Last week on the blog, we talked about an extremely important part of your business’s marketing plan: your email list! We went over how to start one, my all-time favorite email marketing service provider, and more! If you haven’t read it yet, click here to catch up, and then head right back here so I can help you with the emails you’re going to send to that list aka your email nurture campaign 😉
Wanna know the truth about email lists, though? It’s going to sting a little so prepare yourself…
A lot of business owners are great at starting their email lists but terrible at actually sending emails to their list, making them look a bit inconsistent and untrustworthy.
Now, let’s press pause for a second so you don’t start feeling bad.
We’re all (including me) guilty of doing this, so if you felt that truth in your soul, don’t panic because I’m about to give you the jump-start you need to get back in the game and get excited about sending emails again!
Ya ready to build your welcome sequence? I thought so.
Why Your Photography Business Needs A Nurture Campaign
So, you’ve created a beautiful freebie, popped it on your website, added it to your Instagram bio, and asked people to sign up in exchange for their email address so you can build that list. But how often have you kept in touch with them?
Once to deliver the freebie (and that was automated), right? It’s okay, it happens.
But before we move on, I need you to know why sending consistent emails is such an important aspect of your marketing plan.
The main purpose of your email nurture campaign is to:
01. Introduce people to your brand in a personal way.
02. Add value to their lives and stay top of mind.
03. Help them get to know you as their go-to expert.
What a nurture campaign will do for your photography business:
01. Positions your brand as the authority in your industry.
02. Continuously reminds your audience of the problems your brand solves.
03. Offers (free) value to build reciprocity by solving problems & establishing trust.
Sounds amazing, right? It is! Email marketing is one of the best ways to book clients behind the scenes of your business without having to show up on Instagram and sell all the time.
Not to mention, only 6% of your target audience sees your Instagram posts. 99% see your emails.
Okay, okay, I’m not going to keep you waiting any longer – let’s create your business’s nurture campaign.
Your Done-for-You Nurture Campaign (5-Parts)
Okay, so to get started, here’s what I want you to do.
Step 1) Open up your email marketing provider. Mine is Flodesk, and yes, I’m obsessed with it. Take a second to check it out if you’re not loving yours or are shopping around for a new one in general. (You can also save 50% off with my code: JVPHOTO)
OR you can use Google docs if you’d like, too. Either way, open up a blank document because we’re about to get to work.
Step 2) Use the topics below to create 5 emails to start your email nurture campaign.
Step 3) Rinse and repeat! That’s right, you can continue using this format to keep showing up in your future client’s inbox and win them over in no time!
Email 01: Your “freebie” delivery email
Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. The email you send immediately upon your ideal client “opting in” to your freebie. Make it super simple and short and highlight whatever it is you’re giving them. I know you’ll be tempted to share your website, your social media handles, etc, but I promise you all they’re looking for is their free download.
So, give ’em just that. Don’t worry – you talk to them again soon 😉
Email 02: Introduction + add more value
This email introduces the way your brand is going to focus on solving problems for your audience by providing / pointing them to more value. Ex: free resources, blogs, etc – but make it strategic! Give them a nice “hello”, tell them what you do, how it can help them, and how they can get it! Invite them to hang out with you over on Instagram or any other social media channels, too!
It’s seriously that simple! Don’t overcomplicate it.
Email 03: Daily or weekly tips
This is a weekly or daily tip on how to solve specific problems related to your biz.
Make it simple – go with a theme.
‘Monday Motivation’ – can you encourage them in some way by telling them a story?
‘Tip Tuesday’ – give them a tip about posing or how to choose outfits to wear for their next shoot.
‘Wedding Wednesday’ – all my wedding photographers out there are gonna love this!
… see what I’m doing here?
Pro tip: Brainstorm at least 10 to 20 problems or objections your ideal client has when it comes to choosing a photographer, feeling confident in front of the camera, etc and draft up an email for each one. Boom, now you have at least a couple of months worth of material!
Email 04: Announcements
Pointing your audience to new blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc.
Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, too. Simple and fun. Have a blog post or podcast? Let your email list be the first to know when it comes out! Email lists are fun because they’re all about building exclusivity!
Email 05: Sneak a strategic sales email
What do I mean by “strategic”? Glad you asked. You see, your nurture campaign isn’t meant to “hard sell” your clients on your services. It’s meant to add value to their lives and position you as their expert so that when they’re ready to make a buying decision, they choose you! But there are ways to “soft sell” to them.
Ex: Do you have a blog post with a “booking” option as your call-t0-action? Perfect! Tease it in the email and invite them to go read it. There’s no rule against sending them to a helpful blog post that might just result in booking a call 😉
Congrats! You have an email nurture campaign! Now I wanna see some emails going out so you can win your clients over like nobody’s business, okay? Questions? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Wanna work with me 1:1 to get my eyes on your photography business, and help you fuse your faith into your biz?
You got it, friend! Click the link below to schedule a discovery call to see if we’d be a good fit to work together! I’ll start prepping your strategy in a Google doc now! ??
Looking for more helpful photography tips? Feel free to binge on these blog posts, or pin ’em on Pinterest for later! ??
If you’re short on time, follow me on Pinterest – and you’ll get these kinda tips delivered straight to your feed! You know… when you’re scrollin’ through Pinterest with coffee in hand, ready to take on the day… or, procrastinate.
Whatevs. Pinterest biz sesh, anybody!? ??
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