About ACTIVATE

@ShawnL251 first of all big kudos to you for even starting your own business. You are one of the elite who have decided to take their skills (30 years, wow) and leverage them for your own future opportunities. You are welcome here and we do aim to guide and help however we can. Remember that everyone starts in the same place when they open their business, so don't be too hard on yourself. I'm sure you make endless wonderful meals because that is your gift and expertise, so why would it be logical that you should know how to market? It's not. That being said, Constant Contact has been the leading online digital marketing platforms for small businesses and entrepreneurs for decades for a reason: they set out not to just build a set of marketing tools, but to make it as easy as possible for those who are not inclined. The other special part about Constant Contact is what we are doing right here: live support, community, and a team effort. So in addition to the community here, you can always get help from a real live support team member and marketing success manager.   As far as being overwhelmed, I'd say take a step back and organize things in a simple fashion. Website - do you have one, even a one-pager that represents your business? Email list - Constant contact is the central hub to build your contacts database - prospects, clients, past connections, colleagues, friends, family - everyone. Social Media - at least one or two channels that you post on and engage with folks regularly.    If you have those three lined up and you are committed to taking a few minutes to learn the Constant Contact system (again, easiest out there for sure!) with a drag and drop email builder as well as the social media posting tool, you can accomplish most of what you need to do with simple and focused effort!    The template builder and brand kit feature will also give you massive shortcuts to auto-branding your marketing so that it's the right colors and style without you having to spend time doing it manually.   Feel free to contact support agents at any time or direct message me here in my community inbox, I have your back!  ... View more

@DanielM4032 here is an article about the direct integration from SF to CC, which is probably not helpful if you've already read it. https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/email-digital-marketing/articles/KnowledgeBase/43703-Connect-your-Constant-Contact-account-with-Salesforce Regarding Zapier, that is frustrating for sure, I've been successful in upvoting and requesting certain options in a zap and had them come through with it in the future, so it's certainly worth requesting Zapier to expand their options on the triggers. I'm gonna submit it to them now on my end as well and also ask them to be sure there isn't a filter option in one of the triggers. ... View more

I like the BOGO campaign - get a cool gift and another one free, to give away (or keep for yourself!) I also like social contests - put on your ugly Christmas sweater and post on social and tag us, or tag us with a pic of your favorite product of ours and get a VIP discount on your holiday shopping with us. ... View more

@ScottR0223 Nice job! Branding is solid and it clearly communicates what your company does. Some tips: -Consider using the white space at the top for more than just your logo. Not that it doesn't look nice, it's just a lot of "real estate" (pun intended haha) in case you want to feature anything else up there. Maybe a contact button or something? -Your images are great and your explanation of the point of the email is great, but maybe add an official Call to Action and a matching button "Click to See Your Options" or "Click to Reach Out..." and then a button that opens to a link or that opens a new email to you. -Nice work on your footer!  ... View more

@tjstrauss still a great job and glad you are open to exploring all the options! Looks like social media column is your best bet and you only have two small tasks to knock out BINGO there! ... View more

@tjstrauss you've done a nice job on this! Branding is solid and consistent, your featured image is attractive and fun and sets the tone for the email content. I would add some clear call to actions that have matching buttons. Shop now is a good action but maybe use some language and then add buttons. You can also decide to trim the length down on this by having less products OR stacking them together into a grid and having the click open to the product(s) that way.  I like the footer with the squares representing what you offer, the branding below and the social buttons along with a final call to action. Add in some details about your company, location, contact info and you will be rocking and rolling. Great work! ... View more

@user208121 Got it - very nice visually attractive, photo-centric email. I can't see the subject line but as long as it's clever or enticing good to go. Your featured image is great and the point of your email is clear. Your button matches your call to action but perhaps add some more text to this - explanation about what the course is, and then written instructions to "register now below!" then the button. Your footer isn't visible but make sure you have the best contact info and social buttons and you are on the right path!  ... View more

