how you can market your art WITHOUT social media

Summary

This video script advocates for email newsletters as a superior alternative to social media platforms for artists to showcase and sell their work. It emphasizes the direct control, personal connection, and ownership of the email list, which is free from algorithmic suppression. The speaker shares three key benefits: the intimacy of direct communication, the ability to market to engaged followers, and the potential for automated, passive marketing. Additionally, the script offers practical advice on starting an email list, including creating a lead magnet and utilizing Squarespace for business growth.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Email newsletters offer a more effective and less stressful way for artists to sell their artwork compared to social media platforms like Instagram.
• 🔒 Artists have direct control over their email list, allowing them to build a closer relationship with their audience without the interference of social media algorithms.
• 📬 Email marketing is personal and can be customized to reflect the artist's unique style and voice, making it feel more intimate and direct than other forms of online communication.
• 🤝 Artists can engage with their audience directly through email, starting conversations and building relationships with potential collectors.
• 🏆 Owning the email list means artists have the freedom to switch platforms or providers without losing their audience, ensuring they maintain control over their marketing efforts.
• 🖼 Artists can use email newsletters to showcase their artwork and sell to their most engaged followers, providing updates on their creative process and personal journey.
• 📈 Email newsletters provide an opportunity for artists to practice marketing and sales skills, becoming comfortable with self-promotion and building confidence in their offerings.
• 📝 Automation features in email marketing tools allow for passive marketing strategies, where targeted campaigns can be set up to engage with subscribers based on their interests.
• 🔗 Lead magnets, such as free resources or digital products, can be used to incentivize people to sign up for an artist's email list, growing the audience base.
• 📅 Regular email communication, even if it's just about shop updates or personal musings, helps keep the artist top of mind for subscribers and can lead to increased sales.
• 🚀 Starting an email newsletter doesn't require perfection; artists are encouraged to begin with any topic and build the habit of regular communication to foster connection with their audience.

Q & A

Why are artists struggling to get their work seen on platforms like Instagram?

Artists are struggling because they have to constantly adapt to algorithm changes, post at optimal times, and meet expectations regarding content and frequency, which can be overwhelming and unpredictable.

What alternative is suggested in the script for selling artwork more effectively and with less stress?

The script suggests using email newsletters as a more effective and less stressful alternative to social media platforms for selling artwork.

Why are social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok suppressing certain posts?

These platforms are suppressing posts that use phrases that push people off-platform, such as 'Link in bio,' as they have been linked to a suppression of reach.

What is the advantage of email marketing over social media for artists?

Email marketing allows artists to have direct control over their audience, build a closer relationship, and communicate without worrying about algorithm changes or platform policing.

How does owning an email list benefit an artist?

Owning an email list gives the artist control over their audience, the freedom to switch platforms without losing their list, and the assurance of being able to communicate with their most engaged fans even if their main social media platform disappears.

What are the three reasons mentioned in the script for every artist to have an email newsletter?

The three reasons are direct control over the list, the ability to showcase artwork and sell to engaged followers, and powerful automation opportunities for passive marketing.

How can an artist use their email newsletter to build a relationship with their audience?

An artist can use their email newsletter to share personal updates, behind-the-scenes content, their creative process, inspirations, and dreams, which helps in building a more intimate and personal connection with the audience.

What is a 'lead magnet' and how can it be used to grow an email list?

A 'lead magnet' is an incentive, such as a free resource or digital product, offered to potential subscribers in exchange for signing up to the email list. It can be used to attract new subscribers by providing value upfront.

How can automation in email marketing help an artist with passive marketing?

Automation in email marketing can help by setting up triggered campaigns that send a series of emails promoting a product or service to subscribers who have shown interest in a particular topic, allowing the artist to market passively and efficiently.

What advice does the script give for starting an email newsletter?

The script advises not to overthink the content, to start with any topic, to write in a personal and authentic voice, and to build a habit of sending newsletters regularly to keep the artist top of mind for subscribers.

