Constant Contact, the email service provider for small businesses, looks like it’s going to enter the world of endorsement radio. It’s a brilliant strategy.
ESP solutions have always been a business-to-business sale. But when I think about it, many small businesses are really more of a B-to-C play, especially newer businesses of 10 employees or less. Because many (most) small businesses haven’t risen to the visibility of the small to mid-size email service providers, I can’t imagine that there is really any go-to brand name among ESPs for these businesses. So like anything else, I’m sure SBs do one of two things: google “email solutions” or ask their more established contacts and friends which ESP they use.
Email has been a very important part of retention marketing for the last ten years despite falling open and click rates. It becomes all the more important over the next three years, when many economists are expecting an ongoing recessionary environment. In those environments, effectively staying in touch with past customers, leads and “hand-raisers” will be crucial for survival.
Enter Constant Contact. They are on their way to be the first true Brand among ESPs…a name that businesses will recognize immediately. It appears that they will be building this Brand, in part, through endorsement radio. I heard an NPR “ad” for CC the other day and it was really well done. Next step in my mind: full voiced endorsements.
Fantastic idea. They of course get the clutter-cutting benefit of a radio endorsement. But more importantly, they get the recommendation from the listeners’ trusted source…and to small businesses, advice from trusted sources means everything.
Most importantly, their salespeople (and website) are going to have a much easier job selling a solution that small businesses have heard about. In a couple of years, Constant Contact competitors will be kicking themselves.
I love it when a new school idea partners with old school solutions to build something great.
