Week 10 Part A: Researching Email Marketing

Newsletters are a great way for a business to update and maintain its client base. They are also a way to show a little personality. A good rule of thumb is to be newsy and engaging, but not overly inundating. A monthly newsletter will work well for my floral photography business.

The first content idea that comes to mind for my newsletter is a New Work section that features pictures of recent work. Not To Be Missed is a section that will feature current special floral opportunities. An example is the ofrenda by Xicana artist Katie Ruiz and the corpse flower that is set to bloom at the San Diego Botanic Garden. I know I always like receiving notices of local upcoming events. Featured Flower will be a third content idea for my newsletter. It will focus on one specific flower and include history, facts, growing tips, and miscellaneous fun facts. I would also like to add a fun element like a quiz, puzzle, or recipe to the newsletter. If possible, I will tie this element to the Featured Flower content.

There are two literary newsletters I enjoy due to their informative and interactive content. Shakespeare Plus from the Folger Shakespeare Library is one newsletter that I've subscribed to for years. It's a really interesting conglomeration of podcasts, blog posts, the current Instagram Folger Finds collection post, and news about current books and performances related to Shakespeare and his works. This month's seasonal posts share the "Creepiest Word in Macbeth" and "Shakespeare in Latinx Communities." It also includes a quiz about animals in Shakespeare's plays and historical tidbits about everything related to Shakespeare. The other newsletter I receive, The Agatha Christie Newsletter, is my favorite. This month contains an infographic entitled "A Life in Numbers" that contains interesting information about her life and writing in terms of numbers. For example, it would take someone six years, reading an Agatha Christie novel a month, to finish all her works. There are two posts about a new Agatha Christie video game and a new board game. It also includes literary posts for the October book club selection, an upcoming short story collection release, Halloween reading recommendations, and Christie novels set on transport. Two seasonal fun interactives include an autumn jigsaw puzzle and two Christie based pumpkin carving templates. I always enjoy the short historical tidbits and interactivity found in both newsletters.  

I did look at a couple of newsletters by other photographers. They mostly offered photographic tips and workshop notices. I have no photography training, so this is not something I could offer. Some did have discounts for the first ten to twenty people who signed up for a workshop. Offering a discount for my wall art is something I could offer once I've thought it through.