WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Small businesses and nonprofits looking to ramp up their social media marketing efforts have a new online resource to help them get started or improve their success with Facebook®, LinkedIn®, Twitter® and other social media tools. Offered completely free of charge by Constant Contact®, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTCT), the trusted marketing advisor to more than 450,000 small organizations worldwide, the Social Media Quickstarter is a step-by-step guide that offers short tutorials for getting up and running on the most popular social media networks and includes actionable tips, best practices and case studies.
“While more and more small businesses are experimenting with social media, many are just getting started or are still sitting on the sidelines. Most small businesses don’t need to be convinced to use social media, but they do need help in getting started, understanding the landscape, building their presence and putting best practices into action,” said Mark Schmulen, general manager of social media at Constant Contact. “The content is designed to be self-paced, with time-starved small business owners in mind. Users can choose what and how they want to learn, whether they have ten minutes or an hour to spend using the Quickstarter.”
A recent survey of small businesses from Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey showed that entrepreneurs have a need for this type of resource. Among those respondents not currently using social media marketing to promote their business, three of the top barriers to adoption cited were “I don’t have the resources to devote to it,” “I don’t know how to use social media,” and “I don’t know how to get started.”
“Despite all the information out there about social media marketing, there really is not one go-to resource for small businesses to learn how to get started. Information is pervasive online, but busy entrepreneurs don’t have the time to sort through it all. They want simple answers,” said Schmulen. “The Social Media Quickstarter offers them everything they need to know to get started and be successful in social media marketing, all in one easy-to-access online location.”
The Social Media Quickstarter can be used in two ways. Those new to social media can start from the beginning of the 70-plus educational chapters, while more savvy social media users can pick and choose what they want to learn about from the section headers. Additionally, free registration enables users to download and print any of the chapters, as well as the ability to save their progress in the Quickstarter so they can come back later and easily pick up where they left off.
“Social media can level the playing field for small businesses. It’s not a tactic only reserved for mega-resourced big businesses. In many ways, small businesses have an advantage over larger companies—they are already masters at providing an excellent customer experience and naturally building lasting relationships. These new marketing tools simply apply technology to help build deeper connections and amplify word of mouth” Schmulen said. “We want to help small businesses and nonprofits master the basics and establish a presence in social media so they can use it to build a stronger customer referral engine, which is the cornerstone of growing a business.”
For more information, visit http://www.socialquickstarter.com or the Social Media Quickstarter page on Facebook® at http://www.facebook.com/socialmediaquickstarter.
About Constant Contact, Inc.
Constant Contact is revolutionizing the success formula for small organizations through affordable, easy-to-use Engagement Marketing™ tools that help create and grow customer relationships. More than 450,000 small businesses, nonprofits, and associations worldwide rely on Constant Contact to drive ongoing customer dialogs through email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and online surveys. All Constant Contact products come with unrivaled KnowHow, education, and free coaching with a personal touch, including award-winning customer support.
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