{"id":6280,"date":"2010-09-16T07:25:52","date_gmt":"2010-09-16T12:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/37d57f8fa2.nxcli.io\/blog\/?p=6280"},"modified":"2010-09-01T07:36:48","modified_gmt":"2010-09-01T12:36:48","slug":"return-to-sender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/email-marketing\/return-to-sender\/","title":{"rendered":"Return to Sender"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know what word I have trouble spelling? <\/strong>Oppossed.<\/p>\n

See what I mean?<\/p>\n

Same with curiculum, entreprenur and envionment, although I blame that last one on having lived in Boston for 25 years, a place where the letter “R” has never been welcome.<\/p>\n

Happily, I’ve got a spell-checker in Word and a spell-checker associated with my e-mail. And with 98% of my written communications occurring between those two, for the most part, nobody knows about my spelling weakness (Shhh).<\/p>\n

The truth is, it’s this kind of automation<\/strong> \u2013 online purchasing, cell phones, remote e-mail, PDF downloads, online backup, spell-check and others \u2013 which I find make the logistical aspects\"email<\/a> of running a small business so straightforward. <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>I don’t have a great memory to begin with, and as I’ve pushed “Mr. Systematic” out of the way and let the right side of my brain take over these past several years, I’d be lost without a whole bunch of prearranged processes running in the background.<\/p>\n

Which is why I’m so excited about the concept of automated e-mail marketing messages<\/strong> \u2013 or “autoresponders,” as those who frequent trade shows sponsored by companies with oddly-spelled names filled with too many capital letters like to call them.<\/p>\n

An autoresponder is simply a message sent \u2013 automatically \u2013 in response to an e-mail received or a web form filled in. The most common autoresponder is a vacation message: <\/strong>You write it before you leave, and while you’re gone, anyone who sends you an e-mail gets your pre-written message sent back to them.<\/p>\n

Here in E-Newsletter Land, the most important autoresponder is your “Welcome Message,”<\/strong> a message sent immediately to anyone who signs up to receive your newsletter. Any e-mail marketing<\/a> vendor worth its salt (and if you don’t have a salty e-mail marketing vendor, I suggest you get one) offers this feature. It’s an opportunity for you to welcome new readers as they take that first step onto your list.<\/p>\n

Specifically, make sure your welcome e-mail includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n