“You’re not without talent, but you’re not talented enough to get away with twirling in the air and trying to play the violin at the same time.”
It was with these words that the 23-year-old artist was excluded from the fifth season of America’s Got Talent in 2010.
A real cold shower for this young Californian with an unconventional style. A huge failure, a public humiliation.
A career on the rise
Coming from a very modest background, Lindsey Stirling was influenced very early on by the classical music listened to by her father. She continued to explore the possibilities offered by this instrument and sought to bring it back into fashion. Over the years, diversity has become her strength. A style that mixes violin, dubstep and choreography. Her elimination in 2010 marked a break in her momentum. However, she decided not to let herself be defeated. She picked up her violin again and made the video Spontaneous Me on YouTube, quickly collecting several tens of millions of views.
This success opened her eyes: an audience was waiting for her and asking for more. Her career took off and she had the latitude she needed to fully express her talent and style.
Understand your target to be able to engage it
Her first audience, those who commented on her YouTube video or sent her messages of encouragement, is very engaged. This audience is mainly composed of teenage girls aged 12-16, familiar with social media and looking for role models. Thus, it is far from conservatories and other traditional performance venues that her violin began to resonate. The social media preferred by her target audience then became her playground, accelerating the resonance of her achievements by engaging her community. Her style has remained authentic, only her ways of communicating adapt to perfectly align with the expectations of her target audience.
Lindsey Stirling’s Personal Brand DNA
Like many artists who manage to stand out, Lindsey Stirling does not just excel in the technical part of her work. Her artistic and human points of view are at the heart of her practice. Three elements make up her positioning:
1. An innovative style: The violin must leave the conservatories
This instrument loaded with history remains very linked to the world of classical music. For Lindsey Stirling, the violin is an instrument that is still relevant today and can be combined with contemporary trends and rhythms. Through her multiple artistic collaborations, her style is expanding, as is her audience. She has co-developed a large number of covers of video game and film music (Skyrim, Zelda, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.) to the delight of members of the geek culture.
2. A generous artist: It is by giving that we receive
Her promotion is mainly done through social networks, where she cultivates a very close relationship with her fans. Each new song is accompanied by the publication of a very high-quality video clip on YouTube, featuring her in an imaginary world. Generous and humble, she keeps her simplicity by sending a message of thanks to her musical collaborators as well as her admirers at the end of each YouTube video. This positive, accessible and other-oriented style allows her to unite around her a community in search of authenticity.
3. A symbol, a story: you can succeed while being different
Lindsey Stirling is the symbol of perseverance; refusing to give up if you are rejected by your difference, and always believing in yourself. Through her life story and the values she embodies, she positions herself as a positive role model for teenage girls who often face periods of personal doubt.
Stand out through your convictions
Lindsey Stirling’s success is not only due to her artistic mastery or her unique musical style. She communicates where her audiences are, in addition to personifying the importance of believing in your dreams without ever giving up. Lindsey Stirling has skillfully integrated this symbolic and inspiring dimension into her personal branding and thus solidified the commitment of her community.
Working on your personal brand isn’t about trying to please everyone.
Like Lindsey Stirling, understanding who you are talking to is essential when building your personal brand.
Who are the individuals or communities that need to know you exist? Where can you find them? What are their needs? How can you provide them with distinctive value and thus better promote who you are?
Your talents, your story, your opinions, your values: all of these elements make up your uniqueness.
Your personal brand is like a classical music score; the symphony may be finished, but it will only be fully realized when it reaches the ears of your audience. That’s where performance comes in!
Article published on March 1, 2017 on Infopresse.
