Autoresponder emails, which are automatically triggered based on specific criteria you set, can be one of the greatest tools for building relationships and growing sales, if they are used appropriately. If they aren’t used wisely, you run the risk of annoying your customers and finding out just how quickly you can lose your subscription audience.
Email marketing has been identified as one of the most profitable modern marketing techniques. According to all-in-one email marketing tool, GetResponse, 60% of shoppers are more apt to buy after receiving an email, and email marketers report an average of $28 in returns for every $1 spent. It’s no wonder businesses are trying to capitalize on autoresponders. If you can set a tool with such as high earning potential on autopilot, why wouldn’t you?
Here are a few types of autoresponder emails we’ve seen and why they work brilliantly at improving revenue:
The Next Step.
There will be persons who visit your website, and like it enough to sign up, but don’t take it any further. It’s not always because they aren’t interested; sometimes they’re not ready, they’ve forgotten, or they simply aren’t sure what they should do next.
A pleasant email to remind or make them aware of their options can go a long way. In their minds, they’ve gone from a random person visiting your website, to someone you care about helping.
This is not a direct sales email, but it will help to take the person who recently discovered you further along the process to their first purchase.
The Follow-Up.
If you run a business that’s based on appointments or any service on a regular schedule, follow-up emails should definitely be a part of your autoresponder strategy. This can streamline your entire scheduling process so you or your staff never have to waste time on scheduling appointments.
On your website, use a tool like vCita or Bookly to allow visitors to schedule, and even pay for, their appointments. Plug this information into your email autoresponder so they get a Follow Up email after their appointment, thanking them for their patronage and assisting them with scheduling their next appointment.
If their appointment is some time in the far future, you could also schedule a message closer to the date reminding them of the appointment and what they’ll need to bring along. Once it’s scheduled, you no longer have to think about it.
You Want It? You Got It.
You’re probably familiar with the abandoned cart autoresponder. You look around an e-commerce website, add a few items to your cart, but leave before checking out. Later, you get an email reminding you about it and prompting you to purchase before they go out of stock.
People abandon shopping carts for various reasons. They might be shocked to see the total price once shipping and taxes have been added, they might not be ready to purchase immediately or they simply walk away from their computers and forget.
A great way to pull them back in is not just to remind them about the cart, but offer them an incentive to purchase now. A temporary discount on the items available or free shipping, for example, is much more likely to prompt them to purchase immediately.
The Upsell.
When you’re in a restaurant, your server often asks ‘would you like a drink with that’? Or when you’re shopping for an item on Amazon, you see a row of recommended items indicating that ‘persons who bought this item also bought’ these. These are both examples of upselling that feel natural and helpful, rather than pushy.
You have to get to know your customers and understand why they buy from you, then create packages or add-ons of relevant items. These then become expected recommendations, not a pushy afterthought.
It’s also helpful to make upselling as quick and painless as possible. Your email needs to be sent as soon as possible and give the ability for persons to add the item to their previous offer, rather than go through another checkout process.
Let’s Not Break Up.
When customers sign up for a trial period, it’s good to remind them when that period is over. If they haven’t yet paid for the service, but they enjoy it, they’ll want to do so quickly to avoid losing it. If they have paid, they’ll appreciate your early warning before getting an unexpected charge on their credit card. Either way, this email provides a seamless transition by explaining how to proceed with entering billing information or cancelling the service.
Deal of the Day.
We all love great deals – some, more than others. If you have a wide range of products that persons by frequently, persons will look forward to this in the morning inbox. Restaurants which have daily menu specials are perfect for this.
If your items are not purchased as frequently, you can still take advantage of this strategy by offering a weekly or monthly deal email. It’s important that these are kept to a schedule as persons often plan their buying patterns around them.
To maximize earning potential from these emails, segment your audience to determine what products they would prefer, as opposed to sending the same offer to everyone on your list.
Affiliate Connection.
If you don’t have a product to sell, you can still earn money from a mailing list that you’ve cultivated (through a blog, for example). The trick is using affiliate programs, which give you the opportunity to sell other’s products on their behalf in exchange for a slice of the revenue. Look for products in your niche that offer affiliate programs – ShareASale is a great place to start – then sign up for these products and work them into your emails.
These affiliate emails can be tied to links clicked in your newsletter. If someone clicks on an article you wrote or suggested about a certain task, it can trigger a follow-up email with a product or service to help with that task.
It’s recommended that you try these products out yourself and you promote the products that you are comfortable with. This way, you retain the trust of your audience and they will continue to rely on you for future recommendations.
The key to using autoresponders to increase sales is to anticipate your customers’ needs before they do and become the go-to resource for product and service recommendations, whether they are your own or others’. Make the emails timely, relevant and personalized and the transition from email to purchase as seamless as possible. Then relax a little, you’ve earned it.
