Using Auto Responders To Promote Your Business
 by: Kaitlyn Murray

Do you receive email? Do you send email? Not surprising, a lot of people do. However, most people are overlooking a great tool to promote their business – literally at the tips of their finger.

That little used, yet very powerful tool should be set up and used TODAY. If you send me an email, regardless if you’re contacting me about an ad or if it's spam, you will receive a reply instantly. That email reply called an auto responder – generates a lot of potential business.

You invest a lot of time, effort and money into ads you place. Do you then sit by your computer waiting for responses so that you can answer the inquiries that come in? Like the slogan says, why not, “set it and forget it.”

We live in a society of instant gratification – and people want immediate answers. You can loose a lot of business to an inferior company simply because they answered their emails faster than you.

There are several ways of using auto responders – a few a listed below:

1- they can be used to provide contact information. This is especially important in establishing a good relationship with prospective customers. I want them to know I have thought out that they will probably contact me regarding an ad - and since ad space is limited by size and budget, I give additional details in an auto responder. I will even state “for more information – email: [email protected]”. By using an auto responder - I can provide a lot more information.

Auto responders should be used to promote and/or re-enforce an advertisement. Typically, ads can only provide so much information. Whether print ads or links on a website, you can only put some much of your budget into each ad you place. A great way to follow-up with prospects is to add additional information about your services or products in your auto responder.

Yes, I know it's on auto-pilot but the wording in my auto-responder is geared to provide additional details regarding an ad and contact information.

2 -they can be used as a survey. Want to know what people think? Ask them! You'd be surprised by what people will tell you. This can be effective way for you to determine the wants and needs of your prospective customers. Depending on their answer you can set up an additional set of auto responders to directly respond to their answers.

For instance, ask your customer/prospect. Do you like this product in red or green? You can link each response to a different coupon which would be immediately sent to your customers email address. Direct marketing at its best!

3- they can be used to let people know you'll be out of the office for vacation, holidays, etc. Most people have probably seen this type of auto responder. But it is one that is especially important for customer relations. If a customer is waiting for communication from you and receives nothing for 2 weeks while you're on vacation, they will most likely become irritated that you took so long to get back to them. With an auto responder they receive an immediate communication and can decide to try and reach you via another method, reschedule the contact, or reach someone else in your company. But at least they don't feel that they've been ignored.

Finally, a very important note, this is not spam. Strictly speaking, when you receive an email from someone, they have opened the door to your mutual communication. It can be proven you did not initiating the contact, and that this is a response to their contact. Your ISP checks spam complaints and can verify the communication.

In an age where most everyone is scared to send an email for fear of being labeled a spammer – especially one that is promotional in some way, using auto responders makes a lot of sense. It’s no different than the person who goes into a brick and mortar store, and leaves with a sales flyer.

So, have no fear, add your auto-responder, you pay for the service as part of your email service. Every email program is different, so if you don't see a way to create an auto responder, contact your internet service provider or web staff to assist you.

Good luck and happy marketing!

About The Author

Kaitlyn Murray - web designer and marketing coach. A full-time mother and work at home mom, focused is helping people learn methods of advertising that will enable their small and/or home business to explode with proven strategies that can increase their bottom line. To receive newsletter about marketing and advertising go to: http://www.dogwithnote.com/mail/. Visit http://www.dogwithnote.com - where business is so easy even a dog with a note can do it.