Written by Emily Gastellum
Social media has changed the way we keep up and communicate with “celebrities” in our society.
Ten years ago, when Twitter, Facebook and MySpace were not around, we had to wait for statements and press releases. Now all we need to do is check their updated social media sites to get an immediate response from the stars themselves.
As communication has changed, marketing and advertising strategies have adapted to the new market that exists online.
As I consider individual celebrities to be their own business, it’s interesting to watch how they react to this new medium. Some stars choose to remain ignorant of this new method of communication, while others have embraced it and enhanced their “product” by giving consumers the real-time, honest information that they crave.
Country superstarTaylor Swifttook hold of social media early on in her career, building an army of loyal fans who fell in love with her music and, even more so, fell in love with Taylor herself.
By posting blogs (written and video), responding to fan feedback, and keeping current photos on her page, Swift allowed fans to be a part of her journey.
It’s not at all surprising that Swift is now the most downloaded artist of all time, as she has utilized these tools to built lasting relationships rather than short-term record sales.
Now, newcomers like Jordyn Shellhart (signed to SONY-Nashville) are utilizing this medium to create an online presence and personality. Shellhart recently unveiled her new website where there is a featured “executive producers club.” This allows fans to create a personal account free of charge, giving them access to Shellhart’s work tapes, blogs, videos, etc.
Additionally, Shellhart and her managers, Rick Barker and Lex Lipsitz (ofNashville To You, LLC), seek feedback from the fans to better understand their likes and dislikes, allowing them to produce content and merchandise that satisfy the consumer.
The concept of Shellhart’s EP Club sets a new standard in the process of artist branding and promotion, as well as going back to the basic “word of mouth” principle we seem to have forgotten in an advanced technological time.
To join Shellhart’s executive producers club visit http://www.jordynshellhart.com/epclub.html, and look for her debut album “In a Room” on iTunes.
