6 Strategies to Effectively Grow Your Art Newsletter
Building a strong online presence is challenging. 😰
Let alone nurturing a tight-knit community of advocates and buyers!
51.2% of small businesses lack clear marketing strategies and objectives, and 37.4% of them struggle to find effective marketing channels to invest in for their growth. (Semrush)
The art field makes no exception.
So, how do you overcome this predicament and finally achieve your goals?
One profitable and impactful way to…
Amplify your reach and influence
Engage with wider audiences
Build a remarkable presence that people love (76% of consumers expect this from a brand)
…is to grow your art newsletter!
Yes, you heard me.
The good, old emails still drive the highest return on investment for a business ($36 for every dollar spent!), helping you connect with your ideal customers and extend awareness through inspiring, trusted content. 🤯
But how do you write a high-converting artist newsletter?
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll delve into six hands-on methods to design an art newsletter that’ll enchant targeted leads and boost your authority like crazy!
Let's go!
Grow Your Art Newsletter - Table of Contents
The Importance of Email Marketing for the Arts
6 Easy Steps to Growing Your Art Newsletter From Scratch
FAQ - Grow Your Art Newsletter
The Importance of Email Marketing for the Arts
Developing an email strategy is a crucial step in your art marketing endeavors.
It…
Lets you stay in touch with fans and followers while showcasing new artworks and highlighting your art career.
Gives you more freedom than social media platforms as you control your content without being at the mercy of third-party policies and algorithms’ changes.
Facilitates intimate connections between you and your audience through personal stories about your creative process and exclusive content inviting subscribers into your world.
Helps you gain exposure with valuable information about upcoming exhibitions, behind-the-scenes, collaborations, interviews, etc.
By growing your art newsletter, you establish trust with your existing audience, keeping them excited about what comes next.
Plus, you attract new subscribers with similar interests/passions, setting the basis of a staunch community enamored with your art.
What makes this possible?
Your content.
Or better, helpful, crisp content that meets people’s desires, spurring them to communicate with you and stay committed for the long term.
The following paragraphs will show you how to implement the right strategy to get the most out of your emails.
6 Easy Steps to Growing Your Art Newsletter From Scratch
It’s time to build and grow your art newsletter!
Sure, it takes time, effort, and thorough market research to write compelling emails for your audience.
But these six key steps will ease the whole content creation process, getting you closer to your end goals.
Let’s dive in!
1. Create Engaging Content for Your Art Newsletter
Crafting resonating content for your artist newsletter is essential to your brand’s success.
To grow an email list from scratch, start outlining copy that grabs readers’ attention and interest.
Glimpses into your creative work, seasonal offers about selling your art online, live webinars, art blog post updates, or any other relevant topic regarding your niche are all great ideas that’ll make your subscribers eager to receive more.
Here’s how to structure your emails.
Short Yet Catchy Subject Lines
One of the most critical components of your art newsletter is ideating an attractive subject line that stands out in the inbox.
The best practice is to keep it short (under 60 characters, as longer ones tend to get cut off) yet compelling enough to get people to open and read your message.
Also:
Avoid vague phrases like "Newsletter #5" or "Monthly Update” to use instead descriptive language - with action verbs, specific keywords, and an active tone - that informs readers about what's inside (if you're promoting an exhibition, try something like "Sneak Peek: My Next Exhibition Revealed").
Where appropriate, create urgency through scarcity tactics like limited-time offers or content available to list members only to get your emails opened and read.
Use personalization elements like including recipient names in the heading to increase engagement rates and build authenticity.
The four emotions to focus on to grow your art newsletter. (CoSchedule)
People expect credibility and thoughtfulness from you, so personalize the subject line with your unique brand voice, make it purposeful, and offer consistent value.
A good first impression will get your email campaigns flying high!
Personal Stories About Artistic Processes
Connecting with your readers deeply through personal stories about your creative process or explaining the motivation behind certain pieces of work will humanize you as an artist - making it easier for people to relate and invest in your activity.
Write about a recent experience that has inspired a new series of paintings or share works-in-progress pictures with anecdotes about challenges you’ve overcome during their creation.
This way, you’ll give insights into your artsy world and solidify your reputation!
Unique High-Quality Visuals
Including on-brand quality images, gifs, or short videos in your artist newsletter can be incredibly impactful - especially if they’re original!
40% of people respond better to visual information than text.
That’s because this content format:
Sticks in long-term memory.
Transmits concepts and messages faster.
Enhances comprehension and good communication.
Triggers emotions.
Motivates to take action.
So why not use it consistently in your emails?
