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It’s hard out there for brick-and-mortar businesses. Just ask Charlotte Walsh, the owner of running shoe store Charles River Running, who competes against her vendors for market share.    But her store in Norwood, Massachusetts, offers customers what her direct-to-consumer competitors can’t: a place where new athletes can buy their first running shoes, friendly help finding comfortable footwear for people with active jobs, and a connection point for runners of all stripes to join weekly runs around the neighborhood.    Charlotte, a Marine Corps veteran and a runner since age 13, started Charles River Running in 2012. She’d always dreamed of starting her own business, and though she’s had hits and misses along the way, being a business owner brings her joy. “I didn’t realize how much I was going to love my customers,” she says.    Charlotte is proud to be part of Norwood’s vibrant downtown. She attributes her success to the community she’s built within her customer base, and Constant Contact is her tool of choice for engaging that community.    On this episode of Be A Marketer, Charlotte and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss customers, community, and finding your competitive advantage.    Meet Today’s Guest: Charlotte Walsh of Charles River Running   ☕ What she does: Charlotte is the owner of Charles River Running, a full-service running and walking shoe store in Norwood, Massachusetts. A Marine Corps veteran with an MBA, Charlotte opened the store in 2012 to provide shoes, accessories, and anything active people need to pursue their goals.    💡 Key quote: “I just want to build a community of people who feel that Charles River Running is a place they can walk into even if they’re a mailman and they’re on their feet all day, or they’re a walker or a lapsed runner. I needed to build a space where people felt super comfortable and not intimidated.”    👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Charles River Running: Website | Instagram | Facebook If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

If you're looking for ways to build community around your business, consider running an event. It’s a great way to connect with customers, other businesses, and community members.   As Jesus Flores, a product manager at Constant Contact focusing on the Events tool, tells us, an event doesn’t have to be a massive production like a concert or gala. He encourages business owners to start small, try things out, and focus on the purpose.    “As an organization, you have this purpose that you're aiming to serve or this need that you're aiming to fill,” he says. “How can you bring some of that to consumers in more of a way than just selling your products or your services?”   This is where events fit in nicely, allowing you to humanize your business and bring people together.   On this episode of the Be a Marketer Podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Jesus about how Constant Contact can help you execute the three stages of an event. They also discuss how to attract customers to your events and keep them coming back and what updates Constant Contact customers can expect to the Events tool in the near future.   👉 Webinar: Event Marketing Strategies for Building Lasting Connections 👉Create and Activate an event with Constant Contact’s Events Tool   Meet Today’s Guest: Jesus Flores   ☕ What he does: Jesus Flores is a product manager with Constant Contact who focuses on the Events tool. He works directly with customers to better understand their unique challenges and use cases regarding events.   💡 Key quote: “I think events are often looked at as something that only specific types of businesses might be able to leverage. The truth is that events are really a way to get engaged with your community and bring them into your business model.”   👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Welcome to the Nonprofit Group! We’re glad you could join us.   The work of nonprofit organizations is tireless in the pursuit of their cause.    This group is for you and your peers to share, support, and commiserate with each other. In that spirit, let’s get started by introducing yourself.   What’s your name? Tell us a little bit about your nonprofit. What’s your favorite part of running a nonprofit?   I’m excited to meet and learn more about each of you! ... View more

It’s important for nonprofits to get their message out. A decisive and compelling campaign can make all the difference. I’ve compiled a list of just a few resources nonprofits can review to boost their outreach strategies:   Understanding Goals of a Nonprofit Organization: A How-To Guide   10 Exciting Nonprofit Ideas That Are In-Need Right Now   Nonprofit Call to Action Examples for Fundraising, Volunteers, and More   11 Nonprofit Newsletter Ideas to Engage Your Readers   Social Media for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Guide   How to Use SMS for Nonprofits   Craving more? Check out the Constant Contact Blog for more resources and best practices for nonprofits!   Have you tried any of the recommendations in these articles? If so, let us know in the comments! ... View more

