Are you looking for more art buyers? Would you like to convert your artist blog readers into art collectors? If you do, you will need to start building your email list. In this article, I am going to share with you how to build an email list from scratch.

How to Build an Email List from Scratch Fast

 

 

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links on this post are affiliate links and will be clearly marked as so. I will earn a small commission when you purchase a product or service from an affiliate link at no extra cost to you which helps with the costs of operating Nevue Fine Art Marketing. I will only recommend products I have used, found helpful to my business and are companies I trust.

 

Content marketing is an important aspect of every business large and small. Taking the time to develop a content marketing strategy will increase online brand awareness which will increase the chance of landing more sales.

What do you do after you have published your content?

The purpose of creating content is to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your artist website.

In the beginning, you should promote your new posts to start the ball rolling.

As time goes by you will start to see your organic traffic increase as your posts start to rank higher in the search.

How do you get people to read your new posts?

How can you make people aware of new art you have just created or upcoming events?

The best place to start is with people who are already interested in your art business.

Those people are the ones who have given you their personal email. They want to know what is new with your art business.

Your email list will also be your largest channel for generating sales.

According to Liga Bizune, 89% of marketers said that email was their primary channel for lead generation.

 

What is Email List Building?

Email list building is a strategy used by businesses to collect email addresses. The email list is a channel used by businesses to promote their products and services.

There are several ways you can go about collecting email addresses. I will discuss your options later in this post.

 

 

What is Email Marketing?

Techopedia defines email marketing as:

“Email marketing is the targeting of consumers through electronic mail (email). Often associated with data mining, email marketing can be used to impact consumers in a variety of ways. In general, email marketing is a more evolved, digital form of traditional direct mail marketing.”

Technology has made it easier and more cost-efficient for businesses to conduct business.

It will cost you approximately $0.50 for a postcard including shipping if you were to market using direct mail.

If you have a list of 100 addresses you are looking to spend about $50.00.

The question is, how many people will look at the postcard?

How many times have you got a postcard in the mail and you just tossed it in the recycling bin without even looking at it?

If you don’t look at postcards, why would you expect someone else will take the time to look at one?

The good news is that email marketing is free in most cases. There are free email services for small businesses as well as paid services with more features available for small businesses.

 

Why are Email Lists Important?

There are more benefits for taking the time to build your email list than the cost, however; saving money is always a good idea.

Here are some statistics you will want to be aware of:

• You are 6x more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign than you are from a tweet. – Campaign Monitor
• On the contrary, open rates for email marketing messages are generally in the 20-30% range, meaning your message is 5x more likely to be seen through email than Facebook. – Campaign Monitor
• 81% of email respondents said they were at least somewhat likely to make additional purchases, either online or in-store, as a result of targeted emails. – eMarketer
• Email subscribers are 3 times more likely to share your content via social media than visitors from other sources. – QuickSprout
• 72% of people prefer to receive promotional content through email, compared to 17% who prefer social media. MarketingSherpa

Do you find these statistics fascinating?

You can read more at 70 Email Marketing Stats Every Marketer Should Know.

There is no arguing that spending time building your email list will greatly benefit your art business.

The question is how do you build an email list from scratch so you can sell art online?

Email Services

Before you start building your email list, you will want to decide on how you will deliver your emails.

If you are using a Third-Party website like FASO, you will already have software for your email marketing.

If you are selling your art on Etsy or you have a website that you own, you will need to choose an email service for small businesses.

AWeber (affiliate link) is an email service you will want to take a look into. Many small owned businesses and professional bloggers use AWeber for their email marketing.

 

 

Another service you will want to consider is MailChimp.

It is important for you to have a service that will deliver your emails to your list because of the CAN-Spam Act.

Spend some time considering these two services so you can become familiar with what you need.

Ask other people what they use, and ask why they prefer the service over another service.

Decide on the best email provider for your business and start building your list.

 

How to Build an Email List from Scratch

Now that you know the importance of an email list and you have decided on an email service, let’s talk about how to build an email list from scratch.

 

Friends

The quickest and easiest way to start building your email list is by reaching out to your family and friends.

This is an obvious step that is often overlooked and not done by artists.

When you are just starting your art business, your friends and family are going to be your support group. They will be the first ones to help spread your message with their friends. If friends of your family and friends like your art, they will sign up for your email list.

You must start somewhere. There is no better place to start than with people who believe in you.

Just send a personal email to everyone you know. Provide a link to your website, a couple of pictures of your best art and ask them if they would be interested in signing up for your newsletter.