Through visuals, you’ll give subscribers something memorable that enhances their reading experience and inspires them to follow your future newsletters.
Links to Relevant Podcasts and YouTube Videos
Another strategic way to create enticing content for your art newsletter and position yourself as an authoritative figure in the art world is to add links to relevant podcasts or YouTube videos.
Whether it’s about sharing your channels, a collaboration with a fellow artist, an interview as a special guest, or a simple recommendation on your favorite podcasters, you’ll offer the audience inventive opportunities to know you and bond with your personal brand.
2. Encourage People to Subscribe
Encouraging those you regularly interact with to join your email list requires time, grit, and patience.
However, it’s an excellent approach to growing your art newsletter from scratch.
Let’s see how to put this into action.
Attract New Subscribers With Lead Magnets
There’s no better way to attract new subscribers than by offering lead magnets.
A lead magnet is a free incentive (an ebook, a video tutorial, a checklist, a discount code, etc.) offered to your audience through your website, blog, and social media in exchange for their name and email address.
The idea behind it is simple: people are more likely to submit their personal information if they feel like they're getting something valuable in return.
By providing a solution-driven offer based on an urgent need/pain point, you give them a good reason to sign up for your newsletter.
Lead magnet example. (Lisa Lammi Art)
But there’s more!
With lead magnets, you:
Expand your reach and the number of subscriptions.
Draw better quality leads (those who opt-in for a lead magnet are already interested in what you offer, making them willing to convert).
Showcase your expertise (you provide value upfront before someone even becomes a paying customer or client).
Most importantly, you nurture a solid “fellowship” that fosters you and is ready to invest in your work!
Interact With Your Online Community
The more you engage with your audience, the more chances you have to grow your art newsletter online.
The key is to show up consistently on your digital platforms and keep the conversation going through resonating content.
A few tips:
Other than displaying your artworks, use social media to promote events that attendees can get exclusive access to only via your newsletter (this type of offering will entice more users into subscribing!).
Join online discussions, forums, or social media groups in the art field to share valuable insights, interact with people, and invite them to subscribe to your list.
Include CTAs (calls to action) linking to an opt-in page like a lead magnet or a newsletter form.
Use cross-promotion with other artists or organizations in similar niches to build a mutually beneficial relationship that helps grow both subscriber lists.
Over time, you’ll not only get more sign-ups, but you’ll also strengthen your brand presence and impact on those you serve.
3. Optimize Your Website & Social Media Channels for Opt-ins
To grow your art newsletter, you need to optimize your website and social media for opt-ins.
This will let potential subscribers find and sign up for your artist newsletter more quickly.
The following strategies will show you how.
Add Subscribe Forms on Main Pages
Placing a subscribe form on your website's main pages and blog is ideal to urge visitors to join your email list.
Make sure it…
Is clear and straightforward to fill in to ease the sign-up process
Has an eye-catching design that matches your brand's aesthetic
Includes a strong CTA driving users to join
Offers an incentive like a welcome gift or a discount as a reward for subscribing
…and is constantly displayed on your site so visitors won’t miss it!
Email form example. (Tinika)
Protip: though annoying it may seem, an email pop-up can reach a conversion rate of up to 7.65% - embed it on the homepage and test its effectiveness based on the number of leads it attracts.
Share Your Newsletter Link on Social Media
Social media platforms are a great place to feature your art newsletter.
From sharing links in your profile to creating informative captions about what readers will get inside your mailing list and promoting your exclusive email content through teaser images/videos and live chats, you have multiple opportunities to expand your community of loyal subscribers.
Be inventive when posting about it and stay consistent!
4. Network With Arts Organizations
Collaborating with arts organizations yields additional networking possibilities, including increased subscriber numbers.
Similar groups often bring together like-minded people within the art and culture world, making them an excellent resource for growing your art newsletter.
By attending their events, workshops, and conferences, you'll get to connect with new audiences - and potential email fans!
What’s more, you’ll:
Team up with curators, gallery owners, and other art professionals who may be willing to join your community.
Make unique experiences in the creative sector.
Receive promotional support that gives you wider exposure and popularity.
Seek art institutions or agencies in your area, and use the power of networking to scale your brand!
5. Offer Incentives for New Subscribers
To entice potential subscribers even further, consider offering exclusive benefits upon signing up for your email list.
Some ideas include:
Giving away free content and gadgets like an e-book with tips on how to improve your creative process, a video tutorial, printable artworks, or custom stickers.
Sending out discount codes to buy original pieces from your online store or tickets to exhibitions about your works.
