Optimizing Auto
Responders
-- by David Frees, http://www.utbf.com
-- http://www.redtienda.com/english/newsletter92.htm#1For years now,
internet entrepreneurs and information marketers
have been successfully building their businesses
and profit margins through the use of automated
technologies that leverage time while radically
improving marketing efforts, sales expenditures,
and business building and retention efforts.
Auto
responders and Web-based prospecting tools are
two of the simplest and most effective automated
techniques and the time has now come for brick
and mortar service firms and businesses to learn
and to strategically implement these techniques
to build and maintain more profitable business
relationships.
This
article will walk you through the essential
information that you need to begin right now to
build and protect your business even if you are
techno-phobic. Let’s begin with a few of the
most essential marketing concepts and definitions
that you’ll need to understand in order to
take full advantage of this technology.
First,
some definitions:
Web
Prospecting: By way of definition, a Web based
prospecting tool would be an electronic sign up
form on your Web site that captures the names and
email addresses of potential customers who have
expressed and interest in a product or service.
Auto
Responders: An auto responder is a piece of
software that allows a business to do three
things:
- capture
and maintain client email addresses (and
often mailing addresses and phone numbers
as well);
- automatically
send out a series of prepared messages in
a set order over a set period of time (or
indefinitely); and
- send
notices, newsletters, information, a
breaking news through
“broadcasts” to this list.
In other
words, when a new customer signs up at your web
site or in your physical facility, they are
automatically added to the software data base.
The auto responder software then automatically
(hence the “auto” in auto responder)
sends a note, prepared by you, welcoming the
customer and telling them that you’ll say in
touch and will provide ideas, information, news,
and other important content as long as the client
or customer is a subscriber to your email list.
The
Benefits
Auto
responders provide real time leverage because you
write this welcome message once and it is always
sent automatically whenever someone signs up.
You might
then program the auto responder to send out an
information rich note to each subscriber a week
after they sign up. The client or customer has
now heard from you twice. You are starting to
build a relationship with that prospect or
customer right from the start. You can have an
unlimited number of these messages that are
forwarded automatically, and you can arrange them
to go out in a logical and useful order for
building a relationship with the client and
customer.
The auto
responder builds a relationship. It keeps the
customer informed and aware. It also gives you a
new and inexpensive way to inform existing
clients of new services, products, or
opportunities.
This
process reinforces your value to the customer and
helps to build the relationship. The growing
relationship inoculates the prospect, customer,
or client from being lured away by the
competition. It also improves the likelihood that
the client or customer will make one or more
referrals of other similarly situated person or
business.
So,
besides the obvious benefits, why is this so
important?
Marketing
Strategies
First, it
is essential to realize that it is always easier
and less expensive to sell more services and/or
products to an existing customer than to acquire
a new customer. If you doubt this, just try to
figure out how much it really costs to acquire
each client or customer. However, existing
clients and customers already like and trust us.
They are often hungry for more of what we have to
offer but until now we have lacked a simply easy
and inexpensive way to stay in contact and to
remind the existing customer of new offerings.
Now,
however, in addition to the traditional use of
mailed flyers, catalogues, newsletters, ad packs
and sales letters, we can use email auto
responders. By making your auto responder content
so entertaining, informative, profitable, and
productive to out clients and customers we
discourage poaching by competitors while we
enhance the likelihood of repeat purchases and
referrals.
Next to
the existing client or customer, the best
potential buyer is a client or customer has been
referred by an existing relationship. Why?
Because the potential customer referred by an
existing customer comes to you with a strong
faith in the judgment of the friend or family
member that sent them. They are also more likely
to be a good match. If we do our marketing in a
manner designed to attract the best type of
client (one that matches with your personal,
business and Life Style Goals) then that customer
is more likely to understand out business and to
refer like minded and similarly situated
customers.
The use
of email auto responders helps to educate our
best clients about what we have to offer and this
leads to more of the same type of clients.
Finally,
the next best prospect is one who has been
educated to understand what it is that you do
best and who steps forward and who says
“I’m interested in what you’re
offering. Please send me more information or call
me so that I can buy.” Now this may sound
too good to be true, but it’s just the sort
of thing that can happen when you are a shrewd
user of the auto responder as a marketing
technique.
A Case
Study
Let’s
do a quick case study. For example, if you were
selling a course on marketing a hypnosis
practice, you could create a simple sales letter
style web site. For an example, see www.hypnosisforprofit.com.
People
interested in hypnosis visit the site either
because it shows up in Google® or they are sent
there by a Google AdWords® ad. On the web page,
they find a form where they can sign up and
receive a valuable report or white paper on
marketing.
After
they sign up, the first response from the auto
responder might be a welcome message. Next, a
message might that them and give them the
location to download the valuable report in a pdf
format. So far, you haven’t expended one
second of time but you are building a valuable
rapport and exhibiting your value to the
prospect.
A few
days later, the auto responder message might
include a checklist or other form that might be
useful to the prospect in their hypnosis
practice. After four or five valuable and
educational emails from the auto responder the
next message might remind them that they can buy
a product or valuable service from your web site.
This appeal will be stronger than your
competitor’s because you have already shown
significant value. As time goes on, you might
send out a news alert about changing hypnosis
laws or regulations. Finally, you might notify
the list of a profitable seminar that you are
offering.
Many auto
responders will also add the potential customer
to a new auto responder list when they actually
buy. This auto responder series of messages will
thank them and then offer new products or
services, enhancements to their original
purchase, and or, special discounts and offers
for existing customers. Can you imagine ways to
use this to build profitability without
additional effort?
So, you
have had a number of contacts that remind the
person who visited your site, how valuable it is
to them to be a member or subscriber. You are now
the obvious expert on these matters. You have
made several offers which give them the
opportunity to call or contact you when they are
educated and are now ready to buy. When they call
you it’s a short sales cycle because they
want to buy. And, best of all, this all happened
automatically.
Complying
With Federal Law
To be
sure that you’re complying with federal anti
spam laws, only use these techniques when you
offer and maintain confidentiality and a way for
list members to opt out or to unsubscribe. Most
legitimate auto responder providers will build
these compliance features into the software but
it is your duty to know and to comply with the
law.
Well, if
you like the idea of writing letters, alerts,
notes, offers, newsletters and information which
can be used over and over automatically then how
do you start to use an auto responder. There are
several auto responders that you can buy and own
and use. Your webmaster can tell you about these.
Finding
Auto Responders
A free
auto responder is available at www.constantcontact.com. However, if
you’re serious about building your client
and customer base, you will want to consider a
more fully adaptable and functional service.
One
company, www.aweberautoresponders.com, offers a robust
email auto responder that you can pay for by the
month or by the year. There is a free trial or
just hit the auto button for all of the payment
options.
If
you’d like a full function auto responder
that also coordinates with a shopping cart on a
web site or for a lower price can stand alone,
consider www.webmarketingmagic4u.com. This web site
also offers a 30 day trial and you can purchase
just the auto responder or a fully integrated
shopping cart with credit card capabilities. Just
hit the order button for all of the options.
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