We’re in the age of Instagram, where it has never been easier to take pictures, throw a filter on it, and share the final product to the world—all within a matter of seconds.
With 500 million people accessing the Instagram app daily, it seems that we can begin to close the chapter on tangible photo frames and albums. Anyway, those old family pictures on the shelf have just been gathering dust, right? Well, not exactly.
Today’s customers may spend most of their time online, but many of them still enjoy flipping through a photo album or coffee table book when they get the chance. Photographs are a universal keepsake, and if they can be physically held, then all the better.
If you’re a photo product business, now is the perfect time to leverage online platforms, specifically email marketing, in promoting your business. Let us show you how with these proven email marketing strategies.
Know your niche
Each day, photographers, designers, and printers flock to the photo product market advocating their skills. Because of this, there are more than enough businesses like yours to go around. So how do you stand out?
It’s great if you can be that business that does everything for everyone, like offering photobooks and mugs for all types of occasions. But we think it’s even better if you can find your niche and be the best in it.
Check out how Framebridge’s email illustrates their passion for designing photo frames:
Source: Really Good Emails.
Be educational
Whenever you promote your business, customers are likely to assume that you know your niche extremely well. If you can demonstrate that you are good at what you do, then perhaps you can also share what makes you good at it.
Let customers in on your expertise. Maybe last week you sent a re-engagement email. This week, why not send an email like the one below? To make it even more effective, link the email to your website or tuck in a small discount.
Source: Really Good Emails.
Offer a free sample
Who doesn’t get excited by a gift in the mailbox? Use your email marketing campaign to offer a promotion or a freebie, especially for new subscribers.
Since you’re in the photo product business, your customer will expect zero pixelations and high-grade prints. Make sure you don’t send rejects from your last print run or you’ll ruin a potential relationship with a customer.
Here’s an example from Newspaper Club, who also showcases their niche in the same email:
Source: Really Good Emails.
Let customers design your product
While many customers prefer to list their specifications and wait for the final product, some customers like working on their own designs with the help of a few templates.
Allow your subscribers to exercise their creative freedom. In return, you’ll learn more about them and what they like, so you can improve your photo product business further.
Newspaper Club’s email not only offers free samples to their mailing list, but it also gives them the chance to design their own digital mini:
Source: Really Good Emails.
Focus on personalization
In the past, people bought generic photo albums and customized them using cut-outs, speech bubbles, and other scrapbooking materials.
Today, photobooks are still designed by customers, mainly by providing an idea of what they want. It is now up to photo product businesses to make these ideas come to life.
Whether it’s a photobook, a calendar, or a shirt, customers are looking for that one business that meets their needs. Before you send that promotional email, ask yourself whether your business is truly focused on giving your customers their own unique experience.
Wondering how to begin? Campaign Monitor came up with an ultimate guide to email personalization. Here are some important takeaways:
- Use a recognizable “from” name. Together with the subject line, the “from” name is the first thing subscribers see. Almost 7 in 10 users decide to read an email based on who sent it.
- Celebrate with your subscribers. Birthdays, anniversaries, first purchases, you name it. Send a greeting so your customer will feel even more valued.
- Remind them. It can get very busy for your customers, so do not fret if they haven’t checked-out their carts or responded to any of your calls to action. Send a re-engagement email asking if they still want to hear from you.
- Ask for feedback. Did their customized shirt fit them? Was the photo frame the perfect color for their wall? Customers can give you insights that you normally would not think up on your own.
Wrap up
Use email marketing to showcase your well-designed photo product, complete with options to re-design and customize based on customer preferences at the moment. Once you launch your email marketing campaign, closely monitor how your customers engage with your emails and find out the strategies that work and those that don’t.
In a digital world where photographs can be posted and deleted anytime, your business can help customers memorialize moments. Far from obsolete, photo products appeal to customers from all walks of life. These products remind them of another person, an event, or a place that is worth every ounce of their effort, they’ll book your business to have it.
About the Author:
Ash Salleh is the Director of SEO at Campaign Monitor, where he works closely with content, copy, and analytics teams to improve site-wide optimization. Prior to his time at Campaign Monitor, he also provided SEO and digital marketing expertise at Zappos and Axiata Digital.
