Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   I was inspired by this post by Community user @ArnieS20 asking some content-related questions regarding SMS text messaging. I thought it would be good to expand on it and reiterate here about what a typical SMS text message would look like.   Of course, it’s always important to learn or refresh on what the guidelines are for using SMS marketing.   How long is an SMS message?   While technically an SMS message caps at 1950 characters, they are sent as individual 160-character messages and SMS users are billed based on each individual message, so the shorter the better!   Can I include a URL in my message?   Yes, you can but it counts towards your character limit. That said, links are automatically shortened to save space.   Can I include an image or video with my message?   You cannot include images and video in SMS messages at this time. You CAN include an emoji, but it will shorten the message length to a 70-character limit!   Check out some examples of SMS marketing messages broken out by industry!   Can I reply to messages we receive back?   No, you cannot. SMS marketing is designed to be one-directional. Recipients might be prompted with basic codes (e.g. YES or NO) and will receive responses based on what you provide when setting up the SMS message, but it’s automated.   Anything else I should know?   Yes! I recommend reviewing our SMS best practices guide so you can stay compliant and set up your content for success! Plus, here’s a video guide!     ... View more

You don't need to be a web design expert to create an effective landing page that will help grow your email list. We’ve got tips and tricks to help you design a landing page that converts. Click to view and download guideWhat is a landing page? First things first, let's talk about what a landing page is – it’s a standalone web page that you create for a marketing or advertising campaign where someone "lands" after clicking an ad, a button, or a link in a social media post. Why do I need a landing page? A good landing page helps build your email list, direct traffic, engage prospects, and drive conversions. Plus, you can track metrics and measure results. Landing pages are simple and highlight one call to action (CTA), such as signing up for your email newsletter. The conversion rate for landing pages is a whopping 160% higher than the next best sign-up tool.   Make sure to download our First Impressions Matter: How to Create Landing Pages that Make Your Audience Take Action guide for additional pointers, resources, and examples! How do I set up a landing page?     You can use Constant Contact to build lead generation landing pages that will grow your subscriber list. Let's break it down into a few fundamentals and best practices to follow while you are designing your landing page:   Explain what you offer. Focus on one service or product per landing page to make your message clear and easy to understand. Only ask for what you really need in the sign-up form – keep it short. Keep your messaging focused and highlight the key benefits to tell your audience why they should sign up. You can do this by using a unique selling proposition (USP), which is a statement that demonstrates why your product or service is the best. Make sure your information is scannable. Use headings, short chunks of text, and colors that make your message easy to read. Organize your sections in a logical order to guide the viewer’s eye across your page. Additionally, remember that visitors might experience your landing page on a mobile device. Consider how it will look on different devices and make sure the page is mobile responsive. Maintain your brand identity by using colors, fonts, logos, and other elements that match other marketing materials. Be sure to use engaging images and videos that are relevant to your business instead of stock imagery. Highlight customer reviews, ratings, awards, or statistics. The key is to build confidence in your brand and what you're offering. Optimize your landing page the same way you would for other web pages.   Click to enlargeHow do I get people to my landing page? There are many ways to get traffic to your landing page! Try using various channels like your website, social media, paid ads, and more:   Promote your landing page on your website or in popups. Share the link to your landing page on social media platforms. Add a QR code to your print and packaging materials. Send out SMS text messages to get people interested. Offer an incentive – for example, an exclusive discount – in exchange for visitor information.   Related: Grow Your List Online: Signup Forms   Our hope with these tips and tricks is that you can easily design a compelling landing page that captivates your audience and drives them to take action. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on managing contacts and growing your lists! ... View more

