August 28, 2012 @ 1 p.m.
in The Marketing Lab
by Louisa Curtis | Chatterbox Enterprises
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Question: With today's busy schedules, are creative directors and art buyers taking time to read blogs?

Yes, everyone is busy and multitasking, but I do believe that art directors and creative directors are taking the time to read certain photographers’ blogs, and some art buyers may read them too, schedule-permitting.

Why? If they like the work they have already seen on your website, they are more likely to want to find out what else they can learn about you from your blog and to see what you’ve been up to lately. A blog gives them an extended peek into the photographer’s personality, and glimpses of what they might be like to work with.

It’s Not How it Looks. It’s How it Works.

I knew that developing the design elements of my branding strategy would require time, patience and a lot of expert advice. As a photographer, I often feel like I have a very good idea about art and design. Sometimes I’m right, and sometimes I really do need the help of people who deal with different sorts of things on a daily basis.

When it comes to marketing, I have just such an expert advisor in Jennifer Kilberg, owner of FluidVision and a consultant in Agency Access’ Campaign Manager Pro program. Jennifer and I decided to tie my portfolio website’s look to my blog’s design, and that was just the beginning.

The design elements that we decided to concentrate on were:

Question: What kind of copy gets emails opened and clicked through? What are the best subject lines? Should I include a pitch or a call to action?

What actually works in email marketing is not set in stone.

Wouldn’t this be an invaluable article if I could truly bestow exact answers that make every email attractive to every viewer, and get you a 100% open rate? I wish I could.

But there are some pointers that have been shared with me over multiple conversations with people in the industry that are worth considering when you’re sending emails.

Question: Is Twitter actually useful? I feel like it’s impossible to form a meaningful relationship in 140 characters and I don’t have that much time to devote to Twitter.

You wouldn't be the first to lament that Twitter's bite-sized exchanges are inane and unimportant. But Twitter’s focus on “the small stuff” has two advantages:

1. Twitter’s low-key nature makes it the only venue in which it’s completely appropriate to chat up a creative - about something relevant, of course - who normally wouldn’t give you the time of day.

2. While you won’t be baring your soul, you can get closer to genuine conversation than you would by “copyschmoozing.”

Question: How to get over the fear to send a newsletter into the world? Maybe it sounds funny, but I have this kind of fear always like an actor before entering the stage ...

You’re not the only artist in that boat. Let’s take a look at some of the common roots of beginner’s cold feet:

Question: How do I ensure that my email campaign is not just going to the right target audience, but to the individual who makes the buying decisions?

First of all, your email campaign should be targeted at two groups: your Agency Access list of prospects and your “in-house” list, which includes all past and present clients and prospects, colleagues, peers, vendors – essentially anyone who’s ever hired you, inquired about working with you or who might be in a position to pass your name along. All of those people are, obviously, the right target audience for your email campaign.