How can an artist ensure they maintain a connection with their audience even if their social media presence is compromised?

By building and maintaining an email list, an artist can ensure direct communication with their audience, independent of social media platforms, thus maintaining a connection even if their social media presence is affected.

Outlines

00:00

📰 The Power of Email Newsletters for Artists

The video script discusses the challenges artists face on social media platforms like Instagram, where they must contend with algorithm changes and expectations on posting frequency. It introduces email newsletters as a more effective and less stressful alternative for selling artwork. The speaker emphasizes the importance of direct control over the content and the ability to build a personal relationship with the audience. They also mention the lack of algorithmic policing in email marketing, allowing for a more authentic and consistent connection with subscribers.

05:02

🎨 Email Marketing: A Direct Line to Your Audience

This paragraph highlights the direct control and personalization that email marketing offers to artists. It explains how email newsletters can be written in the artist's own words, making them feel more intimate and personal compared to social media posts. The speaker suggests that this personal touch can lead to a closer relationship with the audience. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the ability to engage directly with subscribers through email replies and the freedom to customize the appearance of emails to match the artist's brand. The speaker also points out the ownership aspect of an email list, as opposed to relying on social media platforms that may change their policies or algorithms.

10:04

🛍️ Showcasing Artwork and Selling to Engaged Followers

The speaker advocates for the use of email newsletters as a platform to showcase artwork and sell to the most engaged followers. They argue that because subscribers have opted in, there is an expectation of self-promotion via email, which can include marketing upcoming collections, pre-selling limited edition prints, or advertising solo exhibitions. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of building confidence in self-promotion and the value of practicing sales skills through email marketing. It also discusses the potential for monetization and the comfort in knowing that even if a social media platform were to disappear, the artist would still have a means of communication with their most engaged fans.

15:04

🤖 Automation Opportunities for Passive Marketing

This paragraph delves into the automation capabilities of email marketing, which can be particularly useful for selling evergreen products like courses, ebooks, or prints. The speaker describes how automated sales campaigns can be triggered by subscriber actions, such as signing up through a specific link related to a YouTube video. They explain how this can lead to a series of automated emails that pitch the product, communicate its value, and potentially result in a sale. The paragraph also discusses the power of segmenting the email list based on subscriber interests, allowing for targeted marketing to those who have shown a specific interest in the artist's offerings.

📈 Getting Started with Email Marketing for Artists

The final paragraph provides practical advice on how artists can begin using email marketing. It suggests creating a lead magnet to incentivize sign-ups, such as offering free digital products or early access to shop updates. The speaker also recommends being deliberate about collecting emails, either in person at art fairs or through online sign-up forms. They encourage artists to start simple and not to overthink the content of their newsletters, suggesting that sharing updates on current projects, inspirations, or educational tips can be valuable to subscribers. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's personal experience and the importance of building a habit of regular email communication.

Keywords

💡Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are digital communications sent to a list of subscribers, often used for marketing and communication purposes. In the video, the speaker advocates for artists to use email newsletters as a more effective and less stressful way to sell their artwork compared to social media platforms. The speaker emphasizes the direct control and personal touch that newsletters offer, allowing artists to build a closer relationship with their audience.

💡Algorithm Changes

Algorithm changes refer to modifications made by social media platforms to their algorithms, which determine what content users see. The video discusses how these changes can negatively impact artists' visibility on platforms like Instagram, making it harder for their work to be seen. The speaker suggests that email newsletters provide a more stable and controlled environment for artists to share their work.

💡Direct Control

Direct control in the context of the video means the autonomy artists have over their content when using email newsletters. Unlike social media platforms where algorithms dictate reach, artists have full control over their email list, allowing them to send content directly to subscribers without interference. This control is highlighted as a significant advantage for building a personal connection with the audience.