Nonprofits provide essential services to those in need and Constant Contact wants to provide essential tools and features that benefit their mission. Check out our curated selection of Knowledge Base articles below:    Average industry rates for email as of July 2023 Average open, click, and bounce rates of Constant Contact customers by industry.   Nonprofit discount and sales tax exemption information Save money by submitting your tax exemption information and applying for the nonprofit prepay discount.   Nonprofit and tax exemption documentation requirements Submit the documents required to prove nonprofit and/or tax exempt status.   Collect donations through an email Insert a "Donate" button into an email that links to a Donation Landing Page, then send it to share it with your contacts.   Customize the Donation Landing Page Add your content and branding, sync your WePay account, and select the list you want to add your donors to.   Running a donation campaign start to finish with Constant Contact Send a series of emails about your fundraising campaign to keep contacts engaged.   Create standout marketing emails for the holiday shopping and giving season Design email campaigns to promote sales and events for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.   Donation engagement reporting Check your progress, view donor information, and export donation engagement reports while viewing the details for your email   Have you used our donation features? Let us know what you think below! ... View more

Julia Gachenback and Darryl Moser from DonorPerfect, are here to share their best email marketing tips for end-of-year fundraising. On this episode of Be a Marketer, Julia, Darryl, and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss how often you should communicate, common mistakes you don't want to make, and how technology can save you time. 👉 Webinar: How to Run Goal-Based Fundraising Campaigns 👉 Webinar: How to Master Nonprofit Event Planning and Promotion 👉 Find out more about DonorPerfect's integration with Constant Contact 👉 Tutorial: Using the Constant Contact Marketing Calendar   Meet Today’s Guests: Julia Gackenbach and Darryl Moser of DonorPerfect   ☕ What they do: Julia spent 10 years in the nonprofit space before joining DonorPerfect as the communications manager. The CRM system provided everything she needed it to do as a nonprofit employee: relationship management, gift management, anticipation of things she needed to do, reporting, and communications.    Darryl is the Product Manager in charge of Partnerships at DonorPerfect. Darryl uses his software development skills and expertise to help nonprofits get the job done.   👋 Where to find Julia: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Darryl: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find DonorPerfect: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram ... View more

