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Thoughtful Thursday (AKA Sappy Thoughts from the Director)
Ok, ok... I admit it. I've been known to get a little sappy here, but I refuse to apologize for it. 😉 What you all do inspires me and our entire Constant Contact team every day and you should know it. 🫶 💛 It's Making Life Beautiful Day — and I want to point out something you might not give yourself credit for. Every small business and nonprofit - including YOURS makes its corner of the world a little more beautiful in so many ways. The café that remembers your order when you're feeling a bit alone. The Realtor's window display that makes people slow down and imagine themselves in their first home. The service that quietly takes one worry off someone's plate who may be overwhelmed in their daily life. You're not just selling a thing — you're adding care and texture to people's ordinary days. ♥️ On the hard days, when it's all spreadsheets and to-do lists, hold onto that. The work you do is felt by far more people than ever say so. What's one small thing you do that customers seem to really notice? 👇 2006/11/2026What's your Fathers day marketing plan this year?
Father's Day is just around the corner, June 21st, and it’s the perfect time to start strategizing your email and social media approach. Whether you are leaning into traditional gift-giving or looking for a more creative angle. What's your hook this year? How are you approaching this year's Father's Day? Are you going all-in on a campaign, or are you opting for a quieter approach? 2506/09/2026A true story about how email works best
Here's a piece of first hand experience about how email marketing actually worked for me. No, not as a sender, but instead, as a recipient. Here's the back story. My wife is a bone health coach. She writes about bone health in her weekly emails. (She writes them. I get them ready to send.) Having been diagnosed with osteoporosis several years ago, she regularly gets DEXA scans done to assess the quality of her bones. Recently, I read an article that said men should get DEXA scans, too, confirming what my wife already knew. So in one of her more recent emails, she encouraged men, too, to get a DEXA scan. She planted a seed I was unaware of! Coincidentally, I received an email from another trusted source about the same test. It was Vicky's email that put me over the edge - so I'm going to get a DEXA scan. The point of this info and approach to email campaigns is this: Vicky wasn't selling anything - she was educating. And positioning herself as the expert on bone health with her weekly emails. This is how you use email. Just like farming, you plant seeds. Then fertilize them. When they're ready, the seeds will germinate, and then blossom Then you harvest your crop. Translating this concept back to email campaigns — simply educate, educate, educate. Educating, not selling, positions you as an expert. Experts get credibility by educating. From there, the experts become magnets for more business. It's pretty simple. That's how the experts become winners. 4206/09/2026Your Email List: The Best Friend Your Business Didn't Know It Needed
It's National Best Friends Day, and I want to make a case for the most underappreciated best friend in your business: your email list. Here's what a best friend does. They show up consistently. They're there when things get tough. They don't disappear just because an algorithm changed. And they actually listen when you talk. That's your email list. Your social media following? That's more like a crowd at a party. Fun, energetic, and gone the second someone turns up the music in the next room. You don't own that crowd. The platform does. Your email list is different. Those people raised their hands and said, "Yes, I want to hear from you." And unlike social media, where maybe 5-10% of your followers see any given post, your email lands in 100% of inboxes. That is a best friend who actually picks up the phone. I've been working with small business owners on their email marketing for over a decade now, and the pattern I see over and over is this: the businesses that nurture their email list are the ones that weather the slow seasons, survive algorithm changes, and have clients reaching out saying, "I've been reading your emails for a while, and I'm finally ready." If you've been putting all your energy into social media and neglecting your list, this is your sign to send that list a little love this week. How would you describe your relationship with your email list right now? Thriving? Needs some attention? Haven't talked in a while? No judgment here. Just curious where folks are at. ELITE Advocate | Small Business Expert 3306/08/2026Mentor Monday with the ELITEs: Real Advice, Real Growth
