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This article will explain why businesses need to use an autoresponder! To succeed with marketing a product of any kind, whether it is through an online business or a brick-and-mortar business, it is essential to have an autoresponder to message your customers whether they are clients, consumers, or newly acquired email contacts.
What is an email autoresponder?
Autoresponders send out scheduled automated messages to your email list to manage what would otherwise be a logistical nightmare.
Though it takes work to write and schedule follow-up emails, once this is done, you can pretty much set it and forget it.
Clearly, you will be monitoring your email list as emails are sent out, but you will be spared an immeasurable amount of time that would be necessary if you were to manually contact each individual on your email list. Frankly, it would be logistically impossible.
Some people starting online businesses ask Google what the difference is between autoresponders and automation.
There is no difference, actually, autoresponders are one of the first ways automation was introduced into online marketing. Automation continues to make huge advancements, especially with AI now becoming so popular.
Autoresponders have been around well over 20 years, in fact, essentially at the same time marketing online became a reality. The two most popular autoresponders at the start were: Aweber and GetResponse.
They were particularly attractive to online marketers as they were willing to market legitimate affiliate offers for their email clients at a time when it was not popular.
These two companies have weathered over 20 years of numerous changes in online marketing and remaining very popular, have maintained their strict guidelines to prevent spammers from abusing their products.
Why Businesses Need To Use An Autoresponder!
It is logistically impossible to email all your contacts on an email list and that is why there are many autoresponder companies to choose from. Autoresponders do the work of messaging what can be thousands or more people.
Autoresponders give you the time to create quality emails to your new and former customers. They allow you to take the time to prepare an effective email filled with quality content and not always a sales pitch.
In fact, the more you can offer useful content to your email list the better your emails will convert for sales.
The ratio is essentially like all other forms of sales communication. Send 80% of your emails with valuable content and free products and send 20% with a sales item or service.
Most Important DO NOT SPAM! Your list will unsubscribe and you have to remember how much work and money it took to create the list.
Even so, I still am amazed how many marketers selling online, still spam their lists and seem to face no consequences. (If you SPAM on social media, you are very likely going to get suspended).
An easy way to see if you are being spammed, if you get a lot of emails is to search your emails for one email list or newsletter you signed up for.
If you find yourself scrolling through page after page of emails within a short period of time, you might want to rethink your relationship with the merchant.
From my perspective merchants who do that are taking advantage of the trust you put in them. These merchants are typically the same ones who don’t care if you unsubscribe as long as they got a few sales out of you.
So what are the main points to look for in a company if you decide to use an autoresponder?
- What is their email open rate when an email is sent out?
- What other services are offered besides an autoresponder. Can you build quality landing pages?
- What is the best autoresponder service for the type of marketing you are doing? There are some companies that are better for affiliate marketing and others for selling physical products.
- How can you collect emails, single or double opt-in? This was more of an issue years ago, most autoresponders are now double opt-in and that is best as it will screen out the tire-kickers that are truly not interested since they are unwilling to go through the step to confirm their submission.
- What is the policy for when and how often you can send emails?
- If you decide to go with another email marketing company, does the company make it easy to transfer your email list?
What Is The Cost of Autoresponders:
In terms of cost, many companies that do email marketing and use autoresponders, start out with a FREE plan until you have 500 or 1000 contacts on your email list.
Then the cost is graduated based on the size of your list. This is another area you will want to do some research to decide what is the best autoresponder for your business when figuring out your budget.
Conclusion
Email marketing companies have changed drastically over the past 10 years. Most notably, they now offer a lot more services.
The following, are just some of the software functions that have come about for many of your email contacts to improve your email open rate and conversion rate:
1. List Building Forms
2. FREE Website Builder Using AI
3. Funnel Creation
4. Get Leads
5. Digital Marketing Tools To Sell Knowledge Online
6. Create Lead Magnets
For those who have read other posts I have written, it is no surprise that I am very partial to GetResponse. I first signed up with the company 15 years ago and the customer service and training have been second to none!
Getresponse (30-day free trial)
So…it is not uncommon to see new online business owners asking if autoresponders are worth it. Hopefully, this article has helped answer why businesses need to use an autoresponder!
One simple reason above all else as to why you want to develop an email list and arrange valuable sequential messages is to develop an engaged email list that will convert when you have an offer or suggestion that will benefit their business.
For years, the expression among successful marketing companies online is to always remember that the money is in the list and perhaps, more importantly, should for any reason you lose you’re own a business website or other business platforms, you will have the most valuable asset you have created, which is a list of customers or clients who know you and trust you.
You can literally fire up your business again if you have a targeted and engaged email list. No different than moving a brick-and-mortar business to a new address and having to send out direct mail to update your regular customers.
Are there FREE autoresponders?
As discussed most will offer a free option until your list has grown to over 500 contacts. One of the most popular FREE email marketing companies is Mail Chimp. This company has been around for many years and has a great track record.
Two great free WordPress autoresponders are FluentCRM and MailChimp!
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