Q&A With OutboundEngine: Small Businesses, Social as a Service, Warm Leads, Trends in 2013

In mid-November, Promo Labs rebranded itself as OutboundEngine and closed a $1.6 million Series A investment round. Then about a month later, OutboundEngine launched OutboundEngine Platform, a service meant to help small businesses.

“Created with the needs of small businesses in mind – and, in particular, of independent professionals like real estate agents, insurance agents, CPAs and mortgage brokers – the OutboundEngine Platform incorporates elements of marketing automation, social media, email and creative content in fully automated, industry-specific campaigns that nurture relationships between the business and the customers on its email lists,” the company’s press release announcing the platform said.

To learn more about OutboundEngine Platform, along with the history and overall background of the company in general, we spoke with Branndon Stewart, CEO of OutboundEngine. Read on to find out how OutboundEngine defines “social as a service,” what small businesses need the most help with and what to expect in 2013.

Can you summarize what the OutboundEngine Platform is to the everyday small-business owner?
OutboundEngine is a fully automated way to nurture their customer relationships all year through email and social media. Small-business owners are busy running their business, and marketing their business typically slips to the back burner. OutboundEngine helps them retain their existing clients, as well as reach prospects.

Is OutboundEngine more helpful for certain types of small businesses than for others?
Yes.