About Nick_S

Lucy Hall's journey into the digital world began with a chunky Dell computer and an eBay account. At 17, she became one of the first eBay power sellers, selling thousands of "ab belts" and discovering a passion for online marketing.   This early experience set the stage for Lucy's future as a digital skills advocate and community builder. Today, she runs SocialDay, the UK's top Social Media Marketing Festival, and Digital Women, an online community with over 40,000 members dedicated to empowering women through digital skills education.   "If I could do it when I was 17 and my uncle can sell things online at age like 80, everyone in between can do it as well," Lucy shares, highlighting her belief in the power of digital skills for all ages.   On this episode of Be a Marketer, Lucy and host Dave Charest dive into the importance of mindset in business, the challenges of growth, and the power of community. They explore Lucy's unique approach to content creation, her success on LinkedIn, and her tips for building engaged online communities.   Tune in to hear Lucy's insights on balancing online and offline creativity, the importance of caring for your customers, and how to create content that resonates with your audience.   Additional Resources: Guide to all Constant Contact Onboarding Webinars New Customer Hub   Meet Today’s Guest: Lucy Hall of SocialDay and Digital Women 🚀 What she does: Lucy Hall is the founder of Digital Women and SocialDay, director at Skills of The Future LTD, and a professional speaker on digital media and social media. She's passionate about empowering individuals through skill development and community building, with her Digital Women community boasting over 40,000 members.    💡 Key quote: "If you don't know what they need, how can you create products for them? So I really do think caring about your customers, caring about your community, making sure that at the center of everything, you want to give them the thing that's going to help them to feel better or solve their problem."   👋 Where to find her: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Snapchat | Instagram | Facebook |   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Clients are everywhere, but so is the competition. This is the reality for real estate agents in a crowded market.   But what if you could become the go-to expert in your community — the agent everyone remembers when it's time to buy or sell their home?   For over a decade, Stephanie Alfonso has helped real estate agents transform their marketing strategies. Now, as the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact, she’s empowering agents to navigate a changing market. With the national conversation revolving around buyer's commission and agent value, Stephanie champions digital marketing as the key to staying top-of-mind and building trust with clients. “If you could do one thing better, what would it be?” Stephanie asks, challenging agents to prioritize their marketing efforts for long-term success   On this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast, Stephanie and host Dave Charest explore why a strong online presence is crucial for agents. Discover the power of a consistent email newsletter and learn how agents can use AI tools to streamline their content creation.   Tune in to learn actionable strategies for list building, content creation, and leveraging social media and SMS marketing to connect with clients and grow your business.   Additional Resources: BAM #18 - Building a Real Estate Business Through Email with Ricky Carruth Real Estate Marketing Advice 14 Top Real Estate Email Templates   Meet Today’s Guest: Stephanie Alfonso of Constant Contact 🚀 What Stephanie does: She is the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact.   💡 Key quote: “People do business with people they like, they know, and they trust. So we need to be intentional about getting people to like, know, and trust us."   👋 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     It's another quick one this week while I'm at a work event, but I saw that "resend" was coming up in our search reporting in the last month so I thought it would be helpful to call out the different ways you can resend your email, because there are a few ways you can do it!   You can check out the video above or review the linked articles below, all lovingly crafted by our Knowledge Base team.   Resend an email using QuickSend Manually resend an email to contacts who did not open the original Automatically resend an email to contacts who don't open Resend an email to a list or segment Resend an email with corrected or updated content   Have you tried any of these methods? What has worked for you? Let us know in the comments! ... View more

