insight - Adbase


INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
An
ADBASE
White
Paper
for
professional
photographers
and
illustrators.
Published:
June
2008
ADBASE
Whitepapers
Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
2
Abstract
Email
marketing
is
a
highly
effective
and
cost‐efficient
way
for
creative
professionals
to
maintain
and
grow
their
client
base.
Now
that
artists
worldwide
have
embraced
this
marketing
tool,
the
primary
challenge
to
stand
out
from
the
crowd
‐
so
the
email
is
actually
read
and
saved.
The
only
effective
way
to
earn
that
all‐important
few
minutes
of
a
reader’s
attention
is
to
craft
the
whole
campaign
from
his
or
her
point
of
view.
This
means,
that
from
creating
a
recipient
list
to
choosing
images
and
copy,
to
planning
repeat
campaigns
and
follow‐ups,
the
needs
of
your
audience
should
inform
each
step.
This
ADBASE
White
Paper
is
based
on
insights
generated
by
proprietary,
in‐depth
research
into
the
habits
and
preferences
of
art‐buying
professionals.
They
shared
their
unbiased
and
frank
opinions
on
what
they
like
and
dislike
in
the
email
marketing
campaigns
they
receive.
Based
on
this
information,
we
outline
how
to
select,
speak
to,
and
then
follow
up
with
the
right
audience,
for
maximum
impact.
Part
1:
The
Challenge
Yes,
You
Have
News
Others
Want
to
Hear
Art
directors,
art
buyers
and
photo
editors
rely
on
hearing
from
photographers
and
illustrators
to
find
talent,
and
most
archive
or
bookmark
the
emails
and
websites
of
creatives
they
deem
eligible.
They
need
a
constant
supply
of
new
contacts,
so
promotional
emails
are
a
valuable
resource.
But…So
Do
Other
Creatives
These
buyers
of
photography
and
illustration
now
receive
between
20
and
100
emails
of
an
exclusively
promotional
nature,
per
day.
Note:
this
number
does
not
include
email
from
existing
suppliers,
emails
about
the
jobs
they
are
producing,
internal
corporate
communication
and
social
correspondence.
In
conversations
with
ADBASE,
buying
professionals
commonly
complain
about
badly
executed
campaigns;
they
report,
time
and
time
again,
that
in
order
to
harvest
needed
talent,
they
must
also
waste
time
on
irrelevant,
poorly
constructed
or
uninteresting
promotional
emails.
In
this
climate,
being
noticed
in
an
inbox
isn’t
enough.
Your
promotional
email
must
garner
enough
respect
to
be
opened,
read,
clicked‐through
to
your
website,
and
then
archived
for
future
reference.
Part
2:
Reaching
the
Recipients
Who
Matter
(and
No
More)
Never
Waste
a
Second
of
Somebody’s
Time
When
it
comes
to
planning
your
email
recipient
list,
quantity
is
only
a
valid
goal
when
it’s
accompanied
by
maximum
quality.
Even
though
it’s
easy
to
send
out
en
masse
in
the
hope
of
hitting
a
few
‘sweet
spots’
along
the
way,
this
is
not
the
most
effective
approach.
In
other
words:
aim
to
‘narrowcast’
your
email
to
a
carefully
selected
list
of
potentially
interested
buyers
rather
than
‘broadcast’
it
to
a
huge
list,
most
of
whom
may
treat
it
as
an
annoyance.
INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S
298
Markham
St.
Suite
5,
Toronto
ON
M6J
2G6
Canada
T
1.877.500.0057
T
416.960.4240
E
[email protected]
W
www.adbase.com
ADBASE
Whitepapers
Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
3
You
will
certainly
enjoy
a
better
open
rate
when
you
send
selectively.
To
ensure
each
name
on
your
list
is
there
for
a
good
reason,
research
your
prospects
fully.
The
ADBASE
Research
Centre
provides
all
the
details
you
need
to
target
your
lists,
including
work
specialty,
brand
accounts,
awards,
and
personal
promotional
preferences.
We
also
include
the
company’s
website,
which
you
should
use
to
further
determine
if
your
style
matches
theirs.
Customize
Where
Necessary
Tailor
your
email
to
buyers
working
in
one
business
sector
so
it
relates
accurately
to
the
type
of
work
they
are
doing.
If
you
are
aiming
to
grow
your
business
in
more
than
one
direction,
segment
your
email
into
more
than
one
version
so
that
it
‘speaks’
specifically
to
the
different
sectors
you
wish
to
address.
For
example,
if
you
are
marketing
your
food
photography
skills,
send
only
to
buyers
at
agencies
who
have
food
clients.
ADBASE
Custom
Lists
allow
for
targeted
list
building,
and
lists
can
then
be
sent
using
Emailer.
Proper
segmentation
speaks
volumes
to
how
you
understand
your
market;
when
you
speak
directly
to
your
reader’s
needs,
however
niche,
your
open
rates
will
soar.
