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 Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   Bad actors are all over the internet trying to scrape sensitive information and access accounts on all platforms without authorization. The days of “Password12345” are over (if they ever truly existed), but even a more complex password can’t guarantee 100% account protection. At Constant Contact, we utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to protect our users’ accounts. What is Multi-Factor Authentication? MFA is an extra layer of security for your account. On top of your password, it requires the person logging in to verify a secondary factor to complete the login process. It is required for all Constant Contact accounts and there isn’t a way to opt out of the program. We make it mandatory as it is the best current solution to warding off data breaches and phishing attacks, which primarily rely on stolen or weak login credentials. How do I enroll in MFA? Related: Enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication What if I lost or don’t have access to the device I set up with MFA? If you lose your device or plan to travel to a different region where your device won’t work, it’s important to make sure you have taken the necessary steps to maintain access to your account. The issue most commonly arises when someone travels out of their country and cannot receive SMS or Voice Call authentications. Only one form of authentication can be assigned to a single device, but you can set up multiple secondary factors across different devices.  If you know you’ll be traveling and have the time to update your MFA options, make sure to choose an option like Okta Verify or Google Authenticator. These are apps on your phone you can use over Wi-Fi anywhere in the world. Or, if you would prefer to stick with SMS or Voice Call authentication, make sure someone in your home region is reachable and has access to a device with one of these factors enabled. Otherwise, if you carry multiple smart devices (e.g. phone, tablet) you can assign a different secondary factor to each of them. Related: Reset your factors for Multi-Factor Authentication MFA can be reset when logging in or from within your account. But wait, there’s more! If you have trouble resetting your MFA and accessing your account, you’ll have to call our phone support for assistance. It’s important that you know the answer to the security question associated with your account, or update it ASAP. If you are the Account Owner for a Constant Contact account associated with your business/organization and plan to leave, you should take steps to transfer ownership to your successor or someone else within your organization. If multiple people work in a Constant Contact account, it’s important they have their own unique login credentials so they can establish their own MFA secondary factors. ... View more

This article was originally written by River Cartier for the Constant Contact Blog.   A whole new year; and it’s time to decide what you’re going to do with it.     With days like Motivation and Inspiration Day (Jan. 2nd), and National CanDo Day (Jan. 4th), there are plenty of days to celebrate and focus on getting things done this month.   Starting with New Year’s Day (Jan. 1st), people start talking about the New Year’s resolutions they’ve made, and marketers everywhere will be talking about planning an entire year’s worth of marketing now. And I’m no exception.   Yes, marketing takes time and effort. And, you’ll have a greater chance of success if you use an online marketing calendar to plan your marketing strategy in advance. But it doesn’t have to be difficult.   The most important thing to remember is that your marketing plan is a living document. Right now, it needs to be a basic roadmap for where you want to go and how you plan to get there.   There’s no need to sit down and plan the details of each and every campaign right now —  unless you’re feeling industrious or have a team of marketers at your disposal. Instead, look at the big picture of where you are now and where you want to be. Then, pencil in some holidays, local events, and any “annual” activities that align with your brand. This gives you an outline dotted with focal points for your marketing efforts.   Once you have your focal points, you can start to fill in plans for cross-channel campaigns, stand-alone emails, social media contests, ad campaigns, etc.   Creating a marketing plan outline for the year now will make it easier to make adjustments if and when you find them necessary.   Once you have the outline completed, you have your marketing plan for the year all mapped out. And when it comes to creating and executing those campaigns, break them down into small, manageable bites. Whether that’s a month at a time, a week at a time, or even a day at a time.    Trello calls this process of breaking things down into the smallest possible tasks microproductivity. I call it amazing because even the largest elephant isn’t that big if you only look at one square inch at a time.   So, now that you’ve got your 2025 marketing calendar roughly marked out with a plan that’s going to help you crush your goals for the year, it’s time to get to the next task . . . creating the first campaign on your calendar.   To get started, take a look at these January holidays, newsletter ideas, and fun subject lines and see where your imagination takes you.   January holidays — 2025   January 1st-30th – National Hobby Month, National Blood Donor Month, Poverty Awareness Month. Take the energy from the new year to turn that hobby into a side hustle and make sure you continue to give what you can to support your community.  January 1st – National Copyright Day, New Year’s Day and Commitment Day. Celebrate previous achievements, possibilities for the new year, and your continued commitment to providing excellent products and services for your customers. January 8th – Show and Tell at Work Day. Invite your employees and coworkers to share what they’ve been working on.   January 13th – Korean American Day – Celebrate Korean-owned businesses in your community! National Clean Your Desk Day – A clean workspace is a productive workspace. January 18th – National Thesaurus Day. Take a look at the big book (this one is conveniently online) and spice up your email marketing. National Use Your Gift Card Day. Encourage your readers to use the gift cards they received during the holidays. January 20th – Take a Walk Outdoors Day. Maybe make that afternoon meeting a walk and talk. January 29nd – Chinese New Year. Celebrate the Year of the Dragon.   January newsletter ideas   While a lot of new entrepreneurs may think marketing campaigns are all about selling, that’s not true.   The biggest advantage small businesses have over the big guys is the relationships they build.   Nothing can replace the feel of a small town or being on a first-name basis with your butcher. And those relationships are built by talking with your customers, not at them.   Start by using days like Get to Know Your Customers Day (Jan. 27th) to send out a survey. The new year is the perfect time to ask about goals and resolutions.   January newsletter ideas for helping your readers reach their goals   When you take time to get to know your audience, you stand a better chance of knowing what they want and need, and how you can help and support them.   Here’s how you can support your readers this month:   Be an inspiration. Share stories about how you, your employees, or other locals are overcoming obstacles to be a success. Take it from your newsletter to social media by asking followers to share their definition of success. Be a resource. Think about the different resolutions your readers may have made, and take a look at how your business or organization can help them achieve those goals. Then, reach out to your readers with how you can help, including providing a list of additional resources they could use. Better yet, ask them to share their resolutions on social media, then create a list of resources based on the answers you received. Be an ally. Think about sponsoring a mentor program or a support group, or offer up your location for after-hours meetings for those who already have support groups started in your community. If it’s not appropriate for you to host guests at your place of business, take a poll of your readers and followers to see if they’d be interested in joining a Facebook group or meeting at a local coffee shop or public library.   January newsletter ideas for making your readers feel good   With days like International Mind-Body Wellness Day (Jan. 3rd) and National Compliment Day (Jan. 24th), it’s easy to find a moment this month to make your readers feel good.   Be a partner. Partner up to raise funds for a local nonprofit. Whether you hold a “cuddly kitten” picture contest on social media to raise funds for a local shelter, partner with a local gym and sponsor a community beginners Yoga class, or get with a local counselor to create a free video on meditation or mindfulness, there are a lot of things you can do in partnership with your fellow business owners and nonprofits to benefit your community. Build relationships and trust. If you’re already doing something great for your community, share what you’re doing with your readers and let them know how they can contribute. Be a resource. Share tips on mental, physical, and emotional health. Depending on your brand, you can share funny stories about how you relieve stress — personally, I make bread — or you can supply professional tips of your own or curate content from a trusted source.   Whatever holiday you highlight in your newsletter this month, whether you issue a challenge, offer advice, or ask your readers to share, include a branded hashtag and a custom hashtag — along with a corresponding post on social media — so you can easily find and like what they post!   January newsletter subject lines   “We’re committed to providing excellence” – Commitment Day (Jan. 1st) – Let your readers know your intentions. “Time to turn your hobby into a side hustle.” – National Hobby Month “Take a walk with us, new year – new podcast.” – (January 20th – Take a Walk Outdoors Day) “Here’s how we’re kicking off 2025” “These are our top picks for 2025” “Join us as we celebrate 2025”  “Gift card burning a hole in your wallet?” “The holidays might be over, but the sale’s still happening”  “We’re giving back in 2025 and we want your help!” “Jumpstart your resolution with us!”   Start the new year right by planning out your marketing strategy now with our 2025 Online Marketing Calendar. Complete with a free template and a list of holidays you can use to plan a successful year.   While you’re at it, download our January 2025 Marketing and Holiday Planning ideas guide!   ... View more

