An e-newsletter can be a great tool to build relationships with clients and to increase your sales, but only if you send it out regularly.
Leave Your Comments and Questions Below!
Do you send out a regular e-newsletter? Have you seen positive results from it? What questions do you have about newsletters or other aspects of the art business? Leave your comments and questions below!
Great video!
I send out one email a month (more frequent during the Holidays) and yes, see unsubscribes – but also shares and added subscribers.
Yes, it’s painful to see unsubscribes, but after stewing about it over the years, I’ve finally adopted the attitude that the unsubscribes are no longer my ideal audience, so it’s good for them (and for me) to move on.
And… I’ve stopped looking at the unsubscribes and instead focus on the folks who are engaged!
I started sending out my email/newsletter regularly, once a month, about 18 months ago. I don’t do a lot of direct selling, but do communicate about what artwork I am working on, shows and exhibits I am in, and general interest art themes that I think my readers would enjoy reading.
My address list is building very slowly, but I do have a good open rate with my subscribers. A few interested people are really appreciated over a large disinterested audience.
The thing I have found that has been most beneficial to me is that the newsletter deadline for publication that I have imposed on myself has helped me with productivity. I do look at what I am working on and what can be pushed to finish with that deadline in mind. When finished work is not available to share, I find that my readers enjoy seeing works in progress and my thought processes about the direction that each work takes and what inspires the work. I keep it short, considering that a lot of folks are reading on cellphones.
Thank you for your insights on frequency, Jason. It’s something to think about.
Thanks for the reminder that unsubscribes aren’t the end of the world, but rather strengthen the list overall. I have used the “only when we have an event to publicize” approach. But if there is good content, well written, with good visuals, I think we’ll overcome the unsubscribes.
I do send out a monthly newsletter and have sold 2 small paintings in this way. I am new at this and feel honored to have a subscriber list of folks interested in me talking about my work. It helps me grow as well.
Hi. I have not sent out an email newsletter. I used to have a weekly blog on my website, but it has become less frequent. I do have a list of previous purchasers, but I suppose I have always hesitated to send out a regular newsletter. I do have a Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok presence as well as my website.
I will be rethinking this concept and may start sending a monthly newsletter.
I began sending a monthly newsletter about nine months ago and it grows every month. Started with family and friends and add anyone I speak to about art. Have not sold anything as a direct result but it has led to good conversations, exposure, and inquiries about using my art in other ways (note cards, etc.). I’ll keep at it as long as the open rate is good and it is being read.
Have found that many really aggresive sales artists/galleries tend to send multiple items per week which gets really annoying. i simply stop opening them and start deleting. i only send out periodically as there is something to say, seems to work with clients. email newsletters and send outs do work but must be customized to the nature and disposition of the receiver. as i sell art globally email and digital contact is invaluable. many clients i never actually see or meet except on the web.
A News Letter sounds overwhelming to me. However, I’m interested in trying. Where do I learn how to make links? Thank you
Eileen,
It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just start out simple and build over time as you learn more. The important thing is that you have good tools to do some of the heavy lifting for you.
I highly recommend Fine Art Studio Online (FASO), if you don’t already have a website.
It has all the tools you would need to show your work, make and send a newsletter, with a great responsive tech support team to help you if you get stuck. Start out simple and work your way into it. Very much worth the effort!
You can get a FREE 1 month trial, just to check it out. Copy/paste the following into your search bar:
http://faso.com/ref/75586
Good luck!
Years ago I was irregular with my newsletters and during that time it seemed like I was sending out to the void. There was the occasional reply yet my open rates were high so I carried on. Once I committed to sending regularly I began receiving replies which created relationships between some of my readers and I. It helps with sales. Connection is important.
I send out a newsletter about every 5 to 6 weeks and, with your encouragement I shall write the task into my calendar. When I was in India-I showed photos of subjects that have influenced me in my painting, such as visits to carpet makers and the series of paintings with fruit and vegetables that were created as a result. Other times, I’ve asked my patron list to give me advice about a title, this one or that one. At other times my newsletter has included progress photos of a piece in progress, all the while fretting, that I’ve jinxed it and the painting may not turn out well. Only 3 patrons have ever unsubscribed, and one couple on the list has purchased 10 paintings from me. When I am in an appropriate situation showing my paintings, at a summer art fair or at a gallery showing my paintings, after some discussion, I will ask the person with whom I am conversing if they would like to be aware of my future events and the completion of new paintings. If they say yes, I will get their contact information right then and there. I have only had one person turn me down. That patron list is gold.
Hello Jason, I was sending out a newsletter every week for several years and last year decided to cut back to bi weekly. Mine contains upcoming events, some art tips and personal stories. I was finding it time consuming to create the same type of content every week. I always attach a few pieces of art.
I like the idea of going back to weekly letters but alternating one newsletter of just art and the next one full of info. I do get quite a lot of engagement.
I like the idea of linking my art to my website too.
Thanks for this idea.
A newsletter is definitely worth the effort.
I have been sending a newsletter to my database or many years now. I send it once a month on the first week of the month. I am keeping tabs on opens and percentages and I see an increase every now and then. I add text, new paintings. I mention that the painting is available but I do not add the price.
I’ve just added e-commerce to my website and am planning to add “for more information on this painting, click here”. Question: Should I add the price in the Newsletter?
