email marketing for...

© 2011 PhotoShelter, Inc. • EMAIL MARKETING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS • 1

EMAIL MARKETINGFOR PHOTOGRAPHERSPhotoShelter researchMay 2011


INTROducTION .......................................................................... 3cOST ANd LEAd GENERATION ................................................... 4EMAIL bEST PRAcTIcES .............................................................. 5ANATOMy OF AN EMAIL............................................................. 6EMAIL SERvIcE PROvIdERS ........................................................ 7cASE STudy: LEAH FASTEN ......................................................... 8cASE STudy: NEd LEARy ............................................................ 9cASE STudy: MIKE SHIPMAN ....................................................10A SwEET dIScOuNT TO TRy PHOTOSHELTER ..............................11

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PhotoShelter, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accurracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specfically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation.

Save a tree. Think before you print.This PDF contains hyperlinks to resources on the Internet. Trees can’t do that.


Because ESPs specialize in email deliverability, they often have features and performance metrics that far surpass what are available through your personal email account. These include:

• Open rates (OR): % of people who opened your email• Click thru rates (CTR): % of people who clicked on a link within your

email• Deliverability: how many e-mails actually made it to the recipient• Templates: well-designed templates that are designed for

deliverability• Spam checking: some providers provide a mechanism where you

can check whether your email will likely be flagged as spam based on an analysis of its content.

• “Widgets” that you can insert into your website to collect e-mails (e.g. “Sign up for my newsletter”)

• Multi-part MIME: support for both HTML and text-based email clients.

Sending an email is an interruptive activity, so you should understand why you are doing it. Is your email informational? Promotional? With what frequency can you commit to sending? Are you willing to spend the time to create collateral content (e.g. blog posts, new work) to link to from your emails?

Email marketing is one of many techniques you can employ to promote your business. But like any other technique, you need to consider how it fits into your overall marketing plan. Consistency and cohesiveness of your marketing efforts will always garner better results than a willy nilly approach. Measuring the return on your investment as compared to other activities you can be doing will help you decide if emailing is worth your time and money.

INTROducTION

E-mail marketing is a proven way to gain new clients and keep old clients abreast of your current work. Although it was commonplace to send emails from your personal account a few years ago, it’s much more common for photographers to use an Email Service Provider (ESP) – particularly because the CAN-SPAM act of 2003 requires certain items like an unsubscribe mechanism.


EMAIL MARKETING PROS & cONSEmail marketing helps address client acquisition and client management. But like any marketing activity, it comes with pros and cons:

Pros: • Targetable: Segment your list to slice into specific demographics• Affordable• Drives new traffic• Testable/trackable: Analytics gives you purview into how people are

interacting with your email• Tells your story: Personalize the email to convey your brand and story• Shareable: Emails can be passed on and subscribed to by others

Cons:• Contributes to inbox clutter• Intrusive• Decreasing effectiveness• DIY requires skill

dEFINING AN AudIENcEWhile it may be tempting to amass as large a list as possible, effective marketing hinges upon communicating with a qualified audience. When you can identify a qualified audience, you’ll reduce your costs and their annoyance factor. Here are a few things to consider:

• Know what your prospects want and need• Solve a problem; deliver value• Think seasonally and know your clients’ planning cycles• Do your homework – prospective clients know if you’re unfamiliar

with their business• Segment your lists into logical chunks

Most ESPs will allow you to upload and maintain multiple lists. Consider maintaining different lists (e.g. according to publication type) and treating these lists differently with tailored communications. This will enhance the effectiveness and response rate for your campaigns.


cOST & LEAd GENERATION

cOSTThere are two primary types of Email Service Providers:

• Campaign-based (aka pay-as-you-go)• Subscription-based

Campaign-based services have no monthly fee or commitment. They typically charge about $0.01/email + a “campaign” fee ranging from $5-10. The per email address rate goes down significantly as your volume goes up. Some providers offer the ability to pre-buy larger blocks of email credits which can significantly reduce your costs over the long term. If your email marketing needs are infrequent, this is probably a better choice. Plan on a typical campaign of 1000 emails to run between $20-40.

Subscription-based services bill on a monthly basis and give you a certain number of emails that you can send during that period. If you intend on sending emails on a regular basis, this is probably the better option.

