New to Email List Building? You can start with Part 1 - Read it here!

What will you be learning?

We will be looking at the differences between:

• Autoresponder Follow-up messages
• Broadcast messages

What is an Autoresponder?

Starting with Autoresponders, also known by numerous other names, such as Automatic responses, Drip Campaigns, and Follow-up messages. Basically they are messages that would go out for all new subscribers, in the same order, no matter when they join your list.

Your visitor likes your blog and opt's in to receive all your updated newsletter info. Possibly you have a lead magnet on a certain blog, offering to share more information than presented in the blog post. When the person opt's in, he or she is taken to a web page thanking him or her for opting in, and letting them know that their "Lead Magnet" is being delivered in the email address they supplied.

When to Use an Autoresponder!

So when should you use Autoresponders?

Honestly ... you should employ them as much as possible.

WHY?

Since you have no idea when they are going to enter their details into a Newsletter Opt-in, or one of your well crafted Lead Magnets, and you need to begin communicating with them as soon as possible, an Autoresponder is the best possible tool in this scenario. You need to communicate with them in a predictable way.

I get it ... you may just be starting out and there is no one on your list. So why do you need to do this now?

The answer is simply, if not now when?

Do you wait until 10 people are on your list? 20 people. 50 people. 100 people?

Successful Marketers use Autoresponders ... period!

I am here to help you become successful. My bet is it won't take long before you really need that Autoresponder up and functioning 24/7/365 as soon as possible. it's best if you have it ready before you even publish an Opt-in/Subscribe button on your Blog, Landing Page, Home Page, About Me Page, or any other well designed page where you would like to have people subscribing.

When you send out an automatic sequence like this when someone joins your list, you give them immediate gratification for what they have signed up for.

When new customers purchase your product you want to have another automated sequence of emails tailored towards that product as well. This has been shown to keep refund rates lowered, and contributes significantly to your overall success.

You will also want still another automated sequence to send out other messages no matter what your doing otherwise.

How Many Emails Do You Need?

Ideally, your autoresponder series should go out for months, if not for years.

Months ... Years !!

You won't have this initially, but yes you will need to make sure your series of automated emails are providing the basis of the subscribers coming to know, like and eventually to trust you. It really does take time. Not everyone will grow to like you and the content you serve them immediately. But, over time, they can come to like and eventually to look forward to receiving your emails.

You definitely don't want to send out a "NEW" email every single time someone joins your list.

Purpose of Autoresponders

So what is the purpose of Autoresponders based on the users perspective?

• They help subscribers consume what they have asked for and/or purchased
• Helps turn subscribers into customers
• And your customers can turn into repeat customers
• It can help turn your most valuable customers into affiliates or ambassadors for your brand

Broadcasts

Surprisingly too many businesses rely heavily on broadcast messages.

These take the form of:

• Newsletters
• Email blasts
• Other urgent immediate messages

These messages [Broadcasts] go out to ALL MEMBERS of your list (or segment) who are active at the time of release.

Broadcast messages are no doubt, an important part of your messaging, but should NOT be depended on 100%.

This is because if a member joins your list 1 second after you publish the broadcast, the new member does not receive it.

When to Use Broadcasts

You should be sending out broadcast messages at a minimum, once per week.

You should send out any NEW marketing Sequence emails as a broadcast to test to make sure it is working before you turn it into an automatic email sequence.

You should use broadcasts when you have time sensitive promotions, around the holidays, or special life events around you or your business. I know one marketer that sends out promotions on his birthday with temporary price reductions on his products.

Sending out broadcasts emails for current activities, is also a great way to build up your relationship with all of your subscribers.

Broadcasts can showcase NEW Blog Posts, resulting in a huge increase in traffic, and this helps in the search engine optimization.

When can you use both?

Let's say your sending out invitations to a Live Webinar (Broadcast). The Confirmation messages (autoresponder of segmented list) would then be sent via an autoresponder.

You will send out a broadcast message to remind people to download something (broadcast to segment).

Also just before the webinar begins, you would send a message (broadcast to segment).

Similarly, you would send out messages of a replay opportunity to those that registered (broadcast to segment).

Once the webinar is over you may wish to turn the replay messages into an evergreen webinar (autoresponder of segment).

Managing Email in your ESP

You will want to set up separate email lists inside of your Email Service Provider. at a bare minimum you should have:

• General subscriber list
• New customer list(s) [one for each product]
• Mini-list for consuming some specific Lead Magnet [final message sends them to general subscriber list]

Segmenting Your lists

You can segment your lists based on a number of things. Some of which are:

• Based in interest (Lead Magnet choices)
• Based on behavior (clicks, no clicks, opens, non-opens)
• Based on subscription history (joined in last 30 days, more than 6 months, etc)

That's All Folks ...

This is the end of Part 4 of the Email List Building Series. Make sure you keep coming back for the future Parts 5, 6, 7, 8 and finally Part 9.