Of
course
in
order
to
incite
those
all‐important
‘clicks’,
your
subject
line
must
reflect
your
email
content
accurately,
as
well
as
show
some
creativity.
Look
out
for
the
next
whitepaper
in
this
series,
which
will
deal
with
creating
ideal
email
content
in
more
detail.
It’s
Still
a
Numbers
Game
Not
every
email
reaches
its
target
destination.
Factors
out
of
your
control,
such
as
corporate
email
filters
set
up
to
block
spam
or
keep
promotional
emails
to
a
minimum,
will
‘kill’
your
email
before
it
gets
to
certain
inboxes.
Because
of
this
inevitable
wastage,
you
should
send
to
as
many
(suitable!)
recipients
as
you
can.
Part
3:
Frequency
and
Timing
of
Your
Promotional
Email
Keep
Up
the
Momentum…
Buyers
generally
like
to
hear
from
you
when
you
have
new
work
to
share,
but
even
when
you
don’t,
a
well‐crafted
and
targeted
email
is
a
good
way
to
maintain
awareness
of
your
work.
You
can
never
know
when
a
buyer
is
hiring;
but
your
email
can
be
serendipitous.
Your
email
could
arrive
just
as
the
buyer
needs
to
fill
an
upcoming
job.
Then
your
marketing
message
will
arrive
with
a
‘problem‐solving’
component
that
works
in
your
favor.
One
mailing
a
year
is
not
enough.
To
stay
top‐of‐mind
and
show
consistency,
send
a
promotional
email
several
times
a
year.
…But
Don’t
Be
a
Stalker
Regular
emailing
doesn’t
mean
overdoing
it,
as
an
email
every
week
would
be
counterproductive.
Set
a
schedule,
as
part
of
your
promotional
plan.
(Quarterly
is
our
suggested
minimum;
monthly
is
ideal.)
Accompanying
this
White
Paper,
please
find
our
bonus
Promotional
Planning
template.
It
is
intended
to
contextualize
and
support
the
information
presented
here.
INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S
298
Markham
St.
Suite
5,
Toronto
ON
M6J
2G6
Canada
T
1.877.500.0057
T
416.960.4240
E
[email protected]
W
www.adbase.com
ADBASE
Whitepapers
Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
4
Tip
Your
opt‐out
rates
are
a
key
indicator
as
to
whether
you
are
sending
too
much
email.
If
you
start
mailing
more
than
you
have
in
the
past
and
you
get
a
marked
increase
in
opt‐outs,
you
could
be
sending
your
communications
too
frequently.
Additionally,
you
could
now
be
sending
to
a
larger
list,
and
your
opt‐out
rate
would
indicate
an
error
in
targeting.
And
Keep
It
Fresh
Do
not
be
tempted
to
recycle
the
same
design
or
copy.
A
great
way
to
get
more
mileage
out
of
your
email
design
is
to
resend
to
those
buyers
who
didn’t
open
your
initial
mailing
and
haven’t
yet
seen
your
creative.
But
after
that,
your
email
will
start
to
feel
like
old
news.
Change
your
email
design
every
quarter
to
keep
your
audience
interested
and
engaged.
Don’t
forget
to
think
about
the
follow‐up
with
interested
buyers;
crafting
response
campaigns
is
a
much
better
use
of
your
time
than
repeatedly
resending
emails.
Time
of
Arrival:
a
Factor
or
Not?
When
to
send
your
emails?
This
is
complex,
and
there
are
no
definitive
answers.
Since
you
are
sending
to
a
variety
of
people
with
varying
work
schedules,
it's
impossible
to
try
to
plan
your
promotion
around
when
you
think
they
will
most
want
to
see
it.
For
example:
art
buyers
tend
to
look
at
their
emails
more
often
either
first
thing
in
the
morning
or
at
lunch.
Art
directors
often
work
late
and
tend
to
be
more
inclined
to
look
at
night.
Editorial
and
advertising
schedules
vary.
Overall,
the
best
approach
is
to
focus
on
the
quality
rather
than
becoming
too
concerned
with
time
of
day
or
day
of
the
week.
We
suggest
you
test
varying
days
and
times
with
a
portion
of
your
list,
or
simply
experiment
by
choosing
differing
days
and
times
for
the
first
few
mailings,
in
order
to
find
out
what
pattern
works
best
for
YOU.
Part
4:
Follow‐Up
“Do’s”
and
“Don’ts”
Check
Results
A
huge
benefit
of
email
marketing,
over
print,
is
that
it
is
easy
to
ascertain
who
opened
your
email,
and
if
they
went
to
your
website.
ADBASE
Emailer
v2
offers
detailed
response
tracking
and
this
information
is
very
valuable,
both
in
testing
and
perfecting
your
email
(see
the
upcoming
ADBASE
White
Paper
on
testing
email
campaigns)
and
in
deciding
how
to
tailor
your
list
for
subsequent
email
promotions.