 

Offline

If you sell your art at craft shows or any other events, you can solicit emails from the people who are visiting your booth.

Create a signup sheet where people can write their emails, or you can even collect emails digitally.

Make an attractive sign that explains what a person can expect if they sign up for your list. Tell them how often you will be sending newsletters and what type of content they will be receiving such as, new artwork, specials, upcoming events etc.

You could also provide special savings on art purchased at your events or a coupon for an online purchase if they sign up for your newsletter.

Giving a small discount for an email address is a valuable investment. People who have purchased from you are more likely to purchase from you again in the future if you keep them up-to-date with your business.

 

Social Media

You are building relationships with your audience on your social media networks. Have an easy to find an opt-in form for people to sign up for your newsletter.

There are many apps that are available for you to collect email addresses.

 

Here are a few examples of what is available:

• Constant Contact Facebook App
• MailChimp’s Facebook Signup App
• iContact’s Facebook App
• Benchmark’s Email App

You will not see a boost of emails at first.

If you provide quality content you will have a good chance of your social media followers to join your email list.

The first step is to have people notice you are collecting emails for a newsletter, the second step is to give them a reason to give it to you.

 

 

Provide Value

The question that must be answered, is what value do you provide?

Why would someone want to join your email list?

Most people get too many emails as it is.

Why would they want more emails cluttering up their inbox?

The only reason someone would want more emails is that it is providing some type of value. Emails filled with inspiration or tips to help make their days a bit easier. Content that helps them to escape the real world for a moment of time.

Your job is to consistently provide quality content on your artist blog.

If your content interests a reader, they will revisit your site to read more of your posts. This will only happen if your posts provide value.

In time a reader will want to join your email list because it will be more convenient for them.

For this to happen you will have to be consistent. Every post must be a home run.

Here are some articles that will help you with your content marketing strategy:

• How to Write a Content Marketing Plan That Increases Art Sales
• Art Blogging What is Great Content
• Art Marketing Basics: Pillar Content Generates Traffic
• Effective Writing Tip – Keep it Simple – Online Art Marketing

Besides providing valuable content on a regular basis, you must let the reader know that you have a newsletter.

No one will sign for your email list if they do not know it exists.

Provide several diverse ways for your people to sign up. You have to make it easy for them. They will not take the time to search for a way to give you their email address. They are busy just like you are.

At the end of your post ask your reader to join your email list. Explain in detail what they can expect if they join. Tell them how often they should expect an email and what type of content they will be receiving.

Here is an inspirational video on how a small business built its brand by producing content that helped their customers. This strategy made them become one of the top businesses in their field.

 

 

Numbers do not Matter

Have you ever said to yourself, “I wish I had a larger email list?” or “I wish I have more followers on my social media sites?”

Most of us get caught up with this thought at one point or another.

We think that there is a magic number that we have to hit in order to become successful.

Is 100 better than 10?

Maybe in some situations, it is, but not for your email list.

Who would you like to be on your list?

If I were to guess it would be people who are interested in your art and who would be interested in purchasing from you.

Let me ask you this.

Would you like to have ten people on your email list that are purchasing from you throughout the year or would you like to have a hundred people on your list and only one person is spending money on your products?

I would rather have just ten people who are interested in purchasing my products.

 

How to Build an Email List from Scratch Best Solution

The key word is quality for both you and your customers.

You want to provide quality content to your readers so they will want to join your email list.

You want your email list to be quality customers that stand behind

your brand and purchase from you.

The solution is to work as hard on your artist blog as you do with your artwork. Stay consistent and be patient.

You will see your email list grow every year.

 

Conclusion:

In this post, you have learned what is an email list, how important email lists are, and what email marketing is.

We also went over some ways on how you can build your email list both online and offline.

I shared with you some helpful apps that will help you collect email addresses from your social media sites and I talked in-depth about creating quality content for your readers.

That is how you build an email list from scratch, work hard, write great, promote, make it easy for people to opt-in and stay patient.

You might also be interested in these:

• Ultimate Email Marketing Guide for Selling Art Online
• How to Promote Your Blog Post
• Best Content Marketing Strategy for Visual Artists
• Why Storytelling Marketing is Crucial for Artists
• Writing a Newsletter 101

 

28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists

Are you ready to start building an online presence?

Download your copy today, or Purchase on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams The right mindset and time management skills are essential for any business. These topics are often not talked about but are key elements for your success. You will learn how to have a winning mindset and time management skills necessary for operating a successful art business. Available at Amazon or Download today.

 

 

 

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