If you would have told me a few years ago that I could book photography clients using email marketing, I would have said you’re crazy. Do people actually look at their email inbox? Turns out they do! Statistics show that 88% of email users check their inbox multiple times a day according to Optinmonster. In 2018, I got serious about using email marketing and my bookings have increased by 40%. Here’s how to use email marketing for photographers.

Why I Chose Flodesk

Not only are creating emails in Flodesk easy, but they are beautiful! Photographers shouldn’t have to send bland emails. Their templates are easy to use and customize to fit your brand and message. If their emails weren’t reason enough to join, their customer service is top tier. When you’re dealing with tech, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll have a question or an issue at some point. Their customer service is responsive, quick, and dare I even say fun to engage with?! Flodesk is a no brainer when it comes to email marketing for photographers.

Emails That Convert Readers Into Bookings

Now onto the good stuff you came for – how to create emails that get you booked! First, you need to get consistent and figure out when you will send emails. I recommend sending a monthly email to get you started. Once you get the hang of that, then you can scale up to every other week. The goal of email marketing is to stay top of mind and serve, serve, serve.

A big mistake I see photographers make when sending emails is that they read more like an Old Navy sales email than one of value. You don’t want people to open your emails and constantly see words like “sale” or “book now.” You want them to want to open your emails because they know there is value in there. Whether it’s following along with your latest pregnancy journey or creating a summer bucket list of activities to do with their kids, they need to feel connected.

Think about your brand and ideal client as a whole. Make a list of values, interests, pains and frustrations, desires and goals that both have in common. Try creating emails based off of that. If you’re a family photographer looking to work with down-to-earth, stay-at-home mom’s, then you might structure your email to share your own homeschool journey, give a tip or trick, and remind her why family pictures are so important.

Writing Your Newsletter Step-By-Step

I recommend outlining your email in a Google Doc first before transferring it to Flodesk. This helps you stay focused on the copy of the email and not get distracted by the visual elements. Once your outline is mapped out, it’s time to create your email.

Start from scratch or use one of Flodesk’s stunning templates. There are so many to choose from and they are easy to customize. Select the one you want to use and start editing the email. I start from the top of the email and work my way down.

I suggest including one or two elements or blocks to your email to separate all of the text to keep your reader engaged. Flodesk has several to choose from including divider lines, collages, images, and different blocks.

Don’t Skip These Elements In Your Email

There are a few elements you want to put extra effort into including your subject line, sign off, and ps line. Your subject line should be engaging and create curiosity. Some subject lines that have worked really well for me are:

-“Are you free on May 8th?”
-“Just a few left. I didn’t want you to miss out”
-“My favorite place to buy outfits for family photos”

These subject lines spark curiosity and encourage readers to open the email.

Your sign off is the sentence or phrase above your signature in an email. Think of this like a greeting. Do you have a signature phrase? Your sign off can be the same in every email or change with each email. My signature phrase for my coaching business is “Cheering you on.”

Last, but certainly not least is your PS. line. This is where you can recap what’s in your email and give them a specific call to action or just give them a specific call to action. This is a great place to direct them to your booking calendar, investment guide, or website.

PS. Looking to dive deeper into email marketing for photographers? Check out my podcast episode all about boosting your open rate with email marketing. See what I did there?!

When To Send Emails

If you’re looking for a magic time to send emails, you’ll be sad to know there isn’t one. Flodesk has a feature that suggests “best times to send emails” for morning, afternoon, etc; however I suggest sending emails on different days and times to see what your list responds to best. Some lists prefer to read emails early in the morning vs at noon. You won’t know until you start!

Sending More Than a Newsletter

Can you send additional emails outside of your newsletter? Absolutely! Once you are sending consistent, valuable emails to your list, you can send extra emails when you have something to promote. Be careful not to overwhelm your list with a bunch of emails though. I wouldn’t recommend bombarding your list with extra emails all the time, but rather once every 3-6 months.

For example, when you are promoting Christmas minis, this is a great time to send an additional email about your mini sessions exclusively. This strategy works! I sold out an entire set of Christmas minis in less than an hour by nurturing my list all year long and then releasing the sign up via email only. Give it a try!

Email Marketing For Photographers With Flodesk

Let’s recap, shall we? Email marketing for photographers is a must! Plan to send a regular newsletter full of value to your list so you can nurture them and convert them. Occasionally, send a solo email promoting something specific. When you send valuable emails, you will see bookings come through. I get at least one lead or booking every time I send an email to my list. Email marketing is easy with Flodesk. You can save 50% off your subscription using my Partner link.