The last several weeks, we've been discussing how to increase your art sales by using email (and phone) campaigns to focus attention on your art work.  We discussed that the best and easiest place to start is by contacting people within your own "circle of influence."  After contacting people you know, you can "expand" your efforts by asking for referals.  When done properly, this method should provide you with an endless stream of prospective clients.

Lest you think that this is all theoretical, here is an actual email we recieved from one of our clients, CZ:

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Your newsletter is very good! I have been sending e-newsletters out for a little over a year now and they have gleaned real, hard dollar results.

The suggestions you make [in you newsletters] is just how I have done it.

I sent the first [newsletter] to all my friends and family, plus any clients who had provided me with e-mail addresses.

Last year, I got about $6000 in sales as a direct result of the e-newsletters, which was about 15% of my overall sales.

The things I have focused on are:

- including new pictures on the note. [Ed Note:  This can be done by including an image in HTML emails or by including a low resolution image as an attachment.] Even if they [the customer] don't go to the site, they get an idea of what is new there.

- I include the names of my galleries in most of my newsletters.

- my tone is very conversational. As part of keeping an ongoing dialog, I invite people to write me back with what they are doing or if they have any questions. I used to get lots of notes back, but now the interested people send a note about once or twice a year... they typically say "I like seeing your artwork... keep me on your list".
So, I know they are looking.

- although a link to my site shows up automatically as part of sending the note through my FASO website, I got comments from some people that the link didn't work.
They were looking at the note at work, so maybe the companies had software to prevent it. So, in my PS, I say, if the link below doesn't work, type in "www.CZ.com".

- I send out a newsletter after each time I have completed 7 or 8 new pieces, which translates to one newsletter about every month and a half.

Finally, I do add people that have shown an interest in my work without their permission. I tell them they can always opt out of getting the newsletter, but no one has done that. Typically, I get notes saying Thanks for adding me. (But, I do this gingerly and only if they have really shown an interest.)

That's it. I always see a bump in my web traffic after the newsletter. The improved sales shows the effectiveness.

Keep up the good work!
- CZ

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Thanks CZ.  I applaud your efforts and congratulations on your success! 

The email campaign you have outlined is exactly the type of continuous, ongoing, marketing effort that I have been talking about on my blog and in these newsletters.

After cogitating upon your email campaign program, here are some other suggestions that I think you (or anyone else reading this) need to implement to increase your results even more:

1.  Implement a daily , regular routine to communicate with people on your list PERSONALLY, in addition to the newsletters.

2.  Ask people who have bought your work, who you know very well, or who have supported you in some other way for REFERRALS.

3.  Contact the referrals and add them to the list, so that your potential list is ever-expanding.

4.  Don't be shy about asking for support.  Support can mean purchasing artwork, providing referrals, or providing a link to your web site.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman And Art Fanatic

PS:  For a complete overview of our recommended process for conducting an email campaign please visit the following link: