Bob Milliken
Bob Milliken

I am constantly amazed when talking to small business owners by their lack of an autoresponder in their marketing programs. Which means, by implication, that they have an ineffective email marketing system. Which also means that they are ignoring significant business opportunities and leaving money on the table.

Whenever I say the word “autoresponder” most people regard me with a “Say What?” attitude. So, today’s article is going to be about what an autoresponder is, why it is important  for your business, and some thoughts on choosing one.

Let’s start with what an autoresponder is.

An autoresponder is a tool for you to use online that allows you to quickly collect names and e-mail addresses, and automatically follow up with those specific individuals in any fashion that you want.

Here’s why…

Not only will you be able to automate your lead generation, and scale it to millions of leads at once, but the autoresponder will also allow you to automatically follow up with those leads, and help you make product sales without you having to physically be there to make the sale and collect the money.

Choosing an Autoresponder Provider

There are dozens of autoresponders to choose from, perhaps thousands if you count all of the small providers and self-hosted solutions. It can be tough to decide which provider to use.

Email marketingPricing can vary considerably between different providers. It’s important to anticipate how many people you will likely add to your list to decide which provider is the most affordable. Most of them base their pricing on the number of subscribers you have in your list meaning that you can start out small and scale as you need to.

Perhaps the most popular autoresponder service among internet marketers is www.aWeber.com. This service has a moderate price, plenty of features, and is relatively simple for beginners to use.

Another great service provider is www.GetResponse.com which is very similar to aWeber.com, with similar pricing and features. It is also a very simple system to use, making it another good choice for newbies.

Many people have flocked to Mail Chimp. They make a good starter solution and are very reasonably priced. However, while it’s free for up to 2,000 leads, you must read their rules carefully.

One provider that has recently caught my attention is www.ActiveCampaign.com, a hidden gem in the marketing automation world. They’re one of the most affordable providers for small businesses and their software is exceptionally well-designed.

Your Take Away

As of April 2018, there are over 6.32 billion email accounts and this figure is predicted to reach 7.71 billion by 2021 which is a growth of more than 22%. Email is NOT dead!

If you haven’t figured out by now, it’s extremely important for your business to have an effective email marketing program with an autoresponder at its core.

Bob Milliken specializes in helping businesses excelorate their marketing. Bob can be reached at bob@compunet.ca. or by phone at 604.986.8170 x102. Find us at www.Compunet.ca.