How To Build An Email List With Your Autoresponder

by dawnaurora on December 12, 2009

What exactly is an autoresponder (*aff)  When I first started getting serious about gathering newsletter subscribers, and building a list I went all out in getting a top notch autoresponder service.  I felt it would benefit my business greatly to get into the email list game and start a relationship with the my subscribers on the list.

It takes a lot of work to keep up with your subscribers.  One of the ways to keep in front of them is to consistently send out a quick note, article or sales information, free report and so on.   That means that you would have to work on your newsletter a lot.  Who has all that time?

One of the ways to help reduce that time is having an autoresponder(*aff) attached with your newsletter account.  Do you know how some people on twitter will have automatic twitter posts sent and they do not have to be at the computer manually doing sending all the time.  Well, this is how an autoresponder works.

Lets say you have a monthly giveaway.  To help relieve that time spent every month to make sure it goes out, you can have the news cast sent monthly automatically.  Doesn’t that sound great?  You can spend 2 hours in one shot to have certain news cast sent out for 6 months in advance or more.

Autoresponders And Email List Building  Go Hand In Hand

Everyone has received an email and everyone has also received an unsolicited email.  It makes it all the more difficult to get readers to respond to emails because of annoying spam.  That makes it all the more important to build a list of subscribers who won’t you communicating with them through email. Use creative and enticing headlines to draw your subscribers in to open those emails.

One of the most common ways that online business owners connect with their potential customers is through email.  Remember your subscribers that opt-in for your newsletter are interested in what you have to say.   You can reach people easier that way than you can by ringing them up on the phone.  Email can be accessed from laptops in Wi-Fi hotspots, cellular phones and WebTV to name a few.  So, you could say that it is pretty important to manage this marketing tool just right.

How Email Lists Work –  Simplified

Include an opt-in page on your website.  This opt-in page could entice your subscribers  by giving free reports, sales, new product information on something they read on your site.  Readers are asked to become subscribers in some way to your website by providing their name and email address.  I have put on my opt-in page to include a business name, but the response wasn’t great on that idea.  I wanted to visit the subscribers websites.

Along with asking for their information you also include a disclaimer to put the subscribers at ease.  The disclaimer would state that anyone who signs up for your newsletter won’t have their addresses sold to another party.  Their information is safe in your hands and you won’t send them unwanted spam email.

Your initial list will be mixed with those who are in your target market and people who are interested in  more general information.  If you are trying to reach people who are into candle melts, you may reach those who are seeking information on jarred candles.  They will soon be weeded out and hopefully they won’t make up the bulk of you list.  Be specific on what you are offering to your list.  That will help weed out up front some of the stragglers.

How An Autoresponder Fits In The Picture

Now it is time to contact the people on your list.  You have the email list and something has to be done.  Your subscribers are waiting.

You can use a series of emails that highlight your product offerings as a way to transition subscribers into the realm of customers.  The goal of these emails is to provide additional information on the topic of your website business and not to necessariy sell a product directly.  The goal is also to establish a relationship with your subscribers.  It is not all about you and your business.  It is about what you can do for you subscribers.

The emails can be set up automatically to go out on a pre-set schedule using autoresponder programs and services.  These services give you an easy peasy way to distribute those emails.  You can even add the personal touch of addressing you your list by name instead of a blandket greeting with certain autoresoponder services.  There is so much you can do with autoresponders now, if you get a good service.

I am getting a little ahead of myself.  You need something to lead into the autoresponder program.  Create a series of emails that speak directly to each list member as if they were the only one on your list.  You can even outsource the autoresponder emails if you need to.  I use a mixture of a blog broadcast and a message broadcast.  I want to keep you updated with what I am doing on my blog and I also want to let you know about the “live blog sessions” that we have together.  Combining those 2 programs on my “newsletter” has helped me establish a grand relationship with my subscribers.

Now that you have a list of subscriber, your next step is keeping them your number one priority.  Use autoresponder emails to contact them on a regular basis with the purpose of building a solid relationship for future business.

Have you created a newsletter, autoresponder or opt-in box?  Tell me what areas you need help with?

Many Blessings,

Dawn

P.S. If you are interested this is who I use.  You can take a free test drive.

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