Promoting your autoresponder is important! So, you’ve put together a great autoresponder series, or are starting up a broadcast newsletter. However, how do you get people on your list?

Promotional Goodies for Your Autoresponder – The Freebie

Giving away something free in return for a subscription is nothing new, but we still do it because it still works. Your freebie serves as an enticement, showcases you a provider of value, and if you mix it with conversion strategies – it builds your customer list too.

You might give away:

The giveaway must be enticing enough to get someone to give you at least their email address. It could be…..

• Free report – A short, enticing description that will solve a problem.
• Ecourse – Create a series of messages on a specific topic.
• Software – Hire a developer to make some simple but useful software for your market.
• A Practical Tool – a handy spreadsheet, worksheet, pattern.
• Audio – A recording or live teleseminar invitation.
• Video – Whether it’s instructional, informative, or entertaining, it doesn’t matter.

Of course, it’s all fine and dandy to have a great freebie for your autoresponder – you still must sell it.

How to Sell Your Autoresponder

Think of your freebie and autoresponder as a product. Even though it’s free, you’ve still got to sell it and make your visitor want to leave their name and email address. Plus, you’ve got to make it enticing, they’re going to want to open the emails you’re going to start sending to them.

To get started selling, making use of these selling tools:

• Opt-in box on every page: Include a quick attention-getting headline, a compelling reason to subscribe, and the signup box. Don’t force your readers to click around to find the signup. Make it easy for them to find on every single page.

• Opt-in page: Create a page dedicated to showing the benefits of signing up. It is where you’ll send traffic from your advertising, articles.

• Picture of your freebie: Make a report cover, software box. Having a graphical representation can make your offer more tangible and attractive to your reader.

What to Include on your Opt-In Page?

• An attention-getting, benefit-driven headline. Get to the heart of the manner. If your reading has pain or desire – show them how your offer can help them with that.

• Compelling description and benefits of your freebie AND being on your mailing list. You can focus solely on promoting your freebie, but if they see the benefits of the subscription, they will be more likely to open the emails you send them.

• Graphic your freebie and newsletter. It will help draw the eye into your offer, and sharp graphics increases the perceived value of your offer.

• Full instructions on how to sign up. Spell it out for them, so there’s no confusion, and let’s face it when you guide people on what they should do, they are more likely to do it. Tell them: “Enter your first name and email address, then click ‘Sign me Up’”

• Spam statement. People are concerned about spam and may hesitate to give out their email address. Include a brief comment about what you do/don’t do with your readers’ personal information.

Now, You’re Ready to Promote:

Now that you’ve got everything in place, it’s time to begin promoting your autoresponder. One key to getting the best conversions on sign up is to send people to your opt-in page. It is a page solely based on understanding the subscription and will serve you best every time.

A visitor to your site is just a visitor, but if you can turn them into a subscriber…you are then more likely to turn them into a customer. The good news is, even though you still must sell your freebie/autoresponder, it’s still an easier sell than a product!

Include links to your opt-in page in the following places:

• Your bylines – Promote your freebie in your articles, blog posts, guest blog posts.
• Navigation – Add a link to your website navigation that says “Free Action Guide” or whatever fits your unique freebie.
• Videos – tell your viewers where to sign up and include a watermark on your video with the link.
• Signature – Whether it’s email or a forum, tell people about your freebie.
• Co-promotion – Share other people’s freebies, in return for them promoting yours.
• Be a podcast guest – Look for on-target and popular podcasts and share your opt-in page in your interview.
• Write a press release – A valuable freebie is undoubtedly newsworthy. Write a statement and distribute it.

The key is persistence because as you build more and more links coming to your opt-in page, the more you’ll continue to grow regularly. Don’t think a few articles and a guest spot on a little podcast will do it. Your list is your bread and butter…focus.

If you enjoyed today’s article, ” Promoting Your Autoresponder.” If these tools helped you in any way, please share the tools with others.

On Forums, on your blog, with your email list – anywhere and everywhere you can post it. If you want content, Tweet Me.

…Are you ready to do something BIGGER and MORE Powerful? Connect and Hangout with me on Facebook. I would love to stay in touch!

Please leave your questions and comments below. I would love to get your feedback!

Elizabeth

Promoting Your Autoresponder: Frequently Asked Questions

What is an autoresponder email?

This is an automatic response to an email that has been sent to you. To use this type of e-mail you sign up at a service and set up what kind of message you want sent on your behalf to the person trying to contact you.

An example of some simple autoresponder e-mail is ‘I am on vacation until the 24th, please contact _____ ______ at _____________if you need immediate attention’ These type of e-mails are set up for you and are sent out once you activate the service.

You can send out a variety of autoresponder e-mails depending on what you are doing. A good one is when someone joins your mailing list and you send a thank you note to them. This service saves you a lot of time freeing you up for other important tasks that need your attention

Is MailChimp an autoresponder?

Yes it is. In fact, it is one of the more popular e-mail autoresponder services available today. What MailChimp does for you is allow you to set up complicated e-mail campaigns and then sends them out once you activate the service.

It has a variety of program options you can choose from to make sure you are getting the type of service you want to use. If you are selling a product and some one walks away from their cart, you can have an autoresponder e-mail addressing that situation.

There is a lot of flexibility in their system and that system allows you to have several autoresponder e-mails set up for different situations and have them all running at the same time.

How do I use Autoresponder in email?

Each service may have some differences in how you get to use your autoresponder but the basics are all the same. The first thing you do is open your account.

Second on your subject line place the word autoreply so people do not get confused when they see your response to their e-mail.

Third, you need to also type in the reason for the automatic reply. For example ‘on vacation till ____’ Fourth, you write the body of the e-mail giving the instructions you want the person to follow

Then activate the e-mail.

How do I setup an automatic email response?

Here is the set up for GMail. First, you go into your account and then head towards the upper right hand corner of the email page. Click on the word settings and then look for the word advanced and click on that.

Once that page appears look for the words canned response and click on that. When the new message box appears, write your new message and give it a title. After that is done, click save and your message should be ready to go.

Other systems are just as easy and almost identical to the GMail way of doing things. Just remember to turn the autoresponder function on before you exit your account. When that is done you do not have to worry about a thing.