Autoresponder Campaigns

You know that first impressions matter to your business. You pride yourself on providing a great first experience whenever a new customer walks through your door.

But have you ever thought about the impression you’re making on your newest email subscribers?

Are the new people on your email list getting a great overview of all your business has to offer right at the start, or are they thrown into the mix with the rest of your contacts, some of whom have been receiving your messages for years?

Every new contact has the possibility to become a long-lasting customer for your business, but it’s up to you to guide them in the right direction and give them a welcome that will encourage them to stay connected.

Luckily, offering this kind of experience may be easier than you think. Let’s look at how you can use an autoresponder series to make a great first impression.

Provide value right away

Once a new contact joins your list, you want to give them a warm welcome and reward them for connecting with you. Think about how you can offer your subscribers something of value right away, so they are more likely to open your future messages.

It doesn’t have to be big — a small coupon, piece of exclusive content, or personal thank you message is a nice touch to encourage your new subscribers to stick around and further engage with your business.

Tip: Schedule your autoresponder to start within a few days after your welcome emailis sent. You can specify the timing within your Constant Contact account.

Have their interests in mind

It’s important to remember that all your contacts are not the same. Hopefully, whether you’re collecting contact details through a sign-up sheet or an online sign-up form on your website, you are making it easy for contacts to tell you what they’re interested in.

An easy way to do this is to provide a list of topics so that subscribers can check off what they’re interested in receiving.

This will ensure they only receive information that is relevant to them, and help you determine what to send to whom. Once you’ve collected this information, you cansegment contacts into different lists and create different autoresponder series based on these interests.

For example, if you run a wellness center that offers guided meditation, as well as therapeutic massages, you could create an autoresponder series for each group. While the meditation list might receive a series of calming breathing exercises, those who expressed interest in massage therapy could receive a series of stretching exercises to relieve muscle tension.

Tip: You don’t always have to start from scratch. Look back at some of the newsletters you’ve already sent and break up the information into various categories or topics before creating your autoresponder series. See if you can repurpose your existing content when sending targeted messages to new subscribers.

Let them get to know you

People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust, so don’t be afraid to let your new subscribers get to know you and your business.

You can set up an Autoresponder series to introduce your business and show what makes your brand unique. Consider sending a message about how your business first got started.

Next, look to provide an informational overview of your products or services. Take your subscribers behind-the-scenes by sending them a video showing how a specific product is made or linking them to an interview with one of your employees.

After your new subscribers have gotten to know you a bit better, they can be folded into your regular mailings with other contacts that have already gotten to know and love your business.

Going the next step

The benefits of an autoresponder series go far beyond mastering your first impression.  Creating a series of emails to delight your most loyal customers — or scheduling a series leading up to a big event or promotion — can be a huge delighter and save you some time.

Ready to give Autoresponder a try? Use these resources to get started:

• Here’s a step-by step look at creating an Autoresponder Series within your account

• More of a visual learner? Check out our Autoresponder video!

• Or follow along with our guide “How to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot with Autoresponder”