While some celebrities use social media strictly for self-promotion, Taylor Swift takes a different route and makes herself relatable. Not only is Taylor incredibly entertaining through her self-deprecating wit, but she also is passionate and charming in her use of social media to interact with her fans. With her latest album 1989, Swift took social media into her own hands as one of the greatest forms of publicity the world has ever seen.
She used Instagram to share clues that pieced together to announce her new album and the release of the “Shake it Off” music video, which was revealed through a Yahoo Live Web Chat.
She also used Instagram to release sneak peaks of lyrics from every song off of the new album.
She used it to share photos from her secret sessions where she invited fans off of social media to meet her in person and preview her entire 1989 album.
However, the most memorable thing Taylor uses Instagram to do is respond directly to fans. She responds to things as simple as fans tagging her in their pictures to things as serious as her fans being bullied.
Her most recognizable social media account is her Twitter. She comes across as totally normal which is more than can be said for a lot of other celebrities. Her posts range from random thoughts to reposting photos of her fans with her new album.
She began tweeting photos of her fans along with the hashtag #taylurking to acknowledge her behavior. Taylor’s casual way of connecting with fans encourages them to document their purchase of her album (free publicity!).
Although Taylor is present on most social media sites, my personal favorite is her involvement on Tumblr. Swift forced herself to learn Tumblr over the summer and it is the most magical thing that has ever happened. First she asked her fans thousands of witty questions on the ins-and-outs of Tumblr and then took all of the advice to become the absolute best celebrity to ever grace the Tumblr site. The most important thing she has done on Tumblr by far is her response to the “no it’s Becky” post. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about click here).
Not only does she reblog fans who tag her specifically in her posts, she also humorously responds to posts where people merely mention the singer.
What makes Taylor’s use of Tumblr and other social media outlets successful is that she uses the platform in the same way that the people she is trying to reach use it. Unlike other celebrities, she treats her fans as equals and even picks up on the vocabulary (or at least attempts to!).
Taylor’s talent for all things social media comes from the same place as her successful songs; her emotional devotion. There are plenty of celebrities who try and eventually fail to engage with their fans, but not Taylor. She understands that to be accepted by the social media generation she must put herself out there and treat her fans as friends, knowing they will support her back. As long as Taylor continues to understand her fans better than any other celebrity out there, she’ll continue to be the Queen of Social Media.