2. Release It To The World
Now you’re finally ready to let the world about your Artist Shop. Here’s where you need to turn into a marketer and get the word out so don’t be shy.
#1. Email EVERYONE
- Gather up emails of friends, family, and anyone that would be interested.
- It's a good idea to stay organized here so making a simple text list wouldn't hurt.
- Depending on the size of your list you can send out a BCC email or use an email provider.
- Write a captivating subject line- it’s the first thing your readers will see in their inbox. Without an eye-catching message to encourage your audience to click on the email, your newsletter could go unopened.
- Be conversational in your newsletter copy- If you sound too formal in a newsletter, it could have a different impact on the reader than you intended. Maintaining your voice is just as important to your brand as the designs you put on products. Having a consistent, familiar voice will create lifetime customers and fans which, in turn, will impact your customer retention. The more authentic your dialogue is, the more your customers will want to support you and your brand!
- Learn how to Grow your Email List with this handy Creative Resource Blog.
TIP: Tinyletter by Mailchimp allows up to 5000 subscribers and is very, very simple! There are also some free options for email newsletters with Mailchimp.
#2. Link to Your Shop From EVERYWHERE
- If you’re running a portfolio or a blog link to your shop from there.
- Add your shop link in your social network bios (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat).
- If you are donating to your causes
- Add your shop link to your signature in your email.
#3. Get Your Social Media Going
- Draft your posts and get them ready. Stay genuine but make sure to include images as well as links to your shop.
- Use Buffer for your social media posts or another service to automate them. Trust us, it'll make posting easier.
- Don’t be shy about posting multiple times. Social network posts have a very short life.
- Pin your launch posts to the top of network feeds.
- Using lifestyle images as posts will help build a community around your brand.- Good visual content is 40% more likely to get shared on your social accounts
- Write a thoughtful caption. Tell the story behind your designs, promote your sales, or even ask your followers questions like, “What do you think about my new design?”
- Use relevant hashtags. This will make your post more visible to non-followers who could potentially be interested in the art you make. Who knows? Maybe they’ll buy something.
- Link or direct followers to your Artist Shop. Don’t forget this step! Always make it easy for people to find your shop’s homepage.
- Tag @Threadless. If we see your post, there’s a chance we may repost it for our entire community to see.
- Our customizable lifestyle overlays are only one way to bulk up your promotional materials with lifestyle imagery. You can also use an online service such as Placeit, which offers hundreds of ready-to-use image templates. Visit this link for 20% off a monthly subscription.TIP: Don’t worry about starting new social networks for this. Use the networks you're already using.
#5. Ask Friends & Family to Spread The Word
- Asking your friends and family to spread the word does no harm. They want to see you succeed!
- An easy win is asking people to Retweet or Regram when you announce your Artist Shop.
- Even think about hitting up people outside your circle. Again, there's no harm in asking (appropriately).
Don't forget to read Getting Started With Your Artist Shop if you haven't already.