When it comes to content marketing, many business owners make the mistake of creating general content that doesn’t address the specific needs of buyers about to purchase.   Pamela Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer at Dental Claims Support, makes sure the company’s content answers the kinds of questions prospective buyers are asking just before they’re ready to buy.   “There’s nothing wrong with answering those [general] questions, but if you never get beyond that, you end up getting a lot of people who are tire kickers,” she says. “They’re just trying to learn more, but they’re not actually trying to buy.”   How do you go beyond basic? Get into the head of someone becoming aware of your solution. Think about what buyers ask as they go through the process of deciding whether they want to invest in your product or service.    On this episode of the Be a Marketer Podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Pamela about creating more than just basic content. She shares setting her team up for success by scheduling creative time, having standard operating procedures in place, and finding the best generative AI tool for writers.   👉 Pamela’s book “Master Content Marketing” 👉 Pamela’s book “Master Content Strategy”   Meet Today’s Guest: Pamela Wilson   ☕ What she does: Pamela is the Chief Marketing Officer at Dental Claims Support, an end-to-end revenue cycle management company in the dental industry. She’s also written two books on content marketing.   💡 Key quote: “I have a very low tolerance for boredom. And there has not been one boring day in the CMO position.”   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Website   👋 Where to find Dental Claims Support: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Raise your hand if networking and building relationships make you uncomfortable.    There are at least a few of you out there. And even if you’re an introvert, you likely know how critical those relationships are to growing your business.    Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, best-selling author and founder of Pen of the Writer, can talk about book publishing all day. Still, when it comes to more formal networking with strangers, she feels intimidated.   “I can do this with you, Dave, all day long because we’re talking about something I’m passionate about,” she says. “But if I’m in a room with somebody I don’t know, after we talk about how cute your outfit is, I’m done.”   But Valerie says that the biggest thing she’s learned over her 15+ years in business is that relationships are critical. She uses a weekly calendar to track what she needs to do to build those relationships. Being intentional about it makes it happen.   On this episode of the Be a Marketer Podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Valerie about ways introverted people can be intentional about networking and marketing, the importance of surrounding yourself with others who share your aspirations, and the beauty of scheduling and segmenting emails.   👉 Check out Valerie’s books: Do it Right the First Time Anthology 👉 Learn how to create and manage tags in Constant Contact   Meet Today’s Guest: Valerie J. Lewis Coleman ☕ What she does: Valerie founded Pen of the Writer, helping professional speakers and experts magnify and monetize their message by publishing quality books. She’s also written a best-selling children’s book and a relationship novel.   💡 Key quote: “I believe that this is what I'm called to do. It's not just something that I'm choosing to do, it's almost like I am compelled to do it.”   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Facebook   👋 Where to find Pen of the Writer: Website | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Small businesses face plenty of challenges, but Sam Silberman, Constant Contact’s Director of Security Operations, wants to make sure that getting hacked or phished isn’t one of them.    In this episode of Be a Marketer, Sam joins host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, to help small business owners stay safe in an increasingly dangerous digital world.    Sam has spent over 13 years protecting Constant Contact and its customers against bad actors. He knows that small business owners have enough to worry about without adding complicated cybersecurity procedures to the mix.    Tune in to hear Sam’s simple recommendations for protecting yourself and your business against hackers and phishers — no IT expertise required.    Meet Today’s Guest: Sam Silberman of Constant Contact   ☕ What he does: Sam is Constant Contact’s Director of Security Operations. Sam and his team protect Constant Contact from hackers and bad actors who try to abuse the system by sending spam from customer accounts.    💡 Key quote: “We all get tricked. I get tricked. We’re all susceptible to this — it’s our human nature.”  👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram ... View more

Social media is a great place to engage with your audience, but also grow your audience.  Video Transcript In today's world, social media has a huge impact on the success of businesses and organizations. That's why it's so important that you build a strong presence across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Here are some cool facts about social media. According to Marketing Sherpa, eighty five percent of consumers within the United States are regular social media users, with fifty eight percent of those using social media to connect with brands and businesses. According to a recent Forbes study, seventy eight percent of consumers purchases are impacted by company's social media posts. That's why it's crucial for your business to be available on all of the top platforms as well. Marketing your business across the top social media platforms can take up a lot of time though. Jumping back and forth between the platforms can easily consume a good chunk of your day if you're not careful. That's why we've been working hard to make it easy for you to bring your social media work into Constant Contact. So both pieces of your marketing can work together. With Constant Contact, you can now create posts, across multiple networks, in one easy to use flow. You can create posts for the different platforms. And even schedule them out in advance when you have some downtime. Making posts is only half of the picture though. Engaging with your Facebook and Instagram audience is another huge piece of social media marketing and building your brand. Once you connect your business account. You can use our social inbox to see and respond to all mentions and messages, as well as comments made to posts, even those you didn't do in Constant Contact, all in one place. So you can finish up that email you've been working on, and switch to your social tab to spend time engaging with your social media connections. Try it free today. With Constant Contact. Why should I use social ads?   The benefit of a social ad is that it will spread your message/promotion to a wider audience, including people who aren’t already engaging with your content (though might potentially be interested). Whereas if you just share your emails or events to your social media channels, only those already following you will see them.   It will curate a prospective audience based on data with your existing contact list or a custom audience based on desired demographic details such as gender, age, country, specific location, or interests.   You set a budget that works for you (assuming it is at least $1.00 USD a day) and how long you want to run the ad. Facebook will have to review your ad to make sure it meets their content policy. Social Media    Once your ad has been running for a little bit, make sure to review the reporting.   Whether your ad is running well or you might want to tweak it to see if the engagement improves, you can always edit an active social ad.   How to Connect and Manage Your Social Media in Constant Contact [February, Multiple Dates Available]   On the same wavelength, if you’ve surpassed your goals or aren’t happy with the performance of the ad, you can always unpublish the social ad.   We cover this topic more in-depth in our Utilize Best Practices for Ads & Lead Ads article on our Broaden Your Marketing Mix hub. ... View more

