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A few years into my career, I landed a job managing communications for an art charity. During my time at the charity, I saw how artists and makers often find marketing their own brand challenging. Many that I talked to found some elements of marketing too ‘salesy’, and struggled to switch between the creative mindset and the business-oriented approach.
In reality, having to be a salesperson is a misconception. It’s more about sharing your work, connecting with the right people, and getting your name out there. And while some artists may not be comfortable talking about themselves, the truth is that by not marketing your portfolio, you could be doing yourself – and your art – a big injustice.
I thought I would use this experience to give you an insight into some of the digital tools artists need to know about. I’d like to start with email marketing, which is one of the most powerful tools you can have under your belt. Best of all, it can be highly cost-effective. And when used correctly, it can be a game changer for raising your profile in the art world.
You might be unsure which tools in the marketing mix are right for you and how to unlock the benefits they can offer. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why email should become a main staple of your art marketing strategy, and how you can use it to raise your profile and drive sales.
Benefits of Email Marketing for Artists
In a nutshell, email marketing offers a direct way to connect with fans and art collectors alike, raise awareness of your work, increase revenue, and ultimately, achieve business success. It can help you to drive traffic to where you want it – whether your goal is to boost website visits or engagement on your social channels.
An email list allows you to send personalized emails to your subscribers about upcoming events, new pieces of art, and exclusive discounts (we’ll dive more into campaign ideas below). It can give your art a platform which you can own and control, and build a community of people that are interested in your talent. You’ll also find that many platforms offer free or basic plans which can be hugely beneficial for artists starting out and building a community.
Other ways you can benefit:
- Keep in touch with past clients
- Build relationships through storytelling
- Nurture connections with fans who may potentially be in a position to buy your art in the future
- Promote upcoming art shows and events where your work will be hosted
Feeling inspired to start your email marketing journey? Let’s get stuck in.
10 Email Campaign Ideas Every Artist Should Try
Set up a welcome email
A welcome email, delivered when someone subscribes to your list, can create a great first impression. It’s important to thank them for joining your list, and share:
- What kind of emails they can expect – art show invitations, art recommendations, behind the scenes content, giveaways etc.
- If you have your own studio, where it is and how they can visit.
- Links to your website if you have one and to your social media channels
An example of a welcome email from artist Cristina Martinez, where she lets readers know what to expect in upcoming emails
Celebrating artistic milestones
In an age where most things are automated and often impersonal, people crave human connection and authenticity more than ever. It’s important to show the human side to your work, and sharing the story of how you became an artist on a milestone anniversary could be the ideal way to do so. Best of all, it can be inspiring to others just starting out. As a call-to-action, you could offer an exclusive giveaway to mark the occasion and drive engagement.
Printmaking workshop People I’ve Loved welcome email subscribers with the story of how they were founded, and a special welcome offer (Source: Really Good Emails)
A look behind the scenes
On the subject of showing a human side, giving your followers a look behind the scenes can be a great way to build a relationship with your audience. Often, we see the finished product from the artist, but a good way to build interaction is to take your subscribers behind the scenes and show your studio, setup and tools that you use to create. This can help give a human touch, providing your followers with an insight into your creative routine, and letting them discover what makes you tick.
Danish studio Frama puts the spotlight on artist Malene Bach in their email, taking you behind the scenes of her creative process (Source: Really Good Emails)
Personalization
In an overcrowded inbox, personalization really does stand out. Most email marketing solutions will give you the option to use the recipient’s name in the subject line, which can increase open rates by 26%. Email automation can also help deliver a more personalized experience by providing tailored content to customers based on user behavior – for example, showing them related collections of artwork they’ve previously purchased. You can also send a personalized message to your followers on their birthday, which is always a nice touch.
Customer testimonials
As you start selling more art and growing your business, you’ll want to add customer testimonials and case studies to your email strategy. As part of your newsletter or a dedicated mailer, you can share stories and images from customers who’ve purchased your art (even better if it’s hanging up in their homes!). User-generated content can be a good way to build trust with your audience and promote your artwork.
Click-worthy interactive polls and surveys
Integrating interactive polls or surveys into your email campaign can help to boost engagement by encouraging subscribers to get involved in the conversation and share their thoughts and ideas. One of the most effective ways to do this is to embed a one-question poll into the email which will appeal to your consumers. The less they have to do, the better, so one or two questions may be just enough.
Invitations to art shows and events
An email campaign is a great way to invite your followers to your show without having to spend money on costly ad campaigns and posters. You can also send follow-up emails with details of how to get a ticket, directions to the venue and a rundown of what to expect. Offering an incentive, such as a free drink on arrival or the chance to get an exclusive look at any new artwork can help to increase sign-ups.
An example of an email invitation to an art exhibition by artist Chris Trueman (Source: MailerLite)
Monthly newsletter update
Starting off each month with a round-up of your activity, any new work you’re producing, and events you’re attending, can boost engagement with followers and nurture your relationships. It can be a good idea to have themed newsletter content around big holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.
Design studio Folie Chambre’s newsletter (Source: Really Good Emails)
A series offering tips on art collecting
You could create content offering guidance on art collecting to support both new and experienced art collectors. This will help to build your reputation as an expert in your field and create trust with your audience. You could also write a piece about buying quality art, things to look out for, and maintaining a collection.
Tips on how to collect art from art gallery Canopy Collections (Source: Really Good Emails)
Tutorials
Create a series with mini tutorials on how to create different art, which will give unique value to your audience. Sharing artistic techniques and advice on setting up your own studio space will be click-worthy content for your readers and encourage them to keep opening your mailers.