To maximize the value of your email marketing efforts and increase your subscriber base, capture sign-ups on your website. From popup to inline, we'll explore practical and effective ways to grow your email list and engage your audience. What is a sign-up form? A sign-up form is a form you can add to your website that captures email addresses and other information from visitors. It's customizable and user-friendly, too!   Here's an example:   An example of a sign-up form visible on the website. How do I set up a sign-up form?     One of the first steps to growing your email list is to make it easy for visitors to subscribe. By adding a prominent sign-up form to your website, you create a seamless experience for your audience. Which type of sign-up form you choose depends on the layout of your website and what makes sense for your audience.   We have a few types to choose from:   Inline - Embeds wherever you can put it, across multiple webpages. Pop-up - Pops into view after a specific amount of time. Fly-out - Slides into view while people are browsing. Banner - Stretches across the top or bottom of the page.   Keep it simple by asking for just their name and email address. Remember, you can always gather more information in future interactions.   To encourage visitors to sign up, offer a lead magnet or incentive that requires them to provide their email address in exchange for access. This could be an ebook, whitepaper, template, or any other valuable resource relevant to your niche. By providing something of value, you enhance the likelihood of visitors sharing their contact information. Why do I need a sign-up form?   There are several compelling reasons why someone should put a sign-up form on their website.   Build an email list of interested individuals who voluntarily opt to receive updates and information from you. Establish a direct and reliable channel to communicate with your audience, share announcements, and promote products or services. Gather valuable customer data, including email addresses and demographic information, for targeted marketing campaigns and personalized communication. Track and analyze visitor behavior to gain insights into audience preferences and optimize marketing strategies. Increase engagement, drive conversions, and grow your subscriber base on your website. How do I get people to my sign-up form?   When used strategically, sign-up forms can be a powerful tool to grow your list. However, it's important to strike a balance between capturing leads and not overwhelming your audience. Use forms sparingly and ensure they provide value to your visitors.     Consider the visibility of your sign-up form. Is it visually appealing and reflects the same branding as your website? If you're using an inline or banner form, are they visible from the moment someone lands on your website? If you're using a pop-up or fly-out form, make sure to consider the potential behavior of your visitors. You can change the trigger timer on a pop-up or the position of the fly-out to hit when and where you might expect customers should see them.    Use these strategies to significantly increase the contacts on your email list. Remember to make sign-up forms easily accessible and highlight valuable incentives. Growing your email list and engaging your audience is an ongoing process, so continuously monitor and optimize your strategies for the best results.   Related: Grow Your List Online: Signup Landing Pages   Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow your audience and drive success by incorporating a sign-up form on your website today! Join the conversation and let us know which sign-up forms you're using or talk with your peers about sign-up form best practices! ... View more

As a small business owner, you often find yourself juggling various tasks and using different software tools. This can be time-consuming and take you away from more impactful efforts, like growing your email list. Building and growing your contact list is crucial for success, and Constant Contact’s integrations can help. What are integrations?   Integrations refer to the process of combining different software tools, platforms, or systems to work together seamlessly and efficiently. In the context of digital marketing, integrations allow businesses to connect and synchronize various applications, databases, and functionalities, enabling them to streamline their processes, automate tasks, and access important data in a centralized manner. Why should I use integrations? Integrations simplify processes like syncing contacts and adding sign-up forms to your blog. By automating these tasks and curating online content for your newsletter, you can save time and effort.   But the real power of integrations lies in their ability to help you make the most of your relationship with every customer and prospect. By connecting your tools, you have access to the data you need when you need it. This becomes especially valuable as your business grows and your needs evolve. Which integrations can I use with Constant Contact? Constant Contact has over 5,000 integrations available, including:   Salesforce Gmail Outlook Wix Eventbrite SurveyMonkey Mindbody Canva Vimeo   For example, Wellington Brewery has been using the Shopify integration in Constant Contact to boost their ecommerce sales through email campaigns. They focused on growing their email subscriber base by using sign-up forms and special promotions to get people to join their list. By building a strong connection with their subscribers over time, they've become top-of-mind for them.     