Be a Marketer with Dave Charest Constant Contact

Marketing is the machine that never stops running, even for a seasonal business. Mark Chinsky, co-owner of Enjou Chocolat in Morristown, New Jersey, experiences drastic seasonal fluctuations that revolve around holidays. 

During the quieter seasons, Mark focuses on making technology work for him. His prior experience in the direct mail industry showed him the value of marketing — and when to do it. 

“A lot of people cut marketing when things get tight. [But] that’s the last thing you cut,” he advises.  “If you cut marketing, then you might as well close your doors. That’s where your future revenue is going to come from.” Mark goes on to explain that the slow season is one of the best times to market — when the cash is flowing and you’re incredibly busy, you won’t have as much time to focus on marketing.

On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, Mark and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talk about how automating tasks lets your marketing tools do the heavy lifting for you. 

👉 Check out Constant Contact’s professional marketing services to take design off your plate. 

Additional Resources:
Getting started with the Automation Path BuilderUsing Constant Contact SEO toolsHow to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact
Meet Today’s Guest: Mark Chinsky of Enjou Chocolat

☕ What he does: Rather than retiring from the software development industry, Mark and his co-owner Rose chose to buy a chocolate company. They recently bought Enjou Chocolat, a beloved 40-year staple in Morristown, New Jersey, that does retail, wholesale, and corporate chocolate production.   

💡 Key quote: “A lot of people cut marketing first when things get tight. That’s the last thing you cut. [If] you cut marketing then you might as well close your doors because that’s where your future revenue is going to come from. And the best time to market is when times are slow.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Enjoy Chocolat: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
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Are you part of a nonprofit and want to use SMS but aren’t sure how or even if it would be beneficial for your organization? On this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, talk you through it.
Listen in to hear how to: 
Maximize Event Attendance: Learn how you can boost event attendance through SMS reminders, like Nicholas at the Parsippany Library.Provide Timely Updates for All Audiences:  Delivering timely and relevant information via SMS to various stakeholders such as volunteers, donors, the community, vendors, etc. is a powerful tool.Engage with SMS: Delve into the different strategies for using SMS marketing, from recruiting volunteers, coordinating volunteer activities, engaging members, and sending renewal reminders to educational outreach. 
Resources:
How to Use SMS for NonprofitsGet Started with SMSAdd the SMS marketing add-on to your Constant Contact email plan
👉 Are you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode.
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Libraries are often the heartbeat of the communities they serve — and Parsippany Public Library in New Jersey is no exception, offering much more than just reading materials. 

Head of Information Services Nicholas Jackson has been using Constant Contact for several years, both to distribute the library’s newsletter and to text workshop registrants. 

Before Constant Contact, the library had a problem: People would sign up for workshops and then forget to actually attend. So the library enabled attendee text messages to send reminders the night before and the day of the event. While not everyone checks their email constantly, most people check their texts immediately. Attendance problem solved.

Above all else, Nicholas’s top marketing tip is to stay consistent. That consistency applies to the look and feel of your graphics — like fonts and color schemes — as well as to your marketing plan and analysis of what’s working and what’s not. 

On this episode of Constant Contact’s podcast, Be a Marketer, Nicholas and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discuss all the ways that Constant Contact has helped spread awareness and drive foot traffic into Parsippany’s libraries.  

👉 Get started with SMS marketing in Constant Contact.  
Additional Resources:
Insert Canva images into your Constant Contact campaignsGet started with SMS marketing in Constant ContactCreating accessible emails with Constant Contact
Meet Today’s Guest: Nicholas Jackson of Parsippany Public Library

☕ What he does: Nicholas is the Head of Information Services at Parsippany Public Library in New Jersey. Nicholas oversees marketing and PR, plus programming, technology, collections, books, ebooks, and media. He also manages the the Library of Things program where people can borrow items like hotspots, Chromebooks, tabletop games, sewing machines, and more.

💡 Key quote: “Our newsletter is the most powerful advertising-marketing-PR tool. We noticed this when we did an author talk back in 2022. We asked when people signed up, How’d you find out about this? And over 40% said, In the newsletter. We realized that we need to make the newsletter, inviting, helpful, and friendly.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Parsippany Public Library: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
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Do you want to know when someone signs up for your email list? On this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, talk you through it.

This week on the Be A Marketer podcast, learn how to be notified when someone subscribes to your email list so you can keep track of your list's growth. Also, Kelsi shares some exciting news about how she’s going to be a duck mom of three. 
Listen in to hear how to: 
Use the Constant Contact mobile app to create emails, social posts, manage your contacts, and track new subscribers.Check your Constant Contact reports to see how well your list is growing and where people are coming from, providing insight as to how you can make improvements moving forward.Set up email notifications for new contacts and unsubscribes to focus on your contact list growth. Resources:
Receive email updates when contacts opt-in or unsubscribe in Constant ContactAn overview of Constant Contact's mobile appCreative Ways to Grow Your Email List
Are you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. 
If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions

Despite being a newspaper, the Osprey Observer effectively utilizes digital tools like email marketing and social media. The key to running a successful local paper, for Marie, is being deeply involved in and committed to the local community. Her team focuses on covering local good news and events, and the relationships they build with local advertisers and readers.

"We laser focus on what we do. We provide customer service. We try to provide all the best services for our small businesses, and we just have to stay laser-focused," Marie explains. 

Being a part of the community and engaging in local events has helped create a strong brand for the Osprey Observer.

Listen to Marie share valuable insights on embracing the local community, the power of good news, and leveraging digital tools for better engagement, with host Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact.

👉 Are you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode.

Resources:
Get Marie Gilmore’s FREE Kindle book: Open for Business! Now what? Find your local chamber of commerce A/B test an email subject line with Constant ContactMeet Today’s Guest: Marie Gilmore from Osprey Observer
📰 What she does: Marie is the Managing Editor and Publisher for Osprey Observer, which started as a newsletter and now has grown into four local editions, covering the areas of southeast Hillsborough County.

💡 Key quote: “We all live and work in this community. That’s who we need to support.” - Marie

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn 

👋 Where to find Osprey Observer: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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Thinking about importing purchased contacts into your Constant Contact account? In this episode, Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, the team’s brand production coordinator, discuss why you should avoid importing purchased contacts into your account and how to grow your email list organically.
Listen in to hear how/why: 
Email marketing is permission-based and importing purchased contacts is not recommended due to regulations, ethics, and effectiveness.Purchased contact lists can damage a business's reputation and sender status, and are against Constant Contact's terms of service.Organic list building is the best approach to email marketing, using sign-up tools and offering incentives to attract subscribers.The success of email marketing depends on the quality of the contact list and the relevance of the content.Constant Contact provides various tools to collect email addresses and grow lists organically.
Resources:
Why Your Business Can’t Afford to Use Purchased Email ListsConstant Contact’s email permission policyEmail Sign-Up Tools to Help You Grow Your List and Your Business
Are you a Constant Contact customer with a burning marketing question? Go here for a chance to have your question featured in an upcoming episode. 
If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.