Do you use autoresponders in your business?
Autoresponders are the best method I know of to connect and communicate with your readers. It allows you to give instant feedback to people on any subject matter related to your business, and be able to do so 24/7/365.
One of the most magical things that I love is when I’m able to write such a personal autoresponder that the reader can’t tell it’s an autoresponder. Instead, they send me a personalized message back, answering my questions and giving me more information about them.
That doesn’t happen by accident. I don’t just throw together a message, or add so much content they get lost in the message. Instead of create a series of notes that make it exclusive for whoever is reading it.
For those of you new to the online world of marketing, an autoresponder is an email message that is sent out automatically by an email system depending on when a person signs up to receive your emails. You can send as few or as many messages as you desire, and set them up to be sent at a predetermined timeframe. These messages give you more credibility, and allow you to make that initial connection with someone new, helping them learn more about you through a variety of media sources.
Before you write your messages, grab some paper and spend some time analyzing these 5 questions.
1. Who will be reading my autoresponders?
2. What do they know about me and my company?
3. How are they connecting with me?
4. How much interaction have we had up until this point, and through what resources?
5. What do I want them to do next?
When you start asking yourself these questions, you can quickly see a theme developing, and how you would communicate with this type of person. I always think about one person when I’m writing – it helps me talk to them directly, as opposed to coming up with ideas for a variety of situations.
Once you know who you’re writing to and why, it’s easy to start building an email series around it.
Welcome them to your blog/site and tell them what to expect.
Invite them to stay active with you. Do you blog regularly? How about sign up for your RSS feed. Do you communicate on Facebook every day? Why not join your page? The key is to start building the relationship from the beginning.
Choose one product/service, and spend your time talking more about it and giving tips to how it can benefit the reader. Don’t make it the entire focus; use it as a way to get to know you better. Remember, you are in this to build a lifelong relationship, not to sell to immediately.
Give resources, tips and tricks you know by being the expert. Start proving you know what you are talking about, and are willing to share your expertise with those around you.
Avoid thinking in sales terms. “Limited Offer” and “Don’t miss the sale” and “It’s the last time we’ll be doing this” all show your reader you are in it for the sale. In the online world, relationships are key. The happier you can make your customer upfront, the more likely you will be to keep them for life.