While researching inexpensive email marketing services for a client who was on a “new business” budget- you know the one: “as cheap as possible”, I came across Constant Contact. I researched it diligently, called customer service to ask questions, and was extremely impressed with the price, service, ease-of-use and support, which made it easy to recommend it to my client.
My job, especially in the economy, is to know the best and most cost-effective marketing tools to use or refer to my clients. Email marketing is a service I often suggest for any business looking to connect with their customers and prospects. I recommend Constant Contact to encourage business owners to capitalize on your current customers, thus using them as marketing. How’s that for inexpensive? There’s no better marketing than that of a satisfied customer!
For a recent customer I used the tools in Constant Contact to create professionally branded newsletters and promotional emails that ensured follow-up with every customer who made a purchase, making nearly half of them repeat customers (not to mention- walking advertisements). Within three months my client really began to see the results of his investment of $15 per month for Constant Contact.
I have since became such a fan of the Constant Contact products and customer service that I joined their Experts Program, completed the Constant Contact University and now provide one-on-one coaching, training sessions, and teach seminars about “The Power of E-mail Marketing”.
You, like many of my customers and new business owners, may ask…”How is E-mail marketing different from spam?”
Here’s the difference: Constant Contact is “permission-based” or “opt-in” email marketing, which means that the recipient has given permission to receive email messages from you and given you their email address, in some form whether it’s a business card or a sign-up box on your newsletter. Marketing to an audience that’s genuinely interested in your message will be most productive. And (one of the most important things that make your email compliant with spam laws) there is an option for the recipient to remove themselves (opt-out) from the mailing list at any time.
Constant Contact allows you to manage your email marketing efforts, so you can really see results. When you send email’s from the web-based service, you can view reports that show you how many bounce (and which ones), how many open the message, and unsubscribe, providing tracking tools and information so that you can really evaluate the outcome. The program is easy to use if you are familiar with the features and functionality of any word-processing program. It includes hundreds of templates, tutorials, guides and “step-by-step” screens to create professionally designed messages. You can even include links to web pages, blogs, or even PayPal buttons for direct purchases.
If you sign up for a 60 day free trial (no credit card requirement), give me a call at 904.527.1119 and I can sit down with you or your group to provide one-on-one training and ways to use Constant Contact best for your business. Constant Contact pricing options work for any small business – starting at just $15 monthly for up to 500 email contacts, the program is web-based so there is no software to purchase or install, and no long-term contract is required.
Constant Contact gets a “high five” for being an affordable, hassle-free solution for email marketing. Its ease-of-use, extensive functionality, variety of templates and helpful learning resources make Constant Contact an excellent answer for small businesses and professional organizations. You can quickly launch and easily manage professional-looking newsletters and other email promotions without a steep learning curve or breaking your wallet.
