Why Email Marketing Beats Going Viral (Every Single Time)
Let’s start with a confession: Most artists have a bad taste in their mouth about email, and honestly, fair.
Because most brands do it horribly.
You know the kind:
“SALE EXTENDED!”
“10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER!”
“NEW DROP ALERT ”
It’s the digital equivalent of being yelled at every time you open your inbox.
But that’s not what email has to be.
As creatives, our newsletters should be just as creative as we are! That means more personal, weird, emotional, entertaining. That’s the difference between someone ignoring your emails… and actually looking forward to them.
So today, I want to give you a few ideas for the kind of content you could be putting in your newsletter, and more importantly, convince you why you need to start one.
Viral ≠ Valuable
Going Viral Doesn’t Pay the Bills
I’ve had hit insane levels of views and make $0 in sales that day. Buy hey at least the platfrom paid me a whole $2.86. Woohoo!
And I know that high feels good, the notifications, the dopamine rush, the validation that maybe, finally, your art “made it.” But here’s the problem: you don’t control what goes viral.
Sometimes it’s the thing you spent two seconds on that blows up. Sometimes it’s the product you don’t even sell. And sometimes it’s just a relatable meme that performs better than anything you’ve ever made.
Don’t get me wrong, that reach feels amazing. But if you don’t have a way to funnel those eyeballs into your website or email list?
Then it was all just… a waste of time and noise.
Why Views Don’t Equal Sales
Even something as simple as not having a call-to-action at the end of a video can be the difference between making rent and making nothing.
And yes, every single video you make should have a CTA. Period.
Because your viewers aren’t thinking about buying, they’re doom-scrolling in full lizard-brain mode.
They see your art, think “haha relatable,” double-tap, and move on.
That meme might blow up your notifications, but it won’t pay your bills.
And here’s the kicker, big brands do this too.
They pad their engagement with viral memes that make them look successful, but behind the scenes? Those likes aren’t converting into a single damn sale.
Turning Viral Moments Into Real Money
So the question becomes: how do you make sure the next time something pops off, it actually leads somewhere?
That’s where your email marketing system comes in.
When one of my posts hit 2 million views, I made $0.
But the same week, I sent an email to 800 people and sold out a product in 3 hours.
That’s not luck. That’s strategy.
And it’s exactly what I teach in my new course, Email Marketing for Artists 101, a beginner-friendly audio course that helps you figure out:
What to write every week
How to get your first 1k subscribers
Which platform to use
How to make emails fun, not forced
Before we dive into the fancy automations that sell your art in your sleep. That’s another more advanced course. :)
You Don’t Own Your Audience (and That Should Terrify You)
Even if you’re self-employed, you still have a boss, and their name is The Algorithm. TikTok, Meta, Google, any of them can shadowban, delete, or ghost your account overnight.
Years of growth? Gone.
All those followers? Gone.
All that trust you built? Poof, gone.
And good fucking luck getting ahold of customer support on places like Meta.
Email = Insurance for Your Art Career
When you have an email list, you have direct access to your fans and collectors, forever. If your social media gets nuked tomorrow, you can still reach the people who actually care about your work.
That’s your backup plan.
That’s your safety net.
Because views are temporary, relationships are renewable.
It’s Easier to Keep Fans Than Find New Ones
Here’s the part most artists never think about: It’s way easier to get repeat customers than to convince a stranger to buy something for the first time.
So if you’re not emailing your current audience, you’re not even capitalizing on the people who already raised their hand and said, “I like what you do.”
You’re out there chasing new followers while the ones you already have are just… waiting to hear from you.
An email list keeps those connections alive, turning one-time buyers into repeat collectors, which is where the real money is.
Not All Subscribers Are Created Equal
It’s not just about having a list, it’s about building the right list.
Some people only want product updates. Others want behind-the-scenes chaos, stories, and messy real-life moments. Let them choose their level of VIP access, that’s how you keep engagement high and your costs down as you grow.
Here’s something most artists don’t even know exists: As your list grows, your email platform gets more expensive.
You’re charged per subscriber, even the ones who haven’t opened your emails in months.
That’s why pro marketers use something called a sunset list, basically a polite breakup for inactive subscribers.
You send them a final email that says,
“Hey, haven’t heard from you in a while, do you still want to be here?”
If they don’t open it? You unsubscribe them.
Simple. Respectful. Cost-effective.
It keeps your open rates healthy and your list filled with people who actually give a damn.
Make Your Newsletter Feel Like a Secret Club
There are a lot of ways to get new subscribers, but the key is to make it feel like access, not a chore.
No one wants to “join a newsletter.” They want to join a community. How can you make them feel included?
Imagine you are at a party, and there is that one person sitting off to the side wishing someone would bring them into the fold.
What would you say them?
It would be weird just to walk up and say…“Join my newsletter for updates.”
Instead say things like:
“I’d love to get your feedback on my next art drop.”
“Want first dibs on limited prints before they sell out.”
“Help me decide which design gets made next.”
See the difference? One feels like a formality. The other feels like an invitation.
Think Beyond the Footer Signup
If you’ve got one sad little signup box buried at the bottom of your site, that’s not enough. You need at least five or six opt-ins scattered across your website, each one catching a different type of visitor at a different moment.
A main footer signup (always visible)
A blog signup (for readers who love stories or tutorials)
A pop-up (for people browsing your shop)
An exit-intent form (for people about to leave)
A mobile-only version (clean and short)
A targeted form for traffic from social media
Each opt-in should have its own copy and purpose, not just copy-pasted “Join my newsletter” garbage.
From Viral Chasing to Sustainable Selling
Frictionless, Personal, and Human AF
Here’s the golden rule of building your list:
Make it frictionless.
Make it personal.
Make it feel like they’re joining you, not your marketing strategy.
The easier and more genuine it feels, the faster your list will grow, and the better it’ll convert later when you’re ready to sell.
Your Next Step: Email Marketing for Artists 101
If you’re ready to build a real system, without the overwhelm, tech headaches, or cringe sales tactics, my course Email Marketing for Artists 101 will walk you through:
How to choose the best platform for your art biz
How to write emails that people actually read
How to grow your list without paying for ads or selling your soul
Just a simple, creative, artist-approved way to make email your new favorite art form.
Because you don’t need to go viral to make a living, you just need to start talking to your people directly.
