If you’ve neglected to send email campaigns on a regular basis, your list may have gone cold. Here’s how to reengage with subscribers.
Your email list is one of the most important assets your art business has, and connecting with fans of your work is an essential part of growing your creative business. People who subscribe to your email list want to hear from you. As a “permission-based” marketing method, email is an effective way to speak directly to people who have great interest in what you do.
It’s not unusual, however, to lose track of email marketing and let your lists go dormant. Writing emails is a task that doesn’t come naturally to many people. You may even feel that you don’t know what to say. Don’t let that stop you from reconnecting with your cold email list, though, because when you stay incommunicado, you are leaving a lot of potential art sales on the table.
What do you do when your email list has become inactive? Will subscribers remember who you are? What’s the best way to reintroduce yourself when you sit down to write that initial email to your cold list? Let’s get started with some key points to get that first email written—and do it as soon as possible!
Use a compelling subject line
Write a subject line for your email that has appeal and an invitation to open. If you have problems writing subject lines, read our article on this topic or use an online AI tool to suggest subject lines that might work for you.
Take an upbeat approach
An email campaign to a cold list should have a light or even humorous touch, acting as a warm and friendly outreach to art lovers. Rather than sending a message apologizing or giving excuses for your absence from their inbox, go positive. It’s likely that your email recipients won’t remember when they last heard from you. They’re not upset with you, but you should re-introduce yourself in case they have forgotten.
Thank them for being a subscriber, and include a few sentences about yourself as a reminder. You might say “I create life-size equine sculpture that is perfect for outdoor spaces” or “My meditation-inspired abstract paintings create a serene and ethereal presence.”
Show images of your work
Pictures are worth a thousand words, so include several of them in your email as a reminder of what you do and to show the impact of your art. Make each image clickable, using links to your site so the recipient can see more. This is a gentle way to draw the reader into viewing your whole portfolio.
Don’t try to sell
Your re-introduction email is not the time to advertise a sale or ask people to attend an event. The purpose is to reestablish the relationship you have with subscribers, so your message should be mostly about them. Use language that reaches out, with “you” mentioned more than “I” in your sentences. If you have a well-written brand story then you already have material to draw from that is other-focused and designed to tell your story as it relates to fans and collectors.
Check your results
A few days after sending, review analytics for the campaign on your email service provider website to see how many people opened and clicked. Use that information to tag openers as active. At the same time, you can eliminate any addresses that bounced, and delete addresses of people who unsubscribed to clean your list.
Did you receive any personal responses to your email? If so, be sure to send a message thanking them and continuing the conversation. This is a good sign that you have made the connection you want with your subscribers.
Email marketing is so vital to small businesses that it’s worth the time and effort to make it a regular practice. Initiating a new connection with a dormant list can revitalize your marketing and offer new opportunities to make art sales.
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