What Is Constant Contact?

Definition & Examples of How Constant Contact Works

Female small business owner packaging merchandise at laptop in workshop
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Email marketing is a digital strategy used by businesses to promote products or services, and nurture customer relationships. One of the leading email marketing service providers is Constant Contact, which offers tools to help small business owners manage and develop their online platforms and presence. 

As you weigh email marketing options to supplement your overall business strategy, it’s important to learn what Constant Contact is, how it works, and the pros and cons of using the service. 

What Is Constant Contact?

Constant Contact is an online marketing company established in 1995 that caters mainly to small businesses. Its platform enables business owners to launch and monitor email marketing efforts, build websites and online stores, and utilize social media, among other services.  

Constant Contact can help businesses use email marketing as an efficient, cost-effective digital strategy, one which could be beneficial as the number of global email users continues to grow, and is expected to reach 4.3 billion by the end of 2023.

How Does Constant Contact Work?

According to a 2020 survey conducted by email marketing software company AWeber, 66% of small businesses reported using email marketing to promote their business or communicate with leads and/or customers. The survey also found that 79% of small businesses cited email marketing as important or very important to their business strategy, while 60% reported their email marketing strategy to be effective or very effective. 

Constant Contact’s email marketing tools allow small businesses to promote their brand, inform customers of updates or offer guidance, encourage sales with discounts, and generate trackable, real-time results of their email campaigns.

While email marketing itself isn’t a new concept, the environment is constantly evolving. The most effective strategies are those that are able to change to meet the current landscape of consumer needs and wants.

Functionality and Usage

Using email marketing tools, businesses can automate sending personalized messages based on customers’ behaviors, interests, or interactions with the company. For example, if a customer leaves an item in their online cart, automated email processes can send a message to that customer a few days later with a discount code, enticing them to complete the purchase.

Constant Contact’s platform enables businesses to see who’s opening, clicking, and sharing their emails in real time. Automation can be set up to send welcome emails to new subscribers, trigger an email series based on certain actions, and resend emails to non-openers, among other features.

The platform’s analytics tool can provide insight about the best day and time to send an email, the ideal subject line length, and optimal number of links and images to include. 

As a business owner, your intention should be to use customer information to send the right message to the right person at the right time, all while keeping the prospective reader’s objectives in mind. 

Pros and Cons of Constant Contact

Pros
    • Industry-leading deliverability rates
    • User-friendly interface
    • Can incorporate event campaign management, questionnaires, coupons, and more 
    • Social media integration


Cons
    • Templates lack advanced customization options
    • Automation is basic and limited
    • High price point, which increases as more contacts are added


Pros of Constant Contact Explained

Constant Contact’s interface is easy to navigate and designed simply, making it accessible for users with beginner to advanced levels of email marketing experience. It promises a high rate of deliverability through its platform, which is an advantage for businesses, as their emails are less likely to land in a spam filter. It also offers niche capabilities such as Google Analytics and Eventbrite integration to help create, promote, and manage events. Meanwhile, the social marketing tools available allow users to connect social accounts, create Facebook and Instagram ads, and integrate campaigns. 

Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial of its platform with no credit card required. If you choose to sign up for a paid service, and later decide to close your account within 30 days of enrolling, you are entitled to a full refund. 

Cons of Constant Contact Explained

Constant Contact supplies a diverse range of email templates that fit most scenarios. However, some business owners might find the templates to be limited in regards to the ability to customize. Similarly, the available automation covers basic needs, but lacks more advanced workflows. The price point of the product is higher than that of similar service providers that offer more features, too. Constant Contact offers two email-focused plans that are both priced based on the number of contacts a business has: An “Email” option that starts at $20 monthly, and a more advanced “Email Plus” plan starting at $45 monthly. The latter enables users to use more nuanced features, including the addition of a customizable pop-up form, the automation of email series, and an RSVP function, among others. 

Key Takeaways

  • Email marketing is a cost-effective tool that businesses can use to grow and connect with their customer base. 
  • Constant Contact is a platform designed to help small businesses with their email marketing efforts, including automating and personalizing emails with the goal of sending the right customer the right message at the right time. 
  • Benefits of Constant Contact include high rates of deliverability, and the ability to integrate social media and other features such as live events. 
  • Some drawbacks of the service include the high price point, as well as limited customization of automation and templates.