13 community-building lessons from Taylor Swift
Creating loyal, engaged and empowered audiences that make the whole place shimmer
Looking backwards might be the only way to move forward
In 2020, we plunged head first into a global pandemic, requiring severe changes in how we conducted our daily lives. People took up new hobbies in isolation, but despite not knowing if she’d ever play another live show for her fans (dubbed Swifties), Taylor Swift doubled down on her existing superpowers–making music and delighting her fans.
It was a subtle flex when she talked about writing her sister albums Folklore and Evermore from the stage of her beloved Eras Tour which wrapped up December 8 in Vancouver. The 2020 albums were both surprise drops that she started working on within days of the pandemic.
Her productivity and a new, but familiar sound shocked and enraptured Swifties. It also attracted new listeners with a mature sound that felt achingly appropriate for the time. Listening was like wrapping up in a cozy cardigan fresh out of the dryer when you are shivering. It brought hope and something to be excited about during a dark, confusing time for so many of us.
It’s a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat…forevermore
Taylor didn’t just rinse and repeat what she did on her previous album, Lover, which she was planning to tour in 2020 and had to cancel. She simply could not keep going as planned, likely promoting what would have been a 2020 summer hit that started with “Fever dream high in the quiet of the night, You know that I caught it.” That would simply not work.
Within weeks of the world shutting down, she had to be mourning the Lover Fest tour that never came to pass and the connection with her Swifties IRL, but instead she channeled her energy into exploring new sounds and songwriting styles with new producers and collaborators. So much of her work had been famously autobiographical, and she decided to take up writing about fictional characters she had developed in her suddenly ample spare time.
It resonated to say the absolute least. She won awards, put out another award-winning album, Midnights, sold out a worldwide tour, produced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, and reclaimed her original work — Fearless, Speak Now, Red and 1989 — through her Taylor’s Version rerecording project all along the way. Her merch is constantly selling out on her website to the point that her label had to recalibrate her entire e-commerce strategy and fulfillment mid tour. People camped out in the freezing cold and rain for books and vinyls. Geologists reported mini earthquakes during multiple shows from the rhythmic cheering and dancing. An entire app was created to help fans track her outfits and surprise songs for points, prizes and bragging rights. And we’re not even going to get started on her romance a certain pro footballer. There really is a niche for every type of fan. What a time to be a Swiftie.
As the final confetti fell to the ground for the record-breaking Eras Tour, I started reflecting upon my own journey of becoming a Swiftie. I’ll save that storytime for another day. But I’ll say, Folklore and Evermore accelerated my self acceptance and launched me into new levels of admiration for Taylor that goes beyond the music or the fashion of it all. I’m also in the business of media, audience, product and marketing. To witness to the spectacle and cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift the last couple of years has been truly enchanting.
But how does she do it? She jokingly claims she puts narcotics in all of her songs, but in reality, I know it’s an army of people with an aligned strategy, self-awareness and ability to continue to connect with fans as they have grow older, shifted platforms and started making money.
This is what you came for…
13. Authenticity resonates
Taylor’s lyrics often feel deeply personal, sharing her life experiences and emotions. This transparency creates a genuine connection with her audience.
Takeaway: Be authentic and relatable. Share the story of you/your brand/your product in a way that resonates with your audience’s values and experiences. And know these are going to change over time.
12. Listening & engaging matters
Taylor has been known to follow her audience to the point that it’s been dubbed Taylurking. She interacts directly with her fans through social media, often liking, reposting and commenting on their posts from her own accounts. She has a separate handle (Taylor Nation) that’s basically her fan club. She used to also go the extra mile by hosting secret listening sessions and even inviting fans to her home. She’s famous for doing a 13-hour meet and greet with Swifties. There are various other stories of the time she has spent doing special things for individual fans. This lore lives on.
Takeaway: Actively engage with your community. Respond to comments, acknowledge contributions, and make people feel seen and valued. Don’t just do it digitally. Find ways to connect IRL.
11. Create shared experiences
Taylor and her team craft events and content that foster a sense of belonging, from her Easter eggs (hidden clues in her work) to immersive concert experiences. The Easter eggs have truly taken on a life of their own beyond what Taylor ever fathomed. Half of the fun of the Eras Tour has been completely fan led and digital like the amazing efforts by streamers like Tess Bohne to pull together grainy live streams for fans who couldn’t be at the shows. Taylor didn’t shut this down. She has even acknowledged it on numerous occasions. Don’t get me started on the amazing people tracking the outfits and songs in the most beautiful spreadsheets you’ve ever seen.
Takeaway: Develop unique, interactive features of your product that encourages your community to participate and collaborate. If you’re doing the other stuff on this list, you’ll likely start to see others be so inspired that it takes on a life of its own.
10. Celebrate your audience
Taylor has been known to write handwritten notes, send personal gifts, and spotlight her fans’ stories in her projects.
Takeaway: Recognize and celebrate your community members. Show appreciation for their support in meaningful ways.
