The function is the automatic email responder is simple.

Your blog or website visitor enters their name and email address and they are automatically added to your subscribers list.

Once they have opted in, you decide the type of follow up emails they receive.

I’ve used several autoresponder services and now I recommend Aweber.

Why?

Well I tried several others and Aweber provides the best value for money. The ease of use and support is excellent.

I’m in the middle of transferring all my opt-ins to Aweber.

During your automated email sequence you are wanting to do your best to build a relationship with your customer.

Using the automated email sequence, you want to provide extra advice and free content plus recommend related products for sale, so you make some income!

Personally, I only recommend products I use myself. The last thing you want to do is offer a tool of some course or service and it turns out to be rubbish. Your reputation and credibility is shot to pieces, so, my advice, ONLY recommend products to your customers you have used and like.

Powerful tip: You must have a balance between free advice and recommendations. I know you want to make some income but if you just send out recommendation after recommendation, your list are going to quickly click on that ‘unsubscribe’ button or even worse, report you as spamming.

So, what’s a good balance between free advice type emails and ‘sales’ type emails?

Firstly, try and over deliver. Your visitors sign up for something in return. It could be a free e-book or e-course or audio – whatever it is make sure that is delivered first.

Then a couple of days later provide something else for free. Maybe another e-book or audio or education video. Surprise them!

By giving more than they expect, some of your customers will be delighted.

So is there an ideal sequence to build trust and credibility, so that customers will eventually buy from you?

I think so.

This is mine:

Message 1 – instantly after sign-up – A ‘thank you’ email with access to the free give away product.

Message 2 – 2 days later – a following up email asking them if they could download the product OK.

Message 3 – 2 days later – a surprise bonus. Another free quality giveaway.

Message 4 – 4 days later – another free quality give away.

Message 5 – 4 days later – a promotion type email recommending a tool or product

Message 6 – 3 days later – free advice or content

Message 7 – 3 days later – free advice or content

Message 8 – 3 days later – free advice or content

Message 9 – 4 days later – a promotion type email recommending a tool or product

Then repeat message 6, 7, 8 and 9, so you are sending out 3 free advice type emails per each promotional email.

By providing so much free advice, you will get fewer customers who unsubscribe.

Of course, you will always get people who unsubscribe. I get customers who sign-up for my free report and 5 minutes later they unsubscribe. At first, I used to think, “How dare they? I’ve put a lot of effort into that quality free product and they just sign-up, take it for free, and go”.

But one piece of advice. Don’t take it personally. There are people going round all the different web sites picking up the free stuff, all day every day. I no longer take it personally.

I hope you see the point of the above sequence. You start off by continuing the customer relationship and hopefully building on it. Then you begin offering other related products or services.

That, for me, is the best way to set up an automatic email responder.