[Clayart] ego vs promotion/long

[Robert Harris]

OK Mel,

And all you e-mail marketing gurus out there.

I am a member of a pottery co-op/guild that has a sale twice a year. We do
a regular mail blitz and an e-mail send out for those two shows and that's
it. We have 6000+ addresses for regular mail (that get's expensive ... I'd
be vaguely interested to know how others do it), and just over 2,000
emails.

The latter is now causing a problem. We have used mailchimp to do our bulk
emailing but their free program ends with 2000 addresses. Above that you
have to pay. The problem is that all of their subscription models assume
you're sending lots of emails every month, rather than just 2500 twice a
year. We have no problem in paying, just in a way that makes sense!  Does
anyone else have this problem, and how do you solve it? (We do curate the
e-mails so they're all kosher, and they've all been collected from people
at our shows or Open Houses etc.

Any info gratefully received!

R

On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 at 15:29, mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com> wrote:

> as a working potter, artist, whatever, you are the only one
> in most cases to promote your work.  it is essential.
> how you do it, says everything about you.
>
> neighbors and friends help at times, and of course
> relatives...but in the long run, it is up to you.
>
> if you are doing honest promotion, say....speaking about
> pottery at a flower club, or local city hall class...it is
> worth a great deal.  i have done plenty of them.  you have
> a very open audience. captured.  i usually give away a nice
> vase as a gift.  they all write down melpots.com
>
> i give a very nice platter every year for the empty bowls auction.
> they love it.  and lots of people see that platter...`oh, that is mel,
> he used to teach at the high school...nice, he is still working...we
> should go out and see him.  they do, they buy a $100 worth.
>
> i have worked with the empty bowls folks and i make a series of very
> nice pots that we give to the huge donors...like $25,000 worth of bread.
> they get a lovely tea pot.  what do you give rich people...a toaster?
> no, a nice piece of hand made craft. we all win.
>
> so much about promotion is public interest stuff. low key...volunteer
> sort of thing.  it works like a miracle.  you sell yourself as an honest
> hard working potter, crafts-person.  made in minnesota, by hand.
>
> just this past year i talked to a senior cabin attendant on a delta flight.
> it turns out she lives near me...and building a house.  guess what?...she
> has
> purchased about $400 in pots and now wants a big 7 foot painting. nice.
> (i gave her my email on a scrap of paper...she wrote. nice)
>
> of course many of you have heard my story about the 50 mile circle.
> i live within a circle of over a million people...some should want my pots.
> i work only that circle...folks in chicago do not buy from me.  i collect
> every
> address i can get my hands on. tear off that upper address on an old
> check..and
> keep track of every sale. get the address. build a data base. work it hard.
> it works.  of course this is real business.  not romantic thoughts that i
> will
> be discovered. i want to be discovered by one potential customer at a time.
>
> i sell at home. it works.  i send out about 800 post cards for every sale.
> first class. black and white, simple instructions, when, where, what. big
> mj logo on both sides.  keep the data base clean. they just show up and
> clean
> me out. they love my home and studio.  they want a piece of me. i give it
> up
> freely.  i complete orders. i run a small business.
> anyone can do it.  you just have to try.
> mel
>
> website: www.melpots.com
>
>
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