How to Get Started with Email Marketing Sequences for Artists
Email Marketing Is the Best Tool for Visual Artists.
Email marketing is the most efficient and profitable way to market your art online. Mastering email marketing is a lifetime improvement skill that gets better. Today we are taking a closer look at email marketing sequences for artists.
Sequences are at the heart of your business. They attract attention, tell stories, ask for orders, referrals, and reviews or testimonials. Automation runs the autoresponder series based on tags to your clients and prospects. It communicates with your readers based on tags. Customer, prospect, and vendor are basic tags. You go deep from there to mine the data.
A benefit for Art Marketing Toolkit Project members is asking art business questions in the Facebook group. The answers from other members and I provide tons of practical advice and useful suggestions. Everything is saved for review anytime.
About Email Marketing Sequences for Artists
Recently, a member asked about email sequences, which I’ll get to shortly. For clarity, here is a brief explanation of email sequences for artists. There are several terms for email marketing sequences that essentially mean the same thing. They include drip campaign marketing, autoresponders, email marketing sequences, and other variations.
Email marketing sequences are a part of an overall marketing campaign, including traditional and digital marketing plans that work with traffic promotions.
Trigger-based Email Marketing Sequences
Most drip campaigns, aka email marketing sequences for artists, begin when a prospect triggers the process. by taking a specific targeted action or interacting with content.
Examples of Trigger-Based Actions in Email Marketing:
- A collector requests information about specific artworks.
- Opt-in to receive a lead magnet or a free download.
- Submits a request to join an email list, e.g., newsletter, waiting list, a reminder for sale, or event.
- Abandons a shopping cart.
- Joins a list.
- Clicks a link in an email, a form, or website.
- Bought an artwork.
- Reached a milestone.
Time-based Email Marketing Sequences
Some email marketing sequences for artists are time-based emails. They are sent in a series determined by pre-set dates and times. Holiday promotions and studio show promotions are don’t require a trigger to start a sequence. The full effects happen as artists evolve their email marketing and combine trigger and time-based sequences.
Types of Email Marketing Sequences for Artists
According to this Active Campaign blog post, Email Sequence: What It Is And 5 Sequence Ideas to Help You Boost Your Revenue, the five most essential types of email sequences are:
- Welcome email sequence.
- Onboarding email sequence.
- Abandon cart email sequence.
- Repeat customer email sequence.
- Re-engagement email sequence.
How to Market Art Automatically Using an Autoresponder Sequence
I have an extensive blog on how to market art automatically using an autoresponder sequence. It is a worthy read and an excellent companion piece to this post. This post focuses on the question about creating email marketing sequences for artists.
The Art Marketing Toolkit Member Question about Email Marketing Sequences for Artists
Here is the question in the Art Marketing Toolkit Project group:
Does anyone else write draft emails on Mailchimp (or whatever you use instead?) Then, decide you need to have a complete strategy and a monthly/quarterly plan using a set of email series sending people to a page on your website that’s…wait for it…NOT YET PERFECT FOR HOW YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR ART. So, you give up and do nothing. Barney, do you have any pdfs that talk about artist email campaigns to sell art and not angst over them so much to cause paralysis by analysis?
Art Marketing Toolkit Project member question
Replying to the Question
First, I applaud you for asking about automated email marketing sequences for artists. Second, I think you can simplify your process. An email sequence works best if tied to a specific goal and triggered by some relevant action. Start with easy sequences like a three-part welcome series. Build on that experience.
Mailchimp is getting better. But it will never work as well as Convertkit or Moosend, which are both free for the first 1,000 subscribers. Moosend includes marketing automation on the free platform. Convertkit requires a payment plan to get it.
To create a 3-part welcome email sequence, Google “email welcome series examples” to find ideas. You’re highest open rates are with new subscribers. Use those first emails to introduce them into your world while their interest is high.
Let them know they are receiving a series of x emails before they revert to your regular schedule. It is a little kindness and gesture from you. Now your readers know what to expect and will welcome your messages.
Join the Art Marketing Toolkit Project
Building & Segmenting Your List with Popups
You may have negative associations with popups, which is understandable. When misused, they are annoying. But when employed with care, they are highly effective in helping you to grow your list and segment subscribers on it.
With a popup program like Convertbox, which I use and recommend, you can control who sees your popups and what triggers them. You can use factors such as exit intent, scroll depth, time on page, or some combination. You can exclude subscribers with tags indicating they are a current subscriber or include them for subscriber special offers.
Here is an example. A site visitor is on your “Sunset Series” page. You can set up a Convertbox pop up to only show subscribers who are not buyers of any Sunset Series images.
