Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, have spent the year chatting with small business owners and marketing experts on the Be a Marketer podcast, gathering insights to help entrepreneurs thrive.Now, they're ready to share the best of those lessons. From goal-setting to storytelling, they've covered a lot of ground. But one theme keeps popping up: the need for flexibility. "Everything is changing all the time," Dave notes. "You often have to have an idea of where you're going to go and almost be broad with setting those objectives."Dave and Kelsi also explore the power of community engagement, the importance of audience-focused content, and how marketing automation can be a game-changer for small businesses.Tune in to hear how successful businesses are leveraging these strategies, what's working for building engaged audiences, and how you can apply these lessons to make 2025 your best year yet. Also, get Kelsi’s updates on her ducks and how she plans to keep them comfortable through the winter. Additional Resources:Getting started with the Automation Path BuilderUsing Constant Contact SEO toolsHow to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant ContactMeet Today's Guests: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact🚀 What Dave does: He is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. He helps small business owners make sense of online marketing and hosts the Be A Marketer podcast.💡 Key quote: "Review, plan and execute. So really take a look at how things went for you as you close out the year and start to set those new goals for 2025."👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn📝 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and produces the Be a Marketer podcast. She also writes the Be a Marketer newsletter for Constant Contact's LinkedIn page.💡 Key quotes: "I don't think goals should be set in stone. They need to be evolving with your business and growing with your business because needs change."👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Most small business owners excel in their chosen fields, but marketing often feels like uncharted territory. You know you need a website and an email list, but what should your website look like? What should you be sending to your email list? And how do you know if any of it is even working?David Fischer, Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth and Constant Contact Community Coach, understands these challenges. For 14 years, he and his team have helped small businesses nationwide elevate their marketing efforts and get real results.David joined Dave Charest on the Be a Marketer podcast to share his insights on how to level up your email marketing using the power of segmentation. Simply put, segmentation means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, like demographics, purchase history, or even engagement levels. This allows you to send more personalized and relevant emails that resonate with each subscriber.“The more targeted and more specific the message is to those people, the more it will resonate with them and the better results you're going to get," David explains.Tune in to learn tactical tips for segmenting your email list, understanding the difference between lists and segments, and sending the right message to the right people at the right time.Additional Resources:Email List SegmentationSegment Your ListsEmail List Segmentation Best Practices🎧 Ep. #63: Segmentation for Nonprofits with Stephanie Campbell Meet Today’s Guest: David Fischer of Solutions for Growth🚀 What he does: David Fischer is the Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth, a full-service marketing agency that has been helping small businesses thrive for over 14 years. As a Certified Constant Contact Partner and Community Coach, David is passionate about helping businesses harness the power of digital marketing to achieve their goals.💡 Key quote: “The bottom line is that regardless of the company you are managing, a happy team delivers better results.”👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn👋 Where to find Solutions for Growth: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Are your email marketing reports leaving you feeling puzzled? You're getting opens, you're even getting clicks, but are those translating to real results for your business?On this episode of Be a Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, sits down with Lindsay Higgins, owner of L2L Creative Group and a Constant Contact Certified Partner. Lindsay understands the struggle of deciphering marketing reports. She shares her insights on going beyond vanity metrics like opens and click-through rates, to focus on what truly matters: conversions and achieving overall business goals.“There’s so many different methods of reviewing if your email actually worked,” says Lindsay. “But I think it goes back to the initial goal of your email and then kind of build from that.”Tune in to discover Lindsay's advice on testing subject lines, optimizing send times, and using resends effectively. You'll learn how aligning your email content with your goals can unlock success and boost conversion.Additional Resources:Getting started with the Automation Path BuilderUsing Constant Contact SEO toolsHow to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Lindsay Higgins of L2L Creative Group👩‍💼 What she does: Lindsay is the owner of L2L Creative Group, a Constant Contact Certified Partner based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her company helps businesses with their email marketing from setup to ongoing management. Lindsay is also a Constant Contact community coach, offering real-time guidance to other users.💡 Key quote: “There's never going to be like the perfect subject line. There's never going to be the perfect day or time to send, in my opinion."👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find L2L Creative Group: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Juggling a business is hard enough without adding the pressure of mastering multiple marketing channels. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, spreading yourself thin across social media, email, and who-knows-what-else. But what if there was a way to streamline your efforts and make your marketing work smarter, not harder?That's where multichannel marketing comes in. "When you use them together, you get a sum that's greater than the parts," says Aaron Wesley Means, Founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, emphasizing the power of combining channels like email and social media. In this episode of Constant Contact's Be a Marketer podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, welcomes back Constant Contact Community Coach Aaron. Aaron shares his expert insights on creating cohesive, impactful campaigns that extend your reach and boost your business growth.Tune in to learn how to leverage the unique strengths of each digital platform, discover how Constant Contact's Campaign Builder can streamline your multichannel strategy, and walk away with actionable advice to amplify your marketing impact.Additional Resources:Join The Ready, Set, Send ChallengeReady Set Send Challenge Week 4: Multi-channel Campaign CreationIntegrated Marketing Campaign Mastery: Transform Your MarketingCampaign Builder in Constant ContactQ&A: Achieve Your Goals with Multi-Channel Marketing CampaignsWelcome to the Constant Contact CommunityMeet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions💻 What he does: Aaron is the founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, a full-service micro-agency based in Asheville, North Carolina. A Constant Contact partner since 2011 and community coach, Aaron is passionate about empowering small businesses and nonprofits through education and hands-on marketing support.💡 Key quote: "I've seen folks that are 'not techies' doing full campaigns with the Campaign Builder in five or 10 minutes."👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Activate Business Solutions: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Melanie Diehl had always envisioned a career path similar to her father's — dedicating 30 years to a single company and retiring comfortably. But then she got laid off and decided to use her severance to explore different options. That's when she discovered her talent with a sewing machine. Melanie learned by doing, navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship while building a loyal clientele. After 25 years in her interior design business, she worked with her husband on an overhead crane business. Today, Melanie runs a successful marketing firm, where she guides small business owners. “Know your worth and charge it," she advises. “There's someone out there who's willing to pay for the premium services and products that you have to offer."Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, sits down with Melanie to unpack her entrepreneurial journey and discuss actionable list-building strategies. Learn how to leverage Constant Contact tools like landing pages and pop-up forms to grow your audience and increase revenue. Tune in now.Additional Resources:How to Build an Effective Email List: Best Practices and StrategiesEmail Marketing Tips You Need To KnowWhat is a Landing Page?How To Implement an Email Marketing Landing PageMeet Today's Guest: Melanie Diehl of Melanie and Co. Marketing Collective☕ What she does: Melanie is the CEO and President of Melanie and Co. Marketing Collective. She's been a Constant Contact Certified Partner for over 10 years and also serves as a Constant Contact Community Coach, guiding small businesses on their marketing journeys.💡 Key quote: "I love seeing the aha moments for my clients. I love seeing the victories that they have.”👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Melanie and Co. Marketing Collective: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

