Why Artists Publish A Newsletter

Let’s talk about anything you want. You start.
I want to talk about my newsletter.
I hate receiving other people’s newsletters when they’re mostly “buy stuff from me,” so I’m looking for other options to make my newsletter valuable to recipients. Ultimately, the purpose of my newsletter is to create sales.
Whoa. I was with you until that last sentence. Your artist newsletter isn’t for making sales.

Huh? Did you really just say that my newsletter is not for making sales?
Absolutely! It might lead to sales, but an email newsletter that has several articles, images, and calls to action is not a good mechanism, by itself, for generating sales.
So why in the world would I take the time to write a newsletter if it’s not for generating sales?
You take the time to publish a newsletter because you care about people who are interested in your art. I think you probably know this, or you wouldn’t have asked your original question.
If you didn’t care about people who like your work, you would send the “buy stuff from me” newsletters like those you don’t enjoy seeing in your inbox.
Your newsletter is for keeping your list warm.
What do you mean by “warm”?
By “warm,” I simply mean that you stay in touch.
Last week I wrote about the importance of recency, frequency, and attentiveness in your marketing. People are likely to feel indifferent toward you if they don’t hear from you regularly, and if you don’t show you care about them.
Once you get straight that your newsletter is for building stronger relationships with the people on your list, you will be free to approach it with more creativity.
Okay, I get that. But then how do I make sales?
Sales are best generated by personal contact, not as a result of broadcasting to hundreds of people. This means you should be exhibiting frequently and networking often.
It also means that you follow up individually with people you meet and personalize your correspondence to them.
The best sales, in my experience, require you to be genuinely interested in each person (as an individual) on your list.
The newsletter is for keeping your list warm so that people will remember you when your paths cross, be it on purpose or by accident.
But don’t  you advertise things for sale in  your newsletter?
You’re right. I do advertise things for sale in my newsletter, but I rarely sell them as a result of the newsletter.
I use the newsletter ads to plant the seed that these helpful resources are available. More than 60% of my sales come as a result of a separate email with a single, focused call to action.
I think I get it. That takes some of the pressure off and helps me to understand why I wasn’t selling from the newsletter.
Fantastic!