Transforming a Family Business With Constant Contact

When most people log off after a long day at work, they shut down their laptops and call it a night. For William Mai, ending his day at Constant Contact as a lead product analyst is only the beginning.

Every evening, he carves out one to two hours to run the marketing for his family’s company, Dai Phuc Hung Thinh, a B2B wooden outdoor furniture manufacturer founded by his father in 2003. The business supplies wholesalers and retailers across Europe, with Poland and Germany among its biggest markets.

What makes William’s story unique is not just that he wears two hats, but how those hats inform one another. As a Constant Contact employee, he has a front-row seat to how thousands of small businesses use the platform. As a marketer for his family’s business, he applies that knowledge firsthand, testing strategies in real-world conditions.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” William said. “I get to see what works for our customers during the day, and then I apply it at night to help my family. It keeps me connected to the product and to the challenges small businesses face.”

His family’s business sets the stage, but the real story is William’s marketing approach and the actionable lessons he believes any small business can apply.

The marketing challenge

For decades, the furniture industry leaned on two main ways to acquire customers: trade shows and word-of-mouth referrals. Furniture fairs often draw global buyers but come at steep costs, sometimes reaching $100,000 for a booth. Even then, the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

“It’s not something you can do every year, especially as a smaller company,” William explained. “And outside of fairs or occasional website visitors, there weren’t many ways to generate new leads.”

That reality left William with a problem familiar to many small businesses: How do you nurture leads consistently without relying on big, expensive events?

A marketing approach that connects

To solve this, William built a three-part marketing strategy focused on connection and consistency.

He started with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, identifying furniture buyers and executives across Europe and other target regions. Instead of leading with a sales pitch, he sent thoughtful messages offering insights and inviting contacts to subscribe to his family company’s weekly newsletter.

Next came Constant Contact email campaigns, which William used to send that newsletter consistently. Each week, he shared industry updates, production insights, and light promotions designed to keep the brand top of mind without overwhelming recipients.

Finally, William launched a company blog, creating evergreen content that could be repurposed in emails and used to strengthen the business’s website for SEO. The combination gave him multiple touchpoints to stay connected with prospects and build credibility over time.

“It’s about building a relationship,” he said. “The goal isn’t to make a sale right away, but to provide value until the customer is ready.”

Practical tips for small businesses

The heart of William’s story lies in the lessons he has learned from balancing two roles, helping develop Constant Contact’s products by day and using them by night. The insights he has gained have turned into a playbook any small business can follow.

One of his most effective tactics is personalization. Every email includes the recipient’s name in the subject line, greeting, and even within the body of the message. “Most people don’t realize how much personalization matters,” William said. “It makes the email feel like it’s written for you.” His newsletters average more than 50 percent open rates from personalization alone, with another 10 to 15 percent gained by resending to non-openers.

William is equally dedicated to consistency. His routine is precise: he sends the newsletter every Monday at 9 a.m. EST, followed by a resend to non-openers on Thursday. Even after long days at work, he sticks to the schedule. “Some weeks I stay up until midnight to finish,” he admitted. “But consistency is everything. Your audience learns to expect you.”

He also emphasizes the importance of adding value rather than simply selling. Each newsletter focuses on topics his audience cares about, such as what to expect on a factory visit, updates on tariffs, or changes in shipping costs. By sharing insights instead of pushing products, William has built trust with potential customers. “When someone replies to say, ‘Thanks, this was helpful,’ that’s the relationship we want,” he said.

Another small but powerful practice is linking to past content. William keeps a spreadsheet of blog articles and adds those links wherever they fit naturally in his emails. That approach has doubled his click rates from about one percent to as high as three percent, a simple yet impactful improvement.

To manage his time effectively, William relies on automation. New subscribers receive a sequence of scheduled emails that share his most valuable past content, ensuring no one misses key updates. He has also added birthday automations, which send personal greetings to contacts throughout the year. “Automation is underrated,” he said. “It saves time and makes sure no one falls through the cracks.”

Beyond the technical tools, William focuses on human connection. He encourages readers to reply directly to his emails, something many businesses overlook. “It humanizes the interaction,” he explained. “Instead of a faceless marketing platform, it feels like a conversation.” The replies often provide valuable feedback or ideas for future content.

Transparency also plays a role in his approach. Each newsletter includes an estimated reading time, inspired by platforms like Medium and The New York Times. “It’s a small thing, but it shows respect for the reader’s time,” William said. “If someone sees that it takes just two minutes to read, they’re more likely to finish it, and I know they do because they’ll mention points from the very end.”

Finally, William leans into AI and segmentation to work smarter. Using Constant Contact, he can instantly generate beautiful, industry-tailored templates that save him hours of design time. He also segments his contact list based on engagement levels: most engaged, somewhat engaged, and least engaged, tailoring his messaging to each group. When he tested this feature, his most engaged segment achieved an impressive 97 percent open rate. “Segmentation is powerful,” he said. “You can reward loyal customers while also working to re-engage others.”

Beyond the inbox

William’s perspective is rare, part product analyst and part small business marketer. Having joined Constant Contact as an intern in 2018, he has spent years studying how customers use the platform. Now, he applies those same tools to his own business, bridging the gap between product development and customer experience.

“I’ve spent eight years seeing how our customers use Constant Contact,” he said. “Now I get to apply everything I’ve learned to my own family’s business.”

For William, success is not just measured in open rates or clicks. It is the satisfaction of helping his family’s company grow and using that experience to inspire other business owners to do the same. “It’s really special,” he reflected. “I get to support my family, but I also get to show other small businesses what’s possible when you use these tools the right way.”