Hello everyone! We're thrilled to unveil some exciting changes we've made to the navigation on the Constant Contact Community. We've been listening to your feedback and working hard to make your experience here even better.   Our goal with these updates is to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, connect with other members, and get the most out of our community. You'll notice that we've streamlined the menu options and reorganized some sections to help you navigate with ease.   Let’s break it down, explain the purpose of each section, and how it may benefit you:   Resources   Getting Started Find resources and guidance to get familiar with the Constant Contact platform. Tutorials, live sessions, and on-demand webinars will help ensure a smooth onboarding experience.     Help Center Provides a breakdown of all the different support channels available for Constant Contact customers, including chat and phone support, our Knowledge Base of tutorials, and the Constant Contact Blog.     News and Announcements Updates and important information about new features, product updates, and changes within the Constant Contact platform.     Professional Services Offers specialized services for users looking to enhance their marketing efforts with expert help, including premium template designs, marketing advisors, and other services.     Support Forum A community-driven space where users can ask support questions, share experiences, and find solutions from other users and Constant Contact product experts.   Events & Webinars     On-Demand Webinars Pre-recorded webinars available for users to watch at their convenience, covering a wide range of topics.     Onboarding Webinars Webinars specifically designed to help new users get started with Constant Contact tools and services.   Learn     Be a Marketer Join host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator, as they explore what it really takes to market your business–including in-depth and meaningful conversations with small business leaders and industry experts.     Campaign Feedback Share your different campaign creations, such as email, and receive feedback from the community.     Community Blog Articles written by community members and product experts, offering tips, strategies, and news relating to the Constant Contact platform.     Marketing Strategies Resources focused on developing effective marketing strategies with the expanded suite of Constant Contact products and features such as event marketing, SMS marketing, and list growth.     Ready, Set, Send Challenge 2024 Participate in a 6-week marketing accelerator program, led by our very own Community Coaches, designed to help users enhance their marketing strategies and drive better results for their business.   Groups/Discussions   Join one of our groups to engage in conversations with other leaders in your respective industry, whether it be Nonprofit, Real Estate, or Retail & Ecommerce. Additionally, we’ll provide valuable resources and insights on leveraging your Constant Contact tools to drive your organization’s success.   Product Ideas   A dedicated space where you can discover inspiration and share your own innovative ideas on features and products you’d like to see implemented in the Constant Contact platform. Comments and Kudos on Ideas posts are tracked for visibility with our developers!   If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know in the comments!   ... View more

What if you could transform the fear of rejection into a catalyst for growth in your business? Graphic designer Liz Mosley did just that. After realizing that playing it safe was holding her back from exciting opportunities, Liz embarked on a journey to reframe rejection as a stepping stone to success.   Liz has been helping small businesses and creatives define their brands and attract ideal customers for over a decade. As host of the “Building Your Brand” podcast, she's no stranger to the power of marketing and connection. “I actually think for some people it's worth waiting a couple of years, letting the chips fall almost, and seeing what is the business that you really want to build and then invest in the branding,” she shares.   On this episode of Be a Marketer, Liz and host Dave Charest delve into the strategies that have helped her build a thriving freelance business, including a counterintuitive approach to rejection, the importance of understanding your target audience, and her go-to social media scheduling trick.   Tune in to discover how you can build a brand you love and attract dream clients with Liz's practical tips and inspiring story.   Additional Resources: Create a social post and schedule it to publish on social media Automatically apply your branding to your emails   Meet Today’s Guest: Liz Mosley of Liz Mosley Design ☕ What she does: Liz Mosley is a U.K.-based graphic designer specializing in branding and animated GIFs for small businesses. She hosts the “Building Your Brand” podcast, where she shares marketing advice for small business owners looking to DIY their branding. Liz’s goal is to help her clients and audience create a brand that makes them feel proud and confident about promoting their businesses.    💡 Key quote: "You don't have to be the best at it. You don't have to have the slickest tech setup. You don't have to have invested in public speaking training. You just [have to] get going and learn on the job."   👋 Where to find her: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Podcast | Instagram | TikTok | 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   Click to downloadIt’s a short week for me as I’ll be attending a conference today, but I still wanted to get something up for Constant Tips!    Our beloved Content team just dropped a new guide that covers how you can maximize your content without doubling your workload.    Y’all are out there doing what you can with what you have, but sometimes it can never feel like enough–but maybe that’s not true! Consider whether you are really getting the most out of the content you’re creating for your marketing efforts and identify areas of opportunity where you can leverage your content you may have missed!   Have you repurposed your content before? Let us know in the comments!   ⬇️ Click on the attached document below to download. ... View more

