A quick guide to automating with Autoresponders

In this blog post, we discuss what an autoresponder is and how you can use it in your marketing. For more information about email marketing and autoresponders, contact us today.

Automating marketing with autoresponders

Automation can play an important part in the success of any growing business. The less time you devote to doing small redundant tasks, the more time you will have to devote to strategic and business development activities that require your skills and expertise.

Putting an online business on autopilot is fairly easy to do, and much of it can be done by simply using autoresponders to automate simple tasks for you.

What is an autoresponder?

An autoresponder is software that’s used to automatically respond to customer enquiries. It can be used to set up a series of pre-determined responses, or it can be programmed to respond in a more human-like manner.

This software usually either has the ability to send out automated emails or is integrated with email marketing software.

Autoresponders are mostly used in marketing for marketing campaigns, or customer support in order to handle large volumes of support enquiries.
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In this blog post, we are focusing primarily on how an autoresponder can be used to achieve better results in your marketing.

Autoresponders in eCommerce

If you run an eCommerce business then an autoresponder is a great way to help nurture the prospect and, if necessary, nudge them back toward making a purchase.

 Here are some examples of how an autoresponder can be used in eCommerce:

Shopping cart abandonment: This is a common issue in online eCommerce. If a website visitor has entered their email address (and some other details) but they haven’t made a purchase on what’s in their basket or shopping cart then you can use an autoresponder to remind them to check out. You can also couple this with a special offer to prompt them further.

You viewed this campaign: Similar to the Shopping cart abandonment campaign, you can send an email promoting a product that someone has viewed (or alternatives). If the user is signed in and views a product, you can set up an autoresponder to say “hey, great choice. We notice you didn’t add it to your basket so here’s a button to do that in case you forgot”.

Short blast and lead generation campaigns

Two other great ways to use autoresponders are in short one-off campaigns and in lead generation campaigns.

A short blast campaign comprises of a series of emails over a short period of time. A business offering a productivity app, for example, could offer a 5-day training on how to improve business productivity with a new email being sent out on a daily basis. When a prospect signs up, they will receive the various educational emails in the order and according to the timing set up in the autoresponder.

With a lead generation campaign, a business can offer a free eBook or some other form of “lead magnet”. When a prospect enters their email address on the website to receive the free eBook, they will receive a copy of the book by email, followed by a series of emails over time with further tips, advice and offers.
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A short blast campaign and Lead generation campaign can be the same thing depending on what you are offering and how the campaign is planned out.

Using Autoresponders wisely

Autoresponders are great for businesses that want to grow, but they must be used with caution.

Promoting products for sale is one of the most popular uses of autoresponders in online marketing but it can annoy or alienate potential customers if it isn’t done correctly.

​Sending too many emails or being too promotional is more likely to prompt the reader to hit the subscribe rather than the buy button.

What Autoresponder should you use?

There are many Autoresponder services available that can be found by searching on Google. Many Autoresponder services offer a free limited service but make sure to check out the features first as well as the upgrade pricing.

Once you start using an autoresponder, it can be a lot of extra work if you decide later on to move your data and processes over to a different solution.

Aweber, MailChimp and GetResponse are just a few examples of apps that offer autoresponder functionality. A fuller list of email marketing solutions, as well as tips for setting up an autoresponder, are included in How to create a successful email marketing campaign.​

Need help with your email marketing?

If you need help with your email marketing and setting up an autoresponder, get in touch. We would be delighted to have a quick chat with you to understand your requirements and to see if we can help.

Call us today.

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