasional surprise for a loyal fan, or maybe even a curious prospective customer, can get people’s attention and make you look caring.

 

Work hard, but celebrate the good

Though Taylor is doing everything you can think off, she still shows that she is a normal twenty something in some ways. Who would believe she’s like us normal people sometimes? She celebrates birthday, days out with friends and dinners with her boyfriend, and that makes this complete superstar who is successful beyond imagination, relatable.

This is where your blogs and things come in to play. Social media is a way for you to connect with your target audience and show you are normal people, you are relatable and you could be part of this family too.

If you’re a small business and think your brand could use some strategy?

Do you know where you want to go and how you’re going to get there? We could help. Call us today on 01543 495752

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