When was the last time your email was creative?
Posted by admin on 11 Mar 2008 at 08:43 pm | Tagged as: Tips for Artists
When was the last time your email was creative?
You get ‘em. I get ‘em. Artist emails. Written like the world is just begging for any contact from them. Forgetting that most of the people on their email list don’t care nearly as much as the artist thinks they do.
I’m an artist. And I’m very sensitive to the limited attention span of my friends, casual fans, and even my most die-hard “oh my god he’s so great” fans. Truth is, even the most anti-social cat these days gets more email than he wants. Meow.
So what to do?
Entertain! Be creative! And chill out!
1. Entertain - Spend some extra time to make your emails fun, interesting, and compelling. Make your mailing list actually look forward to your emails. Get at least a chuckle out of them. You can do it!
2. Be creative - Ask yourself, “How could I get this message across in a different way than people expect?” Is there a fun picture I could attach to this? If you can’t do html or attach pictures in your emails, maybe you could put a really fun message on your website or blog, and just direct people to that page with your email.
3. Chill out - Don’t wear people out with too many details. Don’t email more than a few times per month, unless you can subdivide your mailing list. Are you sending your California dates to your fans in Georgia? Why? Don’t email like you are double-parked and running out the door as soon as you hit “send.”
Consider hitting just one or two highlights per email, and including a link to somewhere where they can get more information.
Maybe humor isn’t your thing (see Scrooge below). But you can also be inspiring, witty, or soulful. Or you can borrow, like any good writer or speaker does. Get a book of quotes, google some funny pictures… whatever works for you. Just don’t be dull!
Want an example?
Here’s one I’m proud of, which I used to promote my new children’s book.
— this is the email I sent, but I wasn’t able to attach any pictures. So the link at the bottom is where it gets really creative. —
Subject: Good news about the “Giraffe” book!
Hello You Anonymous Fan,
Picture this Christmas Story.
Fran: “If I Had a Giraffe” gets honorable mention in the 2007 DIY Book Convention. Not a bad start! I’m so freakin’ Merry!
Scrooge: There goes Fran… tootin’ his horn again!
Fran: You can preview and order the book the book at lulu.com, but I wanted you to know that I’m making 50 signed and numbered copies of the first pressing available through our website. It’s a soft-bound book and the colors really bring the story to life.
Scrooge: Sounds like the Ghost of Christmas Present! Or a sales pitch.
Fran: I’ll be packaging these up myself, so I can offer a nice quantity discount for those who want a few copies. All books will be signed and numbered.
Scrooge: Signed by who? Someone famous?
Fran: Uh, click here to see this great offer.
http://fivelittlemonkeysmusic.com/present.html
Scrooge: In my day, we didn’t have to click anything… O.K. - I can’t resist.
——-
Scrooge appears courtesy of Charles Dickens and ripped-off art from the web. Bring it on, lawyer beyatch.
(actually, please don’t sue me - I’ll remove the image if it’s your precious property. I’m sorry. I’m very sorry.)
