Surestep and iContact Email Marketing - iContact

• Updated on: 2017-07-14
• Read original article here

Hypotonia, commonly known as floppy baby syndrome, is a condition of low muscle tone which often results in weak muscle strength and pronation (the foot rolls in too much when walking or running). Generally detected in infancy, hypotonia poses tremendous challenges for children and their families. Enter Surestep.

Founded in 2000, Surestep is a family-founded — and recently 100 percent ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) — business that manufactures a patented, dynamic bracing system to provide stability to children who pronate due to hypotonia. Surestep’s mission is a beautiful one — enriching and transforming lives through compassionate service and innovation, with a specific focus on mobility and overall quality of life of the special needs population.

Surestep has been working with iContact for its email and social media marketing for nearly two years. For Suzi Klimek, Executive Director of Corporate Marketing at Surestep, her early connection to the company was personal, rather than professional:

“My daughter, Julia, has Down syndrome. Most children with Down syndrome have hypotonia, so we knew that needed to be addressed. Our physical therapist recommended Surestep and fortunately, we live near the corporate headquarters. We were one of Bernie Veldman’s initial users of the product. My daughter learned to walk by using the Surestep SMO (supramalleolar orthoses). At the time, Surestep just happened to be doing a search for a Marketing Executive!”

Once Suzi joined the Surestep team, one of her main goals was to push the digital side of their marketing strategy. “Something we didn’t have prior to working with iContact,” noted Suzi, “was the ability to capture complex contact information and bring that into a workflow that would tag based on contact activity.” Workflows, a key component of marketing automation, were the major selling point of iContact Pro for Surestep.

In addition to their product line, Surestep offers online certification courses for orthotics professionals nationwide and frequently uses workflows to simplify this process. Once contacts have attended a course, the system allows educational certificates to be sent immediately and automatically, cutting down on administrative tasks and allowing employees to concentrate on more strategic projects. With no waiting period for a course certificate, customer satisfaction has soared: “It made us far more effective with how we are communicating with our customers and potential customers,” emphasized Suzi.

But what really resonates with Surestep is the customer service experience. Suzi praised iContact Account Executive and Team Lead, John Beltrane: “He’s been by our side since the beginning,” says Suzi, “John has been instrumental in guiding us for consulting package selection, listening to who we are, learning about what we need. I trust him to not oversell.”

Dan Schmidt, Surestep’s Clinical Practice Marketing Manager, tapped into the support resources heavily when he began using workflows. Whenever he was stuck on something, he knew he could turn to Support: “We felt confident we could troubleshoot on our own. But, as we got savvier with the system, our needs changed.”

As Surestep’s Marketing Consultant, it is my job to connect with the brand and respond to those changing needs. Each month, I work closely with Surestep to develop content marketing strategies, curate social content, and stimulate social media growth and engagement. Suzi graciously shared her consulting experience:

“Kelsey came into our lives and took over social media, guiding us in terms of what we should and shouldn’t do, which has been huge! As a small business, we don’t have the manpower. Her expertise and active posting has been key in taking us to the next level. We’ve gained traction in the social media world. I feel good about where we’re at.”

Surestep never stops. Over the past year, the business has undergone a complete rebranding, launched a stunning, mobile responsive website, and continues to make a difference — one email, one workflow, one parent, and one child at a time.

At iContact, we are happy to shine the spotlight on Surestep, a small business with big impact — and even bigger heart.

To learn more about how iContact Pro’s marketing automation features can help your business or organization, please visit our website.