💡Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are online services that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video script mentions platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where artists face challenges such as algorithm changes and shadowbanning. These platforms are contrasted with email newsletters, which offer a more direct and personal way for artists to reach their audience.

💡Opt-in

Opt-in refers to the process where individuals voluntarily choose to receive communications, such as email newsletters. The video emphasizes that once people opt-in to an artist's email list, the artist can communicate with them directly without the constraints of social media algorithms. This opt-in process ensures that the audience is engaged and interested in the content being sent.

💡Personalization

Personalization in the video script refers to the ability of artists to customize their email newsletters to reflect their unique style and voice. This can include adding personal touches, such as pictures of their workspace or pets, to make the communication more intimate and engaging. Personalization helps artists build a stronger connection with their subscribers by making the content feel more authentic and less like mass marketing.

💡Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is an incentive offered in exchange for contact information, often used to grow an email list. In the video, the speaker suggests creating a lead magnet as a strategy to encourage people to sign up for an artist's email newsletter. Examples given include offering free resources or digital products, which serve as a valuable exchange for the subscriber's email address.

💡Monetization

Monetization in the context of the video refers to the process of generating income from one's art, particularly through the use of email newsletters. The speaker discusses how artists can use their newsletters to market their artwork, sell prints, or promote other products or services. This is presented as an opportunity for artists to practice their sales and marketing skills and to build a sustainable income from their creative work.

💡Automation Opportunities

Automation opportunities refer to the use of automated systems to streamline and enhance marketing efforts. In the video, the speaker mentions email automation as a way for artists to set up sequences of emails that are sent out automatically based on triggers, such as a subscriber signing up for a specific newsletter. This allows artists to market their products more efficiently and maintain engagement with their audience without constant manual effort.

💡Passive Marketing

Passive marketing is a strategy where marketing efforts are set up to run with minimal ongoing effort after the initial setup. The video discusses how email automation can be used for passive marketing, allowing artists to reach their audience with minimal ongoing work. This is particularly useful for promoting evergreen products, such as courses or ebooks, where the content remains relevant and can be marketed repeatedly over time.

Highlights

Email newsletters offer a more effective and less stressful way for artists to sell their artwork compared to social media platforms.

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are increasingly suppressing posts that use off-platform directing language.

Once people subscribe to your email list, you have direct control over your communication with them, without algorithmic interference.

Email marketing feels more direct and personal than social media, allowing for a closer relationship with the audience.

Artists can customize the appearance of their emails to match their brand and send them at their desired frequency.

Ownership of the email list provides a sense of security, as it is not controlled by social media platforms.

Email newsletters enable artists to showcase their artwork and sell to their most engaged followers.

Artists can use their newsletters to share their creative process, inspirations, and personal journey to build a connection with subscribers.

Subscribers expect self-promotion in emails, providing an opportunity for artists to market their work without feeling intrusive.

Automation in email marketing allows for passive marketing strategies, such as automated sales campaigns for evergreen products.

Lead magnets, like free resources or tools, can be offered to encourage people to sign up for email newsletters.

Early access to shop updates can be a compelling incentive for subscribers to sign up for an artist's email list.

Squarespace has been crucial for the growth of the speaker's business, enabling easy selling of digital products and audience growth.

Squarespace's new courses feature allows artists to host and sell online courses on their own website.

Starting an email newsletter doesn't require a complex strategy; artists can simply talk about their work and interests.

Building a habit of writing a weekly email newsletter can help keep the artist top-of-mind for subscribers.

Email newsletters are a powerful marketing tool for artists, providing direct communication with engaged fans.

