What is an email autoresponder, how to set up, and the best ways to use?

When getting started with your email marketing campaigns, you may focus on single newsletters, but that won’t be enough in the future. To establish a long-term relationship with your customers and prospect, you need an email autoresponder. This article explains what email autoresponders are and how they can improve your email marketing efforts.

What are email autoresponders?

Email autoresponders are sequences of emails your subscribers will receive after signing up for a specific email campaign. The emails are sent automatically on particular days of the campaign, which means you don’t have to remember to set manual delivery – the cycle works by itself.

You set it up once, and then they work for you automatically. You only have the work once.

How to set up an email autoresponder?

Here are simple steps to follow when setting up your first email autoresponder:

Set up the email list you wish to send the email autoresponder. Make sure you put your contacts in the desired order.
Add your first email.
Create your first message to welcome your subscribers and set the expectations you want to fulfill with this email cycle. Careful preparation is crucially important, as the first impression your subscribers get will strongly influence whether they open your following messages, not to mention clicking the link it includes.
Create further emails based on your goals.
Promote the autoresponder to your list. Remember to track the open and click-through rates of each message in the cycle. Constantly check the analytics and analyze the behavior of your subscribers. These steps will make it easier for you to create effective email autoresponders in future campaigns.

Ways to use email autoresponders

There are various ways to introduce an autoresponder cycle to your marketing. For example, you may use them for educational purposes and send a mini-course regarding your product or service. Or a great way to refresh the long-ago published content for new subscribers. An email autoresponder is also great for upselling, affiliate promotions, surveys, or giveaways – it all depends on your business and what you want to achieve.

The infographic below includes easy-to-use and tested recipes for successful email autoresponders cycles.