Michelle Endersby is an artist who lives Bonbeach Victoria, Australia. Her stylized portraits of roses on round canvases represent her return to wholeness after awakening from a coma following brain surgery. For her “Awakening Around Roses” she has received several Awards of Excellence from Manhattan Arts International juried competitions which I have juried/curated. Michelle’s numerous exhibitions include a solo exhibition “The Universal Language of the Rose”, Space2B Artspace, St Kilda,  and an exhibition for the St John’s Southgate Art Prize, Melbourne, Victoria, among others.  I am a subscriber of her excellent “Art, Gardens and Always Roses” and asked her if she would share her top tips for creating a successful artist email newsletter. I am grateful to her for accepting my request and I know you will find her advice extremely helpful.  At the end of the article you’ll find links to read more articles on how to increase your success in your email marketing. ~ Renée Phillips, Editor

Top Tips for Your Artist Email Newsletter

By Michelle Endersby

The Many Benefits

At the end of each month for the past 68 months I have sent out my “Art, Gardens and Always Roses” newsletter, and this has been the singularly most important thing that I do in my art practice.

It is my newsletter which has kept me regularly producing work, kept me in touch with my collectors and widened my circle of followers. Writing a newsletter changed the way I view the world as I am more receptive always looking out for treats to bring to my readers. My newsletter has inspired new themes, new series and complete bodies of work, and as my international readership will attest has brought enchantment, a breath of fresh air and a virtual garden into the homes and lives of many.

My newsletter has led me to live a full and creative life, given me structure and purpose and as a result I have created richer, more meaningful art because I have contemplated the story behind the paintings and immersed myself fully in my subject matter.

Be regular and consistent with what you send.

Once a month works well for me and I always send it in the last few days of the month. The look and feel of newsletter stay the same. I like to use a larger font size (Verdana 18pt) so it is comfortable to read on all devices and I always include plenty of photos (but I keep the image size small so that they should open quickly).

Use an email marketing service provider.

Email marketing service providers enable you to build an email list, send out bulk emails easily, create a sign up form, have email templates where you can easily create a newsletter with drag and drop images, paragraphs, headings, and Read More buttons, and create an archive of all your old newsletters. I have been very happy using Aweber and paying an annual fee.

(Notes from the editor: Other providers to check out are: Mailchimp.com, icontact.com and constantcontact.com. You can choose from services that are free and low cost depending upon the number of subscribers you have and other features you want to use.)

Think broadly.

I came to realize that my art is more than my finished paintings. My art is my inspiration, my process, my subject matter, and my writings. Think broadly about what you can include in your newsletters: finished works and the stories behind them, upcoming exhibitions and events, a peek inside your studio, what inspires you, guest artists you admire or who share your subject matter.

Give your artist email newsletter a name.

Think about having a name for your newsletter which inspires you and helps you to describe what it is to others. I’ve chosen “Art, Gardens and Always Roses” for the name of my newsletter.

Use regular segments.

You might like to have some regular segments, so that you are not overwhelmed by a blank page. These might include latest works, upcoming events, what has inspired you this month.

Plan a theme for the month.

Tie your newsletter together with a specific theme, this could relate to something topical, the season, a colour, or something else that inspires you.

Add photos of you.

Your readers want to get to know you and one of the best ways is for them to see photos of you. I have had people rush up to me in rose gardens and ask if I am Michelle Endersby because they have read my art newsletter and really feel that they know me even though we haven’t met before in person.

Don’t be too wordy.

Break up your words into smaller paragraphs interspersed with images. Provide your readers with small snippets of information and use a “Read More” button with links to your website if you have longer articles.

Encourage interaction.

Artist email newsletters should be about two-way communication so include your contact details and links to your website and social media. Link your images to relevant pages on your website. Encourage your readers to interact, reply, share your newsletter, make suggestions, do guest interviews or submit photos to a theme. I have found my readers to be a rich source of material and inspiration and they have sparked many new ideas for me.

Most of all, have fun.

Your newsletter is a celebration of your passion for your art and the joy you give and receive as an artist. Your warmth and enthusiasm will be felt by your readers and just imagine the ripple effect of all this positive energy going out into the world.

Notes from the Editor: Place an Inviting Sign Up Form on Your Website

Michelle invites subscribers to join her email list with a friendly sign up form on her Contact page on which she states: “My arts and inspiration newsletter delivers something light, bright and uplifting into your inbox each month.” She also provides a link for visitors to read past newsletters in her “Newsletter Archive”. She adds, “I hope you will join me each month because it is for my readers I endeavour to live a creative and inspiring lifestyle.”

Visit Michelle Endersby’s website: michelleendersbyart.com

You may also want to read

How to Write Your Artist Email Newsletter
How Email Marketing Can lead to More Art Sales
Ways to Increase Your Email List As An Artist