Did you know that it takes approximately 7 interactions with a prospective client before they buy from you?
Because of this, it's important that you capture every name and email address that you can from visitors to your website and follow up with them quickly to start getting to know them and developing a relationship with them. In order to capture this information you need to have something enticing (a free report, eBook, etc.) they want. Whichever option you choose, the focus should be on a specific problem the reader is facing and your providing them with a solution that they can implement. When you offer such benefits prospects will be more than willing to give you their name and/or email address.
But just capturing names and emails is not enough.
You need to STAY in contact with them, and that's where your autoresponder comes in. An autoresponder is a series of pre-scheduled emails that go out at specified intervals. You can set this up with your email service provider, such as Constant Contact, Aweber, Infusionsoft or 1ShoppingCart (aka Net Office Toolbox).
For example, your first email generally goes out immediately, then you might send one the following day, and again in three days, and again in a week. This keeps readers interested and "trains" them to watch for and read your emails.
That's important, because unless they're actually consuming your content, you aren't likely to make any sales, and that's why you have built your website in the first place, right?
So how can your autoresponder series help pay for itself? There are lots of ways, including:
1. Provide a useful, but brief ecourse - For example, if you are an interior designer, your autoresponder series might include 5 simple steps to hiring an interior designer. In each lesson, make sure you educate them about how they can schedule an initial consultation with you (either a paid consult or one that is low cost). This will empower your prospect to make a good decision, but also train them as to how to be an ideal client for you.
2. Solicit feedback - This is a highly effective technique that most businesses miss. Use your autoresponder series to find out more about the prospect. Ask questions about their likes and dislikes, what prompted them to reach out to you and what types of solutions they are looking for. Be sure to respond to acknowledge their input. (Infusionsoft makes it easy for you to do this in an automated way). Most importantly, listen to what they have to say and offer your products and services accordingly!
3. Promote Your Own Products or Services - Of course one of the main reasons you want people on your list is so you can show them that you're the expert in your industry so don't forget to promote yourself and your own products or services! Extend offers based on the level of trust
4. Affiliate Promotions - While you don't want every single message you send out to be a promotion to buy something, a few of your follow up emails could include an affiliate promotion of some sort. It's only natural to want to share information about products and services that will make the lives of your customers easier. If you can promote something like web hosting or a monthly membership these are great because you'll generate a recurring income from one follow up email.
5. Advertising - Be careful with this one. If you decide to sell advertising space in your emails it's really important that you make sure the ad is relevant to your niche. For example if your expertise is about dog training it wouldn't make sense to run an ad about email marketing. You'll also want to periodically check to make sure your ads still fit your goals. Remember, your autoresponder series will continue to go out whenever someone new signs up for your list, so you need to make sure any advertisements are still relevant (and current) from time to time.
When you follow these tips for using autoresponder follow-up messages you set up a system for generating passive income. You do the work once and increase your income for as long as people continue to subscribe to your list.