Illustrator Laura Coyle offers free video tutorials as part of her newsletter
Email Marketing Essentials for Artists
Develop a strategy and plan your content
Your email strategy is your why – it's important to define what you’re trying to achieve, the techniques you will use and how you will measure your performance. Ask yourself who you’re trying to reach, whether that’s new potential buyers, existing customers, art galleries or event spaces.
It can be helpful to think about what content will resonate most with these audiences and find templates best suited to deliver that message. If you’re now thinking, what if I want to target all of these people? Well that’s where email segmentation will be your friend (keep scrolling!).
Start building your list
It might be a bit of a headache, but building an email list from scratch will be well worth your efforts. You can collect emails when participating in art shows, craft fairs and galleries (it might also pay to offer a free glass of bubbly if they subscribe, or have some sort of competition as an incentive to get people to sign up to your list).
If you’re selling your work on online marketplaces or have your own website, it would be a good idea to include an opt-in form for them to become part of your email subscriber list.
Segment your email list
As we mentioned before, segmentation allows you to tailor your content for specific groups of people so you can deliver more targeted, tailored content. For example, you could segment your lists into art collectors or those that are casual fans of your work. Alternatively you could filter by medium, such as those who may be more interested in sculpture, painting or digital art.
Create an email calendar
Consistency is key. It’s vital to keep up communication with your audience to keep them engaged. We recommend creating a schedule for your emails and making sure you deliver on time.
It doesn’t have to be a mass of emails – it could simply be a monthly newsletter, bi-weekly updates, or even a weekly mailer. If you make sure the content is relevant and provides valuable insight to your audience, consistent communication can help to build relationships with your audience and keep them wanting more.
Review, Test and Optimise
Make sure to access your analytics so you can track your open, click-through, bounce and unsubscribe rates. This will give you an idea of what your audience is engaging with so you can see what works best – and do more of it. Checking in on your bounce rate also gives you a good indication of your email data health.
Lastly, don’t expect overnight success – it can take time to build relationships with your audience and deliver successful campaigns.
Avoid the spam box
Deliverability is important. If you put effort into creating a great email campaign and it doesn’t deliver, that’s a lot of time wasted. Before you spend time going over subject lines and templates to choose, ensure that you have a good deliverability rate.
Ways to avoid the spam filter include authenticating your emails, avoiding spammy wording such as ‘free’ and ‘win’, using correct spelling, making sure you’re linking to legitimate sources and including an unsubscribe link. You can find out more about improving your deliverability in our best practice guide.
To do all of this, you will need a great email service provider (ESP) on your side. Below are some we recommend.
Best Email Marketing Services for Artists
MailerLite
MailerLite includes a decent selection of templates for creators in the art industry
A good choice for artists searching for a simple, no-frills email marketing service. MailerLite is an affordable tool, with a free plan that allows you to send up to 12,000 emails per month to 1,000 contacts, and access to advanced features including automation, landing pages and sign-up forms. As one of the most generous free plans around it’s definitely one to have on your radar.
Brevo
Brevo has established itself as one of the key players in the email marketing space. It offers a decent free plan that allows users to send up to 300 emails per day, which can be just the right amount for artists starting out. It also has all the features you’d need, including customizable templates, a drag and drop editor and some automation on the free plan (for up to 2,000 contacts). You need to upgrade to access more advanced features, including the ability to create landing pages.
Flodesk
Some of Flodesk’s eye catching email templates
Another great option for artists, Flodesk is known for its beautifully designed templates and its ease-of-use. Flodesk offers a flat-rate price, which gives you unlimited subscribers and emails without having to worry about costs increasing as you grow your database. This can be a plus for artists building a following. Unfortunately, there is no free plan for Flodesk, but they do offer a free trial.
Omnisend
Omnisend combines email and SMS into a single marketing solution, which can give artists what they need to grow their audience and boost engagement. It includes all the features you’d need, such as automation and personalization, as well as winning points for its seamless e-commerce integration with popular platforms including Shopify and Etsy. A good solution for artists on a budget, Omnisend offers a free subscription as well as scalable pricing plans.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp offers a fairly good starting point for beginners, with all the tools you need to get familiar with email marketing. Managing subscribers, sending campaigns and promoting your content can all be done easily. However, it may not be a good option for the long-term, as costs can climb quite quickly as your business grows.
Email Marketing for Artists: Conclusion
No matter what your medium is, every artist should consider email campaigns, as it allows you to share your portfolio and engage with people who truly appreciate your art.
Other marketing channels such as social media offer great opportunities, but posts can get lost, and in the competitive nature of the art market it can sometimes be a struggle to get your voice heard. Emails can help you to cut through the noise, as they land directly in subscribers’ inboxes, enabling you to create a buzz around your artwork and build a loyal fan base. It is also a great channel to offer exclusive content and introduce new art pieces, which can help to increase sales.
By following a few key steps as we mentioned above and investing in the right ESP, you can create a winning email marketing strategy and start encouraging prospects to sign up to your email list. Then, take some time to segment your audience into different groups and deliver tailored, personalized content.
You don’t have to invest huge amounts of time. Simplicity can be key, and sometimes an image of your latest art piece accompanied by a few lines and a clear call-to-action is all that’s needed.
All in all, email marketing is an invaluable tool for artists to connect with their followers. By taking advantage of the benefits of modern marketing techniques and tools, you can speed up sales, expand your craft and take your art business to the next level.
> Get started with email marketing by following our checklist for beginners
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This article has been written and researched following our EmailTooltester methodology.
Our Methodology