How to create email campaigns that really have an impact

A few years ago, it was easier to get people interested in promotional emails, but now that artists across the globe have embraced it as a low-cost way to market themselves, you have to work harder to get email campaigns to work for you. Creating outstanding promotional materials of any kind requires two key things: evaluating your previous campaigns' successes and willingness to change.

Standing out is a constant effort, not a one-time deal. By reviewing your results and asking yourself "How could I do better?" you are setting yourself up to create more successful email campaigns that attract buyers to your work.

Dare to be different

Thinking about business and marketing issues perhaps doesn't appeal to the creative mind, but the good news is that creating emails that jump out of an inbox will give you the chance to flex your creative muscles in a new way. Creative buyers are interested in your skills, but more importantly they want to see your creative vision. Being creative comes naturally to you, so why not use what you're best at and show buyers just how creative you are? There are no rules to applying your personal creativity to emails, just dare to be different. Don't be tied down to what your colleagues are doing - for the very reason that they are all doing it. Think outside the box and you may hit on something that REALLY connects with buyers for your art. You can even test your ideas by sending your promo to contacts you already have a relationship with and getting their feedback.

Remember to have a call to action

Although you are promoting imagery, do not underestimate the value of good copy. Subject lines communicate to the receiver benefit of opening the email, so these should be clear and concise, but also attention-getting. Statistics have shown that open rates on subject lines fewer than 50 characters are 12.5% higher and click through rates are 75% higher than those with more than 50 characters. 35 characters should be your optimum target, as your entire subject line will then fit into the buyer's email client. Try creating a subject line that is both concise and interesting, not just "Joe Smith Illustration" or "Photography". Because you are visual communicators, keep the rest of your copy short and let your images speak for themselves. Don't write large paragraphs of text, keep your writing to 1 or 2 sentence blocks. And don't forget to include a call to action for your prospects so they act on your email. If you are including a link to your website, don't just put the URL, give them the action you want them to take and even a benefit of doing so.

Specifically target your email campaign

Another good way to stand out is to segment your lists properly, as relevance has a great impact on open rates. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, segmentation means breaking your list down into subject groups and then sending them promotions that apply specifically to them. By properly segmenting your lists, it shows that you understand your market and as you are sending applicable content to people who are in need of it, you will find your open rates improving. Remember, if you are a food photographer, you should be promoting ONLY to clients with food accounts; art buyers on fashion accounts aren't likely to open your emails.

Be sure to promote yourself regularly

Timing and frequency are also paramount to getting your email promotions noticed. If an agency just won a new account you would love to work on, send them a promo; your email stands a greater chance of being opened. As far as what day is best to send emails, eROI has just released their statistics for the second quarter of 2007 and Wednesday is the leading day in regards to both opens and click throughs. In regards to frequency, people tend to need to see a few promotions before they remember you, so you should be promoting yourself regularly - and don't forget about maintaining consistency with your brand image (see September's article) on branding for more details). As frequency preferences vary from buyer to buyer, it is recommended that you send email promotions at least once a quarter.

Show your creative style and vision

When you send an email promotion as a freelance artist, your ultimate goal is to attract buyers to your online portfolio. The best way to do this is to be very particular and focused in your image selection - by sending the right images to the right buyer you increase the chances that your email will be noticed. You want to demonstrate to potential clients that you have the vision necessary to execute the job, so you want to include only the very best images for the types of assignments you are seeking. If you specialize in tabletop photography, including portraiture or beauty shots will not inspire a buyer to visit to your website. Use your image selection to show the buyer what you offer that no other artist can...your personal style and creative vision. Don't overload your recipient with images either; just as you want to be concise with your copywriting, you want to be concise with your imagery. Show only the best.

Try new ideas - and reap the rewards

Standing out from the flood of emails that creative buyers now receive takes time and effort. You will need to test new ideas and be willing to move on from ideas that don't work and embrace those that do. This article should give you some ideas to think about integrating into your own promotions. Try a few of them in your next campaign and let us know how it went - marketing@adbase.com.