Learn when it’s time to remove inactive subscribers and how doing so creates space for genuine connection and sustainable growth.
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]]>Most artists aren’t thinking about email list hygiene.
It’s not a shiny topic, and it’s definitely not sexy.
But if you’re emailing your audience from an email marketing platform (as you should be), cleaning your list can make a huge difference in how many people actually see your messages—and in how confident you feel when you send them.
I like to think of list cleaning like spinach: You might not be excited about it, but you know it’s good for you.
Removing people from your list can feel uncomfortable. But deep down, you probably already know they aren’t engaging. They’re not opening. They’ve moved on. And you don’t really want to keep emailing people who no longer want to hear from you.
This isn’t just about deliverability. It’s about clarity, sustainability, and respect—for your work and your audience.
Listen
Or listen and subscribe on your favorite app by searching The Art Biz with Alyson Stanfield.
It's Not About Numbers - It's About Connection
We all fall into the trap of wanting a bigger list. But I promise—a smaller list of warm, engaged subscribers is far more powerful than a large list of people who never open your emails.
It might feel counterintuitive to remove people you worked hard to attract, but when you do, something shifts. You stop writing to a silent room. You stop guessing. And you start communicating with more clarity and confidence.
Think of your list like a party.
Would you rather host 50 people who stay to themselves, or 15 who are genuinely excited to be there and connect with other guests?
That’s the difference between a bloated list and a healthy one.
When your list is full of people who want to hear from you, everything gets easier—writing, planning, and even selling. It’s more fun. It’s more rewarding. And it’s more sustainable.
Cleaning your list is a thoughtful act. It shows that you value your audience’s time and attention—and that you’re committed to showing up for the people who care.
Why You Need To Clean Your Email List
Your email list is one of your most valuable marketing assets. These are people who asked to hear from you. But over time, things change.
People lose interest. They get a new email address. They sign up for too many things and stop opening anything. It’s not personal—it’s just the reality of living so much of our lives online.
When you keep too many inactive contacts:
- Your open and click-through rates go down
- Your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam
- You may be paying to email people who don’t remember who you are
And all of this can start to chip away at your confidence. Low engagement makes it harder to stay consistent. You may start second-guessing your content or wondering if it’s worth the effort.
Often, it’s not the content—it’s the composition of your list.
It's Time to Clean When ...
Here are a few signs that it might be time to scrub your list—or at least think about it:
- You haven’t looked at your list or analytics in over 6 months
- You’ve noticed a drop in open rates, replies, or clicks
- You feel unsure who’s actually seeing your emails
- Your confidence in emailing has dropped
Just open it up. Run a report. You don’t have to delete anyone today, but awareness is the first step.
A Simple Cleaning Process
You can listen to the full episode of The Art Biz above for all the details and subject line ideas, but here’s the basic flow:
1. Identify inactive subscribers.
Most platforms let you filter by those who haven’t opened or clicked in 3–6 months.
2. Segment them.
Tag or isolate these subscribers so you can …
3. Send a re-engagement email.
Keep it friendly. Ask if they still want to hear from you—and make it easy to say yes.
4. Remove or archive non-responders.
You’re not deleting a person. You’re letting go of a cold contact.
5. Repeat regularly.
Set a reminder to clean your list every 6 months.
This is About Respect
Cleaning your list isn’t just maintenance. It’s an act of discernment that shows you value your audience’s time and attention. It gives you clarity, confidence, and more accurate insight into who’s listening.
When your list is lean and engaged, your email marketing becomes easier—and more effective.
This kind of intentionality is exactly what we do inside my Followers to Collectors planning workshop.
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]]>How do you know which is right? There’s only one way to know which is the right option for you. Test and track them!
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]]>In marketing your art, there are no absolutes—regardless of what you might hear from a so-called expert or influencer.
Everything is a test. You don’t know what works until you try, look at results, and make adjustments.
Is it better to send your newsletter on a Tuesday or on a Friday?
Will you get better engagement from posting to Facebook at 7:00 a.m. or noon?
Are your Instagram followers more likely to engage with you once or twice a day?
In her 2025 Sate of the Product Industry Survey, Katie Hunt found that the respondents consistently said email marketing gave them the highest marketing ROI, yet many still weren’t using it.
