Quadruple Your Email Subscribers

After struggling for some time with a dearth of subscribers to her email list, Artist Conspiracy member Mary Bentz Gilkerson came across two of my old posts/podcasts that helped her turn the corner.
1. Get Better Results with a Personal Plea
2. Invite Friends to Join Your Newsletter List (podcast version)

After soaking in this advice, Mary said:

Those I sent invitations to subscribed right away. I’m individually emailing friends I have an email for, and will later send snail mail invitations to subscribe to the others.
I’m still tweaking the system, but I feel less like I’m “bothering” people after getting such a positive response. People have been thanking me for inviting them.

Mary says her goal is to write five invitations a day – another big project broken down into doable 15-minute slots.
So far, she has an 85-90% positive response rate, and has quadrupled her subscriber numbers to almost 100 people.
After going through her personal email list, Mary is sending snail mail notes with a printed copy of the newsletter, personal note and save-the-date postcard for her show this month. For those who haven’t responded, Mary plans on sending a follow-up note in 4-6 weeks.
Mary shares with you:

I’m just excited to let others who are reluctant or nervous about “bothering” their contacts know that the steps you’ve outlined work. You’ve given out the tools so there’s no excuse. We just need to do it.

And, in her generosity, Mary has allowed me to reprint the letter she wrote to encourage subscriptions.

Hey [name], [Mary is in South Carolina. Everyone says “Hey” down there!]
I can’t believe it’s already the first of March. I’d love to get together for coffee before you head to Charleston permanently. It’s such a wonderful city! Columbia is going to miss you, but Charleston is lucky to get you.
I’m finally doing an email newsletter for the studio (I can’t believe I waited this long). To kick it off and build interest for Open Studios on April 21 and 22, I started a special painting project that I’m in the middle of, 90 paintings in 90 days. I’ve been wearing out my little cigar box paintbox doing a painting every day for the last 36 days.
During the project subscribers are receiving each day’s painting in their email inbox. There is a link from the email to a subscriber-only section of my website where subscribers can see all of the paintings that I’ve made up to that point in the project. I’m also giving subscribers a 10% discount on the daily paintings through April 20th. After the 90 x 90 project the newsletter will be coming once a month.
A copy of one of the most recent newsletters is attached [see image above]. If you like it I’d love for you to subscribe and follow along. You can join in by following this link or replying to this email with “subscribe” in the subject line.
Also if you have a few moments and enjoy the newsletter, I would really appreciate your sharing it with anyone and everyone. I’m trying to build a bigger audience and know that my friends network is my best resource.
Thanks for looking it over,
Mary

Have you told all of your friends that you want them to be part of your career? That you cherish their support?