9. Evolve with your community
Her music has evolved across genres and subject matter, reflecting her growth and connecting with her audience’s changing tastes. Some people still want to “paternity test” her songs to try and associate it with a romance, but if you listen closely to TTPD, you’ll hear a technique called braiding which involves weaving multiple storylines together. You can start to hear a song that might on the surface sound like it’s about a man she was romantically linked to turn into a song about her career and her art. You can link it to other artists and their lives throughout history.
Takeaway: Stay attuned to your community’s needs and interests. Adapt your offerings to remain relevant and impactful and truly reflective of what your goal is as a business. Don’t ignore the power of a metanarrative for those ultra loyal fans.
8. Leverage exclusivity
From “Taylor's Version” re-recordings to limited-edition merchandise, Swift creates a sense of exclusivity that fans wear like a badge of honor.
Takeaway: Offer exclusive content, products, or experiences that make your community feel special and invested.
7. Empower & inspire
Taylor encourages her fans to stand up for themselves, whether through her music or her advocacy for artists’ rights and social justice.
Takeaway: Be a source of empowerment. Use your platform to inspire positive action and support shared values. You’ll only know what those are by listening and engaging.
6. Build traditions
Taylor doesn’t miss the chance to celebrate traditions like fan chants and symbols like heart hands 🫶 which keep fans engaged and create a culture of anticipation and excitement. She keeps those special songs on the set list to reward loyal fans. The Midnights’ album also featured a song lyric in “You’re on Your Own, Kid”: “So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” that launched Swifties into making friendship bracelets and exchanging them at The Eras Tour and beyond. She also acknowledges anniversaries of her albums or achievements by releasing re-recordings, remixes or sharing heartfelt messages.
Takeaway: Develop rituals or recurring elements that your community can look forward to and rally around. Hey, maybe make some friendship bracelets!
5. Focus on quality
From her meticulously crafted albums to her cinematic music videos, Taylor knows and delivers high-quality, consistent work that her community has come to expect. In the behind the scenes video above, you can see how deeply involved she is in the final product and the attention to detail drives her success. Having the right team around you to bring your vision to life makes this work a lot easier.
Takeaway: Invest in creating valuable and high-quality features and products that your community can trust and be proud to support. Work with the best teammates, facilitate teamwork and align to a vision.
4. Philanthropy & advocacy
Taylor supports causes her fans care about, including disaster relief, education, LGBTQ+ rights, and voter registration, showing that she uses her influence for good.
Takeaway: Go deeper with your community. You may think you know what they care about, but you can continue to learn and find authentic ways to give back, reflecting that you/your brand don’t view them as a generic “user.” Bring humanity and goodwill to your engagement efforts.
3. Invest in your owned platforms, harness new ones
Taylor’s career has spanned 20 years, and she’s continued to invest in her owned platforms and ride third-party platform trends. She’s used Myspace and Tumblr. She posted vlogs on YouTube. She went live on Instagram. She’s on TikTok and X. She used those third party platforms and stayed attune to trends to engage with her community and share what she was interested in or working on. But since the beginning, she had a website. Even today, a new microsite was launched to enjoy content across her eras.
Takeaway: Most companies need to own their own destiny but stay relevant and meet audiences where they are. You’ll never control the algorithm of a third party platform, so you have to stay mindful that those companies have their own goals and likely those don’t align with your own. That doesn’t mean avoid them. If you have the resources, you can make the most of those tools if you think they can help you achieve your own goals. This means having a long-term vision for your core platform, often a website, and continuing to make that platform better. But you can and should tap into third party platforms that resonate with your audience to harness what they are really good at, continue to listen and engage with your audience and introduce yourself to new people.
2. Create connections, paint a wholistic picture
Over the years, Taylor’s work started to stack up and fans began to associate albums with specific colors. Then they also placed albums into the structure of a house known as the Lover House. She pays tribute to these concepts and has fully embraced them. When it came time for her to tour, and she decided to package all of her work together as The Eras Tour, those connections created something new entirely. And whether these connections were intentional or not just ads to the lore. But taking her entire catalog and bringing it together was clearly a brilliant business decision.
Takeaway: It’s really easy to get silo’ed into individual products, campaigns or teams. Goals and KPIs can be restrictive in our ability to truly take a step back and reflect on the vision set forth by those who paved the way for our businesses (maybe it’s you!). Are there opportunities to create linkages in your branding, product and audience engagement efforts that tie back to the roots of your business? Tap into longterm employees and audience for pearls of wisdom, history and the untold stories. These could lead to little tweaks that are imperceptible to your audience, but they could be inspirational and provide an opportunity to design a unique experience unlike anyone else. This can be tough in KPI driven environments with annual, quarterly and monthly goals, but nostalgia is powerful.
1. Storytelling is key
Taylor’s storytelling extends beyond her music to her branding, creating a narrative that fans feel deeply integrated into.
Takeaway: Use storytelling to connect emotionally with your audience and give them a sense of belonging in your journey.
Taylor Swift’s success in community building is rooted in her genuine care for her fans and her ability to foster meaningful connections. By using these principles, your brand or an individual can create a thriving, engaged community.