Artdomain Art Marketing Blog

Photo by Mbgrigby

With so many ways to communicate with your audience, artists often overlook the basics in favour of the new and latest thing in social media-ville. 
 
While Blogging, Facebook, Twitter etc. are all excellent ways of getting eyes on your art, a regularly used and regularly maintained Mailing List is essential for marketing your art. 

HERE’S SOME REASONS WHY:

• A mailing list allows you to keep your name and your art in the forefront of your prospects mind.  They become comfortable with you and your art, and when the time comes that they are thinking of purchasing a piece of art, you may be the person they approach, and most importantly, feel comfortable approaching.
   
• It allows you to communicate directly with people. 
   
  Picking up the phone and calling your customers to let them know about a new artwork that you think they may be interested in, is the most effective contact, as it is the most personal and direct. 
   
  Writing a hand-written letter is the next best thing, as again it has the personal touch.  People want to feel special and that you are interested in them, which of course, you are.   
   
  Emailing is a wonderful way of regularly, and non-intrusively, keeping people up-dated on what you are up to and giving them links to your artwork.
   

HERE’S WHAT TO REMEMBER:

• Your aim of using your mailing list should be to add value to the receiver’s life.  Don’t just say ‘hey, check out my new paintings’.  People have busy life’s.  They need to be intrigued, interested and inspired.  Is your message doing any of these things?  If not, work out what you need to change to make people want to click on the link, or take the time to read your letter, or agree to let you come round and show them your art.
   
• With a mailing list you can contact people by phone, letter, email or for the best results, use all three.
   
• Keep a spread sheet or card index of your contacts and make notes about them i.e. how and when they preferred to be contacted / what artworks they have previously bought or shown an interest in / notes about them personally, as this is taking an interest in your customers as real people, and gives you the reference points to keep the conversation going.
   
• When you sell a piece of artwork, ask the customer if you can add their details to your mailing list.  Always ask permission to add someone to your mailing list, otherwise it can be classed as spamming someone, which is a big no-no.  Ask people who show an interest in your art if you can add them to your mailing list too - people will often say yes.
   
• Use a mailing list sign-up form on your website (on the front page and in a position that does not require scrolling to).  Make it easy for people to sign up.
   
• Let your mailing list know about new art works you have finished, what inspired the artwork, where you are exhibiting, your new blog posts of interest.  Let people know a bit behind the creative process or the locations that inspire your art.  Let them connect with you and become interested in you and your art.
   
• Always use a P.S. at the bottom of your email or letter.  People scan a message at first to see if what you are saying is of interest to them, and the P.S. is often the most read part of the message, so put your key message in there.
   
• Keep your message easy to read - use lots of white space / break up the message with lots of paragraphs, and use emphasis.  You’ll be amazed at how much more readable your message is if you do this.  Also Spell Check it.
   
• Have all your images online in an easy to view format, where you can link from your email message directly to the new images online.  (If you are using Flash to display your work on your website then you can sometimes find that you cannot link directly to individual art work - you are making it harder for the viewer, which can be to your detriment). 
   
  If you need any help getting your artwork online quickly and cheaply check out our Artdomain online gallery.  We are friendly and helpful and have a great online solution for artists.

 
In my next blog post I’ll explore some of the ‘pain-free’ online services artists can use to manage their mailing lists and mail out to their contacts.

To your continued artistic success,

Emma Brooks
Owner of Artdomain.co.uk

 
P.S. If you would like to get your artwork online quickly and cheaply, don’t forget to check out our Artdomain online gallery.  We do all the work of putting your art online.  It couldn’t be easier.