305: Sarah Anderson – How to write high converting emails to attract photography clients

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Sarah Anderson of www.proemailcopy.com is a professional copywriter who specializes in emails. Not just any emails… in this interview, Sarah is going to help us write high converting emails to connect with your ideal clients, sell your photography and attract bookings.

One of the biggest regrets I have with my business is not starting an email list early enough. If I didn't feel bad enough already, on the front page of Sarah's website, she says…

The money is in the list!

And yes, that's the email list she's referring to.

But… she also says…

Only if you know how to convert.

And sending random salesy emails whenever you have a special (exactly what most photographers do) won't get you far.

What Sarah does is write high-converting email copy based on studies in human decision-making. And her clients get results. Her specialty is writing email copy to warm up leads and turn subscribers into buyers. In this interview, she shares exactly how to write high converting emails to attract photography clients.

Here’s some more of what we cover in the interview:

• How did Sarah get into the business of email from copywriting?
• How often is enough and how much is too much when it comes to emailing photography clients?
• E-mail rules of thumb
• What to write and how to start with your list
• Is it okay to send offers within three to five e-mails of your welcome sequence?
• Asking for a reply as a call to action and why Sarah loves this approach
• Why asking about the struggles of your clients is a great way to get a reply
• Asking personal questions of clients in email
• Plain text or having photos in your email – what is best practice?
• Things to remember when including photos with your e-mail
• Why having a sequence and auto-responder series is beneficial for photographers
• Why Sarah does not recommend multiple links inside your email
• Why hiding the unsubscribe link is a terrible idea
• The benefits of having an unsubscribe link
• Sarah’s suggestions on how to start creating good content for e-mail
• The benefits of knowing the purpose of every email you send
• Is sending a snippet of your blog post via email a good tactic?
• Episodic or open loop e-mails and why they are so effective
• Creating intrigue and curiosity in subject lines
• Other suggestions by Sarah for great subject lines
• What to do with un-opened emails and what is a good open rate
• Cleaning your email lists and running re-engagement sequences
• Why Sarah recommends writing the way you talk
• Segmenting lists and tagging people in your email lists

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

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The general principles of creating a relationship through your list and really staying top of mind and staying in their inbox, staying relevant to them and e-mailing them often enough so that they remember who you are is really going to be the same across whether you are doing B2B or B2C. – Sarah Anderson

Plus special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role-play interviews and special live interviews happening in the group.

You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Joining a Mastermind Group (encouraged by Andrew) has been incredibly valuable and fun, I look forward to connecting with my group members every week. Jina Zheng, Premium Member and Melbourne Children photographer.

And that's not all… you get a set of steak knives… I'm kidding!

Seriously though, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Sarah shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below, let me know what your takeaways were, what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in today's episode.

You don’t have to be super salesy. You can be a soft pitch and just say hey this is what I do, if you like me to do this for you, let’s talk. – Sarah Anderson

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Sarah or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes reviews and it's always a buzz to receive these… for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they really are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes is the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and ultimately a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you!

If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has made a difference to you and your photography business.

Daiokan Beta Testers Wanted

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Pro Email Copy Website

Work with Sarah Anderson

Sarah Anderson on Facebook

Sarah Anderson on LinkedIn

Pro Email Copy on Instagram

Daiokan Beta Testers

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Sarah for sharing her thoughts on attracting our ideal photography clients through high converting email and utilising strategies generally saved for her paying clients. Her approach is testament to the fact we don't need to be salesy, pushy or aggressive and just the opposite – nurturing, fun, playful, informative and ourselves to keep attracting and converting our target photography clients.

I would say before you start writing, think about the purpose of that e-mail. And the purpose don’t always have to be to sell. The purpose could be just connecting with your list. – Sarah Anderson

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon
Andrew