Emails, events, and landing pages can all be shared on your preferred social media platforms.   You can also create your own social posts and customize it to work with different platforms.     When using social posts, it’s important to keep in mind that while your audience probably overlaps between your email endeavors and social media ambitions, it’s a whole different ball game. If you need some inspiration, we have a wonderful guide on how to Own the Social Sphere.   First, you want to make sure that the image(s) you are using are optimized for the social media platform you’re going to post to. Images on Facebook and Instagram scale differently and if you’re posting to both you wouldn’t want the image to look worse for wear or cropped. Social Media    Every platform also has their own character limits for the text associated with the post. Most are pretty generous, but if you’re also posting to Twitter then make sure to keep the 280 character limit in mind. That said, during the creation stage you can opt to make different posts for each platform all on the same page!   It's important to see email marketing and social media marketing as two sides of the same coin, so to speak. By leveraging multiple marketing channels, you have a better chance of reaching a bigger audience interested in what you have to offer. ... View more

Social media allows you to connect with your contacts and find new people who are interested in what you do. Social media is your best friend when it comes to marketing yourself or your business. You'll most likely need a combination of platforms to share your content, so determine which mix of social media platforms is right for you and put them to work with Constant Contact! Social Media    New to Social Media? We've put together some best practices for social media to help you use your accounts to their fullest potential. If you're brand new to social media, the Social Media Quickstarter on the Constant Contact blog will give you an overview of some popular social media platforms.      Keep in mind, before social media platforms and Constant Contact can integrate, there are permissions you have to accept to make the connection possible.   Pick the Social Media Platform Right for your Business   Constant Contact integrates with multiple social media platforms, making it easier than ever to share your email campaigns, generate lead ads, or simply post to all of your social accounts at once. Connect your social channels to your account to promote an email through Social Share or create posts to share on all of your platforms. Once you’ve connected and started sharing social posts you can review the reporting to make adjustments for future endeavors!     Below are some of the key players in the social media world where you’ll want to create and manage your account to stay connected to your audience and boost your business:     Facebook   As the largest of the social media platforms, having a business page on Facebook is a good idea for every small business. If your target audience is between 25-54, creating daily posts and interacting with your followers is for you. Regardless of your target audience, your page provides an online presence with your contact information. If anyone searches Facebook for your business, you'll be there! Facebook users check their account several times a day, so whether you're sharing your email to your page, or advertising, you'll be engaging with people on the platform they engage with the most.   Instagram   Instagram is also a great way to stay connected with your followers and boost engagement. You can create an Instagram Business account and gain access to their reporting tools to see how many followers engage with your content. Instagram is also a great platform because it allows you to connect your account with a Facebook page, making the two work together in tandem.    LinkedIn   This popular professional networking platform is used by all kinds of professionals. If you do B2B (business to business) marketing, this is the place to connect. You can share posts about your industry, write articles to share with your network whether you're a seasoned professional or a start up! Create a business page to help other LinkedIn users learn about your brand, service, or products and engage with your network through your personal page.   Using Social Media with Email   In today’s day and age, email and social media work hand in hand. Be sure you're taking full advantage of the power of social media when you send your emails and interact with your social media communities.   Use the social icons in your email to help your contacts find you.  Be sure to use the mobile app versions of the platforms you use. For example, if you generally post to Facebook from your desktop computer, have the mobile version on your phone as well. This way, you can stay on top of things and respond to comments or inquiries quickly. Seek out specialized online communities - forums, blogs, social media - that are appropriate for your industry or service. By participating in online communities you can stay informed on developing issues that others are experiencing, gain insights, and offer your expert opinion.   Let’s get social   Remember, social media is a powerful tool that can enhance your online presence and connect with your audience on a deeper level. While it may seem overwhelming at first, especially if you're not accustomed to frequent posting, rest assured that we have the necessary tools to support you every step of the way. If you ever find yourself stuck or in need of assistance, our team is always here to lend a helping hand. Now, let’s get creative and start promoting on social media today! ... View more

