Let’s Talk about Blogging and Email Newsletters
Email marketing was one of the topics covered recently in an Artisan Advantage Art Marketing Roundtable was email marketing. Coming up in August, we will be talking about blogging for an art business.
Artists have asked me, do I need both for my business?
Ideally, it would be best if you eventually worked to have both tools working for you in your business.
Before we dig into why you would want both and how they can complement each other, here’s a review of where they are similar, where they differ, and how they relate to your business.
Two Distinct Platforms
Content and Format
A blog is a website or a page on your website where you can publish various types of content, such as articles, tutorials, artwork showcases, videos, and more. It typically offers a collection of posts organized by categories or tags, allowing visitors to browse your content. Your blog can be an excellent place to share new work and information you can repurpose in many ways (more on that later!).
Email Newsletter: An email newsletter is a regularly sent email that contains updates, announcements, promotions, or information about new work. It is typically a shorter format than blog posts and is delivered directly to subscribers’ email inboxes. Your email newsletter should only go to people who have agreed or requested to receive it. For your art business, a regular email newsletter can keep your customers and contacts updated with new work, events, and any announcements you want to get out to them.
Communication Channel:
Blog: A blog primarily functions as a one-to-many communication channel. You publish content on your blog; visitors can access and engage with it by visiting your website. Then, they can leave comments, share posts, and interact with other readers.
Email Newsletter: An email newsletter is a one-to-one or one-to-many communication channel. You send newsletters directly to subscribers’ email addresses, allowing for more personalized and targeted communication. Subscribers can reply to the newsletter or engage with specific calls to action within the email.
Audience Reach and Engagement:
Blog: Blogs are typically accessible to anyone with internet access, and content can be shared across various platforms, like social media, to reach a wider audience. Visitors can discover your blog through search engines, social media, or links shared by others. Engagement happens through comments, social media shares, and discussions.
Email Newsletter: An email newsletter is sent directly to subscribers who have voluntarily provided their email addresses. It offers a more direct and intimate connection with your audience. While the reach is narrower than a blog, the engagement is often higher since subscribers have explicitly opted to receive updates from you.
Use Your Artist Blog and Email Newsletter to Complement Each Other
Both platforms can complement each other, with a blog serving as a content hub and a newsletter helping you maintain direct communication with your audience. Integrating both allows you to provide a variety of content formats on your blog while leveraging email newsletters for more personalized updates and building stronger relationships with your subscribers.
Don’t Miss a Post
We’ll continue to explore email marketing and blogging for your art business. Don’t miss a post by subscribing to my weekly email newsletter here.
To learn more about how to use both of these tools effectively together, join in August’s Roundtable on blogging.