After a corporate career in direct marketing, Aaron Wesley Means had no plans to start a business. It wasn't until he began helping his wife launch her dream dog grooming business that he immersed himself in small business marketing. Eager to build a brand and attract customers, he dove headfirst into researching list-building strategies, email campaigns, and the nuances of connecting with a target audience. Along the way, he discovered a gap — a real need for marketing expertise within the small business and nonprofit communities. In 2011, Aaron launched Activate Business Solutions, determined to fill that void. His mission? To empower small businesses and nonprofits with the tools and strategies they need to thrive. In this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast, Aaron, founder and a Constant Contact community coach, and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, pull back the curtain on email design and reveal why a thoughtful approach is crucial in a mobile-first world. "You can make the greatest email in the history of emails," Aaron explains, "And if they don't open it and know how great it is, it was for nothing."Tune in as Aaron breaks down seven essential design elements that can make or break your email campaigns. Learn how to craft compelling headers, leverage visuals strategically, and optimize your calls to action for maximum impact.Additional Resources:Ready Set Send Challenge Week 2: Designing the Perfect EmailBrandKitEmail Design: The Ultimate GuideThe Ultimate Toolkit for Call To Action ButtonsMeet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions💻 What he does: Aaron is the founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, a full-service micro-agency based in Asheville, North Carolina. A Constant Contact partner since 2011 and community coach, Aaron is passionate about empowering small businesses and nonprofits through education and hands-on marketing support.💡 Key quote: “Both the subject line and the preheader text are your secret weapons to getting the most possible value out of your marketing and your effort."👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Activate Business Solutions: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Tracey Lee Davis never imagined she'd become a business owner. After years of managing a pet care company, she craved a simpler role where she could follow someone else's lead. But life had other plans.When unemployment benefits ran dry, and job applications went unanswered, Tracey reluctantly stepped into entrepreneurship. Now, as the owner of ZingPop Social Media, she couldn't imagine doing anything else."I really do love that I get to set what happens with my business," Tracey shares on the Be a Marketer podcast. Her journey from reluctant business owner to marketing expert showcases the power of setting clear, personalized goals.In this episode, Tracey and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explore the importance of goal-setting in marketing. They discuss how to tailor goals to your specific business needs, the crucial role of measurable objectives, and why timeframes matter. Tune in to learn how you can transform your marketing efforts by setting the right targets for your business. Additional Resources:Welcome to the Constant Contact CommunityJoin The Ready, Set, Send ChallengeWeek 1: Goal SettingSMART GoalsQ&A: Decoding Online Marketing Success: Your Guide to Planning, Reviewing, and ExecutingFoundations for Online Marketing Success WorksheetCreating Goals and Measuring Success WorksheetMeet Today’s Guest: Tracey Lee Davis of ZingPop Social Media💼 What she does: Tracey Lee Davis is the owner of ZingPop Social Media, a Constant Contact Certified Partner, and a Constant Contact Community Coach. She works primarily with women-owned service-based businesses as a social media coach and marketing manager, helping them gain exposure, increase revenue, and enhance their online presence.💡 Key quote: "If you're not measuring, you're not marketing."👋 Where to find her: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn👋 Where to find ZingPop Social Media: Website | Instagram | X, formerly known as Twitter | Vimeo | LinkedIn | Facebook | PinterestIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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 WebinarsNew Customer HubMeet 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.

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 successOn 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 CarruthReal Estate Marketing Advice14 Top Real Estate Email TemplatesMeet 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 | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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 mediaAutomatically apply your branding to your emailsMeet 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 | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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 ReportCampaign BuilderBrandKitHave 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 | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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 ContactCreate and manage contact lists in Constant Contact Professional Services from Constant Contact Constant Contact Partner Agency DirectoryMeet 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.

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.

Your next great marketing idea could come from an unexpected place — possibly from a totally unrelated industry. That’s a powerful lesson Jonny Etherington, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Care Advantage, has learned over the course of his career so far. It’s a mindset he’s applied in his role at Care Advantage, a trusted provider of in-home healthcare for 35 years. Jonny attributes the company’s longevity to its commitment to service and building a strong internal culture."I'm very motivated to work with good people and people that are engaged on a daily basis and challenge you on your ideas," Jonny tells host Dave Charest.On this episode of Be a Marketer, Jonny and Dave explore the unique challenges of marketing in the healthcare industry. Discover how Jonny leverages various marketing channels, including Constant Contact’s email and SMS features to reach clients and caregivers.Tune in to learn how Jonny stays ahead of marketing trends, the importance of showcasing real people in marketing efforts, and why you should never underestimate the power of keeping a simple pad of paper and a pencil nearby.Additional Resources:Add the SMS Marketing Add-on to Your Constant Contact Email PlanCreate a Custom Landing Page With Constant ContactConnect your Constant Contact account with VimeoAutomatically Generate a Marketing Campaign Based on Your Goals With Constant Contact’s Campaign BuilderMeet Today’s Guest: Jonny Etherington of Care Advantage Inc.☕ What he does: Jonny is the VP of Marketing and Communications at Care Advantage, a home healthcare organization based in Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Scotland, Jonny has over 20 years of experience in marketing and brand development. He is passionate about using his skills to make a difference in the lives of others. 💡 Key quote: “Take inspiration from different industries. Look outside your own industry and see how you can craft and culture messaging.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Care Advantage: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Wondering how to keep your marketing content fresh without constantly exhausting your brain for new ideas?💡In episode 66 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, explore how AI can help you create fresh content for recurring emails and other repetitive marketing campaigns. Tune in to hear more about how: AI can save you time and allow you to prioritize other important tasks.AI can help you brainstorm new ideas and even reduce procrastination. Understanding trends can lead to better engagement.👉 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 Use the ​​Constant Contact Content Assistant to write email, landing page, social, and SMS content for you AI in Marketing Your BusinessIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

