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FOREWORDAutoresponder systems are the workhorses of email marketing. Some online marketing "experts" are saying that email marketing is dead - that it's no longer profitable. I beg to differ with them - strongly.
Perhaps email marketing is no longer profitable for them, but they are either doing something wrong, or they never knew how to do it right in the first place. (Remember that not every selfappointed "guru" really knows what he's talking about.)
While it's true that spam filters are at work on every level, and delivery rates for commercial email are down as a result, a properly worded message delivered by autoresponder to a permission based (opt-in) mailing list is still one of the most dependable ways to drive targeted visitors and make immediate sales.
No matter what other marketing methods you choose to use, one of your most profitable ones will be follow up marketing by email - if you do it right.If you know how to market effectively using email autoresponders, you will find your business turning a profit rather quickly. Then you can reinvest those profits toward testing other proven marketing methods like pay per click search engine campaigns, ezine advertising, and so on.
Later on in this guide, we will lay out a complete system for follow up marketing that is proven to work. to maximizing your use of autoresponders in your marketing efforts, and maximizing your profits at the same time.
But first, let's put things into context. And here's a big chunk of truth for you to digest ....There Are No Profit Secrets - Only Profitable Systems SO STOP IT RIGHT NOW!
Excuse me for being blunt and to the point - but I want you to STOP expecting the "instant success fairy" to come along and sprinkle you with gold dust.
I want you to STOP searching for magical marketing secrets, or that "one big thing."
They don't exist.
STOP sending next week's grocery money to each and every "guru of the month" who comes out of the woodwork claiming he's discovered some little know formula that will make you rich overnight.
Long term business success just doesn't happen that way. If you're looking for instant riches with no work involved, I suggest you start buying lottery tickets. Heck .... even professional gamblers have systems that they work!
And even this proven follow up marketing system will not do a thing for you unless you put some work into it.While the function of this follow up marketing system is automated, setting it up and tweaking it for efficiency and effectiveness is an intensive exercise - it's work!
That's why most online marketers only make half-hearted attempts .... and why they end up with half-baked results. They never make it past the "wanna-be" stage. They "wanna-be" rich but they "don't wanna" do the work.
Many people fail to realize that what might appear on the surface to be an "instant Internet success" story was actually 2 to 5 years in the making - with a lot of work, study, and even a few failures along the way.
Now realistically, no one gets excited about the idea of keeping their "nose to the grindstone" until it becomes a bloody stump. That's why we're talking about automation.And the correct and proper use of autoresponder systems will keep you from becoming a slave to your business. At the same time, it will consistently maximize your bottom line profit .... week after week and month after month .... like no one shot guru marketing gimmick ever will.
Remember the word system.For example, let's look at a guy whose business is earning $100,000 per year, and compare him to another guy who is running the same type of business yet earning $1,000,000 a year.
What's the difference?
Right away, most people would say the million dollar a year guy is probably working harder and longer than the one earning a measely $100K. He probably doesn't take vacations, seldom takes his wife to dinner and a show, and hasn't seen his kid play soccer in two years. But more than likely, he's learned the difference between working "hard" and working "smart."
Instead of working harder, the million dollar guy has simply created a "system" that allows him to free up a lot of time and energy, usually to a point where he doesn't have to physically be there in order for the business to run and make money.
Here's a good example.We have one guy who owns a muffler shop and works a 60 hour week, 52 weeks a year, to maintain a profit margin. He may be one of those control freaks, who believes that no one but himself can do anything right - but this guide isn't about personality disorders ;~0
Then there is another guy across town who owns a chain of muffler shops, hangs out at the coffee bar til 10 am every morning, takes long lunches with his friends, and makes money even while he's on the golf course.
Which guy would you rather be?You see, the first guy has done little more than create another JOB for himself. In terms of the quality of his life, he may as well be someone else's paid slave.
On the other hand, the second guy has created a "profit system" that doesn't require his physical presence or his own constant effort to make money. He has then taken it even one step further and duplicated the system many times over. (NOTE: You can do the same with websites!)
Sure, he has to keep a watch on the business stats, manage the money and do the oversight. But he still has more time to enjoy his life, and makes a truckload more money than the poor shmuck who has simply chained himself to his own time clock with no hope of release. This concept is called "time leverage" - and it can be applied to any business .... even online. When you learn to set up and use automated systems, you can run as many profit making websites as you want and still play golf, go to your kid's soccer games, or just relax .... because you won't need to glue yourself to your computer to run those businesses.
Autoresponders are one of the tools that will give you the power of leverage. Whatever you do, don't overlook that powerful truth.The Tool and the User
A hammer is only as good as the carpenter who uses it.
That may seem simplistic, but it's a very important concept to understand. Especially since it applies to just about everything we do, in every area of our lives. Design issues aside, the performance and effectiveness of any tool depends entirely on the skills of the user.
