October 2, 2006

Scott Holloway asks: "I have heard you talk about there being no reason why you shouldn't get about 10 new email addresses a week (or something like that) and it always makes me stop and think. How?"

Great question, Scott. Here's what I know:

The higher the quality of the content of your emails, newsletter or website, the more requests you'll get from people to send them your emails. And the more requests you have, the more email addresses you'll have.

It sounds simple, but it takes time and deliberate effort. Inboxes are packed these days and you have to compete with everything else that's zooming through the virtual world. See "Entice Me," an article I wrote earlier this year.

Once you have great content--once people truly look forward to getting your emails because they're funny, helpful, or fascinating--grabbing more email addresses will be a piece of cake. But not until this time. You can't expect a lot of email sign-ups until you can deliver great stuff.

Here's what you do . . .

1. Set up a system on your website that captures email addresses. Your Web guru should know how to do this. You just need to know how to download the information and add it to your address book.

2. Post sample emails, newsletters, and content on that same page. People don't sign up for mailing lists these days unless they know exactly what they're getting. Tell them how often they can expect to hear from you and what they'll be getting. Be witty, funny, colorful. And, oh, yes, add a privacy statement that says you won't be sharing their address with anyone else. See how I've done this.

3. Send your first fascinating email to everyone you know. Ask them to please forward it and to ask others to sign up for your mailings. If they're not enthralled with the content, you can bet your bottom dollar that they won't bother passing it on. Make certain you have good stuff.

4. Whenever you meet new people, get their business cards. When you get back to your computer, email them your latest news. Tell them it was nice to meet them and you'd like to keep them updated about your art. If they're not interested, let them know all they have to do is ask to be removed from your list. If they are interested, encourage them to share the news with their friends.

5. If you have a niche market, be sure to write for that audience and share the info with them. If it's helpful, they'll pass it on.

6. If you don't ask, you won't get it. Always encourage your news to be forwarded. Always ask people to sign up on their own on your website.

7. Give people who sign up something special. Maybe it's a quote that you have designed with your art around it. They can print it off and hang it on their bulletin board. I give away all kinds of free stuff to subscribers (you!). If, by chance, you missed it, here's that thank-you page.

8. Always, always adhere to the U.S. anti-spam laws, which require any commercial email to have a real postal address and a clear way for recipients to easily unsubscribe.

DO THIS! ACTION STEPS TO TAKE

KNOW THIS
More email addresses will come when you provide great content.

THINK ABOUT THIS
Would you sign up for a mailing list if you didn't know what you'd be receiving or how often?

DO THIS
Collect more email addresses by making your email, newsletters, and website irresistible. When people start talking about what you have to say, they'll flock to you.

Tell us how you build your mailing list on the Art Biz Blog.