Art Business Institute: 8 Ways to build your email list

8 Ways to Build Your Email Marketing List

Posted: 30 Dec 2015 04:00 AM PST

Your list of customers and prospects is one of the most valuable assets your creative business has. We offer some suggestions to help you build that list

Your email list is permission-based, meaning that people agree to allow you to contact them about your art or handmade work. We suggest a once-monthly email campaign to stay in touch, share your story and inspiration and become more memorable to your list.

1. All existing customers – Each time you make a sale, whether in-person, online or elsewhere, make sure you have the email address of your buyer. If you haven’t reached out to them in a while (or ever), put them in a segmented list and get back in touch, re-introducing yourself to them if necessary. Then, stay in touch. Repeat buyers are the easiest to sell, so it is a priority to keep this group on your list.
2. Friends and family – If you are just getting started, begin your list with people who know you, admire your work and would be happy to refer you to others.
3. Retail shoppers. Capture names and emails at retail shows, trunk shows and artist appearances by having a guest book handy and asking people to sign up to receive notifications of new work, events and special offers.
4. Website visitors.Having an email subscriber opt-in form on your art website is an essential. You want to drive traffic to your site, right?
5. Social media connections. Add email subscriber email opt-in forms on your social media profiles. You will need an ESP (email service provider) such as Mail Chimp, AWeber, or Constant Contact, who can create the signup form. This link can be incorporated into your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.
6. Through correspondence. Add an invitation and link to sign up for your list in the signature line of every email you send.
7. Gather referrals.When you send out those monthly emails, include a request to share and a “Forward” link to encourage recipients to send your messages on to other people they know, encouraging further subscriptions to your campaigns.
8. Blog readers. Got a blog? Include an email sign-up button at the bottom of each article you publish. A button works better than an inline link will to gather subscribers.