Many marketers (particularly those that hate using their creative genius for something as mundane as e-mail) will moan and groan about developing an autoresponder series. Unfortunately for them, an autoresponder is an important tool in getting and keeping leads, which means that sooner or later they’re going to have to take the plunge and put together an autoresponder series of their own.

What is an Autoresponder?

An autoresponder is a series of mailings that go out to your clientele when they choose to opt-in to your mailing list.

Why is an Autoresponder so Important?

An autoresponder serves a very important function-it keeps your company in the forefront of your consumer’s minds until your next mailing. Through your autoresponder the people on your mailing list will have the opportunity to get a feel for you, your company, your field and your products.

It’s important to remember that although the individuals who have chosen to opt-in to your mailing list have visited your website, their first lasting impression of your company is going to be determined by your autoresponder. Everyone knows that websites are carefully put together to show a business in its best light. You could be old and crotchety, without a sense of humor (or a lick of sense altogether!) and no one would know it from your website. It’s bad for business!

Your autoresponder series is going to give them their first look into the “heart” of your business. It’s going to tell them who you are, what your personality and the personality of your company is (Are you open and friendly or curt and professional? Funny and outspoken or crisp and to the point?) and, most importantly, where your company’s values lie.

How does an autoresponder series show your company’s values?

Think of it this way. When you receive e-mail day after day from a company offering you the chance to buy their products, what do you think? That the only thing they’re interested in is making a sale. On the other hand, if a company sends you (for FREE) pages of information about your niche, your interests and, incidentally, the way their products can help, you’re going to view them in a warmer light.

Everyone wants to work with a company with a conscience, and that’s just what you want your autoresponder series to show you to be.

How Long Should My Autoresponder Series Be?

Long enough to leave an impression, but not long enough to begin to irritate your clientele. Many marketers will tell you that your autoresponder needs to be ten to fourteen days long to really leave an impact. These are the same people that are going to offer you the once in a lifetime opportunity to buy into a beachfront time share in Kansas!

A good autoresponder is about four to seven days long, ten IF AND ONLY IF you have something worthwhile to say. It’s quality, not quantity, that’s going to leave an impression.

What Do I Say?

Ah, the age old question. A good autoresponder should be about more than trying to make a sale. It should be light, fun, informative, relevant and, most importantly, factual. People come to you looking for more information about something that interests them. If you can give it to them with your autoresponder you can guarantee that you’ll have their business for a long time to come.

Sometimes referred to as mailbots, an autoresponder is an integral part of any online business experience, irrespective of your field of expertise. Not only are they of value as far as promotional tools are concerned, the fact that they can respond automatically to emails can save you a phenomenal amount of time and money.

While there are variations between one autoresponder and the next, in principle they all work the same. By this I mean that the primary function of an autoresponder is to send out messages in response to messages received. Of course, depending on factors such as the script or email address, an autoresponder will send out a suitable reply with relation to the message that was received in the first place.

Admittedly, as mentioned earlier, autoresponders can be extremely beneficial but unfortunately there’s a downside as well, being that they’re often extensively abused. Yes, being able to use them for automating daily requirements is a great feature but for many, crossing paths with an autoresponder can be catastrophic.

An example of this would be when one communicates with a website which also uses an autoresponder, such as when you submit your website to search engines or directories. When this happens, their autoresponder sends a message to you and in turn, your autoresponder will send a reply. What happens then is that the two mailbots will simply continue replying to each other. Need I say anymore?

Additionally, whenever one signs up to receive newsletters, emails or even ezines, you’re required to provide an email address and if you provide the address of your autoresponder rather than a valid email address, you can be rest assured that your subscription will be canceled. Who could blame any group for getting annoyed when every time they send out the newsletter you requested, they get automated replies? After all, imagine if all their subscribers used autoresponder addresses. They’d be faced with thousands upon thousands of automated replies. Whatever you do, don’t use mailbots for subscriptions to anything.

As has already been mentioned, autoresponders are great tools but they certainly do have drawbacks. When one considers the unnecessary inconvenience caused to subscription groups, it’s hardly surprising that many of them will cancel your subscription if you use an autoresponder. Additionally, the fact that those using mailbots most often don’t have the same “from” or “reply” address as they originally had, can make for a very time consuming experience when a group has to try and locate your correct address.

If like so many others, you feel the need to use an autoresponder, please be considerate and never use it when you sign up for one subscription or another. In responsible hands, an auto responder can make an extraordinary difference to your online business in terms of time, money and of course effort. Best of all, they are incredibly easy to configure and of course to use. Be responsible in your actions and your autoresponder will afford you a great advantage throughout your internet experience.

Considering the vast choice of autoresponders on the market, choosing the ideal one for your needs can seem a little daunting to say the least.

Before you make your choice and buy one, it’s imperative that you understand what your personal requirements are with regards to available functions, etc. Furthermore, you’ll also need to take your budget into consideration as prices can vary significantly.

Brand names, prices and features are all factors which can influence your choice of autoresponder so you’d be wise to make comparisons before committing yourself to any particular autoresponder. Consider what features are important to you rather than allowing yourself to be impressed with a vast amount of features which in all likelihood; you’ll end up never using.

Generally speaking, messages sent out from autoresponders are short and straight to the point. As an example, if you have to go away and you won’t be available to check emails then you could set your autoresponder to reply to anyone that emails you, informing them that you’re away at the moment and also letting them know when you’ll be back. Likewise, an autoresponder can confirm, on your behalf, that an email has been received. Undeniably, autoresponders are invaluable for businesses.

Whatever you do, don’t ever use your autoresponder address if you subscribe to any newsletter or mailing list. Doing so will reveal in no uncertain terms, a very real and very annoying problem as far as autoresponders are concerned. The fact that your autoresponder will reply to any email received means that if you’ve used the autoresponder address for subscriptions, each time you receive such a newsletter or mailing list, your autoresponder to send a reply.

For those who specialize in the field of internet marketing and who have to maintain lists of a vast number of clients, a sequential autoresponder is without a doubt the best choice. These autoresponders can prove to be highly effective in getting more visitors to your website as they continually collect various email addresses to which they then send marketing emails or other pre-determined messages.

Not only is a sequential autoresponder invaluable as far as keeping track of subscribers is concerned, it’s just as indispensable for keeping clients informed with regards to new business developments.

The plain and simple truth is that autoresponders are an essential tool for any online business. It’s hardly surprising then that one should be willing to do proper research regarding which autoresponder will best suit your needs. Also, take into consideration that not all autoresponders run on your local PC or personal server. Some highly efficient autoresponders are primarily web based programs, so here again; a little research will go a long way in terms of money, time, effort, and of course, efficiency.

The most common type of autoresponder is those which are locally hosted because admittedly, having your autoresponder hosted on your own local server has the benefit of being extremely convenient.