The Shopify integration makes it easy for customers to make purchases directly from an email, connecting Wellington Brewery’s online store and email communications seamlessly. The brewery has been able to generate an average of over $2,300 in sales from their weekly email newsletter in recent months. They have also seen a remarkable return on investment, driving 50 times their initial investment with Constant Contact. According to Marketing Director Brad McInerney and his team, Shopify has been the most powerful integration they have focused on. How do I set up integrations? Given the number of integrations available, it's possible you're already using a program or website that will connect to Constant Contact! Identify which integration(s) you're using to help achieve your marketing goals and follow the steps to connect it with your Constant Contact account.   Related: Grow Your List Online: Sign-up Landing Pages   We live in a fast-paced marketing world and any advantage to streamline and automate your workflow is a boon to your business or mission. Join the conversation and let us know which integrations you're using and/or connect with your peers on strategies to leverage them effectively! ... View more

Utilizing social media platforms can be a powerful strategy to grow your subscriber base. Social media provides a wide reach and the opportunity to attract new leads through engaging content and interactive campaigns. What are the benefits of social media marketing?     Increased Reach – Social media platforms have billions of active users, providing a vast audience to promote your email list. By leveraging social media, you can reach a larger number of potential subscribers and expand your reach beyond your existing network. Lead Generation – Social media platforms provide opportunities to generate leads by directing users to sign up for your email list. You can create compelling lead magnets, such as exclusive content, discounts, or free resources, and promote them through social media posts, ads, and landing pages. Engaging Content – Social media allows you to share engaging and valuable content that can attract users' attention and encourage them to want to learn more. By consistently providing valuable content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry and build trust with your audience. Viral Potential – Social media has the potential for content to go viral, meaning it can be shared rapidly and reach a large number of people. By creating shareable content related to your email list, you can increase its visibility and attract more subscribers. Social Proof – Social media provides an opportunity to showcase social proof, such as testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content, which can enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of your email list. This can encourage more people to sign up and join your community. Integration with Email Marketing – Social media and email marketing can work together to complement each other. You can use social media to promote your email list and encourage followers to subscribe. Conversely, you can use email marketing to nurture and engage your subscribers, driving them back to your social media channels for further interaction.   By leveraging the power of social media marketing, businesses can effectively grow their email lists, expand their reach, and nurture a community of engaged subscribers.   For example, Lizzie Johnson, owner of Lizzie’s Bakery, turned her Instagram following into 14% contact list growth over 3 months by including her landing page link on her social media Linktree, as well as using a QR code in-person.   Lizzie shared: "I'm grateful for Constant Contact for holding my hand through all this because I'm still new to email marketing. My goal is to make sure these customers don't go away. I have somewhere to start with my strategies... especially translating my Instagram followers into email contacts!" How can you use social media to grow your list? If you already have a following on social media, make sure they know how to sign up for your email list! Check out this list of ideas on how to grow your subscriber base from social media:   Incorporate sign-up prompts in posts Link lead generation landing pages in profile bios using Linktree or other link consolidators Include calls to action (CTA) in video content Preview your newsletters Run contests Create exclusive email offers for social media group members Encourage followers to share posts and sign up for the email list to participate in giveaways   How do I connect my social media accounts with Constant Contact?     By connecting your social media accounts with our social tools, you can share emails and events, create and manage all of your public-facing posts, as well as create Facebook and Instagram Ads  or Lead Ads from within your Constant Contact account.    Related: Grow Your List Online: Paid Media   By integrating your list growth efforts with social media platforms, you can expand your reach, engage with a wider audience, and drive more traffic to your website. It's more important than ever to maximize your online presence to achieve your objectives. Join the conversation and let us know which social media platforms you use to grow and engage with your audience! ... View more