It doesn’t get more authentic than the great outdoors. Matthew Polstein and Tallie Martin of the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) like to preserve that authenticity in their marketing. Matthew founded NEOC over 40 years ago, offering guests in scenic Maine rafting and snowmobiling, plus lodging and an event center with scenic views of Mount Katahdin. Marketing Manager Tallie says it’s not always about making the hard sell in email communications, but connecting with the customer. “I'm seeing a higher click rate, and a higher opening rate for what I write in a newsletter. I'm like, Hey, this is what's up, here's what we're doing, here's what's relevant, here's what happened last weekend, here's what we're looking towards,” she says. “People are opening that rather than buy this, do this, come see that.”On this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast, Tallie, Matthew, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, talk about seasonality, timing communications to purchases, and using AI in email composition.👉 From Rapids to Resorts: New England Outdoor Center Connects Customers to NatureAdditional Resources:Automatically generate a marketing campaign based on your goalsUse Constant Contact’s Content Assistant to write email, landing page, social, and SMS content for youVisit the Constant Contact CommunityMeet Today’s Guests: Tallie Martin and Matthew Polstein of New England Outdoor Center☕ What Tallie does: Tallie is New England Outdoor Center’s Marketing Manager. In addition to managing social media and other marketing initiatives, she guides and teaches canoeing and kayaking at the center. 💡 Key quote: “It's all authentic marketing. It’s not pushing people in an inauthentic way. It's organic.”☕ What Matthew does: Matthew is the President of New England Outdoor Center. Operating for over 40 years, NEOC offers rafting, snowmobiling, lodging, and a world-class business center and wedding venue. 💡 Key quote: “None of us stand alone. To small business people we often feel like we do, but we really need to make sure we take care of them, build a network of staff and supporters around us. It’s so important to have a community that incubates and grows your business.”👋 Where to find Matthew: LinkedIn👋 Where to find New England Outdoor Center: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Looking for ways to increase personalization and segmentation for your organization? In episode 64, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, talk you through it. Kelsi also provides a long-awaited update on her ducks!Tune in to hear more about: How personalization and segmentation are about getting timely and relevant information to the right people. Utilizing the data you do have.Different ways you can utilize your data.👉 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 Let contacts update their information and list preferences with the Update Profile FormView and edit the contact record for an individual contact in ​​Constant Contact Import a list of contacts from a file or spreadsheet in ​​​​Constant Contact If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

KiDsGyM USA focuses on gymnastics, but kids take away so much more than how to tumble. Even if students don’t go on to compete in gymnastics, it teaches them the fundamentals of any sport, and they gain confidence and self-esteem along the way, Since 2004, KiDsGyM USA has been giving youth an inexpensive way to build skills necessary for school and life. And one part of that is taking “can’t” out of their vocabulary. That attitude has served Stephanie Campbell, co-founder, CEO and Executive Director of the gym, well in the time she’s been with Constant Contact. With Constant Contact’s SMS capabilities, she reaches parents quickly in a way that won’t get lost in the email shuffle. She’s also found the generative AI functions helpful, fixing any verbiage that isn’t quite sitting right. To further her communication efficiency, Stephanie uses segmentation and tags to divide her audience between parents and different donor types. On this episode of the Constant Contact podcast, Be a Marketer, Stephanie, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, tumble through the ways KiDsGyM uses Constant Contact to get donations and inform its community. 👉 Understanding contact segmentation in Constant ContactAdditional Resources:Create and manage tags in Constant ContactUse the AI Content Generator to write email, landing page, social, and SMS content for youGet Started with SMS MarketingMeet Today’s Guest: Stephanie Campbell of KiDsGyM USA☕ What she does: Stephanie is co-founder, CEO, and Executive Director of KiDsGyM USA in College Park, GA. The non-profit puts fitness principles into practice through gymnastics and education programs that build healthy mental and physical lifestyles for children and youth. 💡 Key quote: “If you're limited in what you even know exists, then how far can you go? How far can you explore life? There's so much available, but you've got to be willing to put in the time. You've got to be willing to learn and be educated.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find KiDsGyM USA: Website | Instagram | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

This episode is a little different! Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, puts our very own Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, in the hot seat for a change! Tune in to hear Dave share his unique journey, from his experiences with theater (and a short-lived but not forgotten time as a bass player) to marketing and his passion for helping small businesses succeed. 👉 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:Constant Contact New Customer HubSmall Business HubConstant Contact BlogNew MarketerExperienced MarketerIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