Your first email is out the door! Congratulations! I wish I could say this was it, but marketing never sleeps! No, now that your email is in the wild you’ll want to give your audience time to engage with it and review the reporting metrics to help adjust your goals for the next campaign.   First, it’s good to get a general overview of email reporting. For example, what is actually tracked after an email is sent? What do these graphs and numbers mean? What the heck is a bounce?     If you’re part of an organization and need to share your reporting with others, you can export a campaign as a CSV file  or a range of campaigns if you want to share trends over time.   Sometimes, you might want to consider resending an email to those who didn’t open it the first time and compare the performance with the original email. Once you know what to look for and how to navigate it, it’s time to interpret what the email reporting actually means for your marketing agenda!   How are you feeling? Creating a whole marketing campaign from scratch is no walk in the park. You should feel proud and pat yourself on the back for everything you've accomplished. After a much deserved break, we hope you feel confident and ready to work on your next campaign. Plus, email pairs well with a fine wine, but also other highly active and engaging channels, such as event marketing, social media marketing, and SMS marketing. Check out our Broaden Your Marketing Mix resources to go beyond email! ... View more

Arguably, the most important step! You’re at the top of the first mountain in the seemingly endless range that is marketing and it’s nice to see you up here (it was getting a little cold and lonely). Email Marketing    Scheduling an email is pretty straightforward though. If you follow these step-by-step instructions you’ll be sending your first email in no time!     Related: When is the Best Time to Send Your Email Marketing Campaign?   That said, here are some things to keep in mind before you schedule:   Is your campaign ready? Check for errors and send a test version of your email. When is the best time to send? It can be hard to deduce this if you’re just getting started, but still worth considering. Chances are you have some idea of the audience you’re communicating with. For example, if your audience is heavily corporate, scheduling the email to be delivered before or around 9 AM is ideal as it is more likely to be near the top of their inbox, thus more visible. Who are you sending to? Depending on the size and diversity of your audience, you might want to segment the recipients or narrow down a specific tag within a contact list. What about the subject line? If you can’t settle on a subject line, try the A/B Testing tool to send two different subject lines to smaller samples of contacts and then use the winning subject line to send to the rest. Once you hit that Schedule or Send Now button, that’s it! You did it! What do you think? How would you rank your first campaign experience? Let us know below! your email.   It's important to know that once an email is sent, there is no way to recall it.   That said, we’re not done just yet. After you wait patiently for the email to reach their inbox and give your audience time to open and engage with it, you will want to review the reporting information for the campaign! You can also connect your social media accounts to Constant Contact and share your hard work on your social channels! ... View more