If you use it, as you should, know what you’re doing. We no longer have patience for half-assed emails in our inboxes.
In this article I’m going to focus on email marketing testing. Separately, I talk about testing your social media.
Finding What Works for You
How do you know which is right? There’s only one way to know which is the right option for you. Test and track them!
In order for you to understand what works best for you, you have to have data and look at that data.
What email format/rhythm/time is optimum for you?
What results in more sales, sign-ups, registrations, click-throughs, or engagement? Start with that and then … this is the clincher … change only one variable in each email test to give you the most accurate results.
If you change too much with each test, you don’t know what the cause of different results was. Changing just one thing (see below) gives you more certainty about your direction.
A side note about split testing. The ideal way to test email marketing is with a split (or A/B) test which involves sending out the same email to two segments of your list simultaneously—with only a single difference between each one.
This is more effort than most of my artist clients want to make, so don’t worry about it. I just want to make sure you know of the option. Roll up your sleeves and get to work because there’s plenty to learn by making a simple change with each email sent.
Here is a list of elements you can alter in each email (and then test!) to optimize your result
Style Your Email Design
- Change the background color.
- Use a banner at the top.
- Remove the banner from the top.
- Rotate the image at the top of each email.
Vary Your Links
- Link text either within the text body or only below paragraphs.
- Type out full URLs instead of linked text.
- Change the color of your links.
- Use buttons instead of linked text or URLs.
Adjust Images
- Use the same photo of yourself each time.
- Add a new photo of you with each email.
- Remove the photo of you.
- Feature a single image of your art.
- Show two or three images of your art.
Rethink Your Text
- Write longer, juicier articles with good storytelling.
- Tease with only an excerpt of the article with a link to the full article on your blog.
- Include only a few short sentences along with your images.
Prepare for Sending
- Use your name in the subject line.
- Repeat the same subject line each time.
- Make the subject line unique with each email.
- Vary the day of the week you send.
- Experiment with the time of day you send.
Remember: Don’t change too many things at a time. Try to limit your testing to one major change per email.
Create some form of tracking system that will give you proof of what works best for you.
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]]>I have some ideas for doing just that. Many of these suggestions lend themselves to emails, while others could easily be adapted for social media.
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]]>Your art exhibition, class, workshop, or event has so many facets that there is no reason to send repetitive emails and social media posts for your promotions.
You never know what it is about your work or offering that will be of interest to your audience. Hitting a different angle with each message makes it more likely you’ll pique the interest of followers.
I have some ideas for doing just that. Many of these suggestions lend themselves to emails, while others could easily be adapted for social media. Use your noggin to decide how best to use or adapt.
Promoting an Exhibition or Art Event
There is much more to your art show than the title, dates, times, and location, although those items are critical to include.
You don’t have to dig too deep to unearth new perspectives.
- Rotate images of your art with short 2- or 3-sentence stories for each. People are more likely to get excited about a show when they know what they’ll see and the stories can help sell the work.
- Mention other artists who will be in the exhibition and why it’s an honor to show with them. Explain what your art has in common with theirs.
- Discuss the history of the juried show you’re in and why it’s valuable to be part of it. The purpose should lead back to you.
- Offer suggestions for nearby galleries or places to dine. Add your personal slant on these establishments: “Don’t miss the green curry!” or “The back gallery is showing X, who was featured in last year’s Whitney Biennial.” This is especially helpful for people who are coming from a distance and want to make the most of their trip.
- Relate a particular piece in the show to something that has been prominent in the news recently.
- Highlight special or unexpected features of the event. Maybe you are having live music, serving something besides wine and cheese (hallelujah!), or organizing a hands-on art activity.
- Provide a list of your blog posts that might enlighten people about the exhibition. Point to specific posts that relate to the work they’ll see at your show. Include an image from each post, a short teaser, and a link to the whole article. See the impressive job Leslie Peterson Sapp did for her Creating Time: Art & Archeology show.
- Create a Pinterest board for your exhibition and share it with your followers. Or build a private area on your website for a preview of the work.
Promoting Your Teaching
Classes and workshops are different products than art. Promoting your teaching means focusing on (1) solving problems for potential students that save them time or make the money and (2) verifying that you’re the right person to teach the topic.