How can you amplify your marketing plan? Start by looking at what’s worked in the past.Rich Cruz consults for Greater Chicago Consulting, Inc., a prominent management consulting firm in the Midwest. He helps his clients improve their performance by conducting job analysis, training, and development.“It's a people-first approach. Get to know the person that you're going after and create those personas based on that,” Rich says. “What would your ideal customer look like? What's their communication style? Where are they hanging out? What do they like?”For Rich’s clients, he ensures their email list has integrity, meaning customers have really opted in. From there, it’s all a matter of analyzing what works and replicating those results. On this episode of the Constant Contact podcast, Be a Marketer, Rich and hosts Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, share the marketing strategies that have worked well for him over the years.👉 Need a Constant Contact Certified Partner to help you out? Check out this directory to find a partner near you.👉 Are you with an agency that frequently provides Constant Contact as a solution? Learn how to become a Certified Partner here and unlock exclusive benefits. Additional Resources:Constant Contact Professional Services, including template design servicesThe Ultimate Guide to Constant Contact IntegrationsUsing Constant Contact SEO toolsCreate and activate an event in ​​Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Rich Cruz with Greater Chicago Consulting☕ What he does: Rich is a consultant helping companies improve their marketing strategy. He looks at historical data, Google Analytics, and customer demographics to figure out how to best promote products. He uses Constant Contact for email marketing and SMS campaigns. 💡 Key quote: “The [email] list is critical. That’s what drives a lot of our commerce. We just get a lot of direct hits from the email. People look forward to it, and boom, they go right into it. We've also segmented out to like some of our best customers, and some people who haven't bought it for a while and try to regenerate sales from them.”👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Marketing is the machine that never stops running, even for a seasonal business. Mark Chinsky, co-owner of Enjou Chocolat in Morristown, New Jersey, experiences drastic seasonal fluctuations that revolve around holidays. During the quieter seasons, Mark focuses on making technology work for him. His prior experience in the direct mail industry showed him the value of marketing — and when to do it. “A lot of people cut marketing when things get tight. [But] that’s the last thing you cut,” he advises.  “If you cut marketing, then you might as well close your doors. That’s where your future revenue is going to come from.” Mark goes on to explain that the slow season is one of the best times to market — when the cash is flowing and you’re incredibly busy, you won’t have as much time to focus on marketing.On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, Mark and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talk about how automating tasks lets your marketing tools do the heavy lifting for you. 👉 Check out Constant Contact’s professional marketing services to take design off your plate. Additional Resources:Getting started with the Automation Path BuilderUsing Constant Contact SEO toolsHow to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Mark Chinsky of Enjou Chocolat☕ What he does: Rather than retiring from the software development industry, Mark and his co-owner Rose chose to buy a chocolate company. They recently bought Enjou Chocolat, a beloved 40-year staple in Morristown, New Jersey, that does retail, wholesale, and corporate chocolate production.   💡 Key quote: “A lot of people cut marketing first when things get tight. That’s the last thing you cut. [If] you cut marketing then you might as well close your doors because that’s where your future revenue is going to come from. And the best time to market is when times are slow.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Enjoy Chocolat: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTokIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Are you part of a nonprofit and want to use SMS but aren’t sure how or even if it would be beneficial for your organization? On this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, talk you through it.Listen in to hear how to: Maximize Event Attendance: Learn how you can boost event attendance through SMS reminders, like Nicholas at the Parsippany Library.Provide Timely Updates for All Audiences:  Delivering timely and relevant information via SMS to various stakeholders such as volunteers, donors, the community, vendors, etc. is a powerful tool.Engage with SMS: Delve into the different strategies for using SMS marketing, from recruiting volunteers, coordinating volunteer activities, engaging members, and sending renewal reminders to educational outreach. Resources:How to Use SMS for NonprofitsGet Started with SMSAdd the SMS marketing add-on to your Constant Contact email plan👉 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.If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions

Libraries are often the heartbeat of the communities they serve — and Parsippany Public Library in New Jersey is no exception, offering much more than just reading materials. Head of Information Services Nicholas Jackson has been using Constant Contact for several years, both to distribute the library’s newsletter and to text workshop registrants. Before Constant Contact, the library had a problem: People would sign up for workshops and then forget to actually attend. So the library enabled attendee text messages to send reminders the night before and the day of the event. While not everyone checks their email constantly, most people check their texts immediately. Attendance problem solved.Above all else, Nicholas’s top marketing tip is to stay consistent. That consistency applies to the look and feel of your graphics — like fonts and color schemes — as well as to your marketing plan and analysis of what’s working and what’s not. On this episode of Constant Contact’s podcast, Be a Marketer, Nicholas and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss all the ways that Constant Contact has helped spread awareness and drive foot traffic into Parsippany’s libraries.  👉 Get started with SMS marketing in Constant Contact.  Additional Resources:Insert Canva images into your Constant Contact campaignsGet started with SMS marketing in Constant ContactCreating accessible emails with Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Nicholas Jackson of Parsippany Public Library☕ What he does: Nicholas is the Head of Information Services at Parsippany Public Library in New Jersey. Nicholas oversees marketing and PR, plus programming, technology, collections, books, ebooks, and media. He also manages the the Library of Things program where people can borrow items like hotspots, Chromebooks, tabletop games, sewing machines, and more.💡 Key quote: “Our newsletter is the most powerful advertising-marketing-PR tool. We noticed this when we did an author talk back in 2022. We asked when people signed up, How’d you find out about this? And over 40% said, In the newsletter. We realized that we need to make the newsletter, inviting, helpful, and friendly.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Parsippany Public Library: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTokIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Do you want to know when someone signs up for your email list? On this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, talk you through it.This week on the Be A Marketer podcast, learn how to be notified when someone subscribes to your email list so you can keep track of your list's growth. Also, Kelsi shares some exciting news about how she’s going to be a duck mom of three. Listen in to hear how to: Use the Constant Contact mobile app to create emails, social posts, manage your contacts, and track new subscribers.Check your Constant Contact reports to see how well your list is growing and where people are coming from, providing insight as to how you can make improvements moving forward.Set up email notifications for new contacts and unsubscribes to focus on your contact list growth. Resources:Receive email updates when contacts opt-in or unsubscribe in Constant ContactAn overview of Constant Contact's mobile appCreative Ways to Grow Your Email ListAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions

