Autoresponders and why you should be using them.

What is an Autoresponder?

Autoresponders are e-newsletters or emails that are sent automatically to your mailing list of subscribers based on rules and intervals that you define.
 For example, you could design a program of autoresponders so that:
When somebody signs up to your mailing list, they immediately receive a welcome message from your business.
One day later they receive discount codes for some of your products.
Some days later they receive an invitation to follow you on social media.

Why are Autoresponders important?

When you use autoresponders, most of your email marketing gets automated – if you set things up correctly, subscribers receive key messages from your business without you having to worry about manually sending these messages out.


So the main benefit of autoresponders is clear, they save you time and enable you to control your own Marketing.
 Not only that, autoresponder emails can generate a lot of income for your business if used correctly.

Sophisticated applications for Autoresponders.

The above example of sending out a series of timed promotional emails automatically after somebody signs up to a mailing list is an important one. There are more sophisticated things you can do with autoresponders, based on what you know about your subscribers or certain actions they take online:


For example, you can:
Move a subscriber from one cycle of communications to another after they buy a product (i.e., move them from a ‘prospect’ style series of emails to an ‘upsell’ cycle of communications).
Switch a subscriber from one type of autoresponder cycle to another if he/she clicks on a particular link within an email.
Send people emails after they buy a product (for example, to encourage them to renew a policy or guarantee, etc).
Automatically send people emails about individual products based on the page of your website that they signed up to your list from.
Using autoresponders in these ways can generate significant income and maximise the value of your mailing list.

Does using Autoresponders mean that I should stop manually sending out e-newsletters?

No – there will still be many occasions when it makes absolute sense to send out an e-newsletter manually: Messages marking special occasions, seasonal promotions, sale announcements and general news updates can be covered by sending out a normal e-newsletter.
 Used well, autoresponders will allow you to automate a lot of ‘nuts and bolts’ marketing activity to tailor messages to suit particular segments of your mailing list…all while you’re in bed, or doing something more interesting, or both.

My top tips for your email campaigns.

Don’t overdo it: keep the intervals between your email autoresponders reasonably long, unless there is a very good business reason to bombard your subscribers with emails.
Keep things relevant: Use data supplied by your subscriber when they signed up to send content which they are most likely to be interested in.
Don’t just ‘drip’ – use marketing automation features: Autoresponders have come a long way since the days of basic ‘drip’ campaigns triggered by time intervals. You can now use a whole host of triggers such as opens, clicks, web page visits and purchases to create really sophisticated user journeys that maximise profit.
Be mindful of data protection rules – in the era of  Data Protection, it’s important to stay on the right side of the laws. Ensure you always have explicit consent before sending any autoresponders and allow users to unsubscribe easily from your cycles.

How do I set up and send email campaigns?

To send your own email campaigns you will need email software.  There are many available.
 I can not recommend any of the paid services as I have found them to be Controlling and Expensive.

All my websites are WordPress based and I use plugins that are user-friendly and controlled completely by me.

Not to mention FREE.

Alternatively, if you don't use WordPress, you can:

I also use an excellent service that offers: Free landing pages, Free autoresponders, Free popups and Free Traffic. Great Support. Super easy to use.

START HERE


If you would like some advice or help setting up contact me via Email or friend me on Facebook.


To Our Success


Darren


If you have any thoughts or questions about autoresponders, you can share them in the comments section below.

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