Happy Monday, Community! This is your weekly space to connect, collaborate, and get inspired. Each week, our ELITEs will help spark the conversation, but this space thrives on your ideas, questions, and experiences. Whether you're building, testing, or scaling, this is where we grow together. How to Participate: Share your current project or goal: Whether it’s a new email campaign, social post, or business strategy, let us know what you’re working on this week. Ask for help (if you need it): Stuck on a campaign idea? Wondering how to reach more subscribers? This is the perfect place to ask questions and get advice from fellow members. Offer support: If you see someone else’s post and have tips, examples, or encouragement to share, jump in! Every bit of insight helps someone move forward. Mentor Monday Mentality: Start the week strong: Set your intentions and goals in a supportive space. Learn from others: Peer-to-peer advice often sparks ideas you hadn’t considered. Build connections: Every interaction strengthens our community and helps everyone grow. So, let’s kick things off: What are you working on this week, and what’s one thing you might need help with? Drop your post below and let’s mentor each other to success! Remember: Get your points for replying to this post! Head over to the Mentor Monday Activity in the Activities Tab to claim your rewards. 🎉 34806/08/2026Is "Just Being Real" Now a Competitive Advantage? 🤔
Here's a stat that stopped me in my trail-running-tracks: 68% of consumers say they've hidden or unfollowed a brand for posting inauthentic content. That's not a small portion of the audience - that's more than two out of three people, actively tuning brands out for feeling "fake". And honestly, it makes sense. Audiences in 2026 are sharp and can spot a templated AI caption, a stock-photo-heavy email, or a promotional post dressed up as genuine advice from a mile away. The more content there is, the better people get at filtering out what doesn't feel real. 68% of consumers have hidden or unfollowed a brand for posting inauthentic content. — LocaliQ Small Business Marketing Trends Report, 2026 The interesting flip side? Small businesses actually have an edge here. You don't need a brand voice committee or a content approval chain. You can share the behind-the-scenes moment, the honest update, the imperfect photo that tells a real story, and your audience will feel the difference. Authenticity isn't a style choice anymore. It's a retention strategy. As I've mentioned in other posts, discussions, and webinars, AI is your assistant, not your content creator. 💬 Your turn: How do you keep your marketing feeling genuine - especially when you're using tools like AI or templates to save time? Have you noticed your audience responding differently to content that feels more "you"? Share your take below! 8806/07/2026National Trails Day - Are you getting outside today?
Saturday June 6, 2026 🌲 It's National Trails Day — your official nudge to step away from the screen and be a person outside of your business for a few hours. The work will still be there Monday. It always is. But the good weather, the long daylight, the people who love you? Those don't wait around. Go take the walk, hit the trail, get out on the water. Come back better. 🌿 (I'll be out on the lake if anyone needs me.) 1006/06/2026Drop your best June newsletter idea
June's a tricky one. School's out, summer's starting, and a lot of audiences go quiet. What's one newsletter theme or subject line that's actually worked for you in June? Father's Day Summer kickoff "What we're up to this summer" Drop it below with how it performed if you can. 3506/04/2026Weekly Watercooler - The Mindless Mid-Week BREAK We Deserve
🐫 Welcome to the "Hump Day" Watercooler — our little midweek corner where we just…y'know... take a moment to smile and chat it out. No agenda, no homework. Humpday is hard enough already, right? Today's Topic: College Bed Parties... too far or totally expected? Side Hustle Extremes: TikTok has birthed a wild new six-figure industry: "College Bed Parties." Parents are paying small business owners thousands of dollars to meticulously decorate their teenager's bed with college merchandise for the ultimate Instagram/TikTok announcement. Move over gender reveals! Thoughts? 1206/03/2026Member Spotlight - It could be YOU!
🌟 ✨ Member Spotlight — and I want to feature YOU! Starting next week, I'm going to use this space for one of my favorite things: shining a light on the businesses in this community doing the work. Every week I'll feature a member — the wins, the lessons, the messy-middle stuff that actually helps the rest of us. And the weekly spotlight winner will also receive 500 Community Points and a badge of honor to display proudly on your profile. 👇 So let's start with you: drop a comment or send me a DM telling us what you do and one thing you're proud of right now. A milestone, a hard lesson, a customer who made your week — anything. I'll be reading every single one, and I'll be reaching out to feature one member each week. Stay tuned and watch your Community inbox! 🙂 — Erica, Community Director 2506/02/2026
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