New Year, New You...

...well not really a new you. But it's the time of year to send out reminders of new work, new websites, new promos, new everything.

I've been getting a bunch of email promos with subject lines like:
New Year, New Work
New website for 2009
not participating in the recession so here's some new work

Lots of "new" in the title

A few suggestions when sending out e-promos to celebrate the new year and draw people into your 2009 marketing, website, imagery, etc.:

Make sure the work really is new. Don't include a few filler images from previous e-promos or imagery that people may have already seen. If you're calling out that it is new work, make sure it's brand new imagery that your audience hasn't experienced yet.

Also think about what your competitors are doing... the same thing. I get bombarded with emails the first 2 weeks in January and then hit a dead zone until late March or April.

I'm a big hater of New Year's resolutions (mostly because I can't keep them past 5 days). I always suggest making any resolutions/changes mid to late January or even in February, this way you actually have a chance of sticking with them. Same goes for e-promos and mailers, everyone sends them out at the same time and then you don't see or hear anything for several months after. When you start out the year with a marketing campaign, stick to it. Come up with a plan that works for you and gets a good response from your audience.

This is the biggest suggestion I have, to come up with a solid marketing plan for yourself this year. With all the hype about the economy, ad agencies having layoffs, magazines closing up shop, and the rest of the doom and gloom it is crucial that freelancers and artists have a plan to market themselves and make their work visible. There are several resources out there that can help with suggestions and ideas (consultants, websites, blogs, etc.). Having a plan can help you achieve this year.

Happy 2009!