3 Reasons Artists Need an Email List

Don’t get me wrong. I love social media for marketing and it’s a really useful tool for reaching new audiences because the content is so shareable, but sometimes it can feel like shouting into the abyss, just waiting for one of your posts to go viral.

What if you could reach an audience that already includes your customers and other people who are not only open to hearing from you, but have actually ASKED to hear from you?

Let me introduce you to your email list. 

Do you have a list of email subscribers? If not, you should focus your attention on compiling and growing your email list. Here’s why:

Your Email Subscribers Are More Likely to Buy From You

According to WordStream, “the average open rate for email is 21.73 percent, while Facebook organic reach has decreased to about 6 percent.” 

That’s a pretty significant difference. Sure, with social media you have the possibility of reaching a new audience, but statistics show that your existing clients (AKA people who have bought art from you before) are more likely to make additional purchases from you. This is largely due to the know/like/trust factor you have established with them before and during their first purchase. The contacts on your email list are already aware of you and your work, like you and your artwork, and want to hear and see more from you.

Connection/Engagement

Emails are personal and targeted. You can connect and engage with your customers/audience in a way that is difficult to do with social media. You have a direct line of communication with people who are interested in your work, rather than posting something on Instagram and hoping that a small percentage of people will see it and be interested enough to engage with your post. You also have complete control over how and when you use that line of communication.

Build Brand Awareness

You have a story to tell. Your art is something that is created by you and becomes a visual and creative representation of who you are. Telling your story makes it easy for your audience to connect with you, and thus nurtures the know/like/trust factor that you need to establish loyal followers and customers. Email is a fantastic way to tell your story and let your audience know who you are and what you are all about.

For quite awhile in my career, I was afraid of voicing my opinion on some topics, especially polarizing ones, because I did not want to lose customers. What I finally realized is that not everyone is my ideal customer. When I really thought about it, I acknowledged that I was more likely to buy from brands whose values and morals were aligned with my own, and I was more likely to respect brands that took a stand and shared their opinions. This does not mean that I preach my opinions to my audience, but it does mean that I create work that reflects my beliefs. It also means that I use my platform as an artist to share information about and donate to some causes that I believe in.

Map out a plan for emailing your audience so that you are always communicating with intention. Think about the needs and wants of your audience. They want to feel like they know you and they want to feel like you understand their interests. Think of it as your own little community and share information that is helpful to them. Adding value to their inboxes will bring more trust, loyalty, and sales to your creative business.