Celebrates National Small Business Week by Sharing Marketing Advice from All Star Customers

In celebration of National Small Business Week, Constant Contact, an Endurance International Group company and leader in small business marketing solutions, asked its All-Star customers to share their best marketing advice with fellow small business owners. Tips, collected through a survey of Constant Contact’s most successful customers, indicated that knowing your customer, being consistent in customer communications and asking for help when you need it were critical success factors.

“Small business owners are among the most passionate and frankly, fearless, people that we know and it is a privilege to work with them everyday,” said Kim Simone, Constant Contact’s chief transformation officer. “In our daily conversations with customers they often say that they want to hear from other small business owners who have walked in their shoes. These conversations inspired us to turn to our All Star customers, whose hard-earned insights and advice can be quite valuable to those small business owners just starting their journey.”

Consistency is king

Consistency was a dominant theme of the survey, with 20% of respondents saying it is critical for everything from brand messaging, to logos and other graphics, to email delivery methods and timing.

• Dolly Di Pesa of Di Pesa & Company CPAs advised, “Make sure you are consistent with your messages. Touch base with your clients and prospective clients at least once a month.”
• Jennifer Heagle of Red Apron said, “Be consistent in your email marketing but don’t overwhelm your clients with useless information. Keep the content relevant.”
• To achieve consistency, Kelly Elvin of Tip Top Tails suggests, “Schedule time for marketing on your calendar. Otherwise, your emails will not get done on a regular basis and you’ll always be scrambling.”

Many noted the ability to automate everything, from welcome emails for new subscribers to emails triggered by abandoned shopping carts, saves significant time and helps them consistently communicate with their customers.

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Do your homework

Constant Contact All Stars were also asked what they wish they had known before starting their small business journey. The responses covered an array of topics, from thinking strategically at the start to managing growth down the road, and staying focused on doing your homework.

• Karla Militello of The Summer Kitchen Interiors offered, “Write the business plan first, not while you are in the beginning phases of running your business.”
• Lois Higgins of Grassroots Meats said, “Find a good mentor associated with your industry and ask lots of questions.”
• According to Jane Terrell of The Terrell Team, “Existing customers are golden.”
• Gale Blair of Paper Whimsy wished she had known “How to better handle demand.”
• And for those who haven’t yet made the call to start their business, Susan Elise Morton of Stampin’ Up! suggested, “Think about where your hobbies might lead, as this business started as my hobby.”

Even accomplished small business owners need help

Of course, even the best marketers can use additional help. When asked what areas they need the most guidance in, the right mix of market tools was the most popular choice (29%), followed closely by evaluating marketing success metrics (22%).

Additional areas where small business owners wanted more help with their marketing include:

• Understanding the data I receive from marketing activities: 20%
• Determining what kind of marketing content makes the most sense for my business: 13%
• Developing effective marketing messaging: 9%
• Creating a marketing plan that meets my business goals: 7%

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“Marketing is a complex function, regardless of how big or small a business is, and it often takes some trial and error to get it right,” said Simone. “We provide marketing guidance in many different forms to all of our customers to help them find the best marketing approach for their business with the hope that, ultimately, all of our customers achieve All Star status.”

Constant Contact’s All Star program has recognized customers who have achieved notable email marketing success since 2009 and this survey was directed to those customers who have earned All Star status for the past ten years. For more information on advice shared by Constant Contact All Stars

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