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? One powerful way to do that is by growing your email list through paid advertising online. Paid media allows you to promote your products or services to a specific group of people, increasing your chances of getting new contacts for your email list. Which kinds of paid media should I use? There are lots of options for you to choose from when selecting which paid media you want to use to build your contact list. Use this list to help you decide which platform is right for you.     Facebook Ads – With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a goldmine for businesses. You can create highly targeted ads based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that your message reaches the right people. Plus, Facebook's ad platform provides detailed analytics, so you can track the performance of your ads and make necessary adjustments. Instagram Ads – With its visually appealing platform, Instagram is perfect for showcasing your products or services. You can create stunning image or video ads that seamlessly blend into users' feeds, increasing the chances of engagement. And just like Facebook, Instagram allows you to target specific audiences, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people.     Google Ads – A pay-per-click platform that allows you to place ads for your website on a search engine results page. These ads show up right at the top of Google search results and can be a great way to generate traffic, especially when you're just starting out. One of the biggest advantages of Google Ads is that it targets and reaches people precisely at the moment when they're most interested. So, as long as you bid on the right keywords for your industry, you can get in front of potential customers when they're actively looking for what you offer.     Facebook & Instagram Lead Ads - A Facebook or Instagram lead ad is a specially crafted advertising campaign aimed at generating interest in your products or services. It bears resemblance to your sponsored and organic posts, but its primary objective is to encourage signups for your contact list. Similar to other sponsored posts, you have the ability to target specific audiences for your lead-generation ads based on their interests and demographics. However, these ads take it a step further by providing instant forms that potential leads can conveniently fill out to join your email and SMS contact lists.   How do I get people to notice my ads?   Before you put down your hard-earned money to send an ad out into the world, it's a good idea to make sure you're optimizing the effectiveness of the ad, whether it's a standard ad or lead generation. Compelling visuals, concise messaging, and a clear call-to-action are all musts when trying to draw attention.   Related: Grow Your List Online: Social Media   Whichever platform you choose, incorporating paid social ads into your marketing strategy can help you reach a wider audience and find new customers. Join the conversation and let us know if you have any questions about social media advertising or want to share some of your best practices! ... View more

QR codes have become increasingly popular in recent years as a convenient and efficient way to share information. These square-shaped codes, consisting of black and white patterns, can be scanned by smartphones and other devices to quickly access websites, contact details, or any other digital content.   One of the many practical applications of QR codes is in building email lists for businesses. By creating a QR code and placing it at your physical location, you can effortlessly invite customers to join your email list with just a simple scan. What are QR codes?   Note: Image is for example purposes and not scannable. QR codes are scannable codes that you can use on printed media as an easy way for customers to sign up for your email list using their smartphones. Why should I use QR codes? QR codes are easy and convenient to use for both you and your customers.   Gindo’s Spice of Life, a small business who makes handcrafted sauces and spice blends, uses a QR code at in-person events so attendees can easily scan the code with their smartphones to visit a sign-up landing page.   “The scan is so much easier. It’s just a super easy way to get people on board. Being able to grow those followers has just been huge. I didn’t realize how valuable the newsletter was until the last two years,” said Gindo’s Spice of Life owner Mary Ginder.   Tamika Catchings also uses QR codes to support her business. She owns Tea’s Me Cafe in Indianapolis, where she hosts regular in-person events. Tamika uses an integration with WooCommerce to check attendees into the events with a QR code. “The QR code has been great,” said Tamika. How do I set up a QR code?   Constant Contact offers two ways to create a QR, making it easy for contacts to join your email list. Lead Magnet Use our AI-powered lead magnet feature to grow your subscriber list in a fun and engaging way. Simply provide some brief information about your business, and our AI will create an interactive survey for you. This mobile-friendly survey helps you engage with your audience, capture valuable lead information, and get a notification every time a new contact is added. We also automatically generate a QR code for you, which you can download instantly. Landing Pages From one of your active landing pages, you can generate a QR code when you select the “share” button.   