So the purpose of this guide is to improve your autoresponder skills, and leverage your own time to the max.What Is An Autoresponder And What Can It Do For You?
An autoresponder is any software system that automatically delivers a pre-written email message or sequence of messages after being triggered by an incoming email inquiry.
There are three basic types of autoresponder systems. Each one has its own pros and cons. It's up to you to do the homework and decide which type best suits your own needs.
1 - WEBHOST BASED AUTORESPONDER
Most of the better webhosting services offer an unlimited amount of autoresponders that can be easily configured from the domain control panel. These are an essentially cost-free feature of your hosting service, and can be put to good use in some areas of business.
Advantages involve your ability to configure an unlimited number (typical with most webhosts) of autoresponse addresses that come direct from your domain. Set up usually takes five minutes or less, and can be a life-saver when it comes to answering FAQs or any otherwise time consuming email chore.
Disadvantages surround the (again typical) inability to deliver more than a single message. For the most part, webhost based autoresponders are "one-shooters" - with no follow up capability to deliver a pre-written promotional sequence. In addition, none that we have seen allow for recipient personalization tags (!fname - !firstname! etc.) within the headline and message body. (This capability is VERY IMPORTANT if you want your subscribers to pay attention to your emails.)
2 - ONLINE BASED AUTORESPONDER SERVICESThese are typically presented as a subscription service, where you are required to pay a monthly fee for ongoing use of the system. Costs can vary, and have of late begun to vary greatly. By all means, do your comparison shopping before you sign anything.
Advantages include ease of accessibility and absence of maintenance requirements on your part. Typically, you will have full customizing capability of outgoing messages, and will be able to pre-program a sequence of up to 52 follow-up messages. In addition, you'll have the advantage of automatic unsubscribe/removal functions, meaning less work for you. The big disadvantage is, of course, that you pay through the nose each month for the service. That makes it all the more critical that you get the fullest possible advantage from this type of service.
I suggest you investigate AWeber Communications - a top-shelf online autoresponder service.3 - DOMAIN BASED AUTOREPONDER SOFTWARES
These are free standing autoresponse software systems that actually "live" on your own domain. In other words, you own and operate the autoresponder from your website.
The big advantage here is obvious . . . you have no monthly subscription payments. You'll also have the capability for unlimited numbers of addresses/message sequences and typically an unlimited number of follow-up messages. In actuality, you'd be able to pre-program, in advance, any number of message sequences to run for literally several years.
Disadvantages surround the fact that you are responsible for maintenance and breakdowns. With a well written program, this shouldn't happen. Rocks shouldn't fall from the sky either, but they do. Additionally, some domain based autoresponder systems are configured only for form-box sign ups, meaning you would not have an actual mailto: address to plug into your advertising. Do your homework before you buy.
I've used ListMail Pro software the past several years to automate and manage all my list mailing functions. It's a true workhorse for about 1/3 the cost of the nearest comparable system I know of. There are no limits to the number of lists I can run or the number of messages I can configure to each list - and it's been years since I've had to pay a monthly fee for autoresponder service.
No matter how you choose to approach the issue of autoresponder usage, one thing is a sure bet. If you're not using at least some sort of autoresponse system in your daily business online, you're not only working too hard, you're missing out on a majority of the potential for growth and development of your business.
Autoresponder Common UsesAn autoresponder is used for delivering specific information out to individuals quickly, sometimes just seconds after they request it. It allows us to automate the repetitive task of sending that same information out individually to each requester.
Most marketers use autoresponders to: send out special reports/articles upon request, and/or send out a "welcome" message to new subscribers of a newsletter/ezine.And sadly, that's about it.
Those who use 'follow-up' autoresponders are usually not much different. Most of their followup messages usually include more reports, articles and maybe some resources and product promotions.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it's like walking away from a banquet while you're still hungry. I want you to realize that there's a lot more you can accomplish with autoresponders.What Autoresponders Can Be Used For
Here's a list of some tasks you could automate using autoresponders:
- format and schedule mailings days, weeks, even months in advance
- send out 'welcome' messages to new subscribers
- send out newsletters, updates, alerts, etc.
- circulate viral articles and reports
- automate list compilation and databasing activities
- promote front-end and back-end products
- deliver instant product details when the prospect is hot
- deliver product specific emails until the prospect buys
- deliver product user's guides before or after the sale
- add new buyers to a verified paying customer list
- deliver product download info (links, passwords, etc.) to buyers
- promote upgrades and upsells for products already purchased
- dramatically reduce manual email answering
- follow up to minimize refunds/returns and chargebacks
- send out surveys, polls, questionaires, etc.
