Be a Marketer

Struggling to hit your business goals with marketing? Here’s where to start. Focus on the three marketing must-haves every small business needs to succeed: 1. A mobile-responsive website Your website is your home base online. Think about it—what’s the first thing someone does when they hear about your business? They look you up online. Your website is your chance to make a great first impression, answer their questions, and show why you’re the right choice. 2. Email and text marketing Once someone leaves your website or store, how do you stay in touch? That’s where email and text come in. These are owned channels, meaning you control them. No algorithms. No gatekeepers. Just a direct line to your customers to bring them back and keep them engaged. 3. Social media Social is a great way to engage and expand your audience, but here’s the catch: you don’t own it. Algorithms decide what gets seen. That’s why it works best as a complement to your website and email/text strategy—not be the whole strategy. These three tools—your website, owned channels, and social media—work together to help you reach your audience and grow your business. Are all three in your marketing plan? Check out the video for a deeper dive.

Think of AI as your sidekick — not your replacement. 👯 In this week’s Be a Marketer Spotlight newsletter, Kelsi Carter shares how she utilizes AI in her typical work day and how it can: ✅ Kickstart your creative process ✅ Analyze content performance ✅ Simplify heavy lifting like campaign creation While highlighting insights from Russ Morton, Constant Contact’s Chief Product Officer. In his Be a Marketer podcast episode, Russ dives deeper into AI and what that means for small businesses, sharing practical ways to incorporate it into your marketing strategies. Have you tried integrating AI into your workflow? Check out the full newsletter and tune into Russ's full episode! 👇 #ConstantContact #BeaMarketer #newsletter #AI

All of Meta is down, TikTok's future is unknown... So...how's that email list coming??? #EmailMarketingIsSo2025

📢 No new episode this Thursday! While we're taking a well-deserved hiatus until the new year, we didn't want to leave you hanging! ✨ Let's celebrate the highlights from 2024! Here are our TOP 5 most-loved episodes from the year (as featured in our Spotify Wrapped): ⬇️ 💬 What's your favorite episode? Let us know in the comments or share a takeaway you've applied to your business! Listen to the full episodes or wherever you get your podcasts: bit.ly/_BAM_Podcast 🎧 Stay tuned for our return in 2025. 💙 #BeaMarketer #Spotify #marketingtips #podcast|

Are your busy days running you — or are you running them? 🏃♀️➡️ 🏃♂️➡️ In this latest edition of the Be a Marketer Spotlight newsletter, Kelsi Carter highlights the difference automation can make, from managing bills to running a business, with insights from Mark Chinsky, the co-owner of Enjou Chocolat, in Morristown, NJ. Mark automated his manual ordering process using Shopify's integration with Constant Contact. The result? His business remained visible, while freeing up time for marketing and preparing for seasonal peaks like Valentine’s Day and Christmas. What’s one thing you’ve automated that made your life or business easier? Let us know in the comments! Check out the full newsletter here and tune into Mark's full episode!👇 #ConstantContact #BeaMarketer #newsletter #automation

Ahead of #GivingTuesday tomorrow, what are some ways you can support local non-profit organizations and businesses that don't require a financial commitment? Here are some of our favorites.

What can ducks teach us about marketing? A lot, apparently. In the latest edition of the Be a Marketer Spotlight newsletter, Kelsi Carter shares how becoming a first-time duck mom showed her the impact of intentional marketing. From perfectly timed emails to tailored advice, she saw firsthand how understanding your audience and meeting their needs creates trust and loyalty. Check out the full newsletter to see why the right message at the right time matters, along with insights from Greater Chicago Consulting, Inc. president Rich Cruz — and yes, there are duck pics. 🐤 ⬇️

Have you seen a better-looking duo? Me neither. 👯♀️ We’re wrapping up another incredible season of the Be a Marketer podcast! In this special episode, Dave Charest and Kelsi Carter reflect on the biggest themes of 2024, from the importance of building community connections to storytelling as a marketing tool. Thank you to every guest who took the time to sit down with us and share their insights. And thank you to every listener who let us be a part of their day! Tune into the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts, and stick around for actionable and impactful content in 2025! bit.ly/_BAM_Podcast 🎧 #ConstantContact #BeaMarketer #marketing

🎯 Ever set a goal and wondered why it fizzled out? Or forget about it all together? In this latest edition of the Be a Marketer Spotlight newsletter, Kelsi Carter shares her own struggles with sticking to a goal (spoiler: her guitar is gathering dust 🎸). Inspired by Tracey Lee Davis’s journey of building ZingPop Social Media by aligning her business goals with realistic, actionable steps and a clear purpose. Goals need more than ambition; they need a plan. Break them into small, achievable actions, tie them to your “why,” and stay connected to what motivates both you and your audience. 💡 Ready to rethink how you approach your own goals? Start here 👇 🎧 #ConstantContact #BeaMarketer #newsletter 

Still relying solely on social media platforms? Sure one day your [insert your favorite social channel] might be thriving and growing each week. The engagement is high, the impact is incredible, and everything seems to be working perfectly. But then as Lucy Hall explains, platforms can suddenly change their algorithms. One tweak could mean all the hard work you put into creating content would go unseen. As Lucy puts it, "All that effort, all that growth—wasted." Lucy recalls how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook have had their moments. Remember when Facebook pages used to dominate, with businesses driving sales and engagement through shared content? Then, overnight, reach plummeted, and it became nearly impossible to get anyone to see your posts without paid ads. These changes aren’t just frustrating—they can wipe out years of effort in an instant. Accounts get shut down, reach disappears, and everything shifts without warning. That’s why, I love that Lucy emphasized, it’s crucial to guide people to spaces you control. For her, that means emails—specifically, her email newsletter and community. "Email is where I know we can connect with people directly, without relying on the whims of algorithms," she said. And that’s a strategy she firmly believes in. What about you?