Hey Ya'll


Those of you using autoresponders, what format have you found best for them?

What I mean is?

message 1: Introduce yourself, welcome, free gift
message 2. introduce your product...
message 3. give some free info...
message 4. etc.

Like what is your guys strategy that you've found effective in autoresponder series?

what do u try to accomplish in each series of emails in order to get them to take that final action of buying?

thanks
Caleb

Hi Caleb,
I hope you're having a great day!

I'm just starting out with my Aweber account, so I can't comment on what will work for you personally.

Some do very well in ceating a series of emails (like a mini course) and set it through their autoresponder.

I'm personally doing everything through a "broadcast", since I really have nothing to sell at this point.

My main focus is in just giving away free content to those who truly desire help in getting started with their copywriting.

I think in the near future I will create a 10 part "mini course" and point it to a salespage that's selling one product, but this will be done under an entirely different list of subscribers.

If you really want to learn how to create emails that sell, let me suggest that you go to http://www.copywritersinstitute.com/listandtraffic.html

Jimmy D Brown is an expert in doing this and has been doing this for years.

For only ten bucks you can get into his members area and pick up some of the best information you'll ever find on using autosponders and building your list of subscribers - bar none.

Many of the members on this (Michel's) board have already jumped on this and are totally blown away with Jimmy D Brown's content.

Here's the link again to read about it:
http://www.copywritersinstitute.com/listandtraffic.html

Just spend the ten bucks and you'll agree, it's well worth every penny.

Hammer them every single day til they buy.



Once they buy, ease up on the amount of emails