Thanks to technology, businesses can now send broadcasts or email sequence campaigns to their customers whenever the need arises. With the need to get fast information and the stiff competition in the industry, many brands and companies are investing in email marketing autoresponders to help drive productivity and increase revenue. This guide breaks down what it means to use an email marketing autoresponder.
Let’s define it
An autoresponder is a pre-arranged script that is automated to reply to emails. This script is usually triggered by the actions of the user. This is either triggered on a website or when the user directly sends an email message to a different email that has an active autoresponder.
An email autoresponder is a set of messages that are automatically sent to a group of emails (a mailing list) based on a set of parameters at pre-set intervals. Users may receive messages from autoresponders after they may have subscribed to the email service.
While autoresponders are used for several purposes, they are mainly used for sending confirmation emails. Common examples where people receive messages from autoresponders are conditions such as:
• When you have signed up to receive email newsletters
• Bought a product from a website
• Email a co-worker who is on leave and got an “away message”
• Changed the setting on your account
• Generated a support ticket
How does it work?
Autoresponders are useful tools for email marketing. They are used by marketers to simplify their promotional campaigns and minimize their workloads. For instance, instead of sending each person emails every time they sign up for the brand’s newsletter, the autoresponder will usually prepare and send out a pre-arranged welcome email personalized by other scripts.
Due to the growing effectiveness and versatility of autoresponders, they are now being used in several ways to keep in touch with subscribers/customers. For instance, triggers for autoresponders can be created to send out pre-arranged messages to:
- Wish customers special greetings on occasions like birthdays, holidays, and so on.
- Cross-sell when a customer has purchased a certain product.
- Alert users in the case of membership expiration and renewals.
- Re-establish relationships with customers that have long periods of inactivity.
- Re-engage customers that appeared to have left midway through a purchase without checking out.
- Send reminders to people about their incomplete surveys, profiles, and other similar activities.
Then again, in marketing, you can use your autoresponders for various purposes. You can trigger them based on the data that you have already.
Why do you need an autoresponder?
An email autoresponder makes it easier for companies to create and foster trust with potential customers. With email responders, you can easily view promotional emails, browse through different websites, and eventually buy a product. Most websites usually prefer using email autoresponders to send offers to their subscribers at opportune times. Also, auto responders are an automated technology that helps eliminate human error, especially with email scheduling. Summarily, many companies and brands usually benefit from autoresponders as they can:
- Convert casual visitors to buyers/subscribers.
- Create and maintain long-term relationships with buyers/subscribers.
- Ensure that adverts are sent out consistently without fail.
- Send out spontaneous messages when needed.
- Cross-sell and create sales repeatedly.
- Direct customers to blogs and websites.
- Give marketers the means to access results that can be measured.
- Ensure that marketing emails are delivered properly.
- Help enhance the awareness of a specific brand or business.
- Bring people who did not buy with an abandoned cart email sequence
What is an auto-response email?
An auto-response email is a type of electronic message that is generated and sent automatically after a visitor or a customer may have performed an activity or task on a website. Apart from being a valuable tool for marketers, auto-response emails are used to send out instant messages to various recipients. These are spontaneous messages that the customers receive after performing a certain activity. You can receive an auto-response email in the following scenarios:
- When you purchase an item from a website.
- When you sign up for a newsletter, a free giveaway, special discounts, bonuses, and so on.
- When you register for an event or create a profile.
- When you have donated money for a cause, charity, and so on.
Auto response emails are useful to send messages to a customer or individual immediately after they have performed a task or an activity.
Types of autoresponders
When it comes to autoresponders for individual and business and other commercial purposes, there are several options available.
Autoresponders for businesses
Autoresponder emails for businesses are sent automatically whenever the system is commanded by an action from the user. Examples of such auto responders are:
1. Welcome emails: Visitors get a welcome email whenever they register for a newsletter, when they buy a product, or register for a product discount. This email is sent out as soon as the action is completed.
2. Email course: Each time that a visitor signs up for an email course, they are automatically sent a message to confirm their interest or availability.
3. Cross-sell and up-sell emails: Each time that a customer buys a product, special cross-sell and up-sell emails are automatically sent out. These types of emails may contain recommendations that are based on the preferences of the customers.
4. Abandoned cart auto emails: Whenever a customer chooses a product to add to their shopping cart and there is a lingering period of inactivity, this type of email is sent to remind the customer that they are yet to complete their purchases.
Autoresponders for individuals
1. Time-based emails: Each time that the individual activates a time limit to respond to emails and this time limit is exceeded, the email is sent out automatically.
2. On leave emails: This is the type of email that is sent automatically from the email account of the user notifying people that they are on leave. Anyone that emails the user during their leave period ends up getting this message automatically.
3. Occasional emails: Whenever there is a special activity, the user can create an automatic occasional message to be sent out just once.
