Merry Swiftmas — Marketing lessons learned from Taylor Swift

So over the Christmas period whilst we were all tucking into our perfectly roasted turkeys, soaking up sun and sipping on refreshing beverages by the pool, old mate Swifty was busy playing Santa to her unsuspecting fans. “That is a lot of the stuff I went shopping and got yesterday for presents,” a sleepy eyed Swift said in the video ‘Taylor Swift’s Gift Giving 2014,’ which was posted on New Year’s Eve and has since gone epically viral. Now I know what you’re thinking, why has this girl written an article about Taylor Swift, and more to the point why the heck am I still reading it? Well.. After watching the moving video that documented her gift giving, I realised that there were a few things we (JMD) as social marketers have in common with this long limbed blonde and perhaps you do too. Either way, I thought I’d highlight a few of them for you below:

Listening

Taylor and her team delved deep into the social world (which has since become known as Tay-lurking) whereby they searched her fans likes, jobs, whereabouts etc. attentively, to help her when choosing the appropriate gifts. She engages with fans on Tumblr and Instagram frequently, and puts in the time to get to know so many of them individually. Now this is interesting to me, as it’s no different for us when we take on a new client account. Listening is the key here. It is imperative that research is done before work can begin. As marketers we should be asking questions and listening to our clients (and often their clients) wants, needs, hopes and to take note of the small stuff, as it could have a major effect on the deliverables.

Going above and beyond

Taylor mention’s one fan in particular that she has previously met, who also has a young son. She decided that she she would surprise this lucky fan by travelling to their town, and delivering presents in person. This not only reiterates that she listens and takes note, but she also went above and beyond to make this moment that bit more special for them. If you aren’t prepared to take that extra mile for your clients, how can they be expected to take the risk on bringing you in on their projects.

Staying in touch

It’s no secret on Taylors Twitter and Instagram accounts in particular, she often responds to her fans. Like Taylor we should all be striving to do this more. Everyday I make it my aim to tap into the communities that we’ve built. This not only shows that we care, but it keeps us in the loop and ensures our consumers remain engaged.