You've probably seen, read and heard how an autoresponder is the key to a successful online business. But, do you know HOW to use it effectively? Did you know you can load email messages into your autoresponder to go out any time of day and schedule them for many months in the future?
How is that for automated?
Autoresponder Essentials
In order to actually create a useful autoresponder, you have to first lay some groundwork...
A reliable, user-friendly autoresponder is key. There are many autoresponder services online, but finding one that meets your needs is another matter altogether. Do you do any selling? Meaning do you recommend your own products or someone else's products for purchase? If so, making sure your autoresponder allows for the selling of products and services is crucial.
You don't want to get trapped by a blocked account, just because you offered a product for sale! Check the service's Terms of Service for this information. (Aweber is one that does allow marketing.)
Next step is to set up a list. The name you give your list should help jog your memory about it. You will eventually have several lists in your autoresponder, so make it easy to remember. Go through the steps in setting it up - fill in your company name. Also, select the type of opt-in you want to use for this list. Which brings us to the next decision...
About confirmed opt-in vs. single opt-in. There is an option to turn off the confirmed opt-in in your autoresponder (most are double confirmed by default). Basically, what a confirmed opt-in does is direct your new subscribers back to their email to confirm their email address. This makes it a two-step process.
Whereas a single opt-in directs the new subscriber, not to confirm their email, but to another website or page or directly to the offer. A confirmed subscriber means that if you ever want to move your list to another service, then you have them confirmed already. Unconfirmed will need to confirm at that time.
Follow-up messages - Once you set up your new list, you have the option of adding follow-up messages. These follow-up messages can make your business very close to being automated.
A good example is an opt-in for a free gift on gardening. They receive their free gift from you and then you immediately have another message that goes out as a Welcome or Thank you message.
Then, in the next 2 days, another message goes out with a tip from the free gift about gardening. It doesn't have to be long - a short and sweet tip is sometimes better than a long, boring message.
In another 2 days, you send another tip.
In another 2 days, you send a link to a blog post you wrote.
Then, you send out an offer for another product.
This is not the scientific, set-in-stone way to send a follow-up sequence - just an example.
After this follow-up sequence, you can automatically direct the new buyers to another list and then the free gift subscribers start another sequence for something else.
Why mastering your autoresponder is crucial
Once you understand the power of an autoresponder, you won't want to put it down. You can set up your business to run seamlessly while you are away or set up a sequence for a new product you are releasing.
And the best thing, an autoresponder will run on autopilot if you want it to!
An autoresponder allows you to focus on other tasks - it takes care of the messaging, management, and even tracking of your entire subscriber list.
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