Software: Constant Contact

Category: Email Marketing & Digital Campaign Platform

Primary Use: Email campaigns, event marketing, and small business promotions

Developer: Constant Contact, Inc.

Starting Price: Plans typically start from approximately $12/month (pricing varies by contact count and features)

Free Trial/Plan: Free trial available

Platform: Web-based (cloud)

Official Website: constantcontact.com

Constant Contact is a cloud-based email marketing platform designed to help small businesses create, send, and manage email campaigns. In addition to email marketing, the platform includes tools for event promotion, social media posting, and basic automation.

What Is Constant Contact?

Constant Contact is a SaaS email marketing platform founded in 1995. It is one of the earlier email marketing providers and focuses primarily on serving small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations.

The platform provides tools for building email newsletters, managing subscriber lists, and tracking engagement metrics. It also includes features for event management and social media campaign support.

Constant Contact operates entirely online and does not require installation.

Who Uses Constant Contact?

Constant Contact is commonly used by small businesses, nonprofits, local service providers, community organizations, and event organizers. It is particularly suited for users seeking straightforward email marketing functionality without complex automation workflows.

Retail businesses use it for promotional newsletters. Nonprofits use it for fundraising campaigns and donor communication. Event organizers rely on its registration and invitation features.

Core Features

Constant Contact provides a drag-and-drop email editor that allows users to create newsletters and promotional emails. Pre-designed templates are available for different industries and use cases.

Contact management tools allow users to import, organize, and segment subscriber lists. Basic segmentation is available based on list membership and engagement data.

Automation features support simple workflows such as welcome emails and anniversary campaigns. Advanced automation functionality is more limited compared to marketing automation-focused platforms.

The platform includes event marketing tools. Users can create event pages, manage registrations, and send automated event reminders.

Social media posting tools allow users to schedule and publish posts directly to social platforms from within the dashboard.

Reporting features provide analytics on open rates, click-through rates, bounces, and list growth. Users can track campaign performance over time.

Integrations and Compatibility

Constant Contact integrates with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce. It also connects with CRM systems, event management tools, and social media platforms.

The platform supports integration through Zapier for extended automation and workflow connectivity. API access is available for custom integrations.

As a cloud-based solution, Constant Contact is accessible via modern web browsers without installation.

Pricing Structure

Constant Contact offers tiered pricing based on the number of contacts and feature access. Entry-level plans typically start from approximately $12 per month, with pricing increasing as subscriber counts grow.

Higher-tier plans include advanced reporting, automation features, and ecommerce tools. A free trial is available, but there is no permanent free plan.

Billing is available monthly or annually, with annual subscriptions often offering discounted pricing.

Advantages and Limitations

Constant Contact provides a user-friendly interface and industry-specific templates. Its event marketing and social posting tools support small business promotion needs. The platform is designed for ease of use rather than technical complexity.

However, advanced automation features may be limited compared to platforms such as ActiveCampaign. Pricing increases as contact lists grow. Users seeking complex CRM and automation capabilities may require additional tools.

Alternatives to Constant Contact

Several platforms provide similar email marketing functionality. Mailchimp offers email marketing and automation tools. MailerLite provides cost-effective campaigns and landing pages. ActiveCampaign includes advanced automation and CRM features. Brevo supports both promotional and transactional email.

Each alternative differs in pricing structure, automation capabilities, and feature scope.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Constant Contact do?

Constant Contact is an email marketing platform that supports newsletters, promotional campaigns, and event marketing.

Is Constant Contact cloud-based?

Yes. It operates as a web-based SaaS platform.

Does Constant Contact offer a free plan?

No permanent free plan is offered, but a free trial is available.

Can Constant Contact manage event registrations?

Yes. Event marketing tools are included.

Who typically uses Constant Contact?

Small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations commonly use the platform.

Key Takeaways

Constant Contact is a cloud-based email marketing platform designed for small businesses and nonprofits. It includes newsletter creation, contact management, basic automation, event marketing tools, and reporting features. Pricing typically begins at approximately $12 per month and scales based on contact count and advanced feature access.