Despite being a newspaper, the Osprey Observer effectively utilizes digital tools like email marketing and social media. The key to running a successful local paper, for Marie, is being deeply involved in and committed to the local community. Her team focuses on covering local good news and events, and the relationships they build with local advertisers and readers."We laser focus on what we do. We provide customer service. We try to provide all the best services for our small businesses, and we just have to stay laser-focused," Marie explains. Being a part of the community and engaging in local events has helped create a strong brand for the Osprey Observer.Listen to Marie share valuable insights on embracing the local community, the power of good news, and leveraging digital tools for better engagement, with host Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact.👉 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:Get Marie Gilmore’s FREE Kindle book: Open for Business! Now what? Find your local chamber of commerce A/B test an email subject line with Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Marie Gilmore from Osprey Observer📰 What she does: Marie is the Managing Editor and Publisher for Osprey Observer, which started as a newsletter and now has grown into four local editions, covering the areas of southeast Hillsborough County.💡 Key quote: “We all live and work in this community. That’s who we need to support.” - Marie👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn 👋 Where to find Osprey Observer: Website | Instagram | FacebookIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Thinking about importing purchased contacts into your Constant Contact account? In this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, discuss why you should avoid importing purchased contacts into your account and how to grow your email list organically.Listen in to hear how/why: Email marketing is permission-based and importing purchased contacts is not recommended due to regulations, ethics, and effectiveness.Purchased contact lists can damage a business's reputation and sender status, and are against Constant Contact's terms of service.Organic list building is the best approach to email marketing, using sign-up tools and offering incentives to attract subscribers.The success of email marketing depends on the quality of the contact list and the relevance of the content.Constant Contact provides various tools to collect email addresses and grow lists organically.Resources:Why Your Business Can’t Afford to Use Purchased Email ListsConstant Contact’s email permission policyEmail Sign-Up Tools to Help You Grow Your List and Your BusinessAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Identifying and understanding who your key customers are is a crucial part of marketing for Clif Johnson, especially if you’re targeting diverse audiences like professionals and consumers. "You really have to put on kind of two marketing hats. You have to understand the needs of both of those customers and really be able to cater to them in order to effectively market to them,” says Clif.Once you know your audience, you can start providing them with targeted content with the help of segmentation to enhance marketing efforts.And while initial sales are important, repeat sales indicate effective relationship management.On this episode, Clif and host Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, dive into the importance of understanding key customers, repeat business, and the role of Constant Contact in their marketing.👉 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:Top Ecommerce Integrations to Help You Sell MoreCreate and manage contact listsCreate a segment of contact by choosing specific criteriaMeet Today’s Guest: Clif Johnson from Pablo Designs⚡What he does: Clif is the Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Pablo Designs. Pablo Designs is a manufacturer and distributor of interior lighting that challenges traditional design metaphors. Their mission is to create designs that deepen the relationship between objects, their users, and their environment.💡 Key quote: “Storytelling sells and engages far better than numbers on a spreadsheet. You can have the best product in the world, but if you're not telling a story around it…you're going to not only lose people's attention, but in many cases, you're probably going to bore them to tears.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn 👋 Where to find Pablo Designs: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Wondering how ‌nonprofit organizations can use email marketing effectively? In this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, welcomes Kelsi Carter, the team’s new brand production coordinator. They go on to discuss the importance of storytelling, segmentation, and frequency in email marketing. Listen in to hear how why: Storytelling and inclusivity are crucial in nonprofit marketing and why you must focus on the impact of donors' support.Segmentation and automation are vital for sending relevant content and improving engagement.You should optimize emails for mobile viewing, as many people check emails on their phones.Sending emails at least twice a month with limited content (three sections beyond the intro) for easy scanning, may be best for you.Prioritizing and acting on one thing at a time is key to getting things done.Resources:Top 7 Nonprofit Marketing Integrations to Increase EngagementAchieve your marketing goals with Constant Contact's integrations_zapier Constant Contact IntegrationsAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

For Corissa Saint Laurent, building relationships, understanding your audience, and leveraging email marketing are key ingredients for success.And when it comes to growing along with your business, it’s all about focusing on activities that align with your skills and passions while delegating tasks that fall outside your expertise. "The goal should be to get to a place where you use your time doing the things you should be doing. Avoid the things that aren't in your skillset or that you're not passionate about," says Corissa. On this episode, Corissa and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, delve into the art of building relationships, understanding your audience, and the significance of marketing in connecting with customers. 👉 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:2024 Online Marketing Calendar: Template and Marketing HolidaysMeet Today’s Guest: Corissa Saint Laurent, speaker, podcaster, and retreat leader🎧  What she does: Corissa is a professional speaker, podcaster, and retreat leader. She not only helps businesses grow, but she also helps its people grow along with it. As host of The Everyday Mystic, she delivers practical spiritual guidance for a life of greater meaning, higher purpose, and true joy.💡 Key quote: “The more you can provide value to your customers, build those relationships, and ultimately build loyalty. Those people become promotional agents for you. They're talking about you to others.”👋 Where to find her: Website | Podcast | LinkedIn | InstagramIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to ratethispodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Wondering how to better market new in-person events/classes? In this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, shares how understanding your audience, utilizing integrations, creating a clear progression path, building urgency, and leveraging different platforms can help you reach and engage your target market more effectively. Listen in to hear how to: Understand your buying audience and segment lists by age groups for targeted marketing.Use integrations between management software and marketing tools for more efficient marketing.Create a clear progression path for customers and get feedback from VIP customers.Build urgency with registration deadlines and focus on one call-to-action per email.Leverage different platforms like Facebook events to extend your reach.Resources:Achieve your marketing goals with Constant Contact integrationsCreate and manage tags with Constant ContactCreate a segment of contacts in Constant Contact by choosing specific criteriaCreate a ​​Constant Contact Survey PageDaySmart Recreation Constant Contact IntegrationAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Wondering how many follow-ups you should send after an initial email outreach? What about the timeframe in which to do so? 🎧 Listen to our latest podcast episode where Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, shares his insights on email follow-ups and provides a suggested timeline. Key Takeaways: Multiple follow-ups after initial email outreach are crucial as one email is often insufficient due to recipients' busy lives.Factors affecting follow-up email effectiveness include existing relationships, size of the ask, and urgency of the action.Suggested timeline for follow-ups: announcement three weeks before deadline; reminder two weeks before deadline; last chance on/before deadline.Timing and urgency are important to spur people to action.Schedule at least three email touches to increase chances of a response.Resources:Why you need to send more email than you thinkAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

