Learn the Basics of Autoresponders - The Power Business Builders

So what are autoresponders? Autoresponders are programs that automatically send out emails upon request by a user.

By having an autoresponder account, you can pre-load a series of email messages into the autoresponder to be delivered over a specified time frame. This has many uses and applications and is a powerful marketing tool.

For example, this online marketing course is delivered by an autoresponder. Well, in truth the email messages containing the link to this online course is delivered by an autoresponder.

So, this means that the email messages that you received containing the link to this course was written a while ago and I set the autoresponder to deliver the emails to you over a specified timeframe and at certain intervals. The emails that are sent out to you contain the links to the course you are reading now!

The benefits? Well, I don't have to sit at my computer sending out this course to everyone who has signed up to it. Once it is setup, it is automatic! And that is a huge advantage to having an autoresponder. It automates your communication with your end users.

What can an autoresponder be used for? Some of the uses include:

• email courses
• follow up sales messages
• newsletters
• upselling products
• post-sales support

Emailing and communicating with your end-users can be one of the most important and time-consuming aspects of online marketing and when operating an online business, autoresponders can be a life-saver, or certainly a time-saver!

Another HUGE benefit is to help build up some sort of mailing list. When someone registers for your autoresponder series, they become part of your mailing list. A targeted mailing list is considered to be worth a lot in terms of future profits. In other words, when you make a sale to someone, they are more likely to buy from you again in the future.

An autoresponder will enable you to make regular contact over a long period of time recommending other products that may be of interest your your list. With an autoresponder you can deliver pre-written sales messages over a period of time and at set intervals. It is said that it takes on average of about 7 exposures to a product or service before someone converts to a sale. So, use an autoresponder to follow-up on your leads but use it wisely and don't pester them!

So, where can you get an autoresponder? There are several options, you can get free autoresponders where they tag a small advert a the bottom of each message that goes out. Then there are paid for subscription services and the most popular used by marketing pros are Aweber and GetResponse. There are also some autoresponders that you can host yourself on your own webspace, but it requires knowledge of how to install them. I do not have experience with the self-hosted ones, so we will confine ourselves to the most popular options, free and paid subscription services.

1) Aweber
This is a paid for service and is one used by many professional online marketers. Currently it costs about $19.95/month and there is a good discount for paying upfront on an annual basis.

2) Get Response
This is another paid for service that currently is a little less expensive than Aweber at about $17.99/month and there is also a good discount if you pay upfront for the years subscription. This is the one that I use.

3) Send Free
This is a free autoresponder that tags a small advertisement at the end of each message that is sent out. If you are just exploring autoresponders then this is a good option to try first. They do offer a premium subscription service at around $19.99/month (at the time of writing) if you want to get rid of the advertisement and have other features.

The main difference I guess between the autoresponders are the features offered. I think you need to explore the various options and see which fits your needs the best. If you are looking for a free option to test, then try Send Free.

When you first setup an autoresponder, you can load up a series of pre-written marketing emails and set the time interval in which they are to be sent out. You can then add in either a signup form to place onto your website or you will be given an email link which users should send an email to. Once a user sends an email to this autoresponder email address, the autoresponder kicks in and the series of messages are then started.

Most email autoresponders work on a double opt-in method. That is, the user signs up to the autoresponder, that is the first opt-in. The autoresponder then sends an automated email to the users email address to ensure it is correct. The user then needs to click onto a link within the email to confirm that they have opted-in in. This is double opt-in email. It is there to reduce the risk of SPAM and to protect you the owner of a mailing list. People can forget that they have opted-in to your list and if you send them an email they may accuse you of SPAM and complain to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) which can get you into problems. With double opt-in, you have additional proof that they did opt-in.

That's all there is to it. You may not have a need for an autoresponder right now but I would strongly recommend that you explore them anyway.

TASK

1) Sign up for an autoresponder service:

     Aweber
Get Response
Send Free

2) Write a series of follow up sales emails or a series of newsletters.

3) Put an opt-in form on your website or a way of subscribing to your list.

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