Your pop up can ask them to click on a button to show they prefer originals or prints or both. The button can redirect them to a page with originals, prints, or one with combination offers. A Convertbox pop up can show them a video on the form, ask for their email and contact info, or click buttons that redirect and add tags that show their preference for your work.
This is one example of the unlimited use you can get from Convertbox, which is still open for a one-time price, lifetime deal.
On the left, you see styles of pop-ups. On the right is a center modal example. Use it to make an offer, like or watch the video or receive a PDF download. You can ask questions as you can see; I made three options:
- I LIKE ORIGINAL ART
- I LIKE FINE ART PRINTS
- I’M INTERESTED IN BOTH
When you use the answers to personalize your messages, it improves your client relationships and boosts sales.
I’ve used it for years and am very happy with how it works. And for how the developers keep improving the product. The customer service is as good as you will find on the internet for any product. If you buy it from my affiliate link, I will be happy to help you set it up.
Free 6-part Email Welcome Series from Active Campaign
Active Campaign is another recommended email service provider. Mostly due to its applications for marketing automation and email sequences. It’s Welcome Email Series: A 6-Email Welcome Sequence You Can Steal post offers a free download. You can get its example welcome series.
The subject line is the most crucial part. That’s because it’s a wasted effort if subscribers don’t open your email. Most email programs provide open rates and averages. If your open rates are below expectation, tweak and test to get improvements. If you are starting and don’t have an extensive list, tweaking is not helpful. You need 100 results to get useful results.
Click Link Trigger Example
A link in an email can trigger another sequence. “Click to learn secrets from my “Sunset Series.” Tempt readers with your tips on finding the perfect place to view sunsets. I’m making that up, but you get the drift — plant intrigue and curiosity. Then follow up with info about the series.
Email Marketing Sequences for Artists Timing
I like to suggest using a Fibonacci sequence as a sending schedule. Use the sequence of 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 as interval day. The numbers are the first in the Fibonacci sequence. The sequence uses the sum of the two previous numbers to create the next number to the right.
Fibonacci is the equation part of the Golden Rectangle formula found in art and nature. I suggest a re-engagement series if there is no sale by the 34th interval.
You can wait a week then send an offer to re-engage. Suggestions are a freebie or special invite relating to the “Sunset Series.” Or the next in the line, such as the “Sunset Series Point Reyes.” If they continue to open your email, keep sending it to them. You never know where the tipping point is. That moment when a prospect turns into a buyer. So, please keep them in the loop since your only cost is content and maintenance.
Engagement Series
The above click link example is an engagement sequence. Use engagement sequences to promote a product or service. An opt-in to a list or a link click trigger most engagement sequences. They can go on indefinitely for subscribers who open the email. The only stop trigger is a subscriber purchases art related to the sequence.
When they buy, start with an onboarding sequence to welcomes and indoctrinate them. You can move them to re-engagement sequences to find additional interests. Not all your buyers know everything about all your artistic offerings until you tell them.
Your emails do not need to be copywriting masterpieces. You can modify examples from free swipe files available by web searching. Or you can hire a copywriter to craft a series for you. Your emails do not need to be lengthy. Keep them interesting and concise. Add in storytelling elements and personal insights to keep your audience’s interest.
Join the Art Marketing Toolkit Project
The Money Is in the Long Haul
Selling art is a long game because even qualified buyers are only open-to-buying infrequently.
Think about our version of my imaginary “Sunset Series.” With it, you change minds and build desire that speeds up buying decisions. Then imagine you have three or four successful series. Marketing funnels that you have honed and polished over time. They are pulling in sales predictably. Besides adding to the series, your other job is to build your list. Keep finding ways to intrigue your targeted audience’s interest in a series. And refine your marketing as you go along.
Abandon Cart Series
I also recommend Moosend as an email marketing service. You’ll find this post on its blog, The Best Abandoned Cart Email Examples To Use Right Now + 5 Winning Practices. You work hard and invest your marketing dollars to get a prospect to your shopping cart. And sometimes they leave without purchasing.
An abandoned cart series can save some of those sales. Things happen. A distraction happens before they can finish the purchase. They might be on a small device or an unsecured wi-fi network and want to wait for a future time to complete the transaction. Or they might need a little encouragement and reminder to complete the transaction. Your abandoned cart series will go to work to help you recover lost sales.
The Complete Guide to Email Drip Campaigns
One of the many reasons I like Convertkit is its intense focus on creators. They are carving toward ownership of that segment how Apple went all-in after graphic designers and digital artists. The Convertkit blog has an excellent resource that goes just deep enough to inform you about drip campaigns to help you make wise decisions about your email sequence set up. I recommend its complete guide to email drip campaigns as “must-reading.”
Email Marketing Tips for Artists
Here is a freewheeling broadcast with my friend, Jason Horejs, with our best tips and techniques on email marketing for artists.