Small business owners often juggle countless tasks, leaving marketing on the back burner. But what if there was a way to streamline marketing efforts and boost confidence?   Enter Constant Contact's latest innovation: the AI-powered Campaign Builder. This tool promises to revolutionize how small businesses approach marketing, addressing the challenges uncovered in the Spring 2024 Small Business Report.    "More than half of small businesses we polled — about 55% to 56% — told us that they have less than an hour a day to spend on marketing," reveals Michael Wood, Manager of North America External Communications at Constant Contact. This startling statistic underscores the need for efficient marketing solutions.   The episode dives into the research findings, exploring why small businesses struggle with marketing and how the new Campaign Builder can help. Kate Conway, Constant Contact’s Senior Product Marketing Manager, explains how the tool leverages AI and Constant Contact's decades of marketing expertise to create multi-channel campaigns tailored to specific business goals.   Tune in to gain insights into the current state of small business marketing and learn how AI-driven tools can save time, boost confidence, and improve overall marketing strategies.   Additional Resources: SBN Report Campaign Builder BrandKit Have you tried Campaign Builder? Let us know!   Meet Today’s Guests: Kate Conway and Michael Wood of Constant Contact   🚀 What Kate does: She is the Senior Product Marketing Manager at Constant Contact.   💡 Key quote: "Campaign Builder was built really to address this need. It’s a goal-based tool that does all the heavy lifting for you."   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   📊 What Michael does: He is the Manager of North America External Communications at Constant Contact.   💡 Key quote: "Less than 20% of the small businesses we polled told us that they felt confident that they were using the right channels. So it's not just more is more. The channels that you use matter."   👋 Where to find him: 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

This article was originally written by River Cartier for the Constant Contact Blog.   Just as fall is my favorite season, October is my favorite month.     I love October. Not just because I get to over-decorate the house, play dress-up as an adult, and buy way too much candy without judgment.   Nor do I love it because of National Pumpkin Spice Day (Oct. 1st) or National Cinnamon Roll Day (Oct. 4th) — although those are both good reasons to love October.   I love it because the first snows fall and then melt away, because of Indian Summer days and cold nights with breezes that nip at your nose, and because everyone is getting ready to hunker down for winter.   I love October because here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is nature’s last hurrah before winter sets in.   So, when you start working on your marketing for October, think about how this time of year makes you feel and how you can help your readers celebrate the end of the season while preparing for the coming winter.   If you’re not sure where to start, I’m here to help with a bushel of October holidays, newsletter ideas, and subject line starters. So slip into your favorite slippers, grab a cup of hot cocoa and let your mind warm up to some of these great ideas.   October holidays — 2024   October 1st — International Coffee Day. A great day to share a free cup of coffee with your readers, or to share recipes, memes, and tips about this morning staple. October 6th — National Mad Hatter Day. Ever wondered what the 10/6 on the Mad Hatter’s hat means? 10 shillings and 6 pence — the cost of the hat! October 7th-13th — The Children’s Trust Pyjama Week. This comfortable week is held annually in the UK to raise funds for children with brain injuries. October 7th — National Inner Beauty Day. Recognize the inner beauty of your customers and employees. October 10th — World Mental Health Day. Raise awareness with your readers about mental health and community resources. October 16th — Dictionary Day. Share fun, little-known words related to your business. Make a game of it in your shop or offer a discount if your customers know the “word of the day”. October 21st — Back to the Future Day. Celebrate the day Doc and Marty landed in the future by doing fun flashbacks or sneak peeks from your business. October 25th — International Artist Day. Support a local artist by showcasing their work in your shop, your newsletter, and on your social media. October 18th — Loud Shirt Day. From our friends in Australia, this day raises money for children with hearing loss. I love this… out loud! October 31st — Halloween, National Caramel Apple Day, and Magic Day. Pick a holiday, any holiday.   October newsletter ideas   With fall in full color, corn mazes, and kids in costumes, there’s no better time to embrace the season and your community.   October newsletter ideas for running contests   Seasonal activities are everywhere this time of year. So, tap into what’s happening in your community.   Bring the fun. Purchase a few tickets to a local corn maze, haunted house, or other season-themed event and then hold a contest for your readers to win the tickets.  Create something special. Partner with a local event or a related business to combine your products or resources to create something special for the season/month. Support your community. Partner with a local food bank, farm, grocery store, or charity to create a fundraiser that can start with paying to pick apples, to making apple deserts, all the way down to a bake sale. Better yet, partner with a school to teach children the process of farm-to-table.   October newsletter ideas for Halloween   Halloween dominates the month of October so join in the fun and celebrate all things Halloween-ish with your readers.    If your business isn’t directly tied to Halloween, then be a resource for your readers by:   Doing some research. Create a comprehensive list of activities and events happening in your area that you can share with your readers. Share the list on social media as well, and invite your readers to add activities that you might have missed. Creating a checklist. Help your readers out by creating a fun checklist of things they’ll need to “survive” Halloween. This can be anything from practical suggestions on how to trick-or-treat with little ones to funny suggestions like purchasing twice as much candy as you think you’ll need, so there’ll be some left for the trick-or-treaters. Curating content. Content curation isn’t just for social media. You can curate content from other sources and use it in your newsletters and on your website. Just make sure to follow content curation best practices and cite your sources properly.   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!   October newsletter subject lines   “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” — National Mad Hatter Day (Oct. 6th). Do you know the answer? “Have I gone mad?” — National Mad Hatter Day (Oct. 6th). Great for announcing a sale. “It’s time to kick some butt!” — National Kick Butt Day (Oct. 9th). When you want to motivate your readers to take action. “It’s my party” Preheader: “and you’re invited” — It’s My Party Day (Oct. 11th). Great for anything you want to celebrate, an event, a sale, whatever! “I don’t believe it” — International Skeptics Day (Oct. 13th). Great for announcing a sale, something new, or even something controversial. “Go beyond bold” Preheader: “Be gaudy!” — Wear Something Gaudy Day (Oct. 17th). “Great Scott!” — Back To The Future Day (Oct. 21st). Great for sharing what’s new and exciting. “Knock knock” — National Knock Knock Joke Day (Oct. 31st). Hey! Why not?   For more October holidays and ideas on what you can do to share them with your customers, download the graphic below. And if you haven’t started already, it’s time. Start planning your 2024 holiday marketing now. ... View more