- Focus on what keeps your students up at night. Why would they want to take this class and how can you help?
- List the benefits. How will students feel after the lessons? What will they be able to do that they couldn’t do before? How will their lives be better after taking your course?
- Share a story of how you became an expert in this area and why you’re the perfect person to teach the subject. Don’t neglect your own struggles while learning. People love to hear stories of overcoming adversity.
- Spotlight student stories with their finished artwork.
- Feature photos of students in class and of you teaching. These photos are a must-have for all teachers and are why you need a dedicated photographer for your classes.
- Add powerful testimonials from graduates of your class or workshop. Powerful testimonials are from students who had big transformations as a result of your teaching. After they took your class, their life was better because of x, y, or z.
- Mention any bonuses. Maybe you are providing extensive handouts or snacks. Or perhaps there is a private coaching session with you after class is over.
- Offer a resource. Some of my best results from an email came when I recommended Evernote as a favorite organizing tool in a marketing email for my former class, Organize Your Art Biz. Even though many recipients had no intention of joining the OYAB class, they thanked me for my email because it included a helpful tool they could use.
- Address the frequently asked questions you get from students. This is usually done on a sales page, but you can also do it in an email.
Whatever you do, don’t put everything in a single marketing email or post. It’s overwhelming! Outline all of the details on a landing page on your website or an event post on Facebook. Then sprinkle these ideas throughout your promotional messages.
You’re an artist! Be creative and vary your marketing message. It’s more fun for you and for your followers.
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]]>Without the nurturing, you might find yourself having to reintroduce yourself at some point to a list that has gone cold.
Bonus: Staying in touch makes you the artist who comes to mind when people look for art.
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]]>Your artist newsletter is for keeping your list warm. It’s not for making sales.
By way of explanation, a definition is first required.
An Artist Newsletter Is ...
Many artists call every email they send a “newsletter.” There’s nothing wrong with that, but I want to split some hairs. (Since this is my blog, we’ll use my definitions.)
An artist newsletter is an email sent consistently, which might have regular features such as your work (nonnegotiable), collector or student testimonial, featured product, and recommended articles. Those are just examples.
In the past, I implored you to publish a newsletter on a regular schedule—stressing that you will build trust by sticking to a precise schedule (e.g. The third Thursday of every month).
I no longer believe the regular schedule is critical. I don’t, sorry to say, think your subscribers are awaiting your message with bated breath.
But I do believe publishing on a regular schedule is a promise you make to yourself and your art.
A newsletter schedule instills a habit of staying in touch with people who have asked to hear from you.
Why You'll Benefit from a Newsletter Schedule
You’re more likely to use your list when you have a schedule.
You’re less likely to let your list go cold and find yourself, one day, six months later, trying to figure out what to say to your subscribers about your absence.
[ If you find yourself with a cold list, see How to Warm Up a Cold Email List. ]
Your newsletter is a promise you make to yourself and your art: to share it with those who have gone out of their way to ask to hear from you.
When you have the schedule for your artist newsletter, you are much less likely to ignore the commitment.
And even though your newsletter isn’t for making sales, selling your art will be much easier when you’ve stayed in touch with your list.
Earning the Right to Ask
Newsletters help nurture relationships with the people who have asked to hear from you, but they’re not much good if you write them only when you feel like it or, worse, only when you want something from your list, such as interest in a sale, attendance at an opening, or registration for your classes.
You might share stories, your latest pieces, and/or work in progress. The point is that you share consistently, and that each newsletter isn’t focused solely on making sales.
This effort earns you the right to ask for something, like those things I mentioned above, from time to time.
Be Clear That Your Art is for Sale
I said each newsletter isn’t focused solely on making sales, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sell or try to sell from a newsletter.
You absolutely should.
You always want people to know that your work is for sale. The best way to do this is to post prices of your art in your newsletter.
Sharing prices is not pushy or aggressive. It’s actually a helpful service—providing potential buyers with information they need to make decisions.
If you don’t sell your art from your studio … if the work is available for sale through a gallery or other venue … tell people exactly how to purchase it.
I believe that sales (mostly) happen as a result of personal contact—not in an email blast sent to hundreds of people. But you still need the latter. You need to keep your name and art in front of people.
