Constant Contact Review: best ways to benefit in 2021 and gain extra sales. There are many email servers but this one stands out from the pack
Why is Constant contact so good?
First of all I admit to being very biased in my view, however, it is based on a lot of experience.
Address rejection is the bane of all marketers and some services really hype it up. I recently moved a group of clients to Mail Chimp because they looked a little cheaper. My clients were at least a year old and had a dozen or so mails or newsletters. One complained he had never heard of me, principally because the format had changed and the monkey face was not recognised. Did they accept this? Not on your Nellie did they, I got a life ban without any way to argue my case. In fact this was my second try with them and of course my last.
It is interesting that my spam complaints with Constant Contact is so low it hardly records.
I also use aWeber because they have a few other interesting bits that we use however my open rate goes well down. so back to the drawing board.
My original start was with Get Response because they were really cheap however the platforms they use are old fashioned compared to CC so my image was not presented how I wanted it.
All this led me to setting up my own servers and using different sources to send the emails. Again it did not work. I spent more time playing with the backend than sending emails
Get a great deal at Constant Contact
Your time is important
When I send a newsletter or email it is done in minutes not days. I select a template that includes all my details and logo, fill in the words and select a group. I set the mail to go at a certain time and then go about my days work.
My time is productively spend on content and not working out the layout and target
Constant contact make the process very easy.
Is price important with an email server?
Because CC is so easy and the time I save is important it is really not about price, However I understand that, below is the current offers in US$ however prices may vary with volume. It is important to understand that CC does not charge a per email rate only based on the number of current subscribers. Therefor you are encouraged to email often.
Does anyone read newsletters anyway?
As a business adviser I understand and promote that a newsletter is the best low cost approach to customer retention.
If contact is all about touch this is a simple way of achieving just that. Plus, and importantly, if your customers are not reading your mail they are reading one from someone else. Then there is a chance they will be seduced away to the enemy, you don't want that.
Most of my high performing businesses are using effective and consistent email and they do this because it works.
I had a client call today about a problem she had, whilst chatting she asked what my newsletter would be about this month. That is recognition that is obtained from consistency.
Segregating your audience
As a marketer of several products not all my audience have the same interests. I therefore set them up in a list of their own. It may be lighting shops, plumbers, tyre services, support services etc. I can then mail to a group or the whole base depending on the content.
In fact I can even do a basic email to a group with an offer or announcement instead of newsletter format.
Setting up an auto responder takes a lot of time
One of the better market products is an Auto Responder and CC do this very well. It is true that setting one up takes a bit of time however it then continues to work for years ahead.
You can have all sorts of responders working at the same time however you must remember to take clients out once they have bought something from you
Constant Contact Review: looking at the figures
Reading your stats and taking action
Understanding what you are achieving is necessary to facilitate change. Compare your open rates to industry averages and then Click opens to see how much action you are generating.
Of course the true result is sales, and importantly the margin on your sale. One new client may generate me $1000 of income over the year which is an amount equal to my monthly payments. Therefore anything over one sale is all profit to me and an achievable plan.
Your stats can tell you a lot of things and every time you send a mail they will vary however look at them and make decisions. I had 43 bounces so I need to address those,they may be mailbox full, disconnects etc.
Seeking out disconnects to save your profile
Your list should be as current as possible and those that never open a mail delete where you can. The more active your list the better the results will be over time. The needs of people change and what is important today may not be tomorrow so don't take rejection badly. it is good for the list.
Imagine I am buying some sports shoes so I am on the Nike and Reebok list. I then buy my new Nike power boots so I no longer have interest in the Reebok, I disconnect because I am no longer a target audience. Stuff happens so we move on.
How much is an email really worth
Is it $1 a name or $8 a name? It generally depends on what the return can be and how stable the list is. If it is full of junk it is naturally worth less however it always has a value. Another dependant is the interest group. My group is small business so my range of products is broad however a Keto diet niche, as an example, is very narrow.
The joy of double opt in
Every carrier has a different way of confirming clients. This is necessary to prevent spam however some go out of the way to make it difficult for the customer, they get a chance to think, do I really need this or was it a rush of blood to the head?
I have never had a problem with Constant Contact however some of the others have been a nightmare.
Constant Contact Review: and your extras
What else is on offer with an email carrier
The list is very long at Constant Contact and will include;
- Surveys
- webpages
- eCommerce
- Scheduling
- Integration
- Event management
My conclusion
This has not been a review as such more about what you can do with a great email carrier.
You should be emailing and sending newsletters on a regular basis so keep that customer contact in focus. It is not in the nice to do list, it is the top item on the list as a urgent action.
Used correctly the return on investment will be well worth the effort.
If time is limited get your writing outsourced. Simply make up a list of headlines and give them to a freelance writer. it will cost you an hour payment however if it returns a customer it is a small contribution. (Try Fiverr.com)
Constant Contact Review: best ways to benefit in 2021 by Peter Hanley
