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You don't need to be a Taylor Swift fan to admire her the music industry successes. Even a modest look at the journey of the 34-year-old pop icon reveals the level of the master class. business process acumen and strategic planning – to the tune of $1.1 billion in total net worth as of October 2023, according to Bloomberg.
I can understand why one might initially shy away from modeling a pop star's career, but as a person in technology, trust me when I say that she is a true inspiration to entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in an equally competitive and competitive. ever changing like music.
Here are eight foolproof Taylor Swift strategies you can repurpose in your work as a tech leader:
Stand up for your core values and rights
Swift got one courageous attitude against Spotify's “freemium” model and Apple Music's early royalty policy, instead emphasizing artists' rights. Tech executives, too, can celebrate and advance their core values and rights, even if it means going up against our industry giants. Actions can include advocating for fair practices, speaking out and writing pieces highlighting the importance of data privacy or ensuring equal compensation for creators on digital platforms. Doing so not only reinforces your brand and its market integrity, but also has the capacity to drive significant change.
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Take control and ownership of your innovations
Swift famously re-recorded her first six albums to gain ownership of those new masters – a pioneering move. For people on the tech side, it's also important to emphasize control and ownership of intellectual property.
So secure those patents, keep control of your software source code, and then go ahead and boldly innovate in product design. This degree of ownership has its obvious long-term benefits, but when push comes to shove in any delicate situation, it also serves as a safeguard against potential takeovers or unfair practices.
Embrace multiple touch points
Swift excels in both streaming and physical sales, from time to time balancing digital presence and tangible products. Similarly, tech entrepreneurs should not put all their eggs in one basket but aim for a presence on various platforms. Have you developed a web application? Cool, now create a mobile version too. Do you make physical products? Consider offering a digital that can work alongside them. And yes, this will require more time, money and resources, but it will also expand the reach and viability of the market.
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Community engagement itself
Swift is simply genius at engaging fans, using social media and personal interactions to build and nurture a community that seems constantly in touch with him in one form or another. And while I'm fully aware that many variables are at play here, tech entrepreneurs can also leverage social media, forums, and direct feedback channels to connect with users. If you haven't already, engage in discussions about further personalizing the user experience to build a wider community — drive loyalty and improve brand sentiment and reputation.
Dive into experiential marketing
The 12-time Grammy Award winner has also set new standards in live music, most recently evident in Eras Tour engineering and productionalong with the resulting concert film.
Tech entrepreneurs, especially those with a significant marketing budget, know all too well that experiential marketing can be a game changer. So if and when possible, look at ways to offer interactive product demonstrations or immersive virtual reality experiences. At the very least, host industry events like panels or mixers for memorable experiences that are relatively easy to execute.
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Work to become a change-maker
The Eras Tour ticket pre-sale process was intended to be open only to verified Swift fans, but more than 14 million ended up trying to get them — including an untold number of bots, leading in a public dispute between the singer and the singer and Ticketmaster. The result was a significant reform of concert ticketing in general, which further cemented its reputation for shaping business practices for good.
Most tech entrepreneurs might prefer to work under the radar to encourage innovation, but they can Spearhead reforms – advocate for better domestic policies, collaborate on fairer regulatory/law enforcement, and modify products to better solve industry-wide problems.
Be flexible
Swift is known for seamless transitions across musical genres — adaptability that keeps it interesting for fans and newcomers alike. Like the volatility of the music industry, the technology industry is fast-moving and ever-evolving. As a result, technology entrepreneurs must be equally flexible, ready to respond to market trends and anticipated customer needs by tirelessly adapting products to expanded user groups, among other strategies.
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Juice your confession
Swift's fan base has closely followed the evolution of her brand at every stage of the album, from 2006's Nashville newcomer to today's pop colossus. From a marketing perspective, it's just a kiss from the boss. Tech entrepreneurs must also focus on their storytelling—be fearless in developing their marketing to resonate with diverse audiences through dynamic visual branding and compelling content across multiple mediums.