It seems like every week, there’s a new social media platform attempting to dethrone the establishment., calling savvy marketers to join the platform to align with their goals and expand their audience and reach.    And those very savvy marketers, who use email marketing, want to make sure their subscribers have access to those social media platforms by including links in their emails.    Constant Contact simplifies access to your social media profiles by letting you insert a Social Follow or Social Share block in your emails. The platforms you can choose from include Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. But what do you do when you want to add your newest platform – say, for instance Bluesky?   Bluesky, ostensibly an alternative to X/Twitter, has been getting some major attention. And our Community users have shown growing interest in integrating this platform into our social blocks. Although it’s not currently available in product, you can easily include the icon in your email campaigns with a simple workaround, shared with us by @HansR02.   To maintain a consistent look and feel, make sure to include the other social media icons in the same set up, even if they are already available in the existing social blocks.   Open your email campaign or create a new one. In the sidebar, scroll until you find the “Navigation bar” layout option and drag it into your template. Click next to the word “Link” and add some random text to push it to the next line. Then, drag an Image block from the sidebar to that spot. You’ll see a pink bar above or below the area; release the block, and it will appear in the space. Click into the “Link” block with the extra text and use the delete button on the text toolbar to remove it. Repeat steps 3-4 for any additional social media icons you want to include, up to five. Click on the empty image block and select “Replace” on the image toolbar. If you haven’t uploaded your custom social media icons to your Library, do so now. Otherwise, choose the relevant file, and it will appear in the image block. Resize the image to desired size. Click image and then click the link icon (it looks like a chain) from the image toolbar. Paste the URL for your Bluesky (or other platform) and click “Insert.”   Here’s a brief video walkthrough, as well:   If you’d like to see this feature added to Constant Contact, head over to the dedicated Product Ideas thread, hit the Kudos button, or leave a comment. This will help us track and prioritize your request for our developers. ... View more

