RCV] eee Sih uf E sh 51/R Oh (64 gy (UH At wi) * wy all: agi e' yt f [| aggpew we ee fh SS: i VER The aash ESS iyo Claiming Your Share Of Profits This Holiday Season (NAPSA)—Ask any small business owner what his or her biggest business challenge is and many may say “competing for sales with large retailers.” This is especially evident during the holiday season, when sales are so important to overall yearly earnings. This year, small businesses are arming themselves with online marketing techniques to help them level the playing field with the big guys. More than 2,000 small busi- nesses around the country recently participated in Constant Contact’s 8rd Annual 2007 Small Business Holiday Outlook survey. According to the survey, the majority of the respondents (53 percent) agree that competition from large retailers is likely to negatively affect holiday sales, but most (63 percent) remain optimistic and anticipate strong sales regardless of the increased competition. Survey results show that the majority of small businesses are turning to online marketing methods to promote themselves this holiday season, with 86 percent using email marketing. Surveyed businesses also noted that email marketing has the greatest impact on driving holiday sales (35 percent) over online marketing such as online advertising and paid search (14 percent) and direct mail (11 percent). “Small businesses are optimistic about the upcoming holiday season and are using tools like email marketing to establish strong customer relationships that help them compete with large retailers,” says Gail Goodman, CEO, Constant Contact, Inc. For small businesses, email marketing can be an effective, cost- efficient way to stay in touch with customers. Successful small business owners understand that it takes more than a few email marketing campaigns during the holiday season to generate sales. With increased competition, small businesses must stay in contact with customersall year long to build loyalty. Email marketingis one of the fastest, easiest and most afford- able waysto dothis. When starting your holiday email marketing campaign, seek out a reputable service provider offering list management, permission-based services including unsubscribe, professional-looking email templates, reporting functions, and free support. One such company is Constant Contact, whose email marketing and online survey products are used by more than 130,000 small businesses and organizations. The products are free for 60 days—just enough time to get holiday promotions out and sales in. To learn more, visit www.constantcontact.com.