To create a QR code outside of Constant Contact, you can use other marketing tools such as:   Canva QR Code Generator goqr.me QRstuff QRCode Monkey Delvir   Just create a lead generation landing page or Lead Magnet microsite, copy the URL, and paste it into one of these code generators. Voila! You've got yourself a QR code that people can scan to join your email list.   When it comes to the design of your QR code, you have three choices: standard, framed, or customized. The standard QR code has dots and lines in a square shape.   If you want your QR code to stand out a bit more, you can go for a framed QR code. And if you really want to make it unique, you can use services like QRStuff, QRCode Monkey, and Delvir to customize the colors, choose different shapes, or even add your logo!   Keep in mind that not all QR code generators offer the same options, so if you don't find the style you're looking for in one, try another. Once you've created your perfect QR code, simply copy and paste the image to your business cards, flyers, and even your paper sign-up forms.   Related: Grow Your List in Person: Text-to-Join   So, go ahead and give QR codes a try. They're a fun and effective way to grow your email list. Happy generating! Plus, don't forget to join the conversation and let us know how you're using QR Codes and share best practices with your fellow Community members! ... View more

Everyone's glued to their smartphones these days, and that's why text message marketing is a total game-changer for small businesses. The text-to-join feature is the perfect way to reach your target audience right where they spend most of their time and help grow your email list. What is text-to-join? Text message marketing is a way to connect with your customers by sending them text messages. You use SMS to write different messages and send them directly to their phones. It's a super quick way to reach your customers, and they're more likely to actually read your message. The text-to-join feature allows customers to text a mobile number for your business and opt in to receive marketing messages. Why should I use text-to-join?   Text-to-join offers a convenient and effective way to grow your contact list and engage with customers. By allowing people to join your contact list by simply sending a text message, you can capture valuable customer information and expand your reach. Plus, who doesn't have a smartphone on hand these days? It's a no-brainer!   Constant Contact customer Tamika Catchings, owner of Tea’s Me Cafe, uses text-to-join and a custom landing page to grow her email list. “The text has been great,” said Tamika. You can listen to     You can listen to Tamika's story about how she got into business after buying Tea's Me Cafe in 2017, how they build their email lists, and more on the Be a Marketer podcast. How do I set up text-to-join?   It only takes a few steps to set up text-to-join and you'll be on your way to adding new email and SMS subscribers   Make sure to provide customers with the unique phone number for your business and ask them to text “Join” to that number and include their email address in the message.    When you are using text message marketing, remember to follow these rules:   Customers must opt-in to receive texts and every text sent by an organization or business must include instructions on how to opt-out of receiving marketing text messages. Send texts between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient’s time zone only. Each text must include data rates (no message is free!), disclaimers, and privacy policies. Related: Example template: Privacy Policy for SMS [Download]   Text-to-Join makes it easy for potential subscribers to join your email and SMS lists. You can display Text-to-Join instructions next to your register, in an email, in a social media post, on your website, wherever! Join the conversation and let us know how you're utilizing Text-to-join for your business or organization. ... View more

Gail Bernardo, owner of Invisilace Hair Spa, emphasizes the value of patience and persistence in business growth, as well as the power of combining online marketing with personal, face-to-face interactions.    Gail emphasizes the power of consistent customer contact. In her experience, even if a potential client doesn't require her services immediately, maintaining contact through newsletters means that when they do need her services, her business is top of mind.    Gail recounts what she’s learned about marketing, “Sometimes it's not always instant. It may take time for your customer to come...and some people just think, oh, if I send out 500 brochures or I do this and do that, it's not working because in 30 days no one called me. So sometimes you have to be patient and you have to wait.”   She’s successfully leveraged local resources, online marketing, and personal interactions to grow her business of 13 years.    On this episode of Be a Marketer, Gail and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss the importance of marketing for small businesses. Gail shares her strategies for building relationships with customers, including collecting email addresses at events and following up with Constant Contact newsletters.   👉 Check out An Overview of Constant Contact’s Mobile App   Meet Today’s Guest: Gail Bernardo of Invisilace Hair Spa   ☕ What she does: Since 2010, Gail Bernardo has been helping people with hair loss or thinning due to life-changing health issues. For Gail, it’s more than just a business. It's part of her calling. And she doesn’t take it lightly. After personal struggles with hair loss due to cancer, she knows what it means to her clients to feel good about themselves.   💡 Key quote: "Do your homework before you decide that you're going to open up a business. Understand that it's going to take some time and it's not going to take a whole bunch of money."    👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn   👋 Where to find Invisilace Hair Spa: Website   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. ... View more

