Autoresponders - how long should a follow up sequence be?

by 13 replies
16
Yo!

I have a question which no doubt will be subjective - however Im curious...

Lets say you have an optin for a product that you're promoting, and you have a series of emails that are sent to your customer, each second day, with great content and obviously an offer to buy.

My question is...

Where do you draw the line in terms of "letting go" of the customer?

Do I send a series of emails over a 3 month period and then conclude that this person is a dead set tyre kicker or what? Then let em go?

Or should I continue to email them regardless - but for how long?

Where do you draw the line, and say, okay, this person just aint' gonna buy!

John
#main internet marketing discussion forum #autoresponders #follow #long #sequence
  • You are right - the correct answer is 'it depends' - it depends on your market, your list, your offer, etc. So you'll have to test it all.

    Many successful online marketers recommend a 10 day/10 email or so followup sequence and then they drop non-responders back to less frequent mailings, or they start offering other products (affiliate products, other products you produce, etc.) to see if they might be interested in other offers. But the bottom line is you have to test various sequences, offers, frequencies, etc. to find out what works best with your market and list.

    And as for letting them go, not sure why you would do that. Unless you are paying for storage space for a very large list, or you have to pay for email blasts, let 'em roll until they opt out. You never know when something you have to say or offer will strike a chord with someone.
  • I would never let go of a customer. You can always market to them and you never know what will peak their interest in anything you offer. After a month or two I am not ad aggressive, but I will still send them an occasional message
  • If you provide real value to your list you would never drop a person you would let them opt out.
    • [1] reply
    • If they are responding to a niche specific topic, such as opting in for 10 lessons on a given subject, I would provide the 10 lessons then continue with information which is broader but still likely to be of interest to that niche or that demographic.

      For instance, someone wanting to lose 10 lbs in 30 days is still likely to be interested in getting slimmer or staying slim, getting fit and fitness related activities, healthy diets etc.

      So I keep them on the list but broaden the material to make it more interesting. There are likely to be lots of related products I could introduce if I can keep their interest.

      if possible, I provide further information which can be shared with a number of different lists, to reduce the amount of work involved.

      Ivan
  • I don't think getting rid of non-responsive customers is a good idea for a number of reasons.

    1. They may not buy your product but some of them will take note of what you are offering and talk about it in forums or to their friends (kinda passive promotion).
    2. Even if you are promoting other people's product they would know the bonus you are offering and talk about it as well.
    3. Click the link in your mail, come to your site, watch the video (or read the post) and hopefully leave a comment.
    4. Having a huge list is a key factor for entering into good JV partnerships.
    5. No extra cost to send your mail to 15072 subscribers instead of 11529, right?
    6. May be, just may be, they will purchase something from you some day - you never know.

    There must be a few other reasons. However, you can shortlist the paying customers as well as those who are responsive . . . for statistical purpose and to send special offers.
  • One of the best email marketers, Matt Furey, advocates mailing your list daily. Twice daily if you have the time. Though, lately, he hasn't been taking his own advice. Must be busy
    with other stuff.

    By the way -- he writes original emails daily. He uses an autoresponder only for the first
    few days.

    When do you stop trying to sell to a prospect? When they click on the Unsubscribe link!
  • Thanks guys,
    Ill continue on with my 2nd day email campaign, then rethink my strategy after a few months.
  • Keep going because you never know, they may become a customer a year or two down the line as long as you keep providing value. Those that don't want to hear from you will just unsubscribe from your list.
    • [1] reply
    • Dont mean to sound too much like a noob, but are there any great instructions on what to present people in the sequence. For example in the first email resend them the link they opted into (to get content or whatever), 2nd email sell them on a product, etc... any help would be much appreciated.
      • [1] reply
  • Hi there

    For me personally when they have reachd the end of the sequences (between 9 and 22, varies per list) I then only send them my weekly broadcast's.

    This way, they still get to keep in touch with what I'm doing, what offers I have and my useful tips.

    I find this reduces my unsubscribe rate and works well.

    Lilach
  • Yes, it does depend on your audience or market. However, we create ONE year of autoresponders for each prospect. It's a lot of work, but it works! There is a special sequence that is used for the best results through out the year.

    Naturally, these autoresponders are sent out for different types of people. One set for prospects and one set for buyers. We never forget our buyers. Some marketers get their customer's money - then forget them. Never forget about your valued customers - let them know they are not forgotten.

    Happy Trails!
    • [1] reply
    • How long is a piece of string?

      keep at least 25-35 messages, and space them out within 1 every 5-6 days. That is just a guideline
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