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Value of an email newsletter?
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Message
Posted
Hello all! I'm a new painter who recently switched careers from a very different background. Great to finally pursue a lifelong ambition (and amazing to find a lovely and supportive community on this site!) I do have a question for the more experienced professionals - what is the importance of an e-newsletter amongst your potential/current customers, assuming you have one?
There're of course lots of ways to engage with potential/existing clients, so we've got to pick our battles a little and I'm just wondering if e-newsletters are worth their while in terms of building strong relationships/converting into sales. Thanks in advance for your insights.
Posted
Well Jane, as far as I’m aware, there are very few professional artists on this forum. By professional, I’m talking about those who make a living from selling their art, rather than professional by their qualifications - there are many in that category.
Haidee-Jo Summers is the only one that comes to mind, she sends out e-newsletters each month to those who have subscribed, myself being one of those. She also offers a monthly selection of her paintings, some at a reduced price.
I always find these e-shots interesting, and I’m sure that they are worth looking into, if that’s your intention.
Posted
I'm sure they are useful, yes. I used to update my blog regularly, as a sort of substitute for actually putting a newsletter together, but since retiring - and then taking on a job that was supposed to be part-time, but seems to be a touch less part-time than I'd expected - I've painted very little, and a number of my old customers are either replete with my works, or, um..... dead. I keep meaning to get stuck in again, and my website desperately needs some attention; but that's all my fault and problem, and not relevant to you, really! So the answer is yes, I think it would be very worth doing if you had a current list of customers. I would also suggest making it regular, but not over-frequent - I receive newsletters from several artists, and the more often I get them, the less I'm inclined to pay much attention to them.
Posted
Thanks for this, Alan and Robert. I'll see if I could reach out to Haidee-Jo for some thoughts as well. My plan is to send newsletters no more than once a month (if even that), because the key is to keep content quality high instead of issuing one for the sake of it.
@Robert - you mentioned that you subscribe to some artists' newsletters. Do you find that certain headings make it more enticing for you to click and read more? A friend sheepishly mentioned "promotions" but I wonder if there's more to it than that.
Posted
Another artist who does a regular newsletter is Aine Divine, who is not active on this website, but does a lot of stuff online including (at the moment) free Lockdown Videos on Facebook. Her newsletters are chatty and cover more than purely her artwork. Old copies can be found on her website http://www.ainedivinepaintings.co.uk/what-s-new.html
Posted
I'm not sure that the heading makes much difference one way or another - but perhaps a controversial opening (can't immediately think of any examples!), or indication of 'new work', would make me more likely to click on the post than not; it's not easy to title these things to maximize interest, but in general, a heading that invites curiosity without giving the game away is a good gambit - e.g. A New Direction; Latest Painting Discoveries!; Tried a New brand of Paint...; You don't need (whatever the assumption is that a painter does need when using a particular medium) - something other than the routine, 'here-we-are-again, then'. And also, building up a reputation as someone who always has something to say rather than as someone who just posts for the sake of it because it's that time of the month/year again will help - because routine is always dull, and if you're not that interested in several posts/newsletters in succession, the chances of your bothering to open another one are likely to be much reduced.