Email reminders to past customer

Here's the deal,

I want to contact all of my past clients about the upcoming football season. I know that some players have moved on to other leagues or are now playing for their schools.

My goal is to:

1. Remind most of the parents that we are available for the upcoming season.
   
2. Notify parents about our new website and blog.
   
3. Inform parents about special promotions and contests.
   
4. Hopefully attract more business other than football.
   
5. And in general push more traffic to our website.
   

If I got that email i'd delete it and mark it as spam so I didn't see emails from you again. Send them regular mail, not email.

I agree with Tim. You would be amazed at just how much better of a response using regular mail will get you.

Sonny,

Unless they agreed/signed up to get this, I think it would be considered spam. Although I'm sure you get "some" business out of it, it may turn away more potential business and cost you more at the end.

The reason spam works is that, these people don't care whom they alienate, it's a one time thing. Black 2,000,000 people, even if 0.05% click, they make money. Don't stoop to their level.

Do a mailing/prepare a signup form, let the parents come to you and sign up to get your emails. Not only will you get a willing set of parents who will read your newsletter, its less chance that you'll email will get tagged as spam.

Remember now days the big mail houses talk to each other, so if your mail is tagged at spam in google, it may be tagged in yahoo too.

Aram

The only email that I send out is to the parents of the seniors I photographed, Just to wish their kid the best as they go onto college.

I agree with the above posts... Send out a normal mailing and let the parents come to you.. That's what I did and I think that it worked much better. I also have a spot on my website that people can sign up and I send them a info about the site being updated, but it's their choice if they want to sign up for it or not.

That is some great info guys. I appreciate your input.

Aram - Thank you so much for explaining in detail the potential problems and risks.


Please keep your ideas coming. I'd love to hear them all.


Thanks,
-Sonny

I'd print out some postcards. Try to personalize them with a shot of the recipient's child on it if you can.

DDCSD wrote in post #5939197
I'd print out some postcards. Try to personalize them with a shot of the recipient's child on it if you can.

That's a great idea but that means I'd have to custom design 139 card.

They'll be very small images on the cards, so its not like you have to work on the shots much. Just make up a template and start inserting and printing!

I would think that there would have to be some sort of "from letter" printing program that would allow you to do something like this easily.

Even if not, a couple hours of inserting photos and printing would still be some very cheap advertising. People love personalized things, and they would more than likely stick that on the fridge, where it would be a constant reminder to visit your sight and check out the new shots.

Or, you could always just do it with a generic photo, the same one on every post card, but be sure to either get a model release or use a very generic one.

sonny_c wrote in post #5939278
That's a great idea but that means I'd have to custom design 139 card.

and you'd need 139 model releases because creating a postcard is like creating a product and thats considered commercial usage since you're advertising through it and now those parents own your gear after winning the lawsuit.

An email is not as evil as people are making it sound - if you sent out a mass email, or signed them up for a list they didn't know about, then yes you're spamming them. If you email them personally (one by one) with there name and quick info honestly don't think it's that big a deal. If you make it a personal email in that "I just wanted to see if little Billy is playing this year so I dont miss him in case you want images again"- ya know something short, personal, direct. Less than a paragraph and not an advertisement per say (but it is).

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #5945328
and you'd need 139 model releases because creating a postcard is like creating a product and thats considered commercial usage since you're advertising through it and now those parents own your gear after winning the lawsuit.

Do you really think you need a model release to send someone a postcard with a picture of their own child on it? I really do not see a problem. Do you honestly think anyone would sue you for sending them a free photograph of their child? It isn't like you are mass mailing a photo of their child to everyone in town, you are sending it to them.

And they would not "own your gear". The damages for a single postcard print advertisement would amount to about $10. You can also be sued for sending unsolicited emails, so if you worry that much about being sued, you need to sell everything you own and move into the mountains of Idaho and hope the government doesn't come looking for unpaid taxes.

DDCSD wrote in post #5949452
Do you really think you need a model release to send someone a postcard with a picture of their own child on it? I really do not see a problem. Do you honestly think anyone would sue you for sending them a free photograph of their child? It isn't like you are mass mailing a photo of their child to everyone in town, you are sending it to them.

And they would not "own your gear". The damages for a single postcard print advertisement would amount to about $10. You can also be sued for sending unsolicited emails, so if you worry that much about being sued, you need to sell everything you own and move into the mountains of Idaho and hope the government doesn't come looking for unpaid taxes.

Oh geezuz, didn't think anyone could actually take the owning gear thing literal.

...if you deal with enough parents you're going to find out that not all of them are "happy" with there kids images being used, even if it's only one postcard being sent to them. We live in an over protective society where some parent is hoping for a crazy excuse to complain about - "you made a postcard and now the crazy post office guy who sorts the mail in the back room knows what little Timmy looks like and where he lives, you've doomed him!!"

Plain and simple learn the difference between editorial and commercial usage because even if you think it's no big deal all it takes is one. Sure 138 of those parents might love the postcard, but what about the one who doesn't and wants to know what gives you the right to make such a thing? Even if it's a bit overboard by the parent to get upset over it legally they are right - if you make an advertisement using there kids pic without a release.

Still don't agree about worrying about a release when the parent is the only one receiving the photograph. Maybe that is because the local HS star basketball player (verbal letter of intent as a sophmore to a D1 school) is the son of the woman who runs the local Post Office.

Still, if someone wants to sue me and pay a lawyer $200 an hour for sending them a photograph or their child, I would more than welcome it.

It is not really advertising to send someone a photograph of their child. You don't have to put "BUY FROM ME" across the image

It isn't like you are using the photograph to sell Wheaties to everyone in the country.

...but you've already said it's an advertisment in your previous posts. It really doesn't matter if you worry about it or not, it's what the one person you tick off thinks.

And ok, lets say this - they don't sue, instead they just give you a bad name by talking badly to all there friends...doesn't matter what they say, they just talk badly about this and that hurting your reputation. That one parent turns into a group of parents spreading the bad name. Good business plan to have.

Doesn't matter what level you use it at in that case as if they don't agree you're getting a bad name either way. To advertise the images to the parent only or throwing it on a billboard - you still used it w/o permission to make a product (the postcard) - this is what you were suggesting, not just a print, a product meant to advertise. This is why people need to learn this stuff instead of listening to bad advice saying "I don't think it's a big deal" when you never know if it could be. Chances are it wouldn't be a big deal, but you always should be asking what if it is, best to play it safe with your business.

BTW, what does his verbal commitment have to do with anything?