Social Media as communication with fans
Because Taylor Swift grew up in the digital age (born in 1989, also the title of her latest album), her communication with fans over social media is essential. As the subject matter of her songs suggest, her fans are mainly teenagers ranging from middle school age to college age, the digital generation. Social media is a common and language language of Swifties, which helps the similarly tech savvy Swift to connect with them.
Swift is all over the social media landscape, we can see her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other similar platforms, all of which her fans ritualistically visit. Not only does she share slices of her life on social media, but she also interacts with her fans on a personal level. For example, after a video of 7-year-old Jacob playing a Taylor Swift Medley on the piano is posted on Twitter, Swift responded by writing this: “I HAVE to give you a hug for that beautiful piano medley you did! Please come to a show on my tour and say hi to me? My treat.” By tweeting a specific fan, Swift is actually communicating to all her other fans, showing thatgiven the opportunity, she would reach out to individual fans, and that the next one could be any one.
By letting her fans in on her daily life, tweeting them personally, Swift creates a comfortable environment online to communicate with fans. This further affirms them that it is possible to be friends with her.
