Putting subscribers through autoresponder?

10 replies
I'm curious, who sets up there autoresponders to send an email series to every new subscriber and who just captures emails to broadcast emails whenever they choose? Thank you.
#autoresponder #putting #subscribers
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by iconoclast View Post

    I'm curious, who sets up there autoresponders to send an email series to every new subscriber
    I've been wrong before, but my guess is that at least 99% of regular autoresponder users do that.

    Personally, I avoid broadcasts whenever possible, for a big variety of reasons, including but not limited to these ...

    (i) It's very rare that I want everyone on a list to get the same information at the same time, regardless of how long they've been there and where they are in the series;

    (ii) Subscribers in many niches have told me in the past that they don't like "obvious broadcasts" because (a) they interrupt continuity, and (b) they make the sender look more like a marketer and less like a trusted provider of valuable information;

    (iii) It interfers with "subscriber expectation". It's really important, when opting people in, to set their expectations, and tell them exactly what they're going to receive and when. This dramatically increases open-rates and click-through rates. Sending "broadcasts" makes that very difficult;

    (iv) To me, it feels like "being in a hurry" and "aiming for quick sales" - exactly the things I like to avoid, because I earn far more in the long run by avoiding that.

    Key concept: interrupting continuity with an obvious promotion of something is really a much bigger deal than many people realise.

    It makes you look desperate to sell, and to many subscribers, understandably, that comes across very negatively and ruins your credibility and their trust.

    The people who imagine that isn't a big deal are typically those to whom open-rates of 25%/30% are acceptable, perhaps partly because they have little awareness of customer perception of - for example - passing off a commissionable product-launch as "news".
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    • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
      I use both broadcasts and a pre-written autoresponder
      sequence for most of my lists.

      They each have their own strengths and weaknesses
      and I choose whichever combination helps me to achieve
      the campaign objectives.

      Broadcasts are great for sending timely messages and
      autoresponders are useful for giving the subscriber a
      pre-planned experience.

      Dedicated to mutual success,

      Shaun
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      • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
        Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly View Post

        Broadcasts are great for sending timely messages and
        autoresponders are useful for giving the subscriber a
        pre-planned experience.
        Yep.

        Interrupting continuity is not that big of a deal. If the news you have is important like a new product launch or a new service, it's perfectly acceptable to broadcast it out as opposed to leaving it in a series and waiting for the subscriber to find it.

        Plus it helps you see immediately who the most active members on your list are and what sorts of messages do and do not work. When you send a broadcast out, you get great pieces of data instantly from the response and know whether or not that target market responds to that sort of marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author dazkat
        I think it really depends upon the type of list you are building.

        I personally use both a set schedule of automated emails & broadcasts.

        I actually think broadcasts show your subscribers that you are current because you can adapt to current trends, offers etc... and it shows them you have your finger on the pulse.

        For me an automated email series is there to build trust and its a way to warm them up to an offer that you will present at a later date.

        At the end of the day as long as you are building a quality relationship with your list and they trust and like you, I personally don't think it really matters.
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  • Profile picture of the author David Keith
    For most people, a combination of both is the way to go.

    Alexa makes some good points in post #2.

    I will add that a major advantage of an AR series is that all of the people get the messages. When you do a broadcast today with your list of 500. Those 500 are the only ones who see it.

    So 3 months from now when your list is 2,000. If you want to direct your subscribers attention to that product/service again, you must broadcast it out to the list again. Now you have sent the same content to 25% of your list again.

    Broadcasts are better for time sensitive stuff than general information or recommendations that will likely be just as relevant 6 months from now as they are today.
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
    If I am sending a course or if you are going on the freebie list .. a series .. to a point.

    If it is a JV or Affiliate list, there will be enough of a series to get the general information out but broadcast is the main thing.

    Most AR allow to send a broadcast out to a single list or list 1.. 3.. 7 and not your list database alone.
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  • Profile picture of the author TestiVar
    An "auto-responder" is an email address with a bot at the other end that answers emails sent to it. That is why it is called an "auto-responder." It has nothing to do with ezine subscriptions. It is a technology that disappeared almost entirely in the nineties.

    Ezines have also almost disappeared due to the spam problem. They are certainly not common among actual online businesses.

    This is 2012. Get with the program. Do you see an ezine subscribe box on Google.com, Yahoo.com, eBay.com, Twitter.com, Facebook.com or ANY other player? Do you see them on ProFlowers.com, Cars.com, Schwans.com, ReMax.com or any minor player?

    Do you see them ANYWHERE except scam and spam web-sites? I can only think of one site that isn't a scammer or spammer who still uses an opt-in ezine as part of his marketing efforts. He is a famous author. As a marketer, he is very small potatoes. You probably have never even heard of him.

    The only list that matters is the customer list.

    If auto-responders or even ezine opt-in marketing still worked, then every major player would use them. None do. That's not because the multi-million (and often multi-billion) dollar companies hire stupid people. It's because they are annoying, used mostly by spammers and scammers, and simply don't work!
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
      Your internet connection must be limited to the point of not seeing a lot of sites. There are plenty of reputable sites that use follow up marketing.

      I guess the entire DOE, in your mind, is just a bunch of losers, spamming their way to obliteration.

      Those big players do not use an opt in because they have different methods of collecting your information and manipulating it to their profit.

      A little "secret" .. those likes on face book may make you feel better but they are not for your benefit. Every time you like something you are just targeting the type of ads Face Book will present to you.

      Those that say the "only" profitable email list is a buyers list are those who do not have the marketing ability to profit from any other type of list.



      Originally Posted by TestiVar View Post

      An "auto-responder" is an email address with a bot at the other end that answers emails sent to it. That is why it is called an "auto-responder." It has nothing to do with ezine subscriptions. It is a technology that disappeared almost entirely in the nineties.

      Ezines have also almost disappeared due to the spam problem. They are certainly not common among actual online businesses.

      This is 2012. Get with the program. Do you see an ezine subscribe box on Google.com, Yahoo.com, eBay.com, Twitter.com, Facebook.com or ANY other player? Do you see them on ProFlowers.com, Cars.com, Schwans.com, ReMax.com or any minor player?

      Do you see them ANYWHERE except scam and spam web-sites? I can only think of one site that isn't a scammer or spammer who still uses an opt-in ezine as part of his marketing efforts. He is a famous author. As a marketer, he is very small potatoes. You probably have never even heard of him.

      The only list that matters is the customer list.

      If auto-responders or even ezine opt-in marketing still worked, then every major player would use them. None do. That's not because the multi-million (and often multi-billion) dollar companies hire stupid people. It's because they are annoying, used mostly by spammers and scammers, and simply don't work!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mirus
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    • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
      Originally Posted by TestiVar View Post

      This is 2012. Get with the program. Do you see an ezine subscribe box on Google.com, Yahoo.com, eBay.com, Twitter.com, Facebook.com or ANY other player? Do you see them on ProFlowers.com, Cars.com, Schwans.com, ReMax.com or any minor player?
      Can I get some of what you're smoking? The players you mention grab your email address whenever you want to use something on their site. They don't need an opt-in form.

      Need an example: Check out Groupon. They ask for your email in step 2. Signup for Twitter or Facebook. When you signed up for WF, did you give them your email address?

      The money has always been in the list and will always be in the list. How one chooses to use it is up to them.

      Your right about one thing. It's 2012. Get with the program.
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