Creating an engaging email campaign is crucial for effective digital marketing. Constant Contact provides a user-friendly platform that simplifies the process of designing, customizing, and sending emails.     When designing your email, it's important to follow best practices to ensure your message is clear and impactful. Start with a visual hierarchy, placing the most important information at the top to grab attention quickly. Consider your audience and the message you want to convey, ensuring that the design elements like fonts and colors align with your brand and the purpose of your email.   Save yourself some time by uploading your logo and brand information to BrandKit.   Begin by selecting an email template that fits your campaign’s needs. Constant Contact offers a wide range of mobile-responsive templates designed to look great on all devices. Choose a template that aligns with your industry or the type of message you want to send, using the search feature to filter options.   We recommend creating a reusable template.    After giving the email campaign a name, review the different tabs available on the left-hand side: Build, Images, and Design. Build Tab: This is where you can add and customize various content blocks, such as text, images, and buttons. It allows for the drag-and-drop placement of these elements within your email template. Images Tab: Use this tab to insert and edit images in your email. You can also turn images into clickable links and make adjustments using the editing tools provided. Design Tab: This tab lets you modify the overall aesthetics of your email, including background colors, patterns, and text styles. Customize the look to match your branding or the specific style you aim for.   The email editor makes it easy to add, remove, and edit blocks in your template. You can drag and drop different blocks to arrange your content effectively. If a block isn’t needed, simply delete it using the trash can icon. Editing blocks is straightforward, allowing you to customize text, links, and other elements to suit your campaign’s needs.   Speaking of elements, if you have social media channels that you interact with and engage your audience on, you should make sure to insert a Social Follow or Social Share block in the email.   Leverage Constant Contact’s AI Content Generator to create compelling content for your emails. This tool can help you draft messages that resonate with your audience, saving you time and enhancing your email’s effectiveness. Additionally, use the Campaign Builder to develop an entire multi-channel campaign in a matter of moments!   Don’t forget to review and make changes to the header and footer of the email campaign. Consider personalizing the subject line and other optimization considerations to make sure your email stands out in the inbox.   Before sending your email, make sure to preview it to see how it looks on different devices. Check for any errors and send test emails to yourself or a small group to ensure everything appears as intended. This step is crucial to avoid any mistakes that could impact your email’s professionalism or effectiveness.   Add Inbox Preview to your plan so you can see how the email will display in different email clients.   After crafting your email, consider sharing it in our Template Feedback area. Submit and receive constructive feedback from other users. This can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improving your email before it goes out to your broader contact list. By following these steps and utilizing the tools provided by Constant Contact, you can create effective and attractive emails that engage your audience and drive your marketing goals forward. Now that you’re feeling ready, it’s time to schedule the email! ... View more

It is now time to create your first email. Choosing the right template might seem like a daunting task, but it helps to break it down to what your goals are with this particular template. Is it a promotion for an upcoming sale or new product? Is it to introduce your audience to your new email marketing initiative and what to expect? Or maybe it’s the start of a weekly/monthly newsletter! Whatever the goal is, keep it in mind as you scroll through the plethora of templates.   Constant Contact has templates for different industries like retail, real estate, or non-profit. We also have a ton of templates to celebrate different holidays! Chances are, there is a predesigned template already waiting for you. Email Templates    However, it’s important to know that some visual elements might be hard coded in by our template designers. For example:   Borders Backgrounds Gifs Colors   If being able to edit/change any of these is important to you, we recommend starting with a basic template and building it out.     It wouldn’t hurt to create a reusable template that is consistent with your brand, but we’ll get to that as we walk through creating your first template.   Here are a list of articles that will give you some best practices on how to design a template that is right for your goals:   The Perfect Email Template: What You Need to Know 4 Essential Templates to Jumpstart Your Email Marketing How to Create a Modern Newsletter Email Template 5 Types of Email Templates Specialized for Nonprofits 14 Top Real Estate Email Templates 8 Retail Email Examples You Can Use to Increase Ecommerce Sales   Ultimately, the template that is best for you depends on the needs for your business and marketing goals. If, after you've designed your template, you're still not sure if you're on the right track then we encourage you to share your campaign over on Template Feedback. You can get constructive, targeted feedback from your peers and Constant Contact experts! ... View more

