If you are still using mail groups like Gmail or Yahoo to mass email your contacts, it is time to upgrade to an email marketing platform. A platform like Constant Contact will enable you to keep your clients engaged with automated emails, easily create engaging email campaigns, and manage your contact list, among many other features. Not to mention email marketing can have a significant ROI (up to 3,800% according to Constant Contact.) We recommend Constant Contact to small business owners because it is easy-to-use, affordable, and has all the features you need. Here’s how to get started with signing up, importing your contacts and creating your first email.
Constant Contact offers all new users a FREE 60-day trial to learn the platform and figure out if it is the right solution for them. After that, the basic platform is $20 per month which includes unlimited emails, customizable and branded templates, list building tools, and more. Sign up for your free Constant Contact Trial here.
The first step in your email marketing journey is to add contacts to engage. With Constant Contact, you can add one contact at a time, import a spreadsheet, or even import from a Gmail or Outlook Account. Simply navigate to the “Contacts” tab and click the yellow button “Add Contacts.” Select your method from the drop down and follow the steps to add your contacts.
Putting in your business information helps you establish authority when you send out emails and makes it easier for clients to reach you. Navigate to "My Settings" under your account and input your Organization name, phone, website, and logo:
Now you are ready to create your first email. We recommend starting with a test and getting a feel for how to create emails. First, navigate to the "Campaigns Tab" on your menu. Then select the bright orange "Create Tab" and select email.
Name and date your email. For your trial, something like "Test" would be perfect. The platform will then prompt you to pick your template. We recommend selecting "Brand Templates" from the upper right hand corner.
Here's why. Branding your templates not only looks professional, but also promotes brand recognition. In fact, using a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80% (Source: Oberlo). And with Constant Contact, no skills are required to brand your templates. The platform will prompt you to put in your website URL and then create six different branded layouts.
You can further customize the colors and input your address and social channels to help your contacts further engage.
Play with the different templates and see what you like and what you can use. For now, you are simply using the tool. If you are ready to dive-in to email marketing, check out some of our resources:
One of the things we love about Constant Contact is they provide free online consultants to help you learn the platform and achieve your marketing goals. They will call you to schedule a time as well as send you a follow-up email. Within your 60-day free trial, your coach will not only help you master the platform, but will also honestly help you determine if Constant Contact is the right solution for your business.
Ready to get started with Constant Contact? Sign up for your free 60-day trial here. For additional marketing tools, see our Marketing Solutions Resource Page.
Related: 7 Components of a Social Media Marketing Strategy, Why Small Businesses Need Email Marketing Platforms