@AmyC32 amazing - love that breakdown of your experience within the Ready Set Send Challenge, it's so great to hear all that...  as well as your description of your favorite feature with Event Build. You get tons of credit for being so open and enthusiastic to learn! Way to go and please hang with us in the community here regularly - we are here to keep helping and guiding and giving feedback to support you in your success. ... View more

@MelicaG That is so impressive! Not only what you are doing for them in the two LLCs you are CEO for, but your vision for retirement and how you can keep doing what you love. It's extra cool that you spend your spare time reading and working on art and taking classes and doing things you love, which then further support and help those with these needs. Really awesome, glad you are here! Feel free to reach out with any marketing questions! ... View more

@JeannicotcelestinL welcome to the community! would love to hear about your business  ... View more

@JeannineE8 Some great things to like about this email! I don't know your subject line or pre-header text, so make sure they are eye catching and irresistible. Your branding seems great and solid and your featured image is great and communicates the right message with your headline. I like that you have the class options listed so clearly and each with their own button, but I might suggest having a few less of them and instead having a "view more" option which opens to the whole list of class dates. I see you have that at the bottom, so I'm nitpicking here, but maybe just move it up to reduce the scrolling. You also may consider an actual over-arching call to action like "Click Below to Register for the right class for you!" etc. Your footer is strong with a nice company description and some quick links (I can't quite read the actual content easily since the thumbnail is small but I get the gist of it). Don't forget to add your social media buttons with a note for them to follow/stay connected to your brand online. Happy Halloween 🎃 and High Five!  ... View more

@AmyC32 🎃😯 wow! This card is STACKED. Amazing job is all I can say! Since you have so much experience, I'm curious... what's are your favorite features and strategies? ... View more

welcome @Ericp45 ! What's your business? ... View more

@user625032 that's ok! Like @Chris-S says lots of opportunities there. And guess what? If you have made an event in Constant Contact, it likely prompted you to make an event TICKET which means you can likely go ahead and claim that middle block and then you are one away from that horizontal roll being 🎯 ... View more

@user625032 Great email! Love the visual nature. And guess what? My wife and I know Plato's Closet and have been customers! I like that your subject line and pre-header are fun but direct. The reader doesn't need to even open to get the gist of how awesome this sale is, and how long it lasts. Nice. I like the branding scheme and the featured image is super - fun and warm and translates all the things a prospective buyer would want to feel shopping with you. Your description and call to action are on the way to being rock solid, but I think you may want to add an actual button the matches. ie: "Click Here to Get them Before They're Gone!" etc. I can't see the bottom of the email but I'm sure there are a few other great pieces of content, and in your footer be sure to have all your contact info, social buttons, and things that make it easy for the reader to know where you are and how to follow you online, and how to contact you.  ... View more

Hey @ScottR0223  thank you for sharing your email! There are some strong points and some areas of opportunity for you here. First, you have the logo and I see that you have a brand scheme in play, but not sure if the extra yellow is really a great angle for you. Your website is so much cleaner with the white space, you may want to work that back into the aesthetics. I would also link your logo to your website and all images to something relevant online, a page on your site I love the clean and easy layout of the email, very nice. Your headline statement does start to explain the purpose of your email, but it's missing a strong featured image. Your three images do a nice job of taking the place of that though, but at the same time the call to action isn't clear stated again below and there isn't a corresponding button. You can actually have contact us/call now be a button that either opens to a website page with a form or dials your phone number direct!  Good job in the footer having some of your company details there, but spread it out a little with som space and breathing room and add social media icons.  I think you are for sure on the right path here, just some adjustments and you'll dial it into gear!  ... View more

@user258116 great, can't wait to see it!  ... View more

@user14914 awesome job on being that close to BINGO! You'll have it bagged in no time. And extra credit for the branding 😎🙌🏻 ... View more