You want to be the artist most on their mind when they go to buy art. Your artist newsletter can do this for you.
This article was first published July 2, 2015. It has been updated with original comments intact.
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]]>It's your #1 marketing asset—unique to your art and goals.
While growing an email list has become challenging, that doesn't mean we should give up. Take advantage of every opportunity (asking, using forms, offering freebies) to attract and add subscribers—remembering, always, that it's more important to engage the right people than to focus on the numbers.
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]]>Your email list is a means for nurturing trust, for building relationships, and, if you teach, for demonstrating your knowledge.
Your list is, as I’ve often said, your most important marketing asset.
Think about how unique it is to you, your art, and your goals. No one has the same list of names and email addresses.
Having said this, I realize that it’s harder than ever to grow an email list. I don’t want you to obsess over “getting” more names on your list.
Numbers don’t matter. What matters is that the people on your list are paying attention to what you have to say or share.
We need to use as many avenues as possible to build our email lists. Not quantity for quantity’s sake, but seeking the highest quality of loyal subscribers.
[ Note: Your definitive list is much larger, and ultimately more important than your email list. 
]
With all of this in mind, you want to take advantage of every opportunity for adding to your subscribers. Here are some reminders.
Ask People to Subscribe
Sounds simple, and yet it’s easy to get busy and forget to ask in these situations.
Online (General)
From time to time, ask people who follow you to sign up. Don’t beg, just ask. You can use the ask in combination with any giveaways mentioned below.
In Person (General)
If you’re out networking, as you should be, don’t be afraid to ask people that seem interested if they’d like to be on your list. (But never lead with this. Tune in and read the situation.)
Speaking
Asking in conjunction with speaking is related to asking in person and via sign-up forms, but it must be a category by itself because it’s a powerful way to build your list.
If you shine in front of a crowd, consider adding more speaking engagements in order to build your list. You will undoubtedly have a lot of people in the room that would be thrilled to hear from you again. Catch ‘em while you can!
These might be obvious, but we can’t forget about them….
Sign-Up Forms
Of course you have an easy-to-find web form on your site, preferably on every page (or, as you’ll see, as a pop-up). But you also need the ability to gather email addresses when you have an audience.
As I mentioned above, speaking is a great way to grow your list. Pass around a form or individual cards to the audience. Leave out a guest notebook or individual comment cards at your exhibition or event. Be sure there’s a checkbox to sign up for your list, and that it’s clear they know what they are signing up for.
Pop-Up Forms
You know what I’m talking about here. Pop-ups are those annoying boxes that cover up your screen just as you’re getting interested in a site. You’re being asked to enter your name and email address in return for the promise of a freebie or newsletter.
Yes, we’re all irritated by them, but there’s a reason they are ubiquitous online. It’s because they work!
Stop holding out and add a pop-up form until the studies show different results. Your pop-up form might mention a freebie offer if you have one. Keep reading for more on that.
Give Away Something Valuable
Stellar Content
People who learn from your wicked-smart insights are inspired by your message or images, or giggle at your humor are more likely to share your email.
I open every single email from artist Anne Bossert because she has a terrific sense of humor. Inevitably, it will be a smile break in a busy day. (I wish she sent them more frequently.)
Building a list by creating great content is how my list grew over the years. It’s still my favorite way to build a list because it attracts followers that are more likely to be loyal for the long term.
Don’t wait until you have more people on your list to start sharing your content. You won’t get more people until you take a big step and commit to the content.
Freebies
A freebie is something you give away in exchange for someone’s email address. I know of numerous artists who offer high-resolution downloads as their freebies in order to appeal more to collectors than other artists, but I have no evidence that this increases sign-up numbers.
Brad Blackman offers a different twist in his free report, The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Art Shows, which is geared more to buyers.
Freebies require a lot of back-end organization and automation to deliver them seamlessly.
I think freebies work better for teachers, so here’s a section just for you.
If You Teach, Offer How-To Freebies
It’s easier for teachers to identify possible freebies than for artists who don’t teach. When you want to attract students to your list, give away information that is carefully crafted to show off your knowledge on a particular subject.
Of course, the information isn’t actually free. It will cost an email address before people can download your freebie. After taking The Ethical Move marketing pledge, I use the phrase “free with opt-in” when promoting my freebies.