Consistency and regularity of your sends is crucial to gaining traction. Focusing on a targeted list, try to commit to a monthly send for a minimum of six months so you have ample time to hone your email marketing technique while you grow your email list.

LEAd GENERATIONLead generation or “lead gen” is a marketing technique whereby you try to amass a list of as many qualified customers as possible. The underlying theory is that you will be able to convert a small percentage of these people into paying customers in the future (aka “conversion rate” or “conversion percentage”). Lead generation is one of the most effective ways for companies to grow their business, and it’s a technique that we use at PhotoShelter. For example, you entered your e-mail to obtain this PDF, and now we have a potential lead.

Lead generation is as simple as getting some to enter their email to sign up for your newsletter. Growing your email list over time is a fundamental marketing activity that you should constantly strive to achieve. Since most businesses rarely focus on improving their conversion percentages, growing your leads list is usually the default way to ensure that your absolute customer base is increasing.


EMAIL bEST PRAcTIcES

STATISTIcSThere are no consistent industry standards for open rates and click thru rates because they can vary dramatically based on how qualified and engaged your audience is. For example, our paying PhotoShelter customers open emails at twice the rate as our non-paying leads list. The click-thru pattern is similar.

Your overall goal is to increase these rates over time, while simultaneously growing your leads list. Pay attention to the rate of unsubscribes – this is a very good indication that your content is either irrelevant to your audience, or you’re emailing your list too often.

Some ESPs, like Mailchimp, will show you how your open rates compare to other users in your industry.

Still want a number to aim for? See how you compare to these generalized statistics:

• Open rate: 20%• CTR: 5%• Delivery: 95%• Unsubscribes: <1%

SPLIT TESTINGMost sophisticated ESPs offer the ability to “split test” e-mails. This involves the process of dividing your email list into different groups and then sending different content to each constituency to determine what content gets the best response. It’s very typical to test subject lines, content length, inclusion of images, sales & promotions, etc.

Split testing can be very effective, but if your list size is too small, you might find that it leads to inconclusive or erroneous results. So don’t bother with it until you’ve accumulated a list of 1,000 emails or more.

Here are a few more best practices to consider:• Use an email design that is consistent with the rest of your branding

(e.g. website, business cards). A cohesive look-and-feel is key for creating brand recognition.

• Use your full name or business name in the “From” field. Including only your first name looks like spam.

• The subject line is the primary way people decide if your email is worth opening or deleting. Dont’ misrepresent the content inside, and don’t abuse terms like “URGENT!” That’s an easy way to lose credibility (and set off automated spam filters). Instead, be descriptive – it helps clients sort and save emails for recalling your promo later.

• Conventional wisdom holds that Mondays and Fridays are les ideal days to reach people via email.

• If your e-mail tends to be more informational (e.g. a newsletter), don’t shy away from having a more forceful call-to-action like a big “hire me” link.

• Limit the number of “calls to action” in your email. If you are trying to get people to do one thing, only provide a single link.


• People ignore things that look like ads. A newsletter format is much more likely to be read and clicked.

• Include as much contact information in a prominent position as possible. Don’t defeat your own self-promotion by having your telephone number buried at the bottom of an email in a small font.

• Your emails need to be dispatched regularly to build an engaged audience. Consider a monthly email schedule. If you get many unsubscribes, you can always pull it back.

• It goes without saying that you should spend the time to proofread your emails for spelling and grammar, ensure you have filled out your subject line, and test all your links to make sure they work. There are few worse ways to make a bad impression than a poorly executed email marketing campaign.


ANATOMy OF AN EMAIL

Inclusion of links to forward and subscribe to the newsletter.

Color differentiation makes the links clear to the user..

Large text and minimal copy makes it easy for the reader to digest.

Large, beautiful image is eye-catching and indicative of the quality of work

Contact information including address, phone number and email provided at bottom of email

how could this email be improved?1. Consider moving the image higher so that it appears

“above the fold”2. Hyperlink the image to website content (it’s currently

unlinked)3. Have a more “conversion”-oriented call to action (e.g.

“Hire us” or “10% off prints this month”)4. Increase size of contact information5. Add a “request a print promo” link

View more of Eric & Jen’s stellar photographyjensenlarson.com

Company logo reinforces brand identity

“Call to action” appears “above the fold” (i.e. the user doesn’t have to scroll to see “Read all the recent news”)

http://www.jensenlarson.com/


ANATOMy OF AN EMAIL

Includes call to action to buy a box set of his latest project. Since the rest of the newsletter is information, this call to action is a good way to directly monetize the effort.

