Selling Stock Photography: New PhotoShelter Guide

I found this guide very informative. There was a lot of info about email campaigns, and a common thread seemed to be that personalized emails are preferred by photo buyers over receiving emails that were obviously part of a “blast”. I get that.

What I’m still confused about is what constitutes spam. If I send an unsolicited but personalized email to a buyer whose name I found in a magazine or directory (but doesn’t know me), is that the same as sending out a blast to a list of potential buyers who haven’t subscribed to my newsletter on my web site?

The general definition of electronic “spam” is sending unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. So sending a targeted and personalized email to a buyer, after you’ve done the work of figuring out who that person is and what they’re looking for, should not be considered spam. If you have any concerns, most mail clients like MailChimp or Exact Target have an “unsubscribe” feature that you can include at the end of any email.

Just downloaded the guide – thanks for posting it. I haven’t gone through it yet but after I do I’ll come back and post my thoughts. Thanks again.