As the winter holidays approach, ensuring your emails reach the inbox is as crucial as Santa finding his way down the chimney.   Here are some festive tips to help your emails land safely in your recipients' inboxes:   Check Your List Twice with Confirm Opt-In: Just like Santa checks his list twice, ensure your email list is filled with subscribers who truly want to hear from you. Implement a confirm opt-in process to confirm their interest, reducing the risk of being marked as spam.   Don’t Forget to Tag Your Gifts, Authenticate Your Emails: Use email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your emails' legitimacy. This is akin to Santa's signature on gifts (definitely not your parents’), ensuring your emails are trusted and less likely to be flagged as spam.   Segment Your List Like the Naughty and Nice list: Regularly clean and segment your email list to target specific groups with relevant content. This reduces bounce rates and increases engagement, much like Santa's careful sorting of gifts.   Drop Down the Chimney at the Right Time: Avoid sending large volumes of emails at once, which can trigger spam filters. Instead, send emails at regular intervals and consider the best times for your audience to receive them.   Test Your Emails, to Sleigh the Inbox: Make sure to preview and test your emails for spam triggers and design issues before sending them out. This helps identify and fix potential problems that could affect deliverability. These tips aren’t exhaustive (though I’m sure Santa is exhausted after delivering gifts all in one night), but they are a great starting point for reviewing your delivery practices and making the most of your marketing efforts during a hectic holiday season. ... View more

If you've spent any length of time on the Constant Contact Community, chances are you have come across posts from any one member of the Community Team. But, who are these enigmatic folks? What are their roles in the Community, what do their days look like, and what do they do when they aren't bouncin' around the different boards? We thought it was time to peel back the curtain of mystery surrounding these forces of nature. Without further ado, let's meet Caitlin_M! What do you do at CTCT? I’m the Community Manager. I’ve been on the team since 2016 (ahh) so I’ve worn a lot of hats. My main focus is to keep the Community running and make sure we're here to support our customers as they go along their marketing journeys. "When I'm not working, you can find me..." Looking up new recipes to try. I’m much more comfortable cooking rather than baking and it’s exciting to break out of my comfort zone. I also love hanging out with my nephew and niece. What's something non-work-related that you're proud of accomplishing in the last year or so? My sister and I planned a two and a half week long trip to South Korea on our own and went this past October. It was amazing! I already have a list of places to visit whenever we can go back. What's your favorite small business? What A Bagel is a local bagel shop I go to almost every Sunday. They make everything from scratch. Everything bagel with bacon scallion cream cheese, please! What's your go-to GIF or meme? If you’ve watched “Parks and Recreation”, you’ll get it. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Teleportation. Who wants to be stuck in traffic all the time or need to plan how to get somewhere? What's the best thing about being part of the Constant Contact Community? Having the opportunity to learn about our unique customers. During our recent Ready. Set. Send challenge, customers shared their marketing goals with us and none of them were the same. It shows the wide array of small businesses and organizations that are out there. What is your favorite product feature? I love the AI content generator. It helps you to get over that initial writer’s block. The next step is to make the text your own and add content that sounds more like you and use your own writing style.   Do you have a favorite tip to share with users? Test, test, test! I help create newsletters for a nonprofit and I catch myself making mistakes all the time, like forgetting to insert a link or updating my subject line. Take a few minutes to send yourself or a coworker a test email and view it on a desktop and mobile device so you know everything looks good before you send it out. ... View more

Welcome to Casual Conversation!   Every first Wednesday of the month we want to take a moment out of our day to break from the hustle and bustle of online marketing and open discussion up to subjects that have less to do with emails, events, and landing pages and more to do with... everything else!   Now sometimes we might skirt the line between business and pleasure in our topics of conversation, but ultimately we know how hard y'all are working and it's fun to think about something other than work every once in awhile.   ---   December is chockful of festive holidays (such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa) and whether you celebrate them or not, chances are your company (if you're not self-employed) will be closed for one of them (probably Christmas Day).   Maybe I just made this post as a flex, because my wife, son, and I are going to spend Christmas in France with my wife's family. I'm not the most festive person, historically, but since having a son last year I've been a bit more in the spirit of the season. Mostly playing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' on repeat, for some reason...   So, how do you plan to spend your holidays? Do you host, if you celebrate? Do you order takeout or go to the movies? Let me know! ... View more

Community Roundup is a monthly roundup of some of the notable articles and user activity in the last month.   Welcome to our monthly "What You May Have Missed" roundup! In this post, I’ll highlight some of the top articles and posts that you might have missed on the Constant Contact Community in the last month. Whether you're a small business owner, nonprofit professional, or marketing enthusiast, we've got valuable insights and discussions to share. So, let's dive in and catch up on the latest happenings!   If you're in the U.S. you just made it through Thanksgiving and presumably for all over the world, survived another Black Friday. And today is Giving Tuesday! So, don't forget to look at one of the causes near and dear and throw some support their way!   Campaign Feedback Cookie Swap: Share your marketing recipes to sleigh this holiday season    Community Blog: Ready, Set, Send Reflections  The Unintentional Humor of Spam Emails  December Holidays and Newsletter Ideas — 2024    Constant Tips: Constant Tips: Resources for designing and sending amazing emails  Constant Tips: Responses Wanted - Help shape the future of Constant Tips!  Constant Tips: Make sure your online audience can find you on social media  Constant Tips: Get Stuffed with Tips!    On-Demand Webinars & Upcoming Webinars:   Q&A: 'Tis the Season for Last-Minute Holiday Marketing    Questions & Discussions Email Responses  Website sign-up form Update Not Publishing?  Error in Scheduling  Help Needed: Outgoing Emails Going to Junk Folder      I hope you found these articles and posts informative and valuable! Check back next month for more great shenanigans on the Community! Stay tuned for exciting updates, discussions, and valuable insights. Happy reading and happy marketing! ... View more

 Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   And we're back from the long Thanksgiving weekend! I hope everyone had a great weekend whether you celebrate the holiday or not.   This week, I wanted to call attention to a pretty helpful feature for those busy, on-the-go types. Namely, the ability to create email campaigns on either the desktop or mobile experience, and edit them across devices. So, if you just left the office and realized you forgot to add the all-important call-to-action to your latest email newsletter, you can now do so from the safety and comfort of your parked car. Isn't that the dream?     Yeah, it's pretty cool. The Constant Contact mobile app is available on Android and iOS devices, so if it's not already taking up real estate on your smartphone or tablet, rectify that today! ... View more

We know how challenging it can be to stay ahead of rising costs and finding the time to market your business. At Constant Contact, we’re always looking for a way to give the small businesses that rely on us an edge.   Tools are one thing, but marketing know-how is another. You might not know where to start, or don’t have the time, or just need a little extra help to get comfortable with using the platform. Our Professional Services team has you covered with personalized marketing services that pairs you with an in-house marketing expert to help take your efforts to the next level!   Our Marketing Managers have helped hundreds of customers just like you pivot successfully and reach their goals. In that spirit, we wanted to create a space where our hard-working community members can reflect on the last year and share their successes.   And for taking the time to share your stories, you’ll be entered to win from a selection of great prizes, offered by our amazing Professional Services team! Scroll down to see what's up for grabs!   Say Yes to Success!   It’s been a year of trying new marketing strategies with our Marketing Manager customers, helping them reach their business goals. Here are some of the results we saw:   Click to download PDFOne client, a car wash on the east coast of the U.S., aimed to boost their SMS contact list to promote daily specials. Their Marketing Manager advised them to display a printed QR code linked to a sign-up landing page to gather SMS phone numbers. They placed signage at checkout counters, which drove an average of 30 new contacts monthly and a 93% yearly increase in new contacts! When they launched a daily special, sending an SMS text message with a coupon link, cars lined up at the car wash within the hour. “I think this is working. We have a line already!”   Another Marketing Manager helped a retail client promote a Labor Day sale, driving one of their most successful holidays ever. By running a Facebook ad and a Google Search ad, they generated over $2,000 in online sales and drew in numerous first-time customers!   A restaurant in a highly competitive market aimed to boost its social media presence. Starting with Facebook ads, the client achieved a staggering 2,800% increase in reach, hitting 236,262 views. This drove over 6,000 visits—a 549% surge—and a 411% jump in page likes. Their Instagram page also saw significant growth: a 54% boost in reach and a 140% increase in new followers. These remarkable results demonstrate the Marketing Manager’s effective approach, strengthening the restaurant's online presence, broadening its audience reach, and fostering high community growth.   Our Marketing Managers are here to help you reach your business goals. And we are excited to see your success! Interested in reading about more success stories from our Marketing Managers? Check out the following case studies:   Professional Services Restaurants & Catering Retail & Ecommerce Social Media Strategy   Now that you’re feeling all nice and inspired, it’s time to enter!   How to enter:   You can gain one ticket for entry by sharing your success story in a comment on this post. We want to hear about your accomplishments and victories, big or small, in the last year that have helped your business grow!   Some topics, for inspiration:   A marketing campaign or other activities that contributed strong growth to your business A positive customer experience Any progress made toward your nonprofit goals A new or updated physical store location or office expansion Share a positive review you received from a customer   What are the prizes?   Grand Prize - 3 months of Marketing Manager service ($1605 value) First Prize: 2 months of Marketing Specialist service ($500 value) Second Prize: 2 hours of Marketing Advisor Phone Consultation ($120 value)  Third Prize: 3 Pack of Animated Templates ($99 value)   Winners will be chosen at random for selection. If you are a winner we will notify you by the contact email address listed on your Constant Contact account, so make sure it is up-to-date!   Questions? Let us know in the comments! — *No Purchase Necessary. Share Your Success Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States (and D.C), 18 years or older. For Official Rules, visit here. Promotion ends on December 20, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Khoros. ... View more

 Every Tuesday (usually) we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   If you're in the U.S.A. then this is Thanksgiving week and you're soon to be overstuffed with whatever food you'll have in front of you. In that spirit, I thought I would stuff this week's tips with some of the tips I've given in the past that really resonate with me. As much as we try to make Constant Contact accessible and easy to use, we understand that a little bit of guidance can go a long way!   So stuff yourself with these helpful tips of Constant Tips past, and let us know how your Thanksgiving went (if you celebrated) in the comments!   Constant Tips: What can I include in an SMS text message?  Constant Tips: What is and how do I set up Multi-Factor Authentication?  Constant Tips: Did you know you can have multiple users on the same account?  Constant Tips: You gotta try out Campaign Builder!  Constant Tips: Drive engagement with a call-to-action  Constant Tips: Make sure you know who your most engaged contacts are!  Constant Tips: Managing and Removing Email Bounces Effectively  Constant Tips: Learn the different ways to style and format your email template  Constant Tips: Review the functionalities of the Library  Constant Tips: Use Sections to Build Your Email Campaigns    See y'all after the holiday! ... View more

Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, have spent the year chatting with small business owners and marketing experts on the Be a Marketer podcast, gathering insights to help entrepreneurs thrive.   Now, they're ready to share the best of those lessons. From goal-setting to storytelling, they've covered a lot of ground. But one theme keeps popping up: the need for flexibility. "Everything is changing all the time," Dave notes. "You often have to have an idea of where you're going to go and almost be broad with setting those objectives."   Dave and Kelsi also explore the power of community engagement, the importance of audience-focused content, and how marketing automation can be a game-changer for small businesses.   Tune in to hear how successful businesses are leveraging these strategies, what's working for building engaged audiences, and how you can apply these lessons to make 2025 your best year yet. Also, get Kelsi’s updates on her ducks and how she plans to keep them comfortable through the winter.    Additional Resources: Getting started with the Automation Path Builder Using Constant Contact SEO tools How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples) Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact   Meet Today's Guests: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact   🚀 What Dave does: He is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. He helps small business owners make sense of online marketing and hosts the Be A Marketer podcast.   💡 Key quote: "Review, plan and execute. So really take a look at how things went for you as you close out the year and start to set those new goals for 2025."   👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn   📝 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and produces the Be a Marketer podcast. She also writes the Be a Marketer newsletter for Constant Contact's LinkedIn page. 💡 Key quotes: "I don't think goals should be set in stone. They need to be evolving with your business and growing with your business because needs change."   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

 Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   Aw, no one left a comment on my last Constant Tips soliciting feedback for future content ideas. That's okay, though. It's not going anywhere!   All right, the title is a bit broad but what it really comes down to is being aware of your "online presence" and how to cross-pollinate your audience. Maybe you tend to engage more through email, but your contacts are just as likely to be on the same social media platforms as you and you could be growing your social media following by making sure your contacts know you are there! Sure, you might see it as double-dipping, but I see it as hedging your bets. Emails can sometimes get overlooked, but you have another chance to reach them if you also shared your email on social media.   Plus, you can encourage your audience to do the heavy lifting for you by including a social share block in your email, so they can share it with their followers, as well.   Don't forget to add your social media accounts to your email with a Social Follow block, so your contacts can hop right the pages and start engaging there! It works in reverse, too, where you can add a sign-up landing page to your social media profiles to get more contacts subscribed.   At the end of the day, we want as many eyeballs on our stuff as we can get so make it clear where your audience can find you and accessible for them to start following or subscribing to you. ... View more

Most small business owners excel in their chosen fields, but marketing often feels like uncharted territory. You know you need a website and an email list, but what should your website look like?    What should you be sending to your email list? And how do you know if any of it is even working?   David Fischer, Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth and Constant Contact Community Coach, understands these challenges. For 14 years, he and his team have helped small businesses nationwide elevate their marketing efforts and get real results.   David joined Dave Charest on the Be a Marketer podcast to share his insights on how to level up your email marketing using the power of segmentation.    Simply put, segmentation means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, like demographics, purchase history, or even engagement levels. This allows you to send more personalized and relevant emails that resonate with each subscriber.   “The more targeted and more specific the message is to those people, the more it will resonate with them and the better results you're going to get," David explains.   Tune in to learn tactical tips for segmenting your email list, understanding the difference between lists and segments, and sending the right message to the right people at the right time.   Additional Resources: Email List Segmentation Segment Your Lists Email List Segmentation Best Practices 🎧 Ep. #63: Segmentation for Nonprofits with Stephanie Campbell    Meet Today’s Guest: David Fischer of Solutions for Growth 🚀 What he does: David Fischer is the Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth, a full-service marketing agency that has been helping small businesses thrive for over 14 years. As a Certified Constant Contact Partner and Community Coach, David is passionate about helping businesses harness the power of digital marketing to achieve their goals.   💡 Key quote: “The bottom line is that regardless of the company you are managing, a happy team delivers better results.”   👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Solutions for Growth: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

