Sunday, July 19, 2009

July 19th "Autoresponders in your World Series", Part 15.

Autoresponder Broadcasts Make E-zines Simple!

Autoresponders serve many functions, but one of their best features is the ability to publish and promote electronic newsletters or magazines (e-zines). After you bring in list subscribers with attractive landing pages and freebies, your ability to retain them will be determined by the quality of your ongoing correspondence. Use your e-zine to forge a lasting relationship with your list through superior content and offers.

Publishing an e-zine can be a daunting task, but with discipline and a passion for helping others, your work will stand out in any competitive online niche. However, newsletters are not quite the “Set it-and-forget it” message sequences usually associated with autoresponders. As opposed to the automatic messages that you send subscribers at fixed intervals after they sign up, you will need to use the ‘broadcast’ option that comes with most third party autoresponders.

What is an autoresponder broadcast? Simply stated, it is a message that you schedule at the day and time of your choosing. All current mailing list subscribers receive this message, regardless of when they joined you. Broadcasts are “one-time” messages, unless subscribers specifically request them through your autoresponder address.

Technically speaking, broadcast messages are created in a similar manner to your automated autoresponder. Enter the broadcast control panel of your service, type your message (or copy/paste it from a word processor), then pick the time for your mailing.

Autoresponders give small business owners and “solo-preneurs” the same publishing power as any Fortune 500 corporation. You control scheduling and distribution while your service handles the flow of subscribers coming into and opting out of your e-zine. In fact, as you become a more skilled and prolific writer, you can “stockpile” several weeks worth of e-zine editions and send them out as if they were an automated sequence!

How about that!

Autoresponder services do not delete your previous broadcasts and auto-messages, thus you can resend issues when appropriate, or respond to individual requests about products and information. Don’t forget to track your open and click rates to gauge interest in your newsletter and the items being promoted in it.

Broadcast messaging should be high on your list of autoresponder “must haves”. Be aware that not all autoresponders are created equal. Ensure your have all the marketing tools you need to vault your online presence into the big leagues.

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Rahul Majumdar is an Information Marketer specializing in article marketing, list-building, and digital product creation. Sign up for more of his insights here.

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