Large image from prominent client (Converse) is attention grabbing.

Attractive branding mirrors his website and blog.

Variety of different high-quality projects shows range of work and imparts a personal touch.

Includes links to blog, Twitter, Facebook and website giving people an option of how to interact.

how could this email be improved?1. Increase the frequency of the send. Emiliano currently

only dispatches the newsletter once every 3-4 months. 2. Make the call-to-action (selling his prints) more

prominent3. Test alternate layout with fewer items to see if it

improves click-thru rates (CTR)

Emiliano is one of a few photographers who includes a newsletter signup form on his website homepage. The convenience of signing up undoubtedly helps grow his newsletter list.

View more of Emiliano’s colorful photographyemilianogranado.com

http://www.emilianogranado.com


EMAIL SERvIcE PROvIdERS

MAILcHIMPmailchimp.com

Offers both “pay-as-you-go” and monthly plans. If the design of its public website is any indication, Mailchimp is a winner. With an emphasis on good design and usability, the service has garnered praise from all corners of the Internet.

vERTIcAL RESPONSEverticalresponse.com

Founded in 2001, Vertical Response is one of the grandfathers of Email Service Providers. In addition to their pay-as-you-go service, they also offer survey software and direct mail postcards to augment your marketing needs.

cAMPAIGN MONITORcampaignmonitor.com

Australia-based Campaign Monitor targets “designers and their clients.” Their pay-as-you-go service offers competitive pricing, a full feature set, and a referral program. Many designers set up email marketing software for their clients through Campaign Monitor, and receive a percentage of each dollar.

ExAcT TARGETexacttarget.com

Exact Target provides email and social media services to enterprise size clients. As such, we do not think it’s an appropriate fit for individual photographers.

cONSTANT cONTAcTconstantcontact.com

You might have seen Constant Contact’s television advertising on late night TV. The company offers email marketing, event marketing, online surveys, and social media services. The monthly subscriptions start at $15.

My EMMAmyemma.com

My Emma offers monthly subscription plans starting at $30 for small businesses looking to outsource their email marketing needs. They also offer a la carte design services to develop your own logo and branding.

THEME FORESTthemeforest.net

Theme Forest isn’t an email service provider, but they do sell e-mail templates that you might consider if you don’t have any design skills and can’t find an appropriate template through your ESP. Cost: ~$15.

http://www.mailchimp.com

http://www.verticalresponse.com

http://www.campaignmonitor.com

http://www.exacttarget.com

http://www.constantcontact.com

http://www.myemma.com

http://www.themeforest.net


If the prospect of figuring out all the nuances of email marketing is too daunting, you might consider using full service promotional services that can provide list creation, creative services, and more. Full service vendors are not cheap, but they can be a good way to jump start your marketing activity without feeling like you need to become an expert first.

AdbASEadbase.com

The AdBase database combined with their Emailer service gives photographers and other creatives an easy way to target ad agencies, periodicals and publishers. Pricing starts at $69/month.

AGENcyAccESSagencyaccess.com

AgencyAccess provides both online and direct mail marketing services for creative professionals. Their consulting services provide one-on-one help to maximize your marketing spend and convey your brand in an effective manner. Pricing starts at $82/month.

FuLL SERvIcE vENdORS

http://www.adbase.com

http://www.agencyaccess.com


cASE STudy: THE cALIFORNIA dREAMIN’ TRANSPLANT

LEAH FASTEN

Freelance photographer Leah Fasten based her business out of Boston for many years, and established a long list of clients in the New England area. When she moved to San Francisco in early 2011, she faced a problem - letting people know she was still open for business, but in a different location on the other side of the country.

Because of her move, the year began slowly for Leah, and when February rolled around without a single assignment on her calendar, she decided to spend that time promoting herself via an email campaign.

Leah came up with a campaign called “My California,” which was designed to do two things simultaneously: 1) communicate that she was in California, and 2) generate a new email list of potential clients. Directly after her campaign, she received two assignments from previous clients, which she attributes to her outreach.