Transcripts

artists are constantly fighting tooth

and nail to get their work seen on

platforms like Instagram constantly

battling algorithm changes and more

expectations for when you should post

and what you should post and at what

frequency it's a whole mess but there's

a better way to sell your artwork that

is more effective and less stressful and

that's email newsletters so in this

video I want to talk about why I think

email newsletters are so great why they

have so much potential and how you can

get started and of course I wanted to

thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring

this

[Music]

video increasingly social media

platforms are punishing users creators

artists like us from pushing people off

platform platforms like Instagram and

Tik Tok are increasingly kind of like

shadowbanning or suppressing the reach

of posts that use words that push people

off platform phrases like Linkin bio are

increasingly being scrutinized because

they've been linked to a suppression of

reach and I think that is really

terrible luckily email marketing doesn't

have that problem once you have people

on your email list it just takes one

time to get them on your list all they

have to do is opt in once they are there

forever until they unsubscribe and

that's their choice to be there they've

decided that then you can take them on

an entire Journey convincing them to

purchase your products or at least

understand the appeal of what you have

to offer announce shop updates allow

them to get to know you build that

relationship without relying on that

social media platform you can sell as

much as you want within reason obviously

you don't want them to unsubscribe but

you can just do whatever you want and

know that they're going to see that post

they're going to see that email

newsletter they're going to read it and

you don't have to worry about policing

your language for an algorithm there are

three reasons why I think every artist

should have an email newsletter and the

first is the Direct Control that you

have over this list email marketing

often feels much more direct and

personal than things like Instagram

posts or even YouTube videos because

it's written by you often you know

hopefully in your own words you're not

Outsourcing into chat gbt you're writing

it from the heart and you mean it and

hopefully you're including you know

pictures of your cat or whatever you're

working on in the studio you're making

it your own you're making it personal

and I feel like that really helps build

a much closer relationship with audience

than something like Instagram just

because it there's an intimacy to it I

feel like when done correctly that's

really advantageous and you can also

engage with people literally directly

you can have them reply to your emails

and then start a conversation back and

forth between you and your hopeful new

collector you can also totally customize

the way your emails look depending on

the platform that you go with be it

MailChimp Squarespace beehive convert

kit flow desk whatever you can make it

look super super unique super you you

can totally brand it it can look exactly

how you want it to look and you can send

them as often as you want be that every

week or once a month or once every

quarter or just announcing your shop

updates it can really be at Whatever

frequency works best for you and you

don't have to worry about some you know

bizarre algorithm suppressing your reach

because you haven't posted in a in like

a couple weeks that's not a concern here

you can really write emails at your own

pace and have it be whatever you

want I think that's so powerful I'm so

tired of having to post all the time

it's really exhausting and email

newsletters provide a viable alternative

to the rat race of social media the

other big Advantage here is that you own

this list it's not owned by some massive

social media conglomerate this email

list is yours you can take it to

whatever platform you want and you can

switch providers whenever you want to

you can start out with MailChimp and

then switch over to Squarespace or bive

or flowes whatever you can change email

marketing providers whenever you want to

and your email is will stay with you and

I think there is a massive amount of

comfort with the knowledge that if your

main social media platform or wiped off

the face of the Earth Tomorrow you would

still be able to communicate with your

most engaged fans I.E your email list

the second reason that I think every

artist should have an email newsletter

is the ability to Showcase your artwork

and sell to your most engaged followers

you can use your email newsletters to

post whatever you want to but I think

the real power here is your ability to

Market your art and just share the

behind the scenes right you can really

make people care about you and your

journey by just talking about your

process your Inspirations your hopes

your dreams your journey as an artist

and update them on what's going on in

your life how is that shop update going

what are you learning this week in

school all of these things you can share

on your email list and you can also Mark

it to these people with the knowledge

that you're not bothering them they

opted into this they asked for you to

send them emails they said yes I want to

receive these emails and then you can

pitch yourself without feeling like