Humans are visual creatures, and the right images can make your emails stand out. While you don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too much visual stimulation, adding eye-catching graphics or engaging photos can significantly enhance the appeal of your emails.   Why is the quality of my image files important?   Creating visually appealing email campaigns is crucial for engaging your audience effectively. To ensure your images are clear and attractive, it's important to understand the basics of image formatting and the tools available for optimizing your graphics.   How do I prepare my images for upload?   There are some key factors to keep in mind when reviewing whether your images are ready for upload or not:   Size and Resolution: Ensure your images are at least 600px wide to match the width of most Constant Contact emails. This prevents the images from becoming blurry when resized. File Type and Size: Check the file type (JPEG, PNG, etc.) and keep the file size manageable to ensure quick loading times without sacrificing quality.  Use Editing Tools: Both Windows and macOS offer built-in tools for basic image editing. Use these tools to adjust the size, resolution, and format of your images according to your needs. Study design principles: Check out our article on design best practices so you can attract the right attention from your audience.   Why should I connect Canva to my Constant Contact account?   Canva is a powerful tool for creating professional graphics. By integrating Canva with your Constant Contact account, you can directly import your designs into your email campaigns, streamlining the process.   How do I connect my Canva account?     Log into your Constant Contact account and navigate to the Integrations section under Tools to find Canva. Follow the prompts to connect your accounts.   Alternatively, you can connect to Canva while using the Cross Device Editor by selecting Replace when clicking on an image block in the template.   If you decide to discontinue using Canva, you can always disconnect it from your account.   How do I upload images to Constant Contact?     We offer a few options to upload images and documents:   Direct Upload: You can upload images directly in the Cross Device Editor or in the Library under Tools. You can also upload images from your phone using the Constant Contact mobile app. The process is the same for PDFs. Social Networks: Import images from connected social media accounts. PDF Conversion: Convert the first page of PDF documents to an image file during the upload process. Stock Images: There are thousands of stock images available through Shutterstock, both free and paid, that you can access directly from your Library.     By following these steps, you can efficiently prepare, connect, and upload images to your Constant Contact account, ensuring your email campaigns are both attractive and effective. ... View more

What is a Welcome Email?   Setting a good first impression with your audience is key to keeping them engaged with your content. Welcome emails help take the legwork out of this initial step, so you can focus on other endeavors. Whether you set it up as a simple thank you and confirmation, include pertinent info, or offer something as part of the sign up, these automated emails are an excellent way to start your relationship with new audience members.   How do I set up a Welcome Email?     To set up an automated customer journey for welcoming new subscribers as described in the article, follow these steps:   Create an Automation Path: Start by creating a welcome automation path using a pre-built template. You can choose from templates like "Welcome: SMS" for both email and SMS messages, "Welcome: Basic" for only email communications, or a "Welcome series" specifically for new customers from platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Customize the Welcome Trigger Details: Decide which subscriber lists will receive the welcome message. You can select all lists or specific ones. Adjust these settings in the Trigger details overlay. Create Your Email or SMS Message Content: Customize the content of your messages. For emails, select a template and use the email editor to add text, images, and links. For SMS, input your message text, keeping in mind that SMS should be concise due to space limitations. Build Out Your Welcome Path (Optional): Enhance your path by adding additional messages, time delays, conditional splits, or other actions like updating contact fields or tagging. Activate Your Welcome Automation Path: Once your path is set up and you are satisfied with the configurations and content, activate your path. You can then monitor the performance and make adjustments as needed.     Don't forget to leverage the BrandKit to save you time making your emails reflect your branding.   Based on your email plan, it's possible to set up several welcome paths. However, to avoid sending duplicate welcome messages to the same contact, ensure that a list is only used for one welcome path at a time.   It's possible you might still have access to our legacy Welcome series feature. You can follow the steps outlined here.   For additional insight, learn How to Create a Winning Welcome Email! 💪   Now that you have a Welcome email set up, you already have a pretty good idea of how to use our email editor, but we still want to walk you through creating and sending your first email campaign! ... View more