After composing and sending an email to your contacts, you can expand its visibility by sharing it on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Of course, you might know not exactly what to say, but that's okay! We are excited to announce a new feature that allows you to effortlessly summarize your emails using AI when sharing them on social media.   This innovative tool is integrated into the social post tool within Constant Contact, making it easier than ever to engage your audience with concise and compelling content.     To utilize this feature, just click on 'Summarize email' after clicking on the 'Content generator' button when going through the social sharing steps.   Interested in what else marketing on social media has to offer? Check out our Social Media Marketing space! ... View more

Building a successful business takes grit, determination, and a commitment to your vision.    For Maria Miranda, founder and creative director of Miranda Creative, that journey began in 1988 with a simple yet powerful belief: work should be about respect, creativity, and client value.   In this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast, Maria and host Dave Charest pull back the curtain on 35 years of experience, sharing the lessons learned and strategies honed along the way. Maria discusses how she built a thriving agency by focusing on authentic connections, organic content, and the enduring power of email marketing. "Little effort, little impact, big effort, big impact," she shares, emphasizing the importance of meaningful engagement and a long-term perspective.   Tune in to hear how Maria empowers her team, embraces a community-driven approach, and navigates the dynamic world of marketing with intention and purpose.   Additional Resources: Help overview: The Email Details page in Constant Contact Create and manage contact lists in Constant Contact  Professional Services from Constant Contact  Constant Contact Partner Agency Directory   Meet Today’s Guest: Maria Miranda of Miranda Creative   ☕ What she does: Maria is the founder and creative director of Miranda Creative, a brand management firm based in Norwich, Connecticut. For over 35 years, she has provided comprehensive marketing services to businesses. Maria was named the 2024 Small Business Person of the Year: Connecticut by the Small Business Administration. She holds a B.F.A. in graphic design/marketing from the University of Connecticut.   💡 Key quote: "Your email list is the only audience you actually own."   👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Miranda Creative: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube |  LinkedIn    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   I just dropped a new thread over in Campaign Feedback soliciting feedback for our new Campaign Builder tool, if you've had the chance to use it yet (and we really think you should).   It made me want to highlight the different ways our users can have their voices heard by Constant Contact, whether it's a feature request, support question, or seeking marketing advice. I mean, the Constant Contact Community you're reading this post on is a prime example because we're reading everything that comes in! However, to organize it a bit more succinctly:   Ideas   This area is specifically for you to give feedback and suggest new features for Constant Contact. We actively monitor submissions and tag them with appropriate tracking so anyone who chimes in adds to the tracking metrics for that request/idea. So hop over to Ideas and share with us what you're looking for!   Ask Dave   If you're not listening to the Be A Marketer podcast, I highly recommend it! Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator, explore what it really takes to market your business with regular guests from various small business and nonprofit industries. Dave also has regular Ask Dave interludes where he answers questions from listeners. You can submit questions in our dedicated Ask Dave thread!   Events & Webinars   Every webinar we run ends with a Q&A portion and throughout the webinar itself, the platform we use allows attendees to ask questions which often get answered in real-time by a group of dedicated product and marketing experts. Make sure to see which events are coming up! And if your question doesn't get an answer, we follow up every webinar with Q&A posts that highlights as many of the questions we received and includes a recording to the webinar itself!   Help Center   And even beyond the Community, we have our Help Center with a plethora of channels users can engage with Constant Contact. You can call our support line, chat with an agent, or join a "Ask a Trainer" session between 11AM and 4PM ET (the link is only live during that time) every weekday! ... View more