you're bothering them right without

feeling like you are I don't know

providing a burden or something that

you're just bugging them with these

spammy sales posts that's not the vibe

here you can sell and Market your

artwork and they signed up for that

there's an expectation that emails will

be used for self-promotion and as long

as you're not really spamming about it I

feel like you can do a lot here you can

Market an upcoming collection you can

pre- sell your prints if you're offering

them in a limited edition drop you can

advertise your solo exhibition you can

talk about your shop updates you can

really share whatever you want to share

you can monetize your email list and it

is an amazing opportunity to practice

marketing yourself pitching your

products like really feeling comfortable

and building that experience as a sales

person because I feel like as artists we

really are sales people at the end of

the day we have to kind of pitch our

artwork to make a living and that's a

skill you're not going to feel

comfortable with it at first but selling

first to your email list really helps

build that Comfort I think just that

that ease in yourself that confidence

that you know what you're doing and

you're not being a bother by selling and

promoting your work to the world and the

third reason why I think every artist

should have an email list are the

powerful automation opportunities for

Passive marketing I will admit

automations and like email automations

they don't work for every kind of

product right you probably don't want to

do this kind of thing for things like

shop updates but if you are selling more

Evergreen products things like courses

ebooks like tutorials guides maybe even

prints you can create automated sales

campaigns that activate on a trigger so

let's say that you are selling a course

on watercolor painting right and maybe

you make a YouTube video about it you

can have a particular sign up link to

your email newsletter in that video and

then when someone signs up to your

newsletter via that link they can start

automatically receiving just a whole

like sales email campaign of like maybe

seven emails every other day like just

one email every other day for you know

seven times pitching this product

selling this to them communicating its

value talking about how it helps people

and they can decide whether or not it's

for them but you are marketing that

product and they have signed up to

receive emails from you then when that

campaign is done hopefully they purchase

your course but if not that's fine then

they're added to your overall email list

but your email marketing tool will put a

little tag or a little label sort this

person into a bucket that says they're

interested in watercolor painting and

then whenever you want to advertise that

course or whenever you have anything

watercolor painting related you can send

an email to that segment of your email

list do you see how that power do you

see how powerful that is do you see the

advantages there

imagine being able to reach a thousand

people that you know are interested in

the thing that you're selling that they

signed up to receive sales emails from

you they know who you are they like you

they like your work and they see an

advantage in it and then you can access

them directly you can communicate to

them directly without any other platform

in the way no algorithm sitting between

you guys just direct communication to

your most passionate fans so now that

you understand the basics let's talk

about how you can actually get started

but before we do that I do want to

briefly thank the sponsor of this week's

video Squarespace I made over $188,000

last year just from digital products and

Squarespace is the reason that happened

Squarespace had has been crucial to the

growth of my business and I want you to

understand exactly how it can help you

Squarespace makes it easy to sell

physical or digital products display

your work grow your audience and so much

more their fluid engine allows you to

design your website exactly how you

would like and with their new courses

feature you can host and sell online

courses on your own website which is a

really cool addition every year

Squarespace adds brand new high value

features to their service so if you're

looking for the perfect tool to propel

your business to new heights click the

link in the description or go to

scores.com Kelsey Rodriguez and use code

Kelsey Rodriguez checkout to get 10% off

your first order of a website or domain

once you figure out who your email

marketing service provider is going to

be you probably want to figure out what

to write and how to grow your list right

so here's what I would recommend if you

do have have an active profile on social

media I would recommend that you create

something called a lead magnet a lead

magnet is like a reason for someone to

sign up for your email newsletter you

are giving them like a gift in return

right it can be as simple as like a PDF

resources page for I don't know the

colors in your palette or whatever it

could be a free photoshopper procreate

brush kit you could offer phone

wallpapers icon packs like any kind of

Easy Digital product that

someone might be interested in you offer

to that you offer that to them for free

in return for them signing up for your

email list you could also just have a QR

code or take signups at art fairs cafes