She created a photo-a-day email list during the month of Feburary with new images created from her new life in California. Her open rates ranged between 70%-90%, and she received a lot of positive emails from people who really appreciated the images.

Leah maintains an “eblast” list with the addresses of every person she has worked with in the photo industry (current clients, past clients, people she has shown work to, people she has sent estimates to, subjects she has photographed that she really liked, or anyone who sent her an email.) That list is now 2,000 people and growing.

She uses MyEmma.com to send the list, and she has been using them for 4+ years, and pays for a monthly subscription.

leah at a glance• 2,000 emails in distribution list• Uses MyEmma.com • Email marketing for over 4 years• Initiated latest email marketing campaign to

specifically address awareness of her west coast relocation

learn moreleahfasten.com

twitter.com/i_love_leahfacebook.com/pages/Leah-Fasten-Photography/130570135962

http://www.leahfasten.com

http://twitter.com/i_love_leah

http://facebook.com/pages/Leah-Fasten-Photography/130570135962

http://facebook.com/pages/Leah-Fasten-Photography/130570135962


cASE STudy: THE ESTAbLISHEd NEOPHyTE

NEd LEARy

Over the years, North Carolina-based photographer Ned Leary has collected multiple lists of e-mails from a variety of sources: an annual dog calendar project, images that are hung in local restaurants, his website, and more. As his lists grew, he felt that he should be doing something with them to extend his marketing reach, but he lacked the impetus and the know-how.

However, this year, he found a local consultant who helped him organize his backend functions from SEO to contact management, and she helped spearhead the effort to create an e-mail newsletter. Fortuitously, around the same time, a video piece that he created of a bride and

groom was features in the Charlotte Observer, and then by a local newscast. The resulting traffic sent over 10,000 visits in one day to his website, and he knew the time was right to reach out via email marketing.

The design mimics his website to keep the branding consistent, and Ned included the wedding piece as well as a deals on some of his photographs -- a great way to turn an informational piece into a sale. Although the list is relatively small, and it’s his first effort, he still managed to have an unbelievable 43% open rate and a 41% click-thru rate.

The early success has his excited to continue pursuing his email marketing on a monthly basis.

ned at a glance• Has collected email addresses for years, but hadn’t

been motivated or organized to market to it• Local press drove massive traffic to his site, and he

decided that the time was opportune• Just sent first email marketing campaign a few weeks

ago• Uses local consultant to help him with back-office

needs• Growing list through multiple outlets

learn morenedleary.com

twitter.com/nedlearyfacebook.com/ned.leary

View the video that generated 10,000 visits in a day

http://www.nedleary.com

http://twitter.com/#!/nedleary

http://www.facebook.com/ned.leary

http://www.nedleary.com/2011/04/will-you-marry-me/


cASE STudy: A MAN OF MANy SEGMENTS

MIKE SHIPMAN

Mike Shipman began his email marketing efforts in 2004 with a template built in Microsoft Outlook. He abandoned his homegrown effort because Outlook wasn’t flexible enough to allow him to control the look-and-feel to all recipients. In 2006, he restarted his email marketing through an Email Service Provider, and settled on Mailchimp in 2009 because of their stellar features and service.

As an experienced email marketer, Mike segments his list into four different groups that focus on different subject matter and some segmentation of recipients. The list is comprised of former students, website subscribers, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, LinkedIn

colleagues, and sign ups from art shows. He’s done some content and design testing, and has settled on the same layout scheme in the past 2 years.

His qualified list of recipients give him fantastic open rates (50%) and click thru rates (9%). A typical monthly email will include udpates on classes and workshops, a set of new images, and a photography-related article (e.g. camera technique) to share a tutorial or technique. The quarterly emails feature information about his destination workshops like Iceland, the Oregon Coast, New Zealand, etc. He’ll also produce infrequent, one-off emails when he’s promoting a show or exhibit.

Although his list is growing, he’d like to accelerate the acquisition, and he’s continuing to investigate how social media might allow him to do that.

miKe at a glance• Veteran email marketer since 2004• Uses Mailchimp• Segments list into 4 different constituencies with

varying rates of dispatch• Very high open and click-thru rates

learn morewww.blueplanetphoto.com

twitter.com/blueplanetphotofacebook.com/mikeshipman

http://www.blueplanetphoto.com

http://twitter.com/blueplanetphoto

http://facebook.com/mikeshipman


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