Autoresponders are one of those time-saving inventions. Automating the emailing of clients and prospects has meant one can batch-create a series of messages and schedule them to be sent out at a pre-determined time sequence. Few businesses today do not use them, even if it’s only to send a monthly newsletter.
There are lots of benefits to using an Autoresponder and here are a few – check if you are taking full advantage.
- Maintain a client database. One critical saleable element to any business is the quality of its database. If you can maintain a list of current clients then you not only improve your business systems but the value of your business.
- Increase market share. The better you communicate – and connect with – your database, the more likely they will buy from you and share their satisfaction with others. Over tie you build the percentage of the market you ‘own’.
- Raise your profile. The driving reason to set up autoresponders is to sell your products and services. Do that softly and use 60-70% of the messages you send to be about letting your database know who you are, what you do, how you can help them, reinforcing that you understand their problems and challenges.
- Distribute content. Content on your blog or website can be refashioned to be emailed out to people on your database. The better the content of your emails the more likely you are to stay n their inbox.
- Stamp your brand. Your brand is the impression people get from dealing with you and often that is visual. If you send html emails then its easy to match the look with your other assets. if you send text, be consistent in how you structure the email so it’s familiar.
- Elicit feedback. Get interactive with your database and ask them questions, encourage them to click links, send them to a survey. Make your messages two-way, not always one-way.
- Grow your database. Autoresponders usually have the option to include a “forward to a friend” link or social media sharing. Make it easy for people to share your great content. Encourage the idea of passing on good content to others.
So if you are not using your autoresponder to keep in contact with your list or subscribers or database, why have it or them?
Of course, if you don’t take advantage of the business benefits then you won’t keep people associated with you and end up losing prospective sales.