Consider any of the following giveaways if you teach.
Assessments
Develop a test, based on the subject you’re teaching, which potential students can use to see how they stack up against other artists.
After the assessment is downloaded, people might be led to a video in which you can walk them through their results.
Checklists
Checklists can be quickly digested and are forever useful.
Their brilliance is that they consist of only the basic elements. Potential students must enroll in your program to find out how to make the best use of items on the list.
By example, I offer a Cheat Sheet for Marketing Tasks on this post.
Special Reports & E-Books
Reports and e-books might take a checklist as the basis, and then go more into depth. While a report might be 5-10 pages in length, we would expect an e-book to be longer. And longer isn’t always better.
Consider pulling together a special report on a single aspect of your teaching—one that plays only a small role in your program.
[ See how freebies work on my Free Stuff page. ]
Webinars and Live Streaming
Webinars usually include visual images (slides) whereas live streaming is teaching in front of a webcam with an audience watching in real time.
Create a 1-hour content-rich virtual event and promote the heck out of it online. In the best of all worlds, this will not only build your list, but also lead to more enrollments for your program.
Warning 
Teaching live through webinars or livestreams isn’t for amateurs. You can do a lot of work that leads to nowhere if you haven’t studied the secret sauce that makes them beneficial.
Telesummits
You’ve seen telesummits offered online and have probably participated in one. One or two people enlist 10 or 15 others to interview over the course of a week or two.
Presumably, everyone participating builds their lists. The catch is that they all have to send multiple emails to their lists. This is why I rarely participate in these events. I am too protective of the people on my list.
I feel like telesummits have gone out of favor (thank goodness). Like webinars, they require loads of planning and reliable infrastructure to pull off properly. Imagine coordinating all of those guests!
One Last Thing
There are many ways you can build your list, but remember that quality is more important than quantity.
And one last thing: You have to be committed to USING your list.
It’s not cool to ask people if they want to hear from you and then you ghost them for 6 months or more. They’ll forget why you’re emailing.
I teach you how to use your list with confidence. It comes up repeatedly in the coursework and the 1-on-1 consultations I have with my clients.
See my private consulting and Essentials.
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]]>Neglecting subscribers for months or,yikes!, years, renders your list cold. If you're ready to commit to staying in touch with the people who asked to hear from you, you might need to reintroduce yourself.
It's not as difficult as it sounds, but the longer you wait, the bigger the task seems.
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]]>I walked through the steps of warming up a cold email list in this Instagram live video.
Keep scrolling if you prefer reading.
Here's How It Happens
You were told you needed an email list, so you asked people to subscribe. And they did.
But you didn’t do anything with their subscription. Those poor people sat in your system. For months. Maybe years. Never hearing from you.
Your list has gone cold. Ice cold.
Will they remember me?
What will they think if I just start emailing them after all this time?
You’re right to be concerned.
The Value of Regular Emails and Newsletters
Regular emails—regardless of whether you call them newsletters or not—are so valuable because they keep your name in front of people. And they keep the list warm.
If you are ready to pay attention to your list consistently (and clear that you will keep the commitment), you have a little bit of work to do.
You need to reintroduce yourself to your list before you ask them to attend an opening or to buy your art because it’s not polite to call on people only when you want something from them.
There’s no sense procrastinating your first-in-a-long-time email because the longer you wait, the more painful it will be to write. Not to mention the energy it will use up in your head and heart in the meantime.
Once you’re clear on the commitment, there are three options for an opening email to reestablish a relationship with those on your list. You can use them individually or in combination with one another.
1. Remind them who you are.
Remind them who you are or how you met and what you intend to do from this point forward.
You were nice enough to sign up for email updates about my art and then you rarely, if ever, heard from me. As a reminder, I make . . .
Or …
As a reminder, we met during . . . [ if your list is segmented and you know the context ]
Then add …
I just wanted to give you a heads up that I have recommitted to sending an email update every month. I would love to share my work with you and you don’t need to do anything to make that happen. But if you ever want to unsubscribe, there will be a link at the bottom of any email for you to do so easily.
I appreciate your faith in my work and look forward to staying in touch.