When Aisha James set out to create an event celebrating Black-owned businesses in St. Louis, she didn’t think she’d end up running the largest Black-owned food festival in the Midwest. Even while spending her days working as an Operations Manager in the banking industry, Aisha finds time to fuel her passion: bringing together St. Louis’s Black community for a weekend of culture, food, and celebration, The Taste of Black St. Louis.  But coordinating this large-scale annual event on a shoestring budget is no easy feat. “I’m considered the little guy that makes big numbers,” says Aisha. And she’s not kidding when she says “big numbers” — in just five years, the culinary festival grew from 16,000 to 83,000 attendees. On this episode, Aisha and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss the unique communication challenges of planning such a big event and how technology helps her to remain organized—while also keeping her day job. Listen to learn the importance of developing calendars and timelines, seeking customer feedback via surveys, and leaning on segmentation to craft highly targeted and specific messaging for a variety of audiences.👉 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.Additional Resources:How to Create a Survey PageHow to Use the Calendar ViewUnderstanding Contact SegmentationHow to Create and Activate an EventMeet Today’s Guest: Aisha James of The Taste of Black St. Louis🍽️ What she does: Aisha is the founder of The Taste of Black St. Louis, the largest Black-owned food festival in the Midwest. Formed in 2018, the multi-sensory food experience was created to bring local communities and visitors together for a full weekend of culture, tasting, and shopping while shining a light on Black-owned businesses. The event has grown from 16,000 attendees to 83,000.💡 Key quote: “Remember why you started. Understand that there’s going to be so many bumps in the road, but always remember why you started and stay true to that.”👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Instagram👋 Where to find The Taste of Black St. Louis: Website | Instagram | Facebook If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Wondering how to review marketing tools and approaches, boost productivity, and execute effective marketing strategies for your organization? In this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, dives into the secrets of reviewing, planning, and executing your marketing strategies. And discover how to leverage technology to streamline your processes. Listen in to hear how to: Review current strategies, make plan improvements, and execute the plan while boosting productivity.Use email marketing to connect with members and social media for engagement.Leverage Constant Contact features like welcome emails and resend to non-openers to enhance productivity.Resources:View a heat map of the most popular links your contacts are clicking in an emailCreate and manage an automated Welcome EmailAutomatically resend an email to contacts who don't openUse the Content Generator to write email, landing page, and SMS content for youSync your social media accounts to create social posts through your Constant Contact accountCreate a segment of contacts by choosing specific criteriaAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Dave Delaney, a keynote speaker, author, and business owner, shares his journey of discovering his ADHD diagnosis as an adult and how it's impacted his entrepreneurial journey and strategies.Dave discusses the challenges he faced in 2020, his coping strategies, the importance of self-understanding, and his new podcast, "ADHD Wise Squirrels." He also delves into marketing strategies and time management techniques that have helped him succeed as an entrepreneur with ADHD."Your best marketing is you at the end of the day,” he says. “And if you're somebody that's cool and honest and smart and can help people, then I think that's the best foot forward with your own marketing."On this episode of Be a Marketer, Dave and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss valuable insights into entrepreneurship, self-awareness, and marketing strategies. 👉 Want a winning framework to improve retention, communication, and culture at your company? Get a free copy of Dave’s The Nice Method ebook using code “BAM24”. Meet Today’s Guest: Dave Delaney of Futureforth☕ What he does: Dave Delaney is a keynote speaker, author, and he also offers workshops and communication consulting through his business, Futureforth. Dave also hosts a podcast called ADHD Wise Squirrels, where he and his guests discuss and explore the coping mechanisms of late-diagnosed adults.💡 Key quote: "I've learned just to give myself more grace and understand that there are limits to some of this stuff." 👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn👋 Where to find ADHD Wise Squirrels: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTubeIf 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. 

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 also believes in 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 AppMeet 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: WebsiteIf 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. 

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 | InstagramIf 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. 

Wondering how to get faculty to attend your webinars? In this episode, Dave Charest provides detailed strategies on audience understanding, creating engaging content, effective promotion, and collecting feedback. Listen in to hear how to: Understand your audience's interests and challenges through pre-work and surveys.Create engaging content that provides practical solutions to educators' challenges.Promote the webinar effectively through various channels and supportive colleagues.Collect feedback after each session to improve future webinars and promotions.Leverage relationships with supportive colleagues ("friendlies") for promotion and feedback.Resources:How to create a survey page in Constant ContactHow to create and activate an event in ​​​​​​​​​​Constant Contact 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. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Jay Schwedelson has had an interest in direct marketing since he was a five-year-old watching his parents’ direct mail business. Today, he’s one of the internet’s top email marketing experts, but the thing he loves most about email is that you don’t need to be an expert to do it well. “Just get it out there,” he says. “Iterate and keep going. Consistency will win out—you will beat out 95% of everybody else you’re competing with just by being there and doing it.” For nearly 30 years, Jay has run Outcome Media, an agency that today offers demand generation services and email and direct mail marketing. In 2021, he launched GURU Conference to offer affordable, accessible marketing education to business owners and marketers. On this episode of Be a Marketer, Jay and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss what’s most important for email marketing in 2024. Jay also offers his top tips and resources for business owners looking to tap into the power of email. 👉 Check out the email marketing conference mentioned in this episode: GURU 2024Meet Today’s Guest: Jay Schwedelson of Outcome Media and GURU Events☕ What he does: Jay is a lifelong entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Outcome Media and GURU Events. He is an expert in email marketing who also started SubjectLine.com, the free subject line testing service for email marketers. 💡 Key quote: “Email is the most important thing on the planet. Your email list is the most important asset in your company — no questions asked.” 👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Podcast👋 Where to find GURU Events: Website | LinkedIn👋 Where to find Outcome Media: Website | LinkedInAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

In this episode of the "Be a Marketer" podcast, Dave Charest discusses the benefits of using sign-up landing pages and provides tips on how to effectively promote them in person, in print, and online.Sign-up landing pages are standalone web pages that offer a simple way to collect contact information and grow an email list.Sign-up landing pages can be customized with branding and tailored to collect specific information.QR codes can be used in-person and in print to drive traffic to sign-up landing pages.Promoting sign-up landing pages on social media and through email signatures can convert followers into subscribers.Focusing on the value offered to subscribers, such as discounts or free gifts, can increase signups.Want to learn more about sign-up landing pages? Create a Sign-up Landing Page to collect new email and SMS contacts online Tutorial: Sign-up Landing Pages for Lead GenerationAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

