How to Grow Your Email List with Social Media
This post is by Clint Watson, former art gallery owner and founder of BoldBrush, known for FASO Artist Websites, the leading provider of professional artist websites, the $38,000+ BoldBrush Painting Competition and the free daily art marketing newsletter, FineArtViews. As a self-proclaimed “art fanatic”, Clint delights that BoldBrush’s downtown San Antonio, Texas office is full of original art. You can connect with Clint on Twitter, Facebook or his personal blog at clintavo.com.
When wanting to grow your email list, it’s natural to turn to social media as a way to encourage people to subscribe. Here’s how to do that in a way that works.
Most artists, when they start this process, simply post something to their social media accounts that lets their followers know they have a newsletter and why they should sign up.
That is what nearly everyone does and it works for almost nobody.
While simply posting might get you a subscriber or two, most of your posts will be lost in the noise. As soon as the next funny cat video appears in your follower’s feeds, your call to subscribe will be forgotten.
So what does work? Personal outreach works.
Here’s a little mantra to help you remember what works: Personal outreach works the best, while generic posting gets lost with the rest.
Consider what FASO customer Rochelle Allen wrote in our private Art Marketing Mastermind Facebook group:
[Like most artists] I wasn’t having any luck getting people to sign up for my newsletter. So I recently decided to send a short, generic (but easy to personalize), and friendly message to people who “like” and follow my Facebook and Instagram pages.
I essentially asked if I could add their email to my newsletter subscriber list so that we would have a more reliable way than social media to stay connected.
Almost everyone said yes and I was able to increase my newsletter subscribers exponentially!
This happened after I had made 2 posts over the course of the previous week letting people know that I had a newsletter and what the benefits would be for them to sign up. NO ONE did.
Even though one would think subscribing to a newsletter would be super easy for people, it seems like asking directly and offering to do it for them is much more effective.
Here’s how you can put this idea to work to grow your email newsletter subscriber list:
- Look through people who like your posts and follow you on social media. Identify the ones you want to invite to join your list.
- Send each of those people a direct, private message letting them know you have an email list for people who enjoy your art, that you send a short update once a month. And ask them if you could add them to your email list so you have a more reliable way to communicate that is not dependent upon social media.
- Once they reply, add them to your list. That is all the permission you need.
For my latest thoughts on art marketing, art sales ideas, and insider announcements about new FASO features we are working on and releasing, you should Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. That’s where I publish ideas and opportunities in real time. Be the first to know.
Until next time, please remember that Fortune Favors the Bold Brush.
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
FASO Founder, Software Craftsman, Art Fanatic
PS: To start your own email marketing program, if you’re a FASO customer, we recommend you use the built-in ArtfulMail program. If you’re not a FASO customer (or need more advanced features), we recommend ConvertKit. Help us keep bringing you great content by signing up for Convertkit with our affiliate link here.
PPS: If you want to hear my latest thoughts on marketing and selling art, or you have comments or questions about this article (or others), I’m very active on Twitter, please follow me at the link below and send your questions or comments to @clintavo.