2. Use humor.
If you have a sense of humor, anyone on your list could use a little chuckle. But you have to make sure it’s a good fit for you, your art, and your brand.
The dog ate my keyboard! I meant to send an email update earlier, but I’ve been sans keyboard and busy with canine vet visits.
Inserting an appropriate photo of Fido would be a good touch here – as long as you also include your art.
3. Give and then give more.
Nothing warms people up more quickly than a “gift” from the heart. I put gift in quotes because your present doesn’t have to cost a thing. It only has to be authentic.
I suggest an insider story about an art-related project, exhibition, or trip that will help them feel more connected to you. It might even be something you shared on your blog or social media that you repurpose for people on your list.
Consider sending a second or third email with additional gifts.
Never Ever Do These 2 Things
Now, there are two things you must refrain from doing at all costs in your long-awaited missive. DO NOT:
1. Apologize for not emailing.
When you send your first email to a cold list of names, please – for the love of all that is sacred – don’t say, “I’m sorry you haven’t heard from me.” Most people on your list haven’t been waiting to hear from you (sorry), so the apology isn’t necessary.
2. Try to catch people up.
Have you ever read an email that tells you everything that has been going on with that person since they last wrote? They’re like family holiday letters.
Obviously if there’s something the recipients need to know (you moved, you had a health scare) you can mention those things, but don’t use your opening email as a this-is-everything-that-has-happened-since-I-last-wrote message.
Stay focused on the present and future—where you’re going rather than where you’ve been—and make a schedule for future emails.
This article was originally published on November 2, 2017 and has been updated with original comments intact.
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]]>If you think about it as your only opportunity, you aren’t leaving open the possibility of developing a meaningful relationship. And strong professional relationships are what will grow and sustain your art career.
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]]>There is so much pressure when you’re making new connections.
I get it. You want to hit a home run when you contact someone about your art. You don’t want to blow the opportunity.
Maybe you’re planning to send an email to an interior designer, set up a meeting with an art consultant, or write a letter to a gallerist.
You want the recipient to show your art, buy your work, or represent you.
Whatever the situation, you’re not alone in wanting to get it just right.
Let’s see if I can alleviate some of that pressure for you.
Think About This Differently
Much of the stress of meeting new people comes from the mistaken notion that this one contact is your only opportunity.
If you think about it as your only opportunity, you aren’t leaving open the possibility of developing a meaningful relationship. And strong professional relationships are what will grow and sustain your art career.
Instead of thinking about your first contact as a one-time chance, consider it only an introduction—your first of many contacts.
You never want to ask for anything in the first contact with a new prospect.
Introduce yourself to people in order to build lasting relationships, not to try to get something from them.
It Takes Longer
Nurturing relationships is a long-term investment in your art career and life. It’s a process, not a one-off correspondence.
You are building name recognition and trust throughout—proving you are in it for the duration.
There is no perfect timeline for this process. It requires patience and commitment.
If you’re staying in touch and following up, you’ll know when the time is right to ask (for representation, a show, a referral, whatever).
This was first published on March 19, 2014 and has been updated with original comments intact.
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]]>More of anything! Because it makes our efforts feel worthwhile. It seems validating.
But we're often stopped in our tracks when we begin to realize what we need to do in order to increase our numbers.
We think we have to post more, research hashtags, invest in advertising, create a lead magnet, learn to write better copy, or forget about a restful night's sleep.
Yeah, you probably do have to do some of those things in order to attract more followers and subscribers, but you might also benefit from being open to doing things a little differently to increase those numbers.
In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast I talk with Trudy Rice about how she has grown her Instagram and email list by cross-promoting other brands.
Trudy uses a platform called Ampjar, but the underlying lesson is to find like-minded people and share each other's art, products, and services. Trudy refers to these as "shout outs" and loves this system because of the good karma it creates.
The post The Art Biz ep. 77: Growing Your Audience with Good Karma with Trudy Rice appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>More of anything! Because it makes our efforts feel worthwhile. It seems validating.
But we’re often stopped in our tracks when we begin to realize what we need to do in order to increase our numbers.
We think we have to post more, research hashtags, invest in advertising, create a lead magnet, learn to write better copy, or forget about a restful night’s sleep.