2024 is one of those special years that gives us an extra day—and this Leap Day, Todd Shimkus and Maggie Fronk want you to do something kind for someone else. Todd, the president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, started Leap of Kindness Day in 2016 to support local impact-sector organizations. The premise is simple: Use February 29 to do something kind for someone else. That simple idea has catalyzed a worldwide movement, with communities around the United States and beyond running their own Leap of Kindness Day efforts. Maggie has seen the power of this simple call to action firsthand as CEO of Wellspring, the domestic violence and sexual assault services resource for Saratoga County. On the first episode of Be a Marketer for 2024, Todd and Maggie join host Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, to share how Leap of Kindness Day works and how others can take part. Tune in to learn how their organizations use Constant Contact to support businesses and nonprofits in Saratoga County and champion important causes through Leap of Kindness Day—and every day. 👉 Learn more about Leap of Kindness Day and how you or your organization can get involved.Meet Today’s Guests: Todd Shimkus of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Maggie Fronk of Wellspring☕ What Todd does: Todd is the president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, overseeing an organization that supports more than 2,700 businesses in the region. 💡 Key quote: “Think about somebody that’s done something special for you in your life. And on February 29, as part of Leap of Kindness Day, do something kind for them.” 👋 Where to find him:  LinkedIn | Instagram | X, formerly known as Twitter👋 Where to find the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube☕ What Maggie does: Maggie is the CEO of Wellspring, a Saratoga County nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and engages the community to end relationship and sexual abuse. 💡 Key quote: “The more we are given opportunities to help others, to see the good, to do the good, to be recipients of somebody else’s kindness we never expected, the more we make a great community, and the more we feel better about this life.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Wellspring: Website | Instagram | FacebookAre you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured on an upcoming episode. If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

When Julianna Curtis made the tough call to shut down her yoga and fitness studio in March 2020, she took a day to feel sorry for herself — then she sat down and figured out how to pivot. Julianna is no stranger to adversity in business. A year after opening The Energy Barre, she ended up in court facing a lawsuit about noise complaints from a neighboring tenant. Although the lawsuit was a setback, she pressed on, using headphones in class, until she and her building manager figured out a path forward. Today, The Energy Barre offers yoga, barre, and dance classes in three locations in Massachusetts and online. Julianna is candid about the storms she’s had to weather in building her business — and grateful for the lessons she’s learned along the way. “Once I made my way through the recovery periods, I was able to look back and see how much positive came out of those experiences,” she says. In this episode of Be a Marketer, Julianna and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss the ups and downs of owning a small business in an unpredictable world. Meet Today’s Guest: Julianna Curtis of The Energy Barre☕ What she does: Julianna is the founder and CEO of The Energy Barre, an independently owned fitness and yoga studio. Founded in 2013, The Energy Barre has three locations in Massachusetts and offers classes and sells apparel online. 💡 Key quote: “I am so excited and obsessed with the fact that this is what I get to do.” 👋 Where to find her: Instagram | LinkedIn👋 Where to find The Energy Barre: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTokIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

“We’re all just trying to get through this life together,” says Al Yeck. “So let’s help each other.” As the Executive Director of the Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Al leads an organization devoted to enhancing the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of U.S. veterans and their families. A former Marine — and a former marketer — Al juggles many responsibilities in his role as Executive Director. He divides his days between managing the business side of the nonprofit and the farm itself, which doesn’t leave him much time for marketing. His primary goal for the organization is to achieve financial solvency. That means marketing is especially important for getting the word out to local veterans groups, gardening groups, and others who might be interested in the farm’s mission. Al leans on Constant Contact to help him spread the farm’s message efficiently. In this episode of Be a Marketer, Al and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, dig into the joys and challenges of running a nonprofit and the marketing tactics that are helping the farm grow. Meet Today’s Guest: Al Yeck of Veterans Healing Farm☕ What he does: Al is a Marine Corps veteran and the Executive Director of Veterans Healing Farm, a nonprofit with a mission to enhance the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of U.S. veterans and their families. 💡 Key quote: “I just urge you, if you’re hurting, mentally or emotionally, to seek help… There should be no stigma attached to it. If you’re hurting, mentally [or] emotionally, join the club. We’re all broken. And we’re all just trying to get through this life together.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Veterans Healing Farm: Website | Donate | FacebookIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

From an 800-square-foot store to 12,000 square feet of retail and warehouse space in just three years, Lady Black Tie is the picture of small business success. Owner and founder Marissa Tilley started Lady Black Tie as a brick-and-mortar store after leaving an unfulfilling corporate job. “It came down to the idea of wanting to have fun every day,” she says. “I thought selling dresses would be super fun.” Over the years, Marissa and her colleague Chelsea Demby, who runs Lady Black Tie’s media and influencer relations, have had to navigate a rapidly changing marketing landscape. A few years ago, Marissa says, you could get “a nine-to-one return on your ad spend.” Today, with iOS updates impacting the power of ads and search engines taking a bigger cut of ad sales, they’re seeing returns of three-to-four at best. That’s why Marissa and Chelsea are leaning into email marketing to continue growing Lady Black Tie.In this episode of Be a Marketer, Marissa and Chelsea talk to host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. Tune in for their tips on sustainable marketing, from avoiding the pitfalls of algorithm changes to navigating virality. Meet Today’s Guests: Marissa Tilley and Chelsea Demby of Lady Black Tie☕ What Marissa does: Marissa is the owner and founder of Lady Black Tie, a Massachusetts-based fashion company with three lines of business: retail, ecommerce, and wholesale. ☕ What Chelsea does: Chelsea is Lady Black Tie’s head of media and influencer relations. 💡 Marissa’s key quote: “It really came down to wanting to focus on the lighter side of life every day. Not every day is a joy. However, I do try to sit back and remind myself why I did this… seeing the smile on our customers’ faces when they find that dress.”💡 Chelsea’s key quote: “My best advice is to really not strive for perfection. Have fun with it.”  👋 Where to find Marissa: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Chelsea: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Lady Black Tie: Website | Instagram | FacebookIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Your email’s journey to the customer’s inbox isn’t magic — it’s intentional. Constant Contact has email deliverability experts working behind the scenes to keep your special message out of the dreaded spam folder. But in addition to our technical crew, you, as the sender, can make certain shifts to increase your email’s deliverability.Constant Contact’s Jon Marburger, Director of Email Deliverability, and Tara Natanson, Manager of Deliverability for ISP Relations, together have 31 years of experience in the email industry. Their biggest advice? Pay attention.Metrics and unsubscribe comments can help you understand who’s reading your emails, as well as who’s leaving and why.“The most underutilized part of our product is the opt-out comments,” says Tara. “People unsubscribe and leave you a message about why. You should really be looking at those. They are super enlightening.”On this episode of the Be a Marketer Podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Jon and Tara about other Constant Contact features that can help with your email deliverability. They cover the Gmail Promotions tab and its undeserved bad rap, technical ways to get higher open and click rates, and why you should avoid single-image emails.👉 How to Build an Effective Email List: Best Practices and Strategies👉 How to Interpret Your Email Marketing Reporting👉 Do You Know Why People Are Unsubscribing From Your Emails?👉 Understanding Email Authentication👉 How to Prepare for Upcoming Google and Yahoo! ChangesMeet Today’s Guests: Jon Marburger and Tara Natanson of Constant Contact☕ What Jon does: Jon is the Director of Email Deliverability at Constant Contact.💡 Key quote: “Listening to what your customers are telling you — even if it's a negative data point, giving the opportunity to indicate why they chose to unsubscribe — that's really important.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn☕ What Tara does: Tara is the Manager of Deliverability and ISP Relations at Constant Contact.💡 Key quote: “While it can be hard to see people leave, or to watch your list get smaller, having a smaller, more engaged list is way better for your deliverability than having a huge list that has a very low number of opens and clicks.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Ed Doherty has achieved something most marketers could only dream of: a 72-78% open rate on his Constant Contact newsletters. His secret? Authenticity. Ed launched his consulting business, Ambrose Landen, after being furloughed at the pandemic's start. He also launched a newsletter, Wednesday Weblogs, which he sends every Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. At 70 years old, Ed has plenty of experience under his belt, and he views marketing as an essential tool for showing prospective clients that he knows how to help them. He doesn’t use his newsletter to sell his services, though — he uses it to build his reputation. “I’m sharing my knowledge, my humor, my toughness,” he says. Three years into sending Wednesday Weblogs, Ed says that many of his current clients started as newsletter subscribers. On this episode of Be a Marketer, Ed and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss how authentic marketing can help you build a community that turns into customers. Meet Today’s Guest: Ed Doherty of Ambrose Landen☕ What he does: Ed owns Ambrose Landen, a consultancy that offers strategic planning and leadership development services. In the past, Ed has been the human resources officer for an 11,000-person company and the president of a franchise company with 22 restaurants. He’s also the oldest of eight children. 💡 Key quote: “Anybody who’s in business by themselves is selling themselves. That’s what you have to do — you have to sell yourself. So I’m selling my knowledge, my humor, my history.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Ambrose Landen: WebsiteIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