This article was originally written by River Cartier for the Constant Contact Blog.   Let the holidays begin!     I’m always inspired and energized by the “big” holiday season. I can’t get enough of the beautiful lights, gorgeous decorations, amazing food, and even the shopping. Unfortunately, that’s not true for everyone.   Whichever you are, use it to your advantage.   Sharing thoughts and worries about the season makes you and your business more relatable to customers who may or may not know you personally. Sharing the joy and the chaos of the season with your readers lets them know that you’re in it together and that you’ll make it through, and make it great, together.   While you’re busy with the hustle and bustle with friends, family, and your community all celebrating the big holidays of Christmas (Dec. 25th), Hanukkah (Dec. 25th – Jan. 2nd), and Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1st), don’t forget to have some fun with the smaller holidays too!   And, you know I’m not going to leave you hanging. Here’s a quick list of December holidays, newsletter ideas, and subject lines to help you have a little extra fun this holiday season.   December holidays — 2024   December 1st — National Christmas Lights Day and Rosa Parks Day. While not related, they are both good reasons to celebrate the first day of December. December 6th — Faux Fur Friday. Oh, the alliteration! December 7th — Global Fat Bike Day. There are no fat bikes. Only Fat Tires. December 7th — National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance. December 9th — Christmas Card Day. Whether you send snail-mail cards to your biggest clients and most loyal customers or send a virtual card to everyone on your list, don’t forget the value of a heartfelt, personal card. December 12th — Gingerbread House Day and National Poinsettia Day. December 14th — National Wreaths Across America Day. December 15th — National Cat Herders Day. If you know, you know. December 17th — Festival of Winter Walks. December 21st — Winter Solstice and World Snowboard Day. Bundle up, buttercup. December 24th — Christmas Eve and National Eggnog Day. December 26th — Boxing Day. Not just for gift boxes, this holiday is now associated with shopping and sporting events. December 31st — New Year’s Eve. Take a deep breath and lift a glass. The new year is coming.   December newsletter ideas   We’re all busy this time of year, no matter which holidays we celebrate. However, the most important thing is to enjoy the season and share that joy with your audience. So, tap into your inner child and have fun. Laugh loudly, play games, sing with your heart, and share all the joy of the season with everyone you encounter this month.   December newsletter ideas for bringing joy   Spread kindness for National Build Joy Day (Dec. 2nd) by donating to a local cause. Better yet, take a cue from Taylor Morrison and get “giving” ideas from your audience. Give the gift of relaxation for Bathtub Party Day (Dec. 5th) by providing tips for the perfect bath, sharing a link to a Pinterest board filled with great bath ideas, or, if you sell bathtubs, offering a discount for the purchase or installation of a new tub. Okay, I might be suggesting this because I need a new tub, but it’s still a good idea. Go beyond the inbox and Answer the Phone Like Buddy The Elf [Day] (Dec. 18th) by answering your business phone with “[name] the elf, what’s your favorite color?” Play games with your audience for Games Day (Dec. 20th) by sharing lists of the best games to give as gifts, for winter fun, or your personal favorites. Better yet, start an online scavenger hunt with the first clue in your email newsletter. And, offer an incentive to play by giving the winner a gift card, a gift basket, or a freebie from your store.   December newsletter ideas for yummy eats   While our family meals are pretty traditional, the one tradition that isn’t is that every Christmas, we try one new dish. Something completely new and different.   A few years ago, it was my turn to bring the “new” dish, and I was asked to make a chocolate panna cotta by a family member who had just returned from living in Italy for over a decade. The whole experience was terrifying, but with a good recipe that I found online, some tips from a chef I found on YouTube, and a few tweaks of my own, even my super-picky aunt was impressed with how it turned out.   I’m telling this story not to tell you how I make the best panna cotta ever — far from it — but rather to emphasize that I wouldn’t have been able to do it at all if it hadn’t been for the recipe I found online and the tips from that chef whom I trusted. Be a reliable resource of all things yummy for your audience by:   Sharing your favorite recipe and a story about it in a blog post, then describe the article or highlight an excerpt in your newsletter and provide a clickable link for people to go to your blog and get the whole story along with the recipe. Create a fun survey asking your readers if they’re going to stick to the tried and true this year or try something new. Start a recipe swap on social media and invite your readers to join in the fun. Better yet, partner with a local charity and make it a fundraiser where people can donate $1 to vote on their favorite recipe. Ensure lots of participants by providing the owner of the winning recipe with a prize of their own.   TIP: Whatever holiday you highlight in your newsletter this month, whether you issue a challenge, offer advice, or ask your readers to share, include a branded hashtag and a custom hashtag — along with a corresponding post on social media — so you can easily find and like what they post!   December newsletter subject lines   “Go ahead, tie one on” — National Tie Month (Dec.). If you sell ties, this is a must. “Don’t fritter way” — Preheader: “This [sale/opportunity/etc.]” — National Fritters Day (Dec. 2nd). “We’ve got cookies” — National Cookie Day (Dec. 4th). Obviously great for a bakery or cafe that has cookies, but more fun for the infamous “join us, we have cookies” usage to get people to visit your location and get a free cookie. “Are you naughty?” OR “Are you nice?” — Santa’s List Day (Dec. 4th). This could work for any playful brand, for anything from conducting a survey on whether or not your audience has gotten their holiday shopping done to a promo for ladies’ night at the bar. “Rub-a-dub-dub” — Bathtub Party Day (Dec. 5th). For bath gift suggestions, sales on bath-related items, or discounts on a bathroom makeover [hint hint]. “Jazzin’ for Blue Jean(s)?” — National Blue Jeans Day (Dec. 5th). Perfect for a sale on blue jeans, rolling out a new style or new stock, or for David Bowie fans. “Light up your life with . . . ” — Candle Day (Dec. 7th). Whether you sell candles, make candles, or just love candles, this is great for bringing a little light to your readers with a sale, a candlemaking tip, or a Pinterest board of your favorites. “I’m from the future” — Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day (Dec. 8th). For rollback prices or to induce FOMO by taking your audience to the future Christmas Eve, and there’s nothing under the tree because they didn’t shop early enough. “We’re not monkeying around” — Monkey Day (Dec. 14th). Good for a serious sale/discount, or sharing serious nonprofit information or needs. “What’s your favorite color?” — Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf (Dec. 18th). Great for promoting any product that comes in various colors. “Having a hard candy Christmas?” — National Hard Candy Day (Dec. 19th). “It’s almost too late!” — Last-Minute Shoppers Day (Dec. 24th). Best used for online gift cards and other e-gifts where your customers don’t have to get to a store or have something delivered at the last minute. “Did you forget someone?” — Last-Minute Shoppers Day (Dec. 24th). To help customers double check their gift list and to help them get that one last gift before Christmas day.   For more December holidays and newsletter ideas, download the graphic below.   December 2024 Marketing and Holiday Planning infographic Click image to download PDF.   Start the new year right by planning out your marketing strategy now, with our 2025 Online Marketing Calendar. ... View more

 Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   We're going to take a different track this week and not provide a tip, but actually reach out and poll the audience on what they are looking for and would find useful. Constant Tips is generally meant to be short and digestible, but there's always an opportunity to spin them off into longer, more in-depth articles.   When you come to the Community, are you looking for:   Step-by-step guides on how to use the product Useful tips on how to utilize available features General marketing advice, or maybe industry-specific   Or, maybe something else! Feel free to to expand on the list above even if it's not represented here. I just want to get a better sense of what my fellow Community members are looking for so I can better serve your needs. I look forward to hearing from you!   ... View more

Are your email marketing reports leaving you feeling puzzled? You're getting opens, you're even getting clicks, but are those translating to real results for your business?   On this episode of Be a Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, sits down with Lindsay Higgins, owner of L2L Creative Group and a Constant Contact Certified Partner. Lindsay understands the struggle of deciphering marketing reports.    She shares her insights on going beyond vanity metrics like opens and click-through rates, to focus on what truly matters: conversions and achieving overall business goals.   “There’s so many different methods of reviewing if your email actually worked,” says Lindsay. “But I think it goes back to the initial goal of your email and then kind of build from that.”   Tune in to discover Lindsay's advice on testing subject lines, optimizing send times, and using resends effectively. You'll learn how aligning your email content with your goals can unlock success and boost conversion.   Additional Resources: Getting started with the Automation Path Builder Using Constant Contact SEO tools How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples) Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact   Meet Today’s Guest: Lindsay Higgins of L2L Creative Group   👩‍💼 What she does: Lindsay is the owner of L2L Creative Group, a Constant Contact Certified Partner based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her company helps businesses with their email marketing from setup to ongoing management. Lindsay is also a Constant Contact community coach, offering real-time guidance to other users.   💡 Key quote: “There's never going to be like the perfect subject line. There's never going to be the perfect day or time to send, in my opinion."   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find L2L Creative Group: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to  RateThisPodcast.com/bam  and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

We recently wrapped on our Ready, Set, Send Challenge and boy, does it feel good! This was our first time running a challenge of this nature, so we learned a lot and it seems like our Community members did, too! Now that the challenge is in the rearview, we want to take a moment to reflect on the wins and accomplishments over the last six weeks.   First off, a big, BIG thank you to our Community Coaches for pulling out all the stops, hanging out in the threads and sharing your expertise and personal feedback with so many of the participants.    But Who’s Counting? (We Are)   211 Badges awarded! 500+ posts! 1000+ Kudos!   The challenge started off strong right out of the gate with 148 people who uploaded their goal setting worksheet. If there is one big takeaway from this challenge, it’s that y’all love a good worksheet.   There was a lot of support, encouragement, and replies between participants and even if users weren’t commenting, the Kudos were flyin’. Let’s not forget about our rockstar participants who committed to completing all six weeks… Amazing!   We also saw participation from a lot of different industries, including nonprofits, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, retailers, and more.   By and large, participants were looking to:  increase engagement through emails grow their social media following build awareness of their brand, drive traffic to their websites become more visible in their communities leverage sign-up tools to grow their lists and increase event attendance.   One participant saw a 7% increase in open rates between the email they sent during Week 1 and the email sent during Week 5. They were also excited to see that their personal open rate exceeded that of their industry average. Another participant got a 50% higher open rate. Huzzah!   Along the way, we heard some inspiring words from participants:   "I got my goal! Over 40% open rate for our newsletter!" "UPDATE - I’m up to 56% open rate as of today! Wahoo!"  “Obsessed with the BrandKit and Campaign Builder! Thank you for this!” “Appreciate this challenge as it has expedited my use of Constant Contact and shown me there are a number of marketing options available to me that I was unaware of.  Thank you!”   Some Takeaways (That you are welcome to use)   After reviewing many of the entries and comments from participants, we saw some common tactics and strategies that seemed to resonate and work well for many. Check them out and revisit one of the previous weeks. Most weeks include a worksheet that you can use to help organize your plan! Don’t market blindly. Come up with a plan so you have a benchmark to perform against. Review Week 1 Make it actionable. When crafting an email, think about what you want your audience to act on after they receive it. A compelling, visible call-to-action can boost conversion rates. Review Week 2 Be where your audience is. Put your sign-up form in places where prospective contacts might find you, such as your social media pages or link to a QR code at the counter of your physical business. Review Week 3 Being where your audience is might mean multiple channels. Your audience is not always looking at their emails, so utilize multiple channels and talk to them where they are, like on social media. Don’t hesitate to use tools like Campaign Builder to help come up with content for the channels most important to you. Review Week 4 Timing is everything. Try to understand when most of your target audience is likely to open an email and schedule future emails for that time period. It’s not as simple as 8AM or 6PM, but dependent on your own metrics and the industry you’re in. Plus, don’t hesitate to send to non-openers when it makes sense, because sometimes the email can be overlooked even by interested parties. Review Week 5 Get personal. Personalized content performed better. By collecting unique and interesting data from your contacts (e.g. their birthday, anniversary of their first sale with you, or where they are located, etc.) you can then use that to inform the type of content you put in your emails. Review Week 6   We loved having this opportunity to gain insight into the inner workings of our amazing customers and better understand their goals, mindset, and challenges – and to celebrate your wins!    Even if you didn’t participate in the challenge, we encourage you to review what others submitted to gather ideas and find inspiration. Feel free to download the worksheets for your own personal use!   We plan to do more challenges like this in the future and hope to improve and make it even better next time. If you have any ideas on challenges you’d like to see, let us know in the comments. Stay tuned! ... View more

