We espouse email marketing as a primary way for artists to build their audience. Developing an email subscriber list is a vital marketing goal in successful email marketing.
We typically hear two big questions about email marketing:
- How do I start my email list, and
- How do I grow my email list?
We covered how to start your email list last week. If you haven't started yet, we recommend you start with that article.
In this article we'll discuss some ways you can grow your email list.
Grow Your List Through People You Already Know
First of all, who should be on your list?
Here is a list of people who you should invite to join your email list:
Past buyers - Past buyers are your most likely future buyers. Astoundingly, this is the area that most artists overlook. Of all the paintings I've ever purchased, no artist has ever invited me to join their email list. (Well, one did, but only after reading this statement.) Of all art buyers in the FASO system, only 16% of them are receiving the artists' newsletters. Artists are not promoting to the other 84% of past buyers. Artists are not promoting to their most likely future buyers. Don't make this mistake!
Possible buyers - These are people who have expressed interest in purchasing, made an inquiry about a piece, or made other overtures about purchasing. These people should be invited to join your email list. In many cases the only thing these people are waiting for is the right piece to come along. Your newsletter may very well be the thing that spurs them to purchase when you finish that piece.
People who have expressed interest in what you do - This group represents everyone else you've met who's expressed a general interest in what you do and have given you permission to email them.
Friends & family - Don't overlook friends and family. They can serve as powerful connectors and supporters.
Colleagues, neighbors, church acquaintances - Same as friends and family - you can never prejudge who might assist you or purchase from you.
Other art professionals - This may represent curators, gallery owners, art bloggers, art editors. People in the art business have the "bug" and love hearing from artists and seeing what's new. Don't hesitate to ask them, especially the ones you know personally, to consider joining your email list.
Other artists - Most artists make the mistake of discounting other artists. I'm so tired of hearing artists ask, "How can I keep other artists off my email list?" Or, "Why should I advertise in that venue? It's just a bunch of artists." This is a huge mistake. Nobody loves great art more than artists. And artists are actually some of the best buyers of other artists' works. Even if other artists don't buy from you, like friends and family, they can also serve as powerful connectors and amplifiers of what you are doing.
Invite all these people to join your your email list. Follow the guidelines we covered in How to Start Your Email Subscriber List.
Don't call it an "email list" or "newsletter", just ask them if they would mind hearing from you no more than once a month about your newest artworks and what you're up to. For the most likely purchasers you might consider creating a special newsletter segment just for them and you can tell them they will see all your newest artworks before anyone else. This will make them feel special and be of huge interest to that possible purchasers group (and many past buyers).
True fans will want to hear from you, so this step not only helps you grow your audience, it also helps you separate the serious from the looky-loos.
Please remember - you must get permission from every person who you add to your list. Don't shortcut this process, it's against the law, it won't help you, and it may hurt your ability to get emails delivered in the long run.
I recommend you make a list of everyone you can think of in the categories above and reach out personally to those people a few at a time until you've worked your way through the entire list. At then end of that process you'll have a nice sized audience. It would be surprising, after really thinking through all these people, if you can't think of at least 100 people to approach.
We all have a hidden email subscriber list and if you put your thinking cap on you'll realize you know a lot more people than you think you do. Here's another article that delves further into this idea.
Grow Your List on Your Social Media Profiles and Posts
Make "Join My Insiders List" your primary call to action everywhere you live online. "Enjoy my Facebook Page? Join my insiders list." "Like my Instagram profile? Join my insiders list."
Don't forget to post every now and then, encouraging people to join your email list. My recommendation is post new art and other valuable content, (no politics please), 3-4 times before you ask for your audience to join your insiders list. Think of it like this: give-give-give-give - ASK.
Grow Your List on Your Website
Add a prominent "Join My Insiders List" link on your website. In fact, not having a newsletter signup is the biggest mistake most artists make on their websites. As an aside about "lead magnets" and "ethical bribes" - we don't like them and don't recommend them. Remember what we said elsewhere about respecting your subscribers on a human level. People who are truly interested will want to join your list simply to see new art. You don't need to bribe them. However if you want to, do offer a lead magnet, a giveaway, etc. There is a lot of information online that can advise you.
Grow Your List by Joining an Artist Group
Join a local artist group and get involved. You will meet lost of people you wouldn't have otherwise met. You'll expand your audience. In addition to growing your list, you'll learn about new opportunities you wouldn't have known of. An artist group usually provides new exhibition opportunities as well.
As you can see, there are a ton of ways to grow your subscriber list...and we've only scratched the surface with this post.
Share some effective ways you've found to grow your subscriber list using the "Comment Here" button below.
For my latest thoughts on art marketing, art sales ideas, and insider announcements about new FASO features we are working on and releasing, you should Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. That's where I publish ideas and opportunities in real time. Be the first to know.
Until next time, please remember that Fortune Favors the Bold Brush.
Creatively,
