Taylor Swift isn’t just a pop icon—she’s a master strategist. Her approach to branding, audience engagement, and reinvention offers powerful insights for Financial Advisors looking to grow their practice in an AI-disrupted world.
The Wall Street Journal Tells Her Story
The Wall Street Journal recently published an insightful article into Taylor Swift’s business practices. It contains several strategies Financial Advisors can easily adapt to grow their own business. Which of her best practices remind you of Al Granum’s proven methods for success in our industry? Let’s take a closer and then consider how we can convert her tactics into refining our own businesses development initiatives.
Note: The italicized quotes in the sections below come from the original Wall Street Journal article.
1. Build a Magnetic Online Presence
“She secured her fans’ loyalty by speaking directly to them online.”
“Swift was early to fostering her fan base online—first on Myspace, then Tumblr before Instagram and TikTok.”
Swift’s social media is authentic, consistent, and fan-focused. Advisors can mirror this by sharing timely insights, client success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of their process. If you want to reach a younger audience, learn how to tell your story via video clips.
2. Specialize to Scale Up
“While other stars like Rihanna have parlayed their success as artists to launch other businesses, Swift has largely kept her empire within the confines of music.”
Swift doesn’t chase every genre – she leans into her strengths. Advisors should identify their niche (e.g., business succession planning, retirement planning, estate tax funding strategies) and build deep expertise. Specialize in one area of financial planning. Market your unique skills, products, and services to your target market. People will start coming to you, rather than you having to chase after them.
3. Create Signature Offerings
“Her original songs helped her secure a development deal with RCA Records.”
Original songs are Swift’s hallmark. Advisors can craft their own original signature services—like a “Roadmap to a Secure Retirement” or “Financial Wellness Check.” Keep it simple; it needs to be easy for clients to associate you with the service you specialize in.
Once you have settled on a specialty, differentiate your practice. Develop a unique way to present the benefits of a specific product or strategy. If someone wants what you offer, they must come to you to get it. No one else does exactly what you do! For an analogy, think about that signature dish of a popular restaurant in your area; people stand in line to get it. What’s your (financial) signature dish?
4. Develop a Catchphrase
“When Swift, playing in the station’s studio, got to the line in “Tim McGraw” that includes the lyric “someday you’ll turn your radio on,” she glanced over at Barker and instead sang “someday you’ll turn K-FROG on,” he said. The gimmick worked. The station immediately wanted to put her on the radio.”
Think of a way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary using a unique word or phrase that quickly conveys your value proposition. At CPS Advantage, we communicate our core values with two key phrases, “From submission to commission, life insurance sales have never been easier,” and “Let’s get your clients covered – and you paid.”
Think of a radio or TV commercial you remember. Why do you remember it? It probably has a clever catchphrase. “Nationwide is on your side.” “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Develop your own catchphrase that defines your brand, then promote it aggressively!
5. Personalize Every Interaction
“Executives, radio programmers and other business associates describe Swift’s acute memory for details about their spouses and children. They say they still have her handwritten thank-you cards.”
“She knows where you left off on your last conversation.”
Swift’s handwritten notes are legendary. Advisors can personalize client touchpoints with tailored check-ins, milestone recognition, or curated article links covering topics relevant to specific clients. If your clients use social media to promote their own brand, support them regularly with endorsements, comments, and engage them publicly about their business.
6. Remain Interesting
“Success at reinventing herself.”
Swift reinvents herself with each album. Advisors should refresh their messaging, visuals, and service offerings to reflect changing client needs, product developments, and market conditions. Stay on top of your clients’ mind by educating them about benefits they can derive from your new product, strategy, or service.
Side Note: CPS Advantage can contribute to your execution of this strategy. We offer several complimentary services that notify our Advisors of new, interesting, and relevant ideas. You can introduce those to appropriate clients, based on Al Granum style follow-up intervals. If you’d like to be notified of new ideas, sign up here. It’s easy to grow your insurance business, if you regularly deliver valuable updates to your clients, prospects, and centers of influence.
7. Deliver Distinctive Value
“Valuable things should be paid for.”
Increasingly, we have to compete with AI to solve financial planning problems. We must do better than the bots. Make yourself valuable by delivering a distinctive, highly personalized service, product, or strategy. Lean into empathy and storytelling – nuanced guidance algorithms can’t replicate.
What’s your distinctive value?
8. Wait, there is More
“Swift adds previously unreleased songs that didn’t make the cut on the original albums, encouraging fans to buy the new versions.”
Swift’s re-recorded albums reignited fan interest. Advisors can revisit past prospects, dormant clients, or agency orphans with updated ideas. Reengage your clients by educating them about new solutions, products, or tax-saving strategies.
Al Granum in the 21st Century
It’s never been easier to scale up Al Granum’s prospecting success ratios by combining his lessons for empathetic client engagement with an effective, highly targeted, social media strategy. Do these ideas appeal to you? If so, let’s schedule a 15-minute Zoom to discuss how we can leverage Taylor Swift’s business practices is your setting. Let’s talk soon!