Every now and then I also tweak something to make it more friendly: I’ve recently added a snapshot of myself at the top (much like you have the gallery photo). Instead of calling it a Newsletter, I’ve changed it to “A letter to art lovers”. As for when it’s best to send a newsletter, this is what I see online: “Best Email Send Time: General Advice
These general email send time tips are widely accepted by the email marketing community. They are great when you’re starting off, but be sure to read on and see why they won’t always work.
Daytime vs. Nighttime. While this one may be obvious, it’s usually better to send out your email campaigns during the daytime. You know, when people are awake. Not asleep.
Mad Mondays. The general consensus is that you should avoid sending out email blasts on Mondays. Why? People are already bummed out about the end of the weekend. They march into the office and are flooded with emails they’ve collected over the past few days. What’s the first thing they do? Delete those emails of course!
Weekends. Historically, weekends are the days when folks are out running errands and going on adventures. Weekends tend to have low open rates, so most marketers avoid them like the plague.
Give Heads Up for An Event. While 23% of emails are opened within 60 minutes after being sent, there are some lingerers who may not check out your email until a day or two later. To be safe, send out event-oriented emails 3-5 days prior to an event.
Fan Favorites: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday have traditionally been favorite days to send email campaigns, as email marketers seek to avoid the Monday angst and Friday’s itchy-feet. MailChimp confirms that Tuesday and Thursday are the two most popular days to send email newsletters.”
My last comment is that despite all this, I’ve never made a sale or had anyone contact me from the newsletter. I see who opens, and many of my collectors do, which is great. The occasional unsubscribes are people that I hardly remember and it does not bother me (so far).
Questions:
1. Should I add prices on the newsletter when I introduce paintings
2. Any advice on what to do to get results (sales, questions, inquiries, etc.) from the newsletter. Thanks for the video as well.
First, Jason, thank you for the video. You could just send this info in written form, but seeing your face helps make you ‘real.’ I look forward to those notifications in my inbox.
Now about your question: It comes down to muscle memory.
When I first started writing my newsletter four years ago, I tried writing only when I felt I had something earthshattering to say. It didn’t get much attention except from those closest and most loyal to me, namely, five people. I wrote my second one a year later when my list had grown to 6.
After that shaky start, I noticed some things. The more consistent I was, the higher the open rate.
Knowing my tendency toward organized chaos, I knew that I had to stick to a weekly schedule to build muscle memory…train my body to move to the computer on a certain day and time every week.
Once my body got the message, it became easier and easier to find things to write about. Then when I learned how to focus on one topic, break up large blocks of text into smaller chunks, keep it to a reasonable length, and ask for feedback, my engagement rate flew upward.
That’s when the sales started to happen, not through my website, but through building relationships with my subscribers and paying attention to what tends to get the most opens and engagement.
My list is still quite small, about 114. But it’s not uncommon to see a 60% + open rate and several responses to nearly every email I send out.
I do love to write, it’s true, but I think that the muscle memory thing goes both ways and can be a useful tool for anyone. Subscribers, artists and non-artists alike, often tell me how much they look forward to Saturday mornings when I post.
I have grown to love these people genuinely. To me they are not just a list. They are flesh-and-blood humans with their own struggles and triumphs. I try to treat them as such and thus I almost never get an unsubscribe.
Bottom line? Be consistent and love people.
Lots of wonderful tips. Recently I deleted from my mailing list of 1200 subscribers over 100 that appear to never to open or engage with my emails. Afterwards I wondered if that was an idiotic thing to do, but I do love how the percentage of opens is much higher now!
Thank you so informative! I send e-newsletter once a month but slow growing. I include a drawing for a simple painting on paper to one person on list each month. KayGilbertFineArt.com
I would think that a gallery would have more and different things to talk about every week than a single artist would. So a gallery’s email wouldn’t feel like as much of a pester than one every week from a single artist. But repetitiveness and frequency and predictability would be key.
Hi Jason, great video and I always learn from your blog so thank you. I send a monthly newsletter via FASO which is a platform I highly recommend to artists. In the first week after that, I write to the people who actually write back to me who I consider my most engaged followers. I start the next monthly newsletter as soon as one goes out and edit it throughout the month so it’s not overwhelming. But looking at your sample email I think I could send quick notes once in a while throughout the month focusing on a few pieces and call it something different like a studio update or something. I was sad when I had unsubscribes ( I’ve only had two in four years) but figure it increased my open rate. My subscribers number 95 but I really enjoy their feedback. Maybe it helps with sales but even if it didn’t it’s become part of my practice and routine. By the way I’d love to have artists and galleries as subscribers so I invite you to go to my website and sign up even if just to see what I do to keep my subscription as fun as I can.
If I get bombarded with emails every couple of days by a news letter I stop opening them because they’re just white noise.
Great advice Jason. I’ve had an email list for years and I’m glad from the beginning I’ve collected those emails and kept touch with them. In the last 6 months or so, I’ve tried to email weekly, up from monthly. I just sent my last one last Friday and Sunday I got an order from it. I love it when that happens.
The best advice I have for other artists is keep it short, talk about one subject in each email and write like you’re writing to a friend, not a group.
I’m glad I’ve re-subscribed to your emails!