Yeah, you probably do have to do some of those things in order to attract more followers and subscribers, but you might also benefit from being open to doing things a little differently to increase those numbers.
In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast I talk with Trudy Rice about how she has grown her Instagram and email list by cross-promoting other brands.
Trudy uses a platform called Ampjar, but the underlying lesson is to find like-minded people and share each other’s art, products, and services. Trudy refers to these as “shout outs” and loves this system because of the good karma it creates.
Music by Wildermiss
Highlights
- Trudy Rice details her Australian flora and fauna art, teaching, and other current projects. (2:13)
- Taking original prints and paintings to a homewares line. (4:28)
- Quantifying the growth of a successful art business through a variety of income streams. (6:18)
- The primary systems and marketing channels Trudy uses for her sales. (8:25)
- Details about the Ampjar mailing system and the karmic aspect to shout outs. (11:37)
- The algorithms behind the Ampjar shout-out system. (13:57)
- How to systematically simplify the process of business promotion. (17:39)
- Promoting other artists while boosting yourself. (21:16)
- The variety of brands that Trudy promotes through Ampjar. (22:18)
- How to connect with new and international audiences through shout outs. (23:57)
- Tracking the success that has come with integrating new systems. (26:08)
- The importance of collaborating with other artists who have systems that work. (29:23)
- How to do the work once and benefit from it over and over again. (30:17)
- Trudy shares her project and collaboration plans for 2021. (33:35)
Mentioned
Ampjar karmic advertising community
Shopify e-commerce
Loomly social media content management
ConvertKit e-mail marketing
Related Episodes
Growing Your Art Business on Instagram with Jeanne Rosier Smith
Creating a Monthly Report for Your Art Business (measuring success)
Facebook Live Group Art Shows with Brooke Harker (collaborating)
Quotes
“What really drew me to this system was the karmic aspect of it.” —Trudy Rice
“I’m a community-minded person and I love supporting local brands.” —Trudy Rice
“Not only were you making connections, but you were getting results.” —Alyson Stanfield
“In that eight months I gained 1500 followers on Instagram, which is a lot more than I normally would.” —Trudy Rice
About My Guest
Trudy Rice is an Australian painter and printmaker whose inspiration is taken from the coastal landscape in and around Lorne on Victoria’s picturesque Great Ocean Road. She is passionate about her environment—working on paper using the non-toxic print method of solar plate etching. She also incorporates other printmaking techniques including linocut, collograph, monotype & etching.
Trudy has applied her images from nature to a line of popular homewares and wearable art that add delight to anyone’s table or wardrobe.
Follow Trudy on Instagram: @trudy_rice
Music by Wildermiss
The post The Art Biz ep. 77: Growing Your Audience with Good Karma with Trudy Rice appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>What to Include in Your Signature Block
Your signature block might contain a mixture of any, but not all!, of the following.
- Your full name (required)
I have a policy against answering emails that are unsigned, and I'm sure I'm not alone. If you don't care to tell me who you are, why in the world should I respond? - A link to a compelling page on your website.
- Your location (You're sending email all over the world. Tell people where you're from!)
- Your phone number
- Your website address
- Select social media links
- A tagline about your art
- An upcoming event, such as a workshop or exhibition, you're promoting
How Much to Include
Err on the side of brevity. The fewer words, and the fewer links the better in your signature block.
The post Your Artist Email Signature Block appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>What to Include in Your Signature Block
Your signature block might contain a mixture of any, but not all!, of the following.
- Your full name (required)
I have a policy against answering emails that are unsigned, and I’m sure I’m not alone. If you don’t care to tell me who you are, why in the world should I respond? - A link to a compelling page on your website.
- Your location (You’re sending email all over the world. Tell people where you’re from!)
- Your phone number
- Your website address
- Select social media links
- A tagline about your art
- An upcoming event, such as a workshop or exhibition, you’re promoting
How Much to Include
Err on the side of brevity. The fewer words, and the fewer links the better in your signature block.
No one has time to read your artist statement, bio, or life story.
I suggest no more than 2 links in an email. I use only 1 link per signature. No one has time to decide which link to click.
You can easily update your email signature block or create multiple options for different purposes. I’ve illustrated this post with the different versions that I use.