If you're feeling more confident after reviewing the ins-and-outs of the Contacts page in your account, it's time to upload your contacts!   Why should I upload contacts?   Uploading contacts is essential for effective communication and organization. There are many methods available and understanding the advantages and limitations of each method can help individuals and organizations choose the most appropriate approach for their specific circumstances.   What is the right method for me to upload my contacts?     When it comes to uploading contacts, there are many different ways you're able to upload them, so choose which method works best for you. If you're just starting out, you have the option to manually import and type in your contacts; however there are ways to automate this process if you have a larger list. Keep in mind, you can use:   A spreadsheet or file Business software An email provider An email marketing platform An ecommerce platform A payment processer An event marketing platform An online survey tool    If you are importing a spreadsheet, take a moment to ensure the contact file is formatted correctly and in an acceptable format. We accept .XLS, .XLSX, .CSV, .VCF, and .TXT files.    If you have contacts stored in your personal or business address book from an email client, you can use our tools to bring over your contacts from Gmail, Outlook, or other various email providers.   No matter what method you’re using, you will need to agree with our email permission policy. In short, these contacts have given you either express or implied consent to contact them through email. We do not permit the upload of purchased lists.   If you have previously used another email marketing provider, you can upload a list of unsubscribed contacts. Even though you are contacting them through a different provider, these contacts have stated they no longer want to receive emails and you still have to respect their request.   Contacts can be stored in lots of different places, and we can help you consolidate them. We've integrated with the most popular third-party sources to give you the tools to automatically import and sync your contacts through an app or plugin.  If you're using an integration, we’ve got you covered.   There are integrations available with multiple business software and eCommerce platforms that automatically sync your contacts.   However you decide to upload your contacts, once it’s done, it’s time to create your first email! ... View more

Welcome to the world of contacts! If you're just starting out, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the Contacts dashboard as contacts are your network for marketing who you are as a business. I encourage you to play around in the dashboard, and once your comfortable, you can begin uploading contacts and discovering all the cool things you can do to create a customized experience for each customer!    Since you’ll be spending a lot of time on the Contacts page, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different components. Let's touch on everything the page has to offer to set you up for success:     When you first visit the Contacts page the default view will be on “Contacts.” You can change the view to Lists, Segments, or Tags, as well. Insights provides data on how many contacts are subscribed (this number is connected to your Billing plan, too). How many new subscribers have joined in the last 30 days, the growth percentage in the last 30 days, and how many Unsubscribed contacts. All available contacts are listed here. You can change the view based on their subscription status or whether they are on a list or not.  Up to seven columns can be displayed at once and you can modify which columns are visible (for example, you could switch out “Source” for “State/Province.”) Similarly, the search function allows you to search by their name or email address, as well as any other important contact fields. Click the blue Add Contacts button to choose from several import options or click the three dots to view and/or export your contacts.   Let's get down to the basics. You'll want to add your contacts that you already have to your Constant Contact account. That way, you can begin managing the contacts you already have, while planning ahead to get more contacts added to your list. Once you have a good list growing, you can begin segmenting your contacts into multiple different lists based on their needs, interests, and specifically target your content towards a certain audience.    If you're just starting out, you may already have a general contact list on Excel or another file source. That's great news if you do, because you can directly upload it to your Constant Contact account! There's plenty of other methods to get your contacts uploaded, so choose the way that works best for you.    Once you upload your contacts, you then have the option to create lists to organize them into different "buckets." Think of these like group chats for certain customers who may share the same interests or behaviors.     With these lists, you can create segments based on behavior. With our segmentation tools, you can split your contacts into customized groups based on any combination of their engagement with your emails, the contact lists they're currently on, any personal information you've collected, the tags you've added, and ecommerce activity.    If you're looking to grow your contact list, consider which list growth tools will work best for you. The possibilities seem endless to create a big list. You can utilize contact sign-up forms, create a landing page on your website, use SMS to expand your reach, and use a multitude of our integrations!    ... View more