@SheilaE816 got it! thank you for sharing your draft concept! This is a really lovely email aesthetically!  Your Logo is clear but could be larger, your branding is solid in color and styling. Your featured image is terrific and warm and inviting and communicates that the message is from you to them.  Suggestions: Consider increasing the font size to make sure they can read it on a mobile device. Make your call to action clearer, even if it means re-stating what the button says like this: "Click Below to Join our Facebook Group to access the livestream and submit your questions!" Your footer has the social buttons, great job, but you could put more info there - your business name, contact info, maybe even a tag line or mini-bio about you. Overall you are on the right path, way to go! ... View more

@JenniferS7 love it, thanks for indulging me! ... View more

@RebeccaW7558 awesome job getting BINGO! A few more squares you'll have it in more than one row. Regarding your lead magnet question, I'm not sure because when I click it, it opens for me pretty quickly! Regarding your brand assets and BrandKit auto-loading into campaigns you generate, be sure you are going to create an email and then choosing the tab for "Layout Templates". Feel free to DM me directly on here for more help! ... View more

@user7341452 Very nice email! -Branding and logo are solid and well represented. -Featured image is great, but I would consider moving the headline and tag line and button off the image itself to make it easier to scan and read at a glance upon opening. You might also consider a different backing color than black - not saying don't use it but maybe not as both the interior backing and the exterior backing. -Your call to action - you've got two competing ones and they both get a little lost in the mix being just regular text. Try pumping up the call to action line to be bigger, separate it from the rest of the text and then put a button below opening to the same action so they cant'e miss it.   -I can't see the rest of the email but if you have a good footer with all important contact and reference info and social buttons you are good to go! ... View more

@user74951 This email is tons of fun, and I'm sure you'll have no problem creating something as good or better in your new Constant Contact builder! Your branding is clear, the point of the email is crystal clear, your font is easy to read, your featured image is awesome: energetic, professional, branded, and visually communicates everything the reader would need to know at a glance. Your call to action and button are great, though you may not need duplicates "Buy Tickets" buttons that close together especially since you have a third under the video (LOVE the video and use of GIF to tease the click). Your footer info is excellent with the right info and quicklinks that make sense to the reader. Lastly, I have to make sure my wife does not see this email or we will be packing up for a "quick trip to Minnesota" 😅 ... View more

@user16441 Great job on this! Your subject line is urgent and interesting, your logo and branding are clear, the point of the email is clear, your featured image (GREAT image!) and call to action match it all. I love the testimonials as well, nothing sells like those. The other critical components are there as well - detailed footer with contact info and social buttons. If I had to suggest a few things I might consider increasing the font ever so slightly on the body text and perhaps add some space at the bottom above and below the social buttons to give them some space, but that's just me trying to find ways to improve. Overall, excellent effort here! ... View more

@LaineA I agree with Chris this is a great email! Simple, clean, branding in place, logo, featured image, call to action buttons, fully developed footer with all critical info and social buttons. Way to go on this! ... View more

@user065571 good job - yeah you are doing great on multiple columns! I think you may actually have BINGO down the middle because if you used Constant Contact's event system to make an event invitation email, create an event ticket, create an event landing page... that likely means you "created an event" which is at the top of the middle column. 🙌 ... View more

@JenniferS7 hey there, marketing champ - wow you are rocking that BINGO board. Congrats on being so experienced as well as open to trying new things. Looks like you may have BINGO's all over the place soon with only one square open on so many rows and columns. Being so experienced, I have a question for you, actually two: 1) what feature have you been using already that you like the most and 2) what feature is newer to you that you are excited about?   ... View more

@user74951 Congratulations on Multi-BINGO in our Multi-CHANNEL Campaign Challenge! You are killing it! Could you be the first to get a FULL BOARD BINGO?! There are still weeks to go...  p.s. yes the BrandKit and campaign builder are game-changers!   ... View more

@Nick_S  thanks for the roundup! ... View more

@YouthMinistry222 impressive to say the least. Nice work, especially on those email and social columns! By the way, if you have created an event in the system, you most likely had to choose event ticketing setup, meaning you probably have BINGO there! ... View more