It can be easy for marketers to forget that real people are on the other side of every interaction. But Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, aims to bring humanity back into marketing. Technology takes humanity out of the equation, he says. As a result, marketers focus too much on metrics like clicks and open rates instead of trying to build relationships. “Once you know more about the people you’re trying to reach,” he says, “the sales or the nurturing or the conversations will happen.” A self-described futurist and digital anthropologist, Brian believes that AI allows marketers to get closer to people. “Somewhere along the way, we confused technology with transaction,” he says. Marketers should approach AI by thinking about how they want customers to feel rather than what they want customers to do. “If you think differently about technology as investing in relationships and meaningful outcomes,” he says, you’ll get exponential returns. On this episode of Be a Marketer, Brian and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss how small business owners can put people back in the equation in their digital marketing and AI use.Meet Today’s Guest: Brian Solis of ServiceNow☕ What he does: Brian is the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow. He’s also an author, futurist, and digital anthropologist. He helps companies future-proof by looking at how to be more valuable, agile, and innovative as the world evolves. 💡 Key quote: “The thing I really like about my work is the ability to see the things that most of us are just too busy — or maybe distracted or biased — to see in order to bring people together for a greater purpose.” 👋 Where to find him: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn👋 Where to find ServiceNow: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | InstagramIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Artificial intelligence might seem like complex technology that’s best suited for large businesses. But Robert Mitchell disagrees — he thinks small businesses have the most to gain from AI. Robert is the Chief AI Officer at WSI World, a digital marketing agency network that equips small agencies with the tools to grow and thrive, including AI. He helps WSI franchise owners use AI to create new revenue streams — and he’s thrilled by the possibilities the tech presents for small businesses. “I think this is an amazing opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses,” he says. “The nimble companies are the ones that are going to leapfrog on this. You can do more with less.” On this episode of Be a Marketer, Robert and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talked about how small businesses and their marketers can get started with AI. Meet Today’s Guest: Robert Mitchell of WSI World☕ What he does: Robert is the Chief AI Officer at WSI World, a digital marketing agency network. After more than 20 years in franchise development, Robert dove into the world of AI. Today, he helps WSI serve as an AI consultancy for its franchise owners — and helps franchise owners become the de facto AI consultants for their clients. 💡 Key quote: “You’re already seen by your clients as the most knowledgeable on the technical aspects of marketing their business. It’s a very small leap from that to AI… all you need to be is that Sherpa, walking them through the process of implementing it.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find WSI World: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

If you had an extra hour in your week, how would you use it? For small business owners who are using artificial intelligence (AI) and marketing automation, this is no longer a hypothetical question. According to Constant Contact’s latest research report, 91% of small businesses that use AI say that it’s helping them save time and work more efficiently. “It’s revolutionary technology,” says Michael Wood, Senior PR Manager at Constant Contact. “And it’s very new to a lot of small businesses.” As Michael — the company’s “hype man” — explains, Constant Contact produces reports like this regularly to help small businesses understand how their industries and customers are changing. “I want Constant Contact to be a resource for our customers,” Michael says. On this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast, Michael and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss the results of the report and how it can help small businesses get started with AI. They also talk about how small businesses can use Constant Contact’s research to capture attention and help their own customers. 👉 Check out the research report discussed in this episode: Small Business Now ReportMeet Today’s Guest: Michael Wood of Constant Contact☕ What he does: Michael is the Senior PR Manager at Constant Contact. His job is to tell the world about all the great things going on at Constant Contact. He also leads the charge on Constant Contact’s research and trends reports, which explore topics relevant to small business owners and nonprofits. 💡 Key quote: “I want Constant Contact to be a resource for our customers, for other small business [owners] who aren’t our customers, for people who are just starting with marketing and are learning how to get better … I want Constant Contact to be synonymous with small business.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.