- automatically add new affiliates and increase your sales
- administer affiliate training and motivation
- solicit product testimonials from buyers
- get hot, new, marketable product ideas quickly and easily
- get feedback on your customer service and products
- answer FAQs instantly
- and so on…
This list is just what came off the top of my head. With a little imagination applied to your own business needs, you'll find plenty more to add.
Keep in mind that if you use autoresponders to perform even some of the tasks above, your physical action will no longer required for those tasks to be accomplished. Not only will your workload decrease, you'll have more time to do the really productive stuff - like promote your business - find or develop new products - set up joint ventures with other marketers - watch Oprah.
Even though autoresponders can relieve you from a lot of repetitive tasks, I want to make it clear at this point that my autoresponders have one overriding and primary purpose.
So the first priority is to get new subscribers hooked into my autoresponder loop. Toward that end, I've actually reached back to my old mail order days and adapted one of the most powerful promotional methods that has ever been devised.
Two Step Marketing - An Old Idea Come Full CircleHere's how to gather new subscribers and prospects without breaking your bank.
Whether out of necessity or perhaps wisdom, cost conscious mail order direct marketers of past decades did manage to develop and perfect a unique promotional method that, if applied correctly, still cuts a wide swath in today's market.
Using a two-step approach toward market contact, employing small classified advertisements as the vehicle, they learned to validate prospect interest at the front end, increase bottom line profit, and cut cost of sale to the bone by eliminating cold broadcast mailings and other fruitless marketing actions.
To this day, one can scan magazines, tabloids, and even local newpapers to see countless offers that are still being promoted with small classified ads. Many of those tiny ads have been running without stop for years on end, while the foundation of the entire system lies with the ad itself.
A great two-step ad is carefully worded, with only two reasons to exist:- to create interest or curiosity in the reader
- to prompt her toward taking an action.
That is the essence of step one in a two-step mail order promotion. The reader was typically promised "further details" or a "free report" in exchange for her postcard or letter sent to a designated postal address.
In his turn, the direct marketer would then exercise step two by returning an appropriate reply, again by postal mail. While it proved immensely profitable, the process was labor intensive and time consuming at its best.
Even with the advent of Internet marketing technology, the underlying concept of two-step marketing has changed little. The singular difference is that the prospect is no longer required to mail a letter, or wait days or weeks to get the information she desires.
Instead, she can acquire that information immediately by sending a simple email to an autoresponder system, by visiting a website, or by calling a toll free telephone number. Her action in step one still qualifies her as a highly targeted prospect, but there is no cooling off period while she waits for the postal mail to arrive. The opportunity for further action on her part (ie. making a purchase) is presented immediately, while her interest is at peak level.
So it goes without saying, this current evolution of the two-step classified ad coupled with modern methods of instant information delivery, has forged one of the most powerful marketing strategies available to today's direct sellers.
Still, to achieve maximum effectiveness with two-step marketing, there are a few rules to be observed.
Once again, a two-step advertisement has a limited purpose - to create interest or curiosity in the reader, and prompt her to take a desired action. That action is, of course, to contact the marketer for further information. Selling is not the issue at this point - the selling will be done in the follow up process.
Rule 2 Advertise Benefits and SolutionsMany experienced two-step marketers say the product or service itself should never be directly mentioned in the text of the ad. Instead, the ad should only convey benefits the reader can gain, or possibly a solution to a defined problem.
Rule 3 Convenient ContactMake it as easy as possible for the reader/prospect to get the information she wants. It's best to include at least two contact methods within the ad text (ie. email autoresponder, website URL, toll free telephone number.)
Rule 4 Follow Up for the Sale Depending on the statistics one reads, as little as 20% of all sales are made on the first contact. That means as much as 80% of potential profits hang in the balance, depending on multiple follow up contacts to close sales and render a profitable campaign. Email marketing by autoresponder has infinitely streamlined the multiple follow up process, without adding any appreciable amount to cost of sale.
Rule 5 Test Several Ads and Track the ResultsTwo-step ads are traditionally small, often comprised of only three to five lines of text. Since each single word should be weighed and measured for effect, it's important to develop several different ads for any promotion, and to track the results from each ad. The pulling power of one ad will frequently outweigh all others by virtue of a few simple word changes.
Rule 6 Consistent Placement of AdsSmall classified type ads do not carry the immediate credibility of a larger display ad, a webpage, or even an email solo advertisement. A typical reader may need to see the ad more than once in the same venue, before she feels comfortable in making a response. This writer's own campaign tracking has revealed the majority of response from two-step ads often comes after the second or third ad run in any particular venue. On the other hand, one time insertions have, more often that not, proved a financial loss.
The decades old concept of two-step marketing has evolved and meshed perfectly with today's electronic marketing technology. When used properly, it can pre-qualify prospects, generate high value emailing lists, dramatically reduce cost per sale, and improve bottom line profit for small and large direct marketing companies alike.