Simple information transfer

I mentioned previously providing information about using or repairing products. Anything you can think of that you want someone to access at their convenience by merely sending an email is a candidate for an autoresponder. For example, I write articles for my newsletter and have each one on an autoresponder. If another newsletter wants to publish some of them, I just send a list of autoresponder addresses to the publisher.

Multi-part courses

This e-course could be broken into several parts and placed on an autoresponder. The introduction would be an instant message, with the remainder placed in follow-up messages. This approach is often used as a sales tool. When the student gains confidence in you through the information you have provided, you can then present your product (hopefully related to the course material) and hopefully gain a sale. You can advertise your free course anywhere on the Internet. Included in your instant or follow-up message would be an invitation to join your opt-in list. Do you get the idea of the power of offering a free course?

Basic sales

As already mentioned, you need to present your product before a potential customer several times to increase the likelihood of making a sale. To do that, you want to give the potential customer a good reason to send his/her e-mail address. Since he/she may not have enough interest simply to ask for more information about your product, you will want to offer some incentive, like a free gift or service. Whatever the method, you want to get the potential customer into your autoresponder message sequence, then, in those messages, send your customer to your web site to make the sale.

Customer support

This is a large topic. If you are selling information products, you may want to use autoresponders as the product delivery method. You can provide after-sale support information such as FAQs (frequently asked questions), thank-you messages, request for testimonials, etc.

Personalization

Don’t you like to hear your name? Everyone does, and they like to see it in print, also. That’s the powerful principle behind email personalization. Your autoresponder can insert the first, last or full name anywhere in the message you want it! You would write your e-mail something like, “Hello [firstname], I’m glad you signed up to my list.” The autoresponder would insert the proper first name for each recipient wherever you put [firstname]. Last name or full name personalization works the same way. If the name is not known, most autoresponders insert ‘friend.’

Follow-up message timing

As mentioned, most autoresponders allow multiple follow-up messages – some up to 52 or more! You control these messages by specifying the number of days after the instant message that each follow-up message will go out. It’s all automatic!

Multiple autoresponders

As also noted, each autoresponder corresponds to one e-mail address. Since there are so many functions for autoresponders, you will undoubtedly not stop at one, but have many at one time. Each one can have its own set of messages and list of subscribers. You may get each of these autoresponders from one supplier, or, as we will discuss shortly, you may want to get them from multiple suppliers.

Plain text or HTML

The simplest autoresponder products can only send e-mail messages in plain text. But, if you have an e-mail program with HTML capability you have probably received e-mails with colors and pictures. (HTML refers to the code used to program web pages.) More sophisticated autoresponders can send e-mail messages composed in either plain text or HTML, and the receiving e-mail program will automatically display either text or HTML, depending on its capability. Neat, huh?

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