Making it in the music business is no easy task – and these days especially, success demands a deep understanding of both the artistic side and the business side of the industry. Here are a few Grammy nominees with exceptional professional capacities that can be valuable to any business owner.
1. Know how to market yourself: Taylor Swift
Nominated For: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Solo Performance
Swift turned 25 about a month ago, and is already worth $200 million. When her album “1989” came out at the end of October, it made up 22% of all U.S. album sales that week. Those kinds of accomplishments don’t come without a developed understanding of your business. From a series of branded programming initiatives to a massive ad campaign with Diet Coke, she was quick to break out of her country demographic and expand her fan base. Through it all, she makes a significant effort to connect with her fans on social media, responding to them directly on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The singer even held “Secret Sessions” (private listening parties where she sang the album and baked cookies for her fans) at her homes in New York, L.A., London, Rhode Island, and Nashville. This level of personal interaction makes her more relatable and authentic to her fans. The takeaway? Engage your audience early, and create opportunities for them to get excited about your product.
2. Be open to collaboration: Pharrell Williams
Nominated For: Best Pop Solo Performance, Album Of The Year
3. Take innovative risks: Katy Perry
Nominated For: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album
In June of 2012, Billboard posted a gallery of Katy Perry’s 50 Most Outrageous Outfits. Numerous other publications have detailed her “style evolution” since her breakthrough in 2008. This level of reinvention shows that Perry has a talent for keeping things fresh and interesting. And it’s not just limited to her clothes. Year after year, her performances and public image are reimagined. New themes, new colors, new stage designs — all to keep her fan base engaged. Many businesses aren’t willing to spend on revamping their product over time, and they find themselves losing both relevancy and customers. Try adding new services and features to keep your customers coming back. Their continued business is almost always worth the expense.
4. Be authentic in all of your communications with customers: Lady Gaga
Nominated For: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
With nearly 44 million Twitter followers, Lady Gaga has the sixth most followed account on the social network. Madonna, on the other hand, with all her years of widespread fame, boasts a mere 500,000 followers. Why the discrepancy? Madonna’s Twitter is clearly operated by her brand team, while Lady Gaga’s posts are directly from her to her fans. But that’s not the only reason why Gaga has so many avid fans. Gaga enthusiasts (whom she calls “Little Monsters”) have become a devoted fan community that thrives on the singer’s “community first, customers second” attitude. Projecting an authentic personality in all aspects of business – from writing your tweets yourself to engaging with your customers on a personable and human level – can help create a deep sense of trust between you and your customer community.
5. Know your target demographic: Miley Cyrus
Nominated For: Best Pop Vocal Album