The new Campaign Builder tool by Constant Contact is designed to save time and build effective marketing campaigns with minimal effort. It automates content creation and channel selection, providing actionable recommendations for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Have you had a chance to try it out yet?     As we continue to innovate and enhance our services, your feedback is invaluable to us. The Campaign Builder leverages AI technology and industry best practices to help SMBs create effective marketing campaigns with ease. It automatically generates tailored recommendations for content, different marketing channels, and timing based on your specific goals, allowing you to reach a broader audience through email, social media, and SMS.   We would love to hear about your experiences with the Campaign Builder:   How has the Campaign Builder impacted your marketing strategies? What features do you find most useful? Are there any improvements or additional functionalities you would like to see?   Thank you for being a part of our community and helping us enhance the tools you use every day.   Looking forward to your feedback! ... 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!   Campaign Feedback Designing for Impact: Email Template Structures for Real Estate  My First Email Campaign with Constant Contact - Request for Feedback on LBG Print Shop Relocation  Template Feedback: New Monthly Newsletter    Community Blog: Meet the Community Team: Nick_S  Customer Spotlight: Oakland Mediation Center  Discover How Constant Contact Empowers Your Business  Ways to improve email deliverability  Community Coach Spotlight: Melanie Diehl  Industry tips: Restaurants  Industry Tips: Retail  September Holidays and Newsletter Ideas — 2024  Data Driven: Your Guide to Digital Marketing Metrics [Download]    Community Coach Discussions: 3 Elements of a Professional Email Campaign    Constant Tips: Constant Tips: Schedule Your Email and Delivery Troubleshooting  Constant Tips: Review the functionalities of the Library  Constant Tips: Learn the different ways to style and format your email template  Constant Tips: Explore improved payment options for Events    News and Announcements Google Pay and Apple Pay Options Now Available for Stripe  Try Campaign Builder for Free Today!    Past Events & Upcoming Events: Q&A: A Blueprint for Year-End Fundraising Success       Questions & Discussions How can I automate my social media posts?  What are tips on how to get started with email marketing? Casual Conversations: What is your current favorite TV show?  How to write an effective fundraising email  How do I find email marketing templates that converts?  What are the best marketing strategies for an online business?  What elements should be included in an effective email marketing campaigns?  Effective subject lines for sales emails      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

Want to grow your community and attract more subscribers on social media or LinkedIn?   In episode 68 of the Be a Marketer podcast, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, share their insights on how storytelling can help you capture your audience's attention.    They also answer a question from the marketing and artist manager of the Gregangelo Museum, a Constant Contact customer since 2005, about key highlights and perks that can attract subscribers and grow their community.    Tune in wherever you get your podcasts to hear how storytelling and personal experiences can set your marketing apart in the age of AI.   👉 Are you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode.   Resources: Check out the New Customer Hub  Listen to #45 - Building Trust Through Stories with Brad Sundberg  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   We announced the other day that Apple Pay and Google Pay are now available when using Stripe to collect transactions for your events. I thought it would be helpful to just quickly break down the different payment options available for the Events tool.   It's essentially broken down to two options: Stripe and PayPal. However, within both those options are more options. I like saying the word "options" if you haven't noticed.   Stripe Credit/Debit Card Google Pay Apple Pay Stripe Link   PayPal: PayPal Balance Credit Card Venmo Pay Later   This provides a lot of variety for event organizers and prospective registrants. It's important to note both payment processors charge transaction fees. Stripe charges a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 and PayPal charges a fee of 3.49% + $0.49. Constant Contact collects an additional fee of 2.9% in both cases.   If your event is free, these rules do not apply, regardless of whether you have a payment processor linked to your account. ... View more