December 13 marks the 34^th birthday for Time’s Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Whether you are a full-blown Swiftie or not a fan, you know what she is up to and where she has been. Even if you choose not to stream her newest song “From The Vault” or have no interest in what she wore to the last Chiefs game, you can hum the tune and probably know some lyrics. She has been dubbed “Person of the Year” while on hiatus from what is slotted to become the biggest and most lucrative tour ever by an artist. Swiftie or not, we must all sit humbled by her supreme business sense and pay homage to her marketing genius.

Taylor’s rise to historic fame ran parallel to the rise of social media. While many of us have used social media to our advantage, no one embraced social media marketing as well as Taylor Swift’s team which she has leveraged all throughout her career. You might have noticed that when Twitter was all the rage, Taylor wrote funny quips and clever one-liners leading to re-tweets abound. When Instagram was the star of the social media show, we got polaroid-style pics of her epic parties and latest baked goods leading to immediate use of the Nashville filter to chronicle our soirees and kitchen delights.

Most recently, after TikTok took the world by storm, Taylor launched a 70’s-themed game show aesthetic to announce her new album’s track titles one-by-one. Swifties generated numerous TikTok videos with countdowns to the next song announcement, creating ongoing banter about what would be the first single or who or what each song is written about, and the Internet sleuths tracked down retailers selling every piece of clothing and jewelry Taylor adorned. Most recently, the NFL jumped on the bandwagon to share clips of her walking into Arrowhead Stadium and cheering from her private suite only to see increased viewership in what has been America’s most watched sport with such footage reshared over and over and over again.

We all use social media to develop and scale our business, but no one has managed to create buzz quite like Taylor has. Here are some ways business managers and owners can take a note out of Taylor’s songbook:

1.      Tell a good story.

Taylor is a poet and her songs often tell a story. She wrote an entire album from the views of other characters and even went so far as to connect their individual storylines in various songs. We might not be poets or lyricists, but we can all develop our craft in the art of storytelling. Create a mission statement that sets you apart from your competitors. Tell your customers why they need what you are selling and explain how they can benefit from your business. The devil is in the details.

2.      Mind your reputation.

Taylor once said that although people can believe what they want to believe about you, you have the ability to prove them wrong. Your reputation is gold so do what is necessary to preserve that in your business. If you encounter a problem with a client or customer, address the issue and find a way to resolve it to maintain a positive relationship. Clients and customers will appreciate the effort and that will in turn generate a positive standing and character within your industry.

3.      Get personal.

Taylor is known to write songs from her personal experiences and relationships and her fans sure eat it up! People appreciate personal efforts. Pick up the phone and have a verbal conversation instead of sending an email. Send a handwritten note to thank a client for their business. Relationships are fostered when they go beyond the surface and when companies are humanized. A personal touch goes a long way.  

4.      Don’t fear change.

Taylor started out as a country music artist who converted to a pop star to a folk artist with a smattering of gospel and rap in between. She has reinvented herself with practically every “Era” in her repertoire. Business owners and managers are notoriously afraid to change and frequently fall into the trap of “this is the way we have always done it.” Get out of that mindset and embrace the opportunity to change and take some risks (just make sure to check in with your corporate counsel before taking a plunge to assess any legal questions!)

With the end of the year upon us and 2024 around the corner, start thinking of ways in which you can model some of Taylor’s business strategies in your company.

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