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  • By Hannah Turner

    Taylor Swift’s Inbound Marketing Tactics We Should Follow

    December 10, 2014 | About a 5 min read

    Account Services, Blog, Creative, Digital, Marketing, Social Media

    Taylor Swift’s Inbound Marketing Tactics We Should Follow

    By Hannah Turner
    December 10, 2014
    About a 5 MIN read

    BlogHeader_PIM004-604x270

    When an inbound marketing plan is set into motion, a lot of businesses assume it will be a “set it and forget it” mindset. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Inbound marketing requires building block principles in order to have a plan that succeeds. Let’s look at how these building block principles of attention, creative thinking, and adaptation are implemented into a successful inbound marketing plan. I’ll use Taylor Swift in my examples because…well, she’s awesome and an excellent example of a wildly successful brand.

    Constant Attention

    Just like Swift, your inbound marketing content needs constant attention! There needs to be analysis, tweaking, more analysis, more tweaking and refinement on a regular basis for you to see improvements.

    Your first inbound objectives should be to drive traffic through your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – this means social channels and rich keyword content (blog, keywords, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc). Your end goal should be to convert this complete stranger into the love of your life. You are Taylor and your audience is your lover.

    T Swift lyrics

    Your content should constantly be analyzed for accuracy as you want the right content to be hitting the right person at the right time. This is the sweet spot of lead conversion.

    Some content marketers argue that inbound marketing is a science. The analysis of the data and user behavior can lead your blog/website/landing pages in the optimal direction for user engagement and lead generation.

    So follow Swift’s lead and pretend as if your inbound marketing is a needy girlfriend who will write whiny songs about you if you don’t give it the attention it deserves.

    Be Creative. Be Different!

    TayTay has found a unique niche in her industry and, in all seriousness, her brand has made such strides and conquered multiple verticals (country and pop) in a way no other entertainment star has.

    Although, she hasn’t become the ultimate “triple threat” and ventured into a successful career of acting (did you even see her in Valentine’s Day!? Yeah…don’t), she has become an icon of our era. Her brand has pushed through multiple barriers and smashed countless records set by entertainment idols like Madonna. In the day of booty shorts, sexualization, and overdone trends left and right, Swift has maintained a level, classic brand and manages to stand out in such a fresh, new way that she can’t help but be likable.

    Being different takes courage. It’s not the safe route and successful businesses never want to risk being too different from their target base. Everyone wants the tried and true values of honesty, courage, and integrity. Those are the attributes we all expect out of the best of our relationships. Oversaturation is a place you do not want to find your content marketing falling into.

    Keeping your content fresh is hard work. Keeping your content fresh and relevant to your target markets is even harder.

    B2B-chart

    Just like any creative work, content creation takes an element of inspiration. Content inspiration can come from all around you. According to a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, the top three challenges for content marketers last year was lack of time producing content (69%), producing enough content (55%), and producing the kind of content that engages (47%).

    Reach into the crevices of your business and pull out customer questions, FAQ’s, interesting products that can tell a great story, industry partners with humble beginnings, advancements in your industry – this can all be excellent sources of content. Anything that connects with human emotions and human interests will resonate with your customers on a deeper level and leave a lasting impression that will gain brand trust and customer loyalty.

    Adaptation

    Being a successful business necessitates a certain “light on your feet” ability. In a world where communication travels so quickly and information is shared instantly, businesses can’t afford to be behind or slow. Quick thinking and “Swift” decision making can be the tipping point for many.adaptation-chart-final

    Using T. Swift as an example again, she saw the potential of an untapped market of Pop and broke out of the country market with a few records that straddled the line between her country/ pop sound. When the feedback was good, she acted on the user feedback and produced her latest album solely on the pop stations, taking all of her country fans with her as well. This had a large risk associated with it but eventually succeeded in launching her into both industries and exponentially growing her devoted following.

    Apply Tactics to Your Brand

    Taylor Swift as as well as many other brands and companies are prime examples of how we should curate content, and adapt for our targeted customers.

    So now what – what’s the first steps you should take as a brand in being better inbound marketers?

    Evaluating your company is very important when you know what is important. You need to analyze engagement and response to your current content and translate it into action!

    Ask yourself: What worked? What didn’t? What do my customers seem to want?

    It’s hard to see ideas and content fail, but fortunately, that means that you now know that much more about your customers! That is priceless information if you use it to steer your strategy in the right direction.

    Once you apply that first step of your brand’s content evaluation, and are consciously working to become better inbound marketers, you may not know what to do next. This puts a smile on our faces, because we do know what to do in order to curate content from blah to bliss! We’ve got a team geared up, prepared and ready to tackle your content. If you need help on your brand’s next steps, shoot us a message, or better yet, give us a ring. We would love to hear your company’s interest in bettering your brand’s content.

    Hannah Turner

    Hannah Turner has been immersed in the public relations and advertising world for over 10 years. With more than 5 years under her belt at Pathfinders, she’s been able to use her obsession with social media to bring campaign success to a number of national and global brands. As Social Media Lead, Hannah drives her team to execute a variety of paid and earned media strategies that pull brands and social media platforms into a cohesive marketing approach. She has worked with many well-known brands, including Welch’s, Amway, Fifth Third Bank, PayPal, Boxed Water, and LEER.

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