Juggling a business is hard enough without adding the pressure of mastering multiple marketing channels. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, spreading yourself thin across social media, email, and who-knows-what-else.    But what if there was a way to streamline your efforts and make your marketing work smarter, not harder?   That's where multichannel marketing comes in. "When you use them together, you get a sum that's greater than the parts," says Aaron Wesley Means, Founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, emphasizing the power of combining channels like email and social media.    In this episode of Constant Contact's Be a Marketer podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, welcomes back Constant Contact Community Coach Aaron.    Aaron shares his expert insights on creating cohesive, impactful campaigns that extend your reach and boost your business growth.   Tune in to learn how to leverage the unique strengths of each digital platform, discover how Constant Contact's Campaign Builder can streamline your multichannel strategy, and walk away with actionable advice to amplify your marketing impact. Additional Resources: Join The Ready, Set, Send Challenge Ready Set Send Challenge Week 4: Multi-channel Campaign Creation Integrated Marketing Campaign Mastery: Transform Your Marketing Campaign Builder in Constant Contact Q&A: Achieve Your Goals with Multi-Channel Marketing Campaigns Welcome to the Constant Contact Community   Meet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions   💻 What he does: Aaron is the founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, a full-service micro-agency based in Asheville, North Carolina. A Constant Contact partner since 2011 and community coach, Aaron is passionate about empowering small businesses and nonprofits through education and hands-on marketing support.   💡 Key quote: "I've seen folks that are 'not techies' doing full campaigns with the Campaign Builder in five or 10 minutes."   👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Activate Business Solutions: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter  If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Community Roundup is a monthly roundup of some of the notable articles and user activity in the last month.   Welcome to our monthly "What You May Have Missed" roundup! In this post, I’ll highlight some of the top articles and posts that you might have missed on the Constant Contact Community in the last month. Whether you're a small business owner, nonprofit professional, or marketing enthusiast, we've got valuable insights and discussions to share. So, let's dive in and catch up on the latest happenings!   The Ready, Set, Send Challenge is almost over, but the tips, resources, and inspiring submissions from participants are still available to see! Definitely go check it out and feel free to follow along.   Campaign Feedback Ready Set Send Challenge Week 3: Audience Building  Ready Set Send Challenge Week 4: Multi-channel Campaign Creation  Ready Set Send Challenge Week 5: Reporting  Ready Set Send Challenge Week 6: List Management and Segmentation    Community Blog: De-Stress and Redirect with These Silver Lining Resources  Meet the Community Team: William_A  November Holidays and Newsletter Ideas - 2024  Small Business Now: How the Economy is Impacting the Holiday Season  Designing for Impact: Email Structures for Retail  Captivate Your Audience with Animated Templates  Designing for Impact: Email Structures for E-Commerce    Constant Tips: Constant Tips: Join the Ready, Set, Send Challenge!  Constant Tips: Use Sections to Build Your Email Campaigns  Constant Tips: Did you know you can download your email as a PDF?  Constant Contact: Use this worksheet to organize your multi-channel marketing plans    News and Announcements What's New in Constant Contact: Fall 2024    On-Demand Webinars & Upcoming Webinars: Q&A: Engage and Convert: The Email and Social Media Power Play      Questions & Discussions How to start online marketing for a small business?  What are the most effective tools for building an email list from scratch?  What to include in an event follow-up email  I'm looking for email marketing examples that work well for small businesses.  What are some innovative strategies for personalizing content in email campaigns?  Provide examples of 'Happy Holidays' email templates    I hope you found these articles and posts informative and valuable! Check back next month for more great shenanigans on the Community! Stay tuned for exciting updates, discussions, and valuable insights. Happy reading and happy marketing! ... View more