Employee Spotlight is a new recurring monthly feature on the Community where we put a face to the hard-working and dedicated employees that make Constant Contact what it is!   Steven is a Personal Marketing Advisor who has been part of Constant Contact for five years. We want to highlight Steven for all the great work he does. His manager had this to say, "Steven goes above and beyond for the customers that he coaches, is always trying to find innovative ways to help them, and has an enthusiasm that makes our customers trust him and his guidance."    Can't argue with that. Let's meet Steve!   What do you do at Constant Contact? Marketing Advisor - from logging in for the first time to lead funnels, to five-year social media plans, and more, since small businesses do it all!   "When I'm not working, you can find me..." Being the most excited NERD anywhere.   What's something non-work-related that you're proud of accomplishing in the last year or so? Developing an 11,000 page series of D&D books that work in 148+ book series hosted entirely online with its own wiki, YouTube channel, Discord, etc. I've learned everything from video creation with fully narrated character cutscenes to how to manage the models, databases, etc. All online and hosting it privately!   What's your favorite small business? Haunted Game Cafe in Fort Collins - since I'm a colossal Magic the Gathering nerd I've got to support my local card shop!   What's your go-to GIF or meme?   If you could have one superpower, what would it be? My personal super power of choice is flying! I would woosh from coast to coast for cardio.   What's the best thing about being part of Team Constant Contact? The brilliant, witty, funny and delightful Marketing Advisors I get to learn from every day (and humble shoutout to the awesome swag).   What is your favorite Constant Contact product or feature? The email editor! I've seen it grow into the massive tool it is today and the ease that comes with it is a win every time I walk a client through it! The blocks you can use, the drag and drop, and the straightforward toolbar is what makes it great!   What is your favorite piece of advice to share with customers? Plan ahead using the Calendar view! You can set up an entire year's worth of marketing ideas then using the AI tools, fill those ideas with content to send out in a flash!   Do you have a favorite moment you can think of working with a customer? My favorite moment was having someone come into the program with amazing writing skills, but no idea what to do with it. After coaching and teaching them through the program, they now have their first book published! While on a call they got choked up about how it feels like "having a legacy now.!" I even got a signed copy sent to me in the mail! ... View more

   Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing   The Community is a big place, but did you know we have an Ideas board where you can share fresh ideas on new and improved features you'd like to see in the product or chime in on ideas made by your peers?   The best part is the ideas are tracked and monitored by our internal review teams so the more users that upvote them, the more visible they become!     We also monitor the ideas and will sort them into different statuses depending on where they fall in the progress pipeline. Of course, there are a lot of great ideas coming in all the time and never enough time to implement them all, but we still want users to feel acknowledged!   Do you have a great idea you're ready to tell us about? Suggest an idea today! ... View more

We’ve gotten some whispers of it already— spring is on the way.     The First Day of Spring (March 20th) marks the start of a fresh new season and a period of growth… and hopefully that means growth for your business, too!   Take a look through these March holidays and newsletter ideas and see if you spot any great opportunities to reach out and share with your audience to grow your relationships and your business.   