Using Images in Your Signature Block
Images in artist’s email signature blocks are more common than they were when I first wrote about this. (You’ll find a discussion about this topic on the comments from the original 2006 post.)
It can be quite nice to see the artist’s work without having to click on a link.
If you decide to add an image to your signature, keep it to just one images. Remember that images arrive in inboxes as attachments that must be downloaded (automatically or manually, depending on how you’ve configured your email program). Not everyone is keen on getting attachments if they don’t know you.
You take a chance.
I happen to like them, but I’m highly artist-friendly (as you know!) and I love to see new work.
I advise you to select an image that is still available in order to help sell it.
The post Your Artist Email Signature Block appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>And ... It’s less effort to nurture relationships with people who already know, like, and trust you than to find new people to share your art with. Acquiring customers, in marketing terms, is a long and costly process.
Therefore, it makes sense to take care of the people who have purchased from you. Show them you appreciate them now instead of contacting them later only when you want something from them.
One of the biggest mistakes artist-entrepreneurs make is not following up with people who have given them money.
If you’ve been lax in this area, you might be leaving money on the table.
If you sell art from your studio, rather than through a gallery, you have no excuses for not following up appropriately. You have the name and contact information of your collectors.
Here’s a plan to awe your collectors--not just once, but over the course of your relationship.
Within 1 Week of Sale: Express Gratitude
Send a thank-you note in the mail. Use notecards with images of your art on them for all of your handwritten notes.
This is yet another opportunity to put your art in front of people who appreciate it. The cards, of course, have your contact info or website on the back.
Don’t exploit this as an opportunity to ask for anything else. Thank-you notes are for expressing gratitude only, not for additional sales or requests.
Two Weeks Later: Ask to Connect
In this email, suggest to your collector that
The post Following Up After You’ve Sold a Piece of Art appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>And … It’s less effort to nurture relationships with people who already know, like, and trust you than to find new people to share your art with. Acquiring customers, in marketing terms, is a long and costly process.
Therefore, it makes sense to take care of the people who have purchased from you. Show them you appreciate them now instead of contacting them later only when you want something from them.
One of the biggest mistakes artist-entrepreneurs make is not following up with people who have given them money.
If you’ve been lax in this area, you might be leaving money on the table.
If you sell art from your studio, rather than through a gallery, you have no excuses for not following up appropriately. You have the name and contact information of your collectors.
Here’s a plan to awe your collectors–not just once, but over the course of your relationship.
Within 1 Week of Sale: Express Gratitude
Send a thank-you note in the mail. Use notecards with images of your art on them for all of your handwritten notes.
This is yet another opportunity to put your art in front of people who appreciate it. The cards, of course, have your contact info or website on the back.
Don’t exploit this as an opportunity to ask for anything else. Thank-you notes are for expressing gratitude only, not for additional sales or requests.
Two Weeks Later: Ask to Connect
In this email, suggest to your collector that you would like to stay in touch through social media, if you haven’t already connected there.
Explain, too, that you send a regular email with updates about your art and ask if they would like to receive it. If they are added to the list, you can keep the relationship warm through your planned emails.
If they don’t get on that list, they should receive a personalized sequence of email and regular mail to ensure they are not forgotten.
After 3 or 4 Months: Use Real Mail
Earlier, you sent a thank-you note in the mail. At this point, it’s your choice. It doesn’t matter what you send or say as long as it’s from the heart.
You might send a postcard, a photocopy of an article that was written about your work, or an invitation to an exhibition.
If the purchase was substantial, you might consider a small gift, such as a set of notecards with your art on them.
Twice a Year: Choose Your Action
After you have followed up with email and regular mail communications within three or four months, your collectors can graduate to your VIP list.
You’ll want to make sure you are in touch with your VIPs at least twice a year.
Your collectors might receive a special mailing on an off-holiday (Arbor Day, anyone?) or their birthdays. Or perhaps they’d like a phone message or short video recording in which you share only that you’re thinking of them and are hoping they’re happy and well.
Don’t overthink this because that could lead to procrastination. It’s the thought that counts! Your collectors will be impressed by an unexpected contact from an artist they admire.
This post was originally published on June 2, 2016, and has been updated with the original comments intact.
The post Following Up After You’ve Sold a Piece of Art appeared first on Art Biz Success.
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