5 lessons from Taylor Swift’s Instagram campaign

Before releasing her newest album, the singer built buzz and publicity through an Instagram campaign that blended storytelling and visuals. Marketers, pay attention.

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Pretend you’re Taylor Swift, a megastar with a highly anticipated new album. You have more than your share of opportunities to produce buzz and publicity.

Life is good, right?

For most celebrities yes, but not Taylor Swift. If you’re Swift, you have to go beyond publicity and speak directly to your top advocates—your fans.

That’s why Swift turned to Instagram to cleverly tell the story behind her new album, “1989,” which she released on Oct. 27. She launched a 13-day visual countdown.

Swift began the countdown on Oct. 14, promising to reveal one set of lyrics per track each day, along with an image related to the song or where Swift was at the moment (e.g. in a plane, on an elevator). Each image included her handwriting or some doodles, offering another personal touch.

Track 1 #1989lyrics

Uma foto publicada por Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) em

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