Find
the
Richest
Territory
If
you
have
a
promotional
plan
(and
you
should!),
this
will
determine
how
you
follow
up
with
those
buyers
who
looked
at
your
work.
We
suggest
you
reinforce
your
market
presence
with
a
second
communication
within
a
month
or
so
of
sending
the
email.
A
direct
mail
piece
or
an
additional
email
campaign
are
both
good
‘response
marketing’
tactics
and
both
should
reinforce
the
core
message
of
your
email.
INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S
298
Markham
St.
Suite
5,
Toronto
ON
M6J
2G6
Canada
T
1.877.500.0057
T
416.960.4240
E
[email protected]
W
www.adbase.com
ADBASE
Whitepapers
Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
5
But
Don’t
Scare
Them
Off
It’s
important
not
to
mention
in
your
follow‐up
that
you
are
aware
the
recipient
opened
or
clicked
through
on
your
email.
Buyers
mention
that
this
makes
them
uncomfortable,
or
puts
them
on
the
spot
to
recall
the
site
when
they
may
have
visited
for
just
a
minute
or
so.
Better,
therefore,
to
build
on
the
goodwill
and
interest
already
shown,
but
not
refer
directly
to
it.
After
initially
following
up
with
interested
buyers
with
a
second
email
or
a
print
piece,
we
strongly
recommend
that
you
now
let
buyers
make
contact
with
you
rather
than
reaching
out
to
them
on
an
individual
basis.
Tip:
bear
in
mind
that
when
a
buyer
needs
your
work,
you’ve
already
shown
them
where
to
find
you!
Part
5:
Etiquette
Attachments
Will
Make
You
Unpopular
Attachments
are
the
biggest
complaint
from
buyers
about
email
promotions.
They
either
can't
open
them,
or
they
take
too
long
to
open.
Also,
most
people
do
not
open
attachments
from
unknown
senders
due
to
fears
about
viruses.
Often,
a
company’s
spam
filter
will
‘quarantine’
attachments
due
to
the
risk
of
infection.
There’s
no
point
in
alienating
your
potential
future
client
on
introduction.
That
is
why
our
recently
launched
ADBASE
Emailerv2
does
not
send
as
an
attachment;
the
image
resides
on
our
server
and
is
referenced
as
a
link.
Keep
It
Palatable
Certain
types
of
images
will
offend
certain
buyers.
We
have
seen
buyers
opt
out
of
receiving
emails
because
of
an
inappropriate
image
or
text.
Conversely,
if
you’re
communicating
with
an
avant‐garde
or
niche
publication
or
agency,
then
the
sky’s
often
the
limit
and
it
makes
sense
to
demonstrate
that
you
know
this
by
selecting
the
cutting
edge
material
you
know
they
will
respond
to.
Afterword
Email
promotion
is
a
useful
and
affordable
marketing
tool,
and
buyers
increasingly
rely
on
this
form
of
promotion
to
keep
their
prospect
lists
up
to
date.
The
protocols
described
in
this
paper
stem
from
in‐depth
research
conducted
by
ADBASE,
into
the
habits
and
preferences
of
professional
buyers.
Following
these
simple
steps
will
maximize
your
efforts
and
yield
the
best
possible
results.
INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S
298
Markham
St.
Suite
5,
Toronto
ON
M6J
2G6
Canada
T
1.877.500.0057
T
416.960.4240
E
[email protected]
W
www.adbase.com
ADBASE
Whitepapers
Email
Marketing:
Find
and
Speak
to
your
Right
Audience
6
About
ADBASE
Inc
Now
celebrating
their
11th
anniversary,
ADBASE
is
based
upon
an
ever‐expanding
and
constantly
updated
database
of
thousands
of
creative
service
buyers.
Providing
services
to
thousands
of
creative
professionals
worldwide,
ADBASE
subscribers
rely
on
the
accuracy
of
ADBASE
data
for
the
foundation
of
their
self‐promotion.
As
a
photographer
or
illustrator
looking
to
promote
your
business,
ADBASE
is
your
complete
solution.
They
maintain
the
industry’s
largest
North
American
database
of
creative
buyers,
with
contact
details
for
over
45,000
art
buyers,
art
directors,
photo
editors
and
more.
Further
streamline
your
marketing
efforts
with
the
brand‐new
ADBASE
Emailer
v2,
the
industry’s
most
sophisticated
email
engine.
If
you
would
like
more
information
on
this
whitepaper,
or
any
of
our
products
and
services,
please
feel
free
to
call
or
email
us.
ADBASE
Inc
298
Markham
St,
Suite
5
Toronto,
ON
M6J
2G6
Phone:
1‐877‐500‐0057
Visit:
www.adbase.com
Email:
[email protected]
INSIGHT
W H I T E PA P E R S
298
Markham
St.
Suite
5,
Toronto
ON
M6J
2G6
Canada
T
1.877.500.0057
T
416.960.4240
E
[email protected]
W
www.adbase.com