wherever you have your art wherever

you're selling in person and then you

can also of course just include a sign

up page in you know any Linkin bio

service generally I think it's good to

explicitly mention your email newsletter

that is a thing that you're doing that's

happening just to make peopleware that

it exists aside from just having you

know a link in your bio maybe you give

people that sign up to your email list

24-hour Early Access to shop updates

there are a few ceramic artists that I

know that do this and I have never

signed up to their email list so fast um

I've never signed up to an email list

faster just because their shop updates

sell out so quickly and it is so

valuable for me to be able to preview

what they're going to sell and to

hopefully snag something early before it

can be snatched up because some of these

ceramic artists that I really admire

their work sells out so fast and so for

me there really is a strong advantage in

me signing up for through email

newsletter just because it I I it's

worth it I know I'm going to get what I

want out of it it's a really good value

so yeah as you're marketing your art

just start collecting emails you can be

deliberate about it or you can to have

it running in the background I kind of

have mine running in the background for

now and I have for a while just because

it wasn't really a priority in my life

life for a long time and now it is going

to be hopefully fingers crossed but okay

you have figured out what platform

you're going to use and how you're going

to collect your emails now you got to

figure out what you're right that's kind

of the hard part right I would recommend

that you

don't throw yourself in the deep end

immediately because it's it's a hard

habit to get used to if you're not used

to writing all the time and I feel like

there is writer block that people

experience constantly when it comes to

email newsletters I started my email

newsletter back in like January and then

I posted maybe like five times and then

I didn't post for like seven

months and now I'm restarting it because

I just I just didn't know what to write

and I felt really nervous and insecure

that I was going to write something bad

and people weren't going to like it and

they were going to unsubscribe and so I

thought I was just better to not write

anything at all which is of course a

mistake but anyway here we are trying to

recover from that that

and I don't think that you should

overthink it just talk about whatever

you want to talk about talk about what

you were working on in the studio today

what projects you're working on they

don't have to be finished you can post

Works in progress just talk about your

Inspirations what you're learning what

you're focusing on maybe provide like

some educational tips if you want to if

that's your thing that's definitely my

thing as you can probably tell but it

doesn't have to be everyone's thing you

also don't have to post you also don't

have to write and send emails on a super

regular basis you can really just post

like shop update emails if you want to

every so often when it's you know when

it's applicable but I do think that it's

worth it to build a habit of eventually

writing an email newsletter once a week

if you have stuff to share just because

people forget that you exist they do it

sucks but they do and writing an email

once a week helps keep you kind of on

your customers Minds just so they know

you exist and yeah hopefully you have

some products they can purchase from you

that are not super linked to you know

monthly or quarterly shop

updates maybe you have a patreon maybe

you have a YouTube channel where you can

you know plug your latest video whatever

just talk about what's going on in your

life just talk about you know what's new

with you don't overthink it really don't

overthink it and if you're agonizing

over what you're right in your first

email just pick any topic it does not

matter I waited a good couple years

before I sent an email to my email list

and I had a couple thousand people on it

at that point and I had like a 60% open

rate so 60% of the people that I sent

that email to opened it which is very

good in email marketing and I didn't

introduce myself I didn't like be like

hi this is me thank you for joining I

was just like hi here you are here I am

let's talk about you know whatever I

wanted to talk about I think it was like

AI art lawsuits at the time and that was

like the thing that I wanted to talk

about in that email newsletter and I

just did so don't overthink it just pick

any topic just write it if you are

really truly extremely nervous and

you're also not writing to anyone on

your list just send it to yourself just

get in the habit of writing one email

newsletters are truly amazing marketing

tools for artist s the ability to

connect directly to your most engaged

fans without an algorithm standing in

your way just cannot be overstated the

value to that you know what I mean

anyway I have been trying to film this

video for forever and I have to get it

done tonight so that is going to be it

for me hopefully you guys enjoyed kind

of the insight into my process here with

this footage that I've overlaid over the

top of this video I am planning on

posting a studio Vlog very soon so stay

tuned for that and there is a plane

overhead anyway that's it for me bye