the system is broken.
.i hate to sound grumpy (those that know me think i always am, but really, i like to think i am a goofy jackass) or even hate to call it all systems, but really people, can anyone do anything? i’ll even admit to 90% of everything being my fault, but c’mon already. enough.
.this is from an older post, but to refresh:
so thats almost 5 a year, but i have done them as i can afford them, so some years 2, one year i think i did 10. (that year felt great, i think simpler cards, more often make the most sense, or at least feel the best to do to me, but i cannot say i got more attention or work that one year i did 10).
38,000 printed.
approx. mailed 31,000.
the printing only (no mailing cost) quantities at today’s prices:
approx = $9209.00
the mailing of say 30,000 of one just one card of various sizes at different rates, some in envelopes and some not: approx $10,000
so the approx cost of all my mailers over the years is roughly:
$19,000
this is not enough, i know i know, but i do my best with i can afford.
i have had my book called in from a mailer ONE time from a new client, but the PE already new me, so the word new is relative.
in talking to PE’s at time inc, where most of my clients are, it seems almost none of them remember ever getting a card from me at all. now it could be my cards aren’t that memorable or maybe one or two got lost, but we are talking about the PE’s i actually shot the jobs for, so memorable image or not, seeing how i shot the image for them, i would think they would notice, not the case, they don’t recall ever getting the cards.
so i started focusing on email promotion, at about $15 per 500 versus $1000, it made sense and is fun, ideally, both would be a good idea. with email, i can look and see who clicked where, who opens and who doesn’t, who chose to receive more and who doesn’t.
but being how things are, most are blocked or ignored as spam unless maybe the PE actually sees it, maybe that PE actually knows my name and maybe the PE bothers to open it, maybe the PE bothers to load the images lost in the blockers.
so today, 19 clicks of 403 sent after 5h, and those are actually decent results.
it would seem to me, PE’s want to see pictures, either by those they know or those they don’t, it would seem it’s in their job description and that there should be some sort of system in place for image delivery in any form, all be it thru an inept mail room or email box, looking at a damn picture shouldn’t be so hard….. yes, i know, there are millions of cards, millions of emails, but still, LOOK PLEASE.
