Today I’m hosting Alyson B. Stanfield, author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. Alyson is here as part of the blog tour to help promote the book and is also giving away a free copy!!! More on how to win your free copy at the end of this post!She’s invited me to ask a question related to the book (which I LOVED!!!), so here goes . . .
Alyson, I have a free email newsletter service that I use through yahoogroups.com it allows me to collect email addresses and do text only newsletter mailings. I have looked at places like Constant Contact but they cost about $30 a month for their service, which feels like a lot of money a year. Do you think I am doing myself a disservice by having a text only email newsletter?
Claudine, this is a great question and I wish I had a great answer for you. It seems like the Yahoo Group is working for you and I’d hate to rock the boat. However, I guess that’s why I’m here--to rock your boat!
What I’d ask you to do is consider WHY you have a newsletter and WHAT you want the newsletter to do for you. You have a super blog and I imagine it’s a little difficult to create content for both the blog and the newsletter. Perhaps it’s time to rethink what your newsletter is all about and what it can be. You have a huge following. You truly need a Claudine Hellmuth Fan Club. I’ll be your first member!
Is a newsletter something you could charge for that would offset the cost of the $30/month? Your subscribers (fans) could pay, say, $10 a year and get something special just for them each month. Of course, if you say it’s monthly, you have to do it monthly.
With a “pretty” newsletter (one with pictures), you are more likely to sell. What could you sell that would make up for the cost?
With a “pretty” newsletter, you’re more likely to have the content forwarded and shared with others--expanding exponentially the Claudine Hellmuth Fan Club.
I wouldn’t recommend these tactics to every artist. But you have a loyal following. It seems like a natural outgrowth and might unify your Web site, blog, and newsletter.
What do you think?
You have so many good ideas! And you have a great point that the added images to the newsletter might boost sales of my artworks and custom works enough where it more than pays for the added cost. But I'm not sure I would feel comfortable charging for a newsletter. If I did charge wouldn't that put people off signing up for my newsletter? And isn't the idea to get as many people on your newsletter list as possible?
Yes! The point is to get more sign-ups. So, let’s assume that’s your goal: to collect names and email addresses. Great. Fine. All good. But you have to use it or it’s not of much value. I get the feeling that you don’t use your list very often. And you have more than 2000 people on it! Two-thousand+ people dying to hear from you.
I do worry when I send the newsletter that I am bugging people so I put it off and I put it off. I feel that the blog is more passive so when people want to read about me they do it on their terms rather than me jumping into their email box.
Claudine, you need to get over this fear. You have more than 2000 people who want to know what you’re up to! They signed up because they want to hear from you. Have you ever considered the opposite: that you’re being selfish by not sharing the information? Okay, that’s a stretch, but think about it for a minute. Keeping the information to yourself isn’t giving your subscribers what they want.
Here’s what I’m going to suggest: Create a plan that incorporates your newsletter, blog, and Web site. How will they work together? How will each be different and have its own purpose? And, yes, use your images as much as possible. That’s why you have such a following. Sure, you have a terrific, warm personality, but we love the art. We want to see more of it! Keeping it to yourself bums out the rest of us?
Thanks, Alyson! I am excited to come up with a plan. Your book is full of motivating ideas all to help artists get more work and maximize their marketing efforts. I love love love this book!
Now for the book giveaway!!
For anyone interested in winning a free copy of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, visit this site, read the instructions, and enter. Your odds are good as she’s giving away a free copy on most of the blog tour stops. You can increase your odds by visiting the other blog tour stops and entering on those sites as well.Now for the book giveaway!!
EDITED 4/7/08:
Mary Catherine you are the contest winner of Alyson's book! I will contact you so I can send you out your copy! yay!