Hosting social media contests and email challenges (for example, "30 Days of Sketching Challenge" where each day participants receive different prompts and fresh ideas on how to sketch straight in their inbox).
Offering special deals and promotions for subscribers only, like bonuses or early access invitations.
Whatever you share, providing value to your desired audience is what matters to grow your art newsletter and create a lasting community around your art brand.
6. Diversify Income Streams with Your Art Newsletter
Sending out emails regularly is key to maintaining engagement with your subscriber list.
And what better way to stick into your readers’ minds than through gripping content hyping your offers?
Your art newsletter could easily become a money-making machine if you know how to go about it (emails are, in fact, 40x more effective at acquiring clients than social media!).
Look at these three ways to start monetizing your creative work.
Memberships
A membership site allows members to learn from you, gain access to educational content catered to them, and network with like-minded people, art enthusiasts, and professionals in the industry.
You’ll get endless benefits from it - from generating recurring revenue (with a monthly or yearly fee) to earning loyalty and brand recognition through the invaluable information you share there.
Workshops
Hosting virtual workshops is a promising source of income, while still offering value to your target audience.
It’s ideal to share your expertise and amplify visibility, but also to nurture trust with helpful, quality content.
When promoting a paid meeting in your newsletter, give details about what attendees will learn and how they'll benefit from participating - by showing them practical results, they’ll be more inclined to buy!
Digital Courses
If you have expertise in a particular area of art-making, like watercolor painting techniques or printmaking processes, consider planning a digital course that helps people achieve their goals through your knowledge.
You could break down each course into modules covering different topics, attach worksheets, templates, and other ready-to-use resources to each lesson, and also include a community area for feedback, Q&As, and insights.
By leveraging your paid offers through your art newsletter, you’ll create a sustainable business model that supports your activity, generates income, and boosts customer generation.
FAQ - Grow Your Art Newsletter
How do I measure the success of my art newsletter?
Analyze the success of your art newsletter by tracking KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribe rates.
These metrics will show how well your content resonates with subscribers and what areas need improvement.
Protip: for industry-specific comparisons, consider using benchmark reports.
What types of content should I include in my art newsletter?
To keep the interest high, make sure to incorporate a variety of content in your art newsletter.
Content ideas like…
Showcasing new projects/exhibitions/events
Sharing personal experiences and stories related to artistic processes/inspirations/challenges
Featuring interviews with fellow artists, curators, and other experts
Delivering PDFs, tutorials, or webinars about different aspects of your art
…are all great ways to engage your audience and form lasting relationships with them.
How often should I send out my art newsletter?
The ideal frequency depends on multiple factors, including your audience’s preferences, available time/resources, and content goals.
Sending weekly newsletters is preferable, but it’s ultimately up to you to decide what suits best for your brand.
Based on your subscribers’ feedback and content performance, adjust your publishing schedule, monitor your emails’ open and engagement rates, and keep prioritizing the quality and value of your content (that’s what people expect, after all!).
Doing so will help you devise the best strategy for your artist newsletter.
How can I increase engagement with my art newsletter subscribers?
The most effective way is to craft inspiring, authentic content for your readers.
Focus on:
Personalizing the email subject lines and body text.
Segmenting your audience for targeted messaging.
Including clear CTAs.
Asking for feedback through comments or surveys.
Experimenting with different formats/layouts/designs to optimize the user experience.
With this approach, you’ll maximize the success of your email marketing efforts.
What email marketing software should I use?
Choosing an appropriate service provider tailored to your specific requirements is paramount.
Among the multiple options available on the market, Convertkit is one of the most user-friendly ones.
It’s an all-in-one email marketing software offering helpful features like plug-and-play templates, email segmentation, automation workflows, A/B testing, and more.
It’s easy to use (even for non-techies!), customizable, and designed to ensure that all your content is efficiently delivered to your target recipients.
Grow Your Art Newsletter Today!
You’ve made it to the end! 🥳
With the six key tactics outlined in this guide, you’re all set to grow your art newsletter successfully.
To recap:
Bond with your audience through remarkable email content that speaks to them.
Research the market, share your expertise, and start conversations within the art industry.
Optimize your website and social media channels for email opt-ins.
Partner with arts organizations to boost your presence and reach new audiences.
Use your newsletter to promote your offers and skyrocket profits.
Measure your email performance metrics for improvements and better results.
Building an effective subscriber list is hard work, but the perks of strategic email marketing are undeniable.
Keep going, and you’ll see your art brand fly high! 🚀
Need guidance with growing your art newsletter and developing stellar content that attracts customers across all channels? Let’s connect!
