Small businesses that combine email marketing with social media marketing are more successful with their campaigns than those who use email alone, according to new data from Constant Contact Inc. The data reveals that small businesses that use the two together see faster email list growth, have larger email lists and garner better click rates of their email content – all of which adds up to improved customer engagement and opportunities for word-of-mouth recommendations.
"Small businesses are always asking us, 'Email marketing or social media marketing? Which is the best use of my time and resources?' In fact, it's not either/or; it's both. Use email to communicate with your current customers and social media to reach new customers," advises Rick Jensen, chief sales and marketing officer for Constant Contact. "What's the best way to use both? We've created a playbook to help our customers get started and be successful with email and social – fast. We already know our email marketing provides superior results, and we're so confident that this combination will deliver even more success that we're guaranteeing results."
Effective immediately, small businesses and nonprofits that sign up with Constant Contact can take advantage of the company's new satisfaction guarantee, which provides a full refund after 30 days if they are not 100 percent satisfied with their results; no questions asked. Getting started with Constant Contact has never been easier or more risk-free. Small organizations can get started using email and social media marketing with the company's signature free 60-day trial, the new 30-day money back guarantee or a combination of both.
The organization examined results data from small businesses and nonprofits that have combined their email marketing with social media marketing to those using only email marketing. Key findings include:
• Faster list growth: From June 2010 through August 2011, those using both social media and email marketing saw 14.43 percent list growth, while those using only email marketing saw 8.96 percent list growth.
• Larger average list size: Those using both tactics have email lists that are 53 percent larger on average than their email-only counterparts.
• High click-through rates: The average click-through rate for those using both email and social media marketing was 59.3 basis points higher than for those using email only.
Small organizations in particular need more than just tools to be successful. They also need personal coaching to guide them. As part of its new success guarantee, Constant Contact will continue to provide all customers with their very own marketing coach to help customers create the most effective email and social media marketing campaigns. For those who prefer to work at their own pace, the company has launched a self-guided “playbook” that gets email and social media marketing campaigns up and running in three simple steps.
"Small businesses can choose to be coached every step of the way by telephone or opt for a self-guided online experience. Either way, they get the full benefit of the playbook and a clear roadmap on how to get started and get results quickly,” Jensen shares. “We've always been committed to helping our customers succeed. Now we guarantee it."
