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Email Newsletters, are they a good idea?

Posted by Dawn Waters Baker on October 30, 2010 at 3:17pm in Marketing & Sales of Your Art and Crafts

Hey All! I've been getting some emails from fellow artists that use mainly Constant Contact and the newsletters are nicely laid out and fun to read. I was wondering if any of you feel that the Email Newsletters are a good idea or just something else to throw your money at? I looked up Mail Chimp and they have a free service for emails lists 500 or less.

I find when I am about to do a show I send out emails and some postcards (to the snail mail group) and usually write some things going on as well as a recent work etc. to share. I hear some people say, "thanks for the email," and some even write me back. Since I usually just use my email format I was wondering if having a more professional newsletter would be better? Am I wasting my time with that?

Any advice on the subject would be appreciated.

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Replies

Jacqueline Webster November 2, 2010 at 12:13pm

I'm also using Mail Chimp and very happy with it. I have yet to reach the point where I have to pay for it, though.

I was sending out a monthly newsletter, but with all of my travel this summer I couldn't keep up. I'm in the process of revamping it into a quarterly email so I can keep it alive without over-taxing my resources. If you do spin one up, just make sure it's something people want read. Take some time to figure out what makes you open and read a newsletter and what makes you just hit delete, then model your newsletter off of the positive aspects of the newsletters that you like. Alyson Stanfield at artbizblog.com has some good info about starting and keeping a blog that translates well to the world of email newsletters.
Dawn Waters Baker October 31, 2010 at 3:04pm

Thanks for the info on this. It's great to hear. Thanks for the article Connie.

Carla, do you have the MailChimp logo at the bottom of your newsletter like Larry talked about?
- CM Fox > Dawn Waters Baker October 31, 2010 at 4:02pm
  
  Mailchimp offers you the option to put in there & earn points for free emails or not put it there.
  
  I leave it off. I'm very happy with MailChimp and their humorous take on things keeps me amused. I recommend them.
  
  hth
  Carla
Connie Mettler October 30, 2010 at 9:38pm

I use Constant Contact. It is not inexpensive but it is a very classy system with lots of excellent templates and helpful information. Email marketing is the cheapest best way to deliver yourself and your message to your customers, Dawn. Do not neglect it.

I was talking with a well known artist yesterday who said she had 6000 names on her snail mail list and she was just about to send out her last mailing with the message that it was the last and she looked forward to seeing them online.

Here is an article I wrote about email marketing which should be helpful to you: http://naia-artists.org/resources/Newspaper/Issue6/Page4.htm

I like Constant Contact so much that when they made their IPO a couple of years ago I bought stock.
- Dave Smith > Connie Mettler November 2, 2010 at 4:54pm
  
  This article is a wonderful incentive for me to continue using my newsletter format. Great information here. As we all plod along in the muck of uncertainty. The idea of having customers at shows signup for your email list is great, I used to do that a long time ago, time to again start on that. I have a little over 1000 emails in 4 years of collecting them. perhaps I can double this in a year.
Larry Berman October 30, 2010 at 6:22pm

Some use Constant Contact and some use Vertical Response. Basically the only difference is that Vertical Response is pay as you go so it's a lot cheaper if you don't use it regularly.

For any free service, make sure they don't send it branded with their logo or information because it makes you look amateur.

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
- CM Fox > Larry Berman October 30, 2010 at 9:19pm
  
  I use MailChimp, which is also pay as you go.
  
  C