March holidays for great newsletter topics — 2024   March 1st — National Dadgum That’s Good Day. A great day for restaurants, bakeries, and other food folk to share something delicious with subscribers. March 3rd — National Anthem Day. Share some of America’s history. Have some fun and get patriotic by offering a discount code to everyone who can correctly answer a trivia question about our National Anthem. March 8th — International Women’s Day March 11th — National Organize Your Home Office Day. Who wants to come help us with this one?! March 12th — National Plant a Flower Day. It’s not just a good day for garden centers! Have a beautification day for your nonprofit, or educate real estate clients about the curb appeal of flowers. March 13th — National Good Samaritan Day. Let your readers know what you’re doing to be a good Samaritan and how they can be a force for good in their community. March 14th — Pi Day March 15th — National Corn Dog Day. Bet you didn’t know this holiday had something to do with basketball, did you? It falls on the first Saturday of the NCAA Men’s Division I Championship each year. March 17th — St. Patrick’s Day. There’s more to it than corned beef and cabbage. March 20th — March Equinox. Also called the spring equinox and vernal equinox, no matter what you call it, for the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the First Day of Spring. March 21st — National Flower Day. Celebrate spring with floral decor for your business, or even with a floral email motif. March 28th — National Weed Appreciation Day. Talk to your subscribers about the beauty and benefits of misfits and mistakes (like dandelions, clover, and other so-called “weeds”.) March 29th — Earth Hour. The hour is just the beginning. March 29th — Vietnam Veterans Day. It’s been 50 years since we left Vietnam. Let’s thank those who made it home and remember those who didn’t. March 30th — National Farm Worker’s Day. If you’re not hungry, thank a farmer.   March holidays — UK, Australia, and Canada   Australia   March 3rd — Labour Day (Western Australia) March 3rd — World Wildlife Day March 8th — International Women’s Day March 5th — Ash Wednesday March 10th — Labour Day (Tasmania, Victoria) March 10th — Adelaide Cup (Victoria and South Australia) March 10th — Canberra Day March 14th — Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence March 17th — Cultural Diversity Week starts March 21st — Harmony Day   United Kingdom   March 1st — Ramadan Start (tentative date) March 1st — St. David’s Day March 3rd — World Wildlife Day March 4th — Carnival/Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day March 5th — Ash Wednesday March 8th — International Women’s Day March 14th — Purim March 14th — Pi Day March 17th — St. Patrick’s Day. There’s more to it than corned beef and cabbage. March 20th — International Day of Happiness March 30th — Mother’s Day   Canada   March 3rd — World Wildlife Day March 4th — National Pancake Day March 5th — Ash Wednesday March 8th — International Women’s Day March 14th — Purim March 14th — Pi Day March 15th — Ides of March March 17th — St. Patrick’s Day. There’s more to it than corned beef and cabbage. March 20th — International Day of Happiness March 22nd — World Water Day March 27th — Lailatul Qadr March 31st — Eid al Fitr   March newsletter ideas   With the first whispers of sunshine and spring flowers, March is full of colors, vibrancy, reasons to celebrate, and occasions to educate.   Find what fits with your brand and leverage it to build relationships with your readers and your community. March newsletter ideas for bringing awareness and educating your audience   With March being awareness month for numerous diseases and causes, from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to vascular anomalies, it might be a good idea to use a bit of space in your newsletter to bring awareness to a cause that’s important to you, your business, or one of your employees.   Be a reliable resource. Share some statistics and educate your readers. You don’t have to be an expert in the subject you want to bring awareness to. Instead, get with a local expert who is willing to answer some questions, then write a blog article or do create a video to share the expert’s information. Or, find an online article on a reputable website (like I did with the CDC and John Hopkins Medical Center above) and share the links with your readers. Include a small paragraph or two explaining why you’ve chosen to share it with them and why they should read it. Be involved in your community. Partner with a nonprofit organization to help bring awareness to your community. You can take a poll to see what people already know about the cause and then share the correct answers in a future newsletter or on social media. Or better yet, host a fundraiser and raise awareness and funds at the same time. Be relatable. If there’s a cause or occasion this month that’s particularly important to you, create a blog post about it and share an intro and link to it in your newsletter. Get personal and let your readers in. The more open and honest you are, the more they’ll be able to relate to you — which often translates to loyalty.   March newsletter ideas for having fun   Spring is coming. Go ahead, celebrate! Have some fun with your newsletter while driving traffic to your website and social media pages.   Share stories. Write a blog article telling a funny background story about your business, or a family adventure that relates to one of this month’s ‘holidays’. Then, share the link to it in your newsletter, along with a line or two from the article that will tease and entice your recipients to go to your blog to read more. Create downloadables. With this month celebrating both flowers and crayons, this is the perfect month to use tools like Canva to customize some floral coloring pages and share them with your readers. HOT TIP: Incorporate your logo into the design and then use these same pages to entice new website visitors and Facebook followers to join your mailing list. Create an online challenge or contest. Challenge your readers to complete a scavenger hunt based on one of the many March holidays. You can start with a trivia question whose answer provides the next clue. With tools like puzzle.org or quickhunts.com, this can be something you host locally or online for more participants. You can even hide extra hints on your website and give your newsletter readers a leg-up on the competition by telling them where to look for the hints.   Whatever holiday you highlight in your newsletter this month, whether you issue a challenge, offer advice, or ask your readers to share, include your social media links and any branded hashtags or custom hashtags you’ve created so readers can easily find your social pages and relevant content.   March newsletter subject line ideas   When it comes to creating the best subject lines, it takes a balance between conciseness, clarity and wit.   Use these March newsletter subject line ideas to inspire your own great subject line ideas.   “This is a great idea!” — International Ideas Month. Perfect for sharing information on a new product or fundraiser. “This will make you smile” – Share a Smile Day (Mar. 1st). Great for sharing a sale, a coupon or discount code, or a compliment for World Compliment Day (Mar. 1st). “New news on old stuff” – National Old Stuff Day (Mar. 2nd). Great for updates whether you own a resale shop or antique store, or are part of a senior’s group with a sense of humor. “We hear you” – World Hearing Day (Mar. 3rd). Let your readers know you hear them by announcing a new product or service or information that they’ve been asking for. “Dream a little dream…” — National Dream Day (Mar. 11th). Great if you have a business that has any relation to sleep, like mattresses, sleepwear, sheets and pillows, or anything that could make a person comfortable enough to sleep. “It doesn’t take a genius” — Preheader: “or does it?” — Genius Day (Mar. 14th). Great for sharing a new idea or creating FOMO for a sale. “Shhhh…..” — World Sleep Day (Mar. 14th) “This is so corny” — National Corn Dog Day (Mar. 15th). For those brands that don’t take themselves too seriously. “Won’t you be my neighbor?” — Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day (Mar. 20th). Great for inviting readers to join you for a community-wide event. “This is ribbiting” — World Frog Day (Mar. 20th) “Have we got a story to tell you” — World Storytelling Day (Mar. 20th) “Do you remember when…” — Memory Day (Mar. 21st). Good for announcing roll-back prices, flashing back to last year’s event, or reminding readers of something that’s coming up. “What are you doing tonight?” — Earth Hour (Mar. 22nd). Perfect for encouraging people to take part. “This is the hour”— Earth Hour (Mar. 22nd) “Time is running out”— Earth Hour (Mar. 22nd) “Live long and prosper” — Live Long and Prosper Day (Mar. 26th) “Peace and long life” — Live Long and Prosper Day (Mar. 26th) “Hats on to you” — Wear a Hat Day (Mar. 28th). While this is perfect for a hat store, it also works for social media fun. “Put this on a stick!” — National Something on a Stick Day (Mar. 28th) “Tickle these…” — World Piano Day (Mar. 29th) “Color us happy” — National Crayon Day (Mar. 31st). Whether you just hit a milestone in your business, raised funds for a new endeavor, or hit a long-time goal, use this to celebrate wins with your readers. “Go ahead, color outside the lines” — National Crayon Day (Mar. 31st). This is good for asking for honest feedback and reviews from your customers.   Pan out the rest of your year with our Online Marketing Calendar, complete with a free template and a list of holidays you can use to plan a successful year. ... View more

If you ask Brad Sundberg, storytelling is an effective marketing strategy that allows you to build trust. Brad shares his experience of using personal storytelling to promote events based on his time in the studio with Michael Jackson. He believes that sharing stories, especially about personal experiences, helps to establish connections with customers.    “When you are a business owner,” he says. “You either sit on the couch and eat popcorn and go broke, or you've got to get out and beat the drum.”    On this episode of Be a Marketer, Brad and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss the power of personal branding, storytelling, and building trust in marketing.    👉 Check out How to Create a Facebook and Instagram Ad in Constant Contact    Meet Today’s Guest: Brad Sundberg of In the Studio with MJ   ☕ What he does: Brad Sundberg joined Michael Jackson’s team during the production of Captain EO in 1985, and remained with Michael as one of his engineers and Technical Director for nearly 18 years. Now, Brad shares these unique experiences with the public through his In the Studio with MJ seminars.    💡 Key quote: “Marketing is essential now. In the age of social media, whether you love it or hate it, it's an amazing tool. ”    👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn   👋 Where to find In the Studio with MJ: Website | Facebook | Instagram   If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions. 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.  ... View more