Welcome to part two of email marketing for photographers. 💌 Last week, we covered the benefits of email marketing, why it’s something you should be thinking about in your business, and softwares I recommend for getting started. It’s crucial to choose the right email marketing service that aligns with your specific needs, offers photography-specific templates, and provides functionalities like analytics and automation. This week, I’m giving you the best way to get people to subscribe to your email list and what to actually send them once they’re on your list. We’ll be covering how a well-crafted photography email marketing strategy can lead to more sales in your photography business by implementing a comprehensive photography email marketing strategy.
Benefits of Email Marketing for Your Photography Business
Email marketing is a powerful tool for photographers to connect with their audience, promote their work, and build their brand. Here are some benefits of email marketing for your photography business:
Cost-effective solution for reaching your audience
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience and promote your photography business. With email marketing, you can send targeted and personalized messages to your subscribers without breaking the bank. Unlike other forms of marketing, email marketing allows you to reach a large audience without incurring significant costs. This means you can allocate your budget to other essential areas of your business, like upgrading your equipment or investing in professional development.
Personalized messages to build loyalty and credibility
One of the standout features of email marketing is the ability to send personalized messages to your subscribers. This helps build loyalty and credibility with your audience. By segmenting your email list and creating targeted campaigns, you can ensure that your messages are relevant and engaging to your subscribers. For instance, if you’re a wedding photographer, you can send tailored tips and inspiration to couples planning their big day. This personalized approach not only builds trust but also establishes your photography business as a credible and reliable source.
Ownership of contact lists for long-term marketing
With email marketing, you own your contact lists, which means you have control over your marketing efforts. Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms can change and impact your reach, email marketing allows you to connect with your audience directly and maintain a long-term relationship with them. This ownership ensures that you can consistently reach your subscribers with your latest work, promotions, and updates, without worrying about changes in social media algorithms. It’s a reliable way to keep your audience engaged and informed about your photography business.
Email Marketing Strategy for Your Photography Business
So You’re All Set Up… Now What?
You did it! You’re all set up on your email marketing platform/service/software, you’re ready to get those subscribers…. now what? How do you get people to join your list?
Well, when I first started my email list, I started by going onto social media, my Instagram and my Facebook, and I basically said: “Hey, I’m starting a newsletter, you should sign up to receive it!” Low and behold, I quickly realized that those who subscribed were just a few close friends and my mom.
I realized I needed a better tactic. I needed something that was really going to entice people to subscribe. And, I needed something that was going to give people value! Utilizing sign-up forms on social media and websites to attract subscribers proved to be an effective strategy. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Create A Lead Magnet Or Freebie For Your Email Marketing
You want to create a digital piece of value – an email template, a PDF, a checklist of some kind – to incentivize your audience to get on your list.
Here are just a few ideas for lead magnets that can attract potential clients to your email list. I have seen photographers do this in a number of ways! Some examples of a freebie to create as a lead magnet for your photography business are:
- A Timeline
- A Guide for what couples can wear for their session
- Tips for looking your best in front of the camera
Basically, anything that will help your ideal, potential clients get one step closer to choosing you as their photographer is a great idea for a lead magnet! Additionally, you can use email marketing campaigns to promote these lead magnets and attract more subscribers.
Offer Something of Value
Think about what would get you to sign up for someone’s email list. Would you blindly hand your email address over if you didn’t think you would be gaining some insight of value? Of course you wouldn’t! A compelling email subject line is crucial to increase open rates and ensure your emails are not overlooked or end up in the spam folder.
It helps to really put yourself in your ideal client’s shoes. What questions do they have and what problems are they facing? Most importantly, what could you give them to bring them closer to working with you?
What Should You Be Sending Your Potential Clients In Your Email Marketing Campaigns
Once you have a few subscribers, you might be wondering about a photography email marketing strategy. What should you send them? How can you keep engaging with them so they don’t immediately unsubscribe?
The first thing I would do is immediately welcome them to your list. You also want to give them some expectations. Let them know:
- How often will you send email campaigns and they will hear from you
- What kind of content to expect from you
- And let them know why they should stay subscribed
- Engage with existing clients through personalized emails, offering discounts and nurturing leads over time
- PRO TIP: You can offer exclusive offers of early bird announcements to your email list to incentivize subscribers to STAY on your list!
For example, if you are a wedding photographer, you can send personalized emails to connect with past clients and attract new ones by offering value-driven content that addresses their needs and concerns.
Nurture Sequence
When you welcome people to your email list, this can be done beautifully in a series of emails called a nurture sequence. A nurture sequence first welcomes your audience to the list, gives them the promised free value, and then continues to let them get to know you and your business!
Using email service providers can help automate and optimize the nurture sequence.
Link Some Of Your Best Work
One thing you can do to value pack your nurture sequences is repurpose some of your best blog content in your email marketing efforts. Link some of your best, most helpful blog posts or videos in your emails to keep them engaged. Use social media platforms to drive traffic to these links.
Continue To Provide Value
I like to send an email out to my list about once a week. And every week I give them:
- Tips and Tricks on how to grow a profitable photography business
- How to stand out in a saturated market
- Early releases to all of my products and services
It is super important to let your subscribers hear from you regularly and to keep providing valuable information to them. Additionally, avoiding the spam folder is crucial to ensure your emails are delivered and reach your subscribers’ inboxes.
Building and Growing Your Email List
Building and growing your email list is essential for a successful email marketing strategy. Here are some tips to help you create a sign-up pop-up to promote your regular photography email:
Create a “sign-up” pop-up to promote your regular photography email
Creating a sign-up pop-up is an effective way to promote your regular photography email and encourage visitors to subscribe to your list. Here are some tips to help you create a sign-up pop-up:
- Use a clear and compelling headline: Your headline should grab attention and clearly state the benefit of signing up. For example, “Get Exclusive Photography Tips and Offers!”
- Offer a free resource or incentive: Encourage visitors to subscribe by offering something valuable, like a free guide on posing tips or a discount on your services.
- Keep the sign-up form simple: Make it easy for visitors to subscribe by only asking for essential information, such as their name and email address.
- Place the sign-up pop-up in a prominent location: Ensure your pop-up is visible by placing it on high-traffic pages like your homepage or blog.
- Use a timer or animation: Make your pop-up more engaging with a timer or subtle animation to catch visitors’ attention without being intrusive.
By following these tips, you can create a sign-up pop-up that effectively promotes your regular photography email and encourages visitors to subscribe to your list. This will help you grow your email list and enhance your email marketing strategy, ultimately leading to more engagement and potential clients for your photography business.
That’s it for part two of email marketing for photographers. Which of these email strategies works best in your area? Do you currently have an email list for your photography business? Let me know over in my PhotoBoss Facebook Group!
