The latest marketing trends suggest we should put an emphasis on creating videos. If you’re like me, you may not always feel comfortable putting yourself out there on video. What else is an artist supposed to do to connect with their community of followers, supporters and collectors if it’s not showing up on social media?
Luckily, there is a way to alleviate some of the pressure to do videos, aaaaaand it works better than social media. As an artist, you can use the powers of email to communicate with your people, and no videos are required.
When you invite people to join your email list, it's a huge help to your art practice. This is because email continues to be a super effective promotional tool for artists. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why you may want to put your email list ahead of social media.
Why Is It Important To Have An Email List?
By sending personalized messages, you can develop significant relationships with your community. This means you’re making genuine, authentic friends with the people who are interested in you and your art.
It's too easy to follow someone on social media and then completely forget about them. This is because the algorithms on social media sites don't assure you'll end up on that person's feed. It's sad that you might be out there providing great posts about your art and your followers may have no idea about it.
Emails are a tried-and-true method of handling this problem. It's an invitation to keep in touch when someone has decided they want to stay connected with what you do.
Email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment when it comes to making sales. You can pique your community's interest when you share about your art practice.
Your emails are an opportunity to announce new works and share their story. This may lead to more sales because your community will feel invested and nourished by having had more opportunity to read and learn about what you’re doing.
When I Don't Email My List, What Happens?
When you don't send emails to your list, you miss out on an opportunity to connect with real humans. You risk losing touch with your supporters.
By subscribing to your list, they've indicated they want to hear from you. They’re not just being nice by opting-in for your emails. They really want to see updates from you. In return, you committed to email them with updates on new work, exhibitions, etc. If there isn't a legitimate reason to keep quiet, your subscribers may think you’ve stopped making art or that you’re not showing, even if you are.
If your list gets stale, when you do finally send a message, it may result in high bounce rates or spam complaints. Or if you wait too long to email them, you risk losing your whole email list. This is because when accounts become inactive for a period of time, email software providers will delete your list. To avoid this, be sure to maintain regular contact, even if regular means once a quarter or once a month for you. And always keep a back up list of your email subscribers.
How To Create An Email List
Email marketing remains the most successful marketing channel. It outperforms social media, SEO, and affiliate marketing. These activities may expand your reach but they don't capture your audience in a single, secure location. When people follow you on social media, you must rely on the platform to work for your benefit. Honestly, that’s a big ask because social media platforms are run by someone besides yourself.
The simplest way to grow your email list is to focus on interacting each day with your community. Reply to comments on your website and answer social media questions. Respond to emails and make or return phone calls.
Add email registration form links to your website and social media bios. Don't forget to include a link in your email signature to collect subscribers.
Create special content that is only available to subscribers. This will drive subscribers to your mailing list.
And in general, invite people to join your mailing list.
As an artist, it's not always natural to promote yourself. But marketing becomes easier when you think about how it’s all about identifying what value your art provides your collectors.
Email Marketing Leads To Sales
Intention, focus, and dedication are key to creating successful email marketing for artists.
Convert fans into dedicated collectors. Make them feel special by giving them exclusive updates and first dibs on your newest pieces.
As an artist, I strongly encourage you to have an email list as part of your marketing strategy. Learn more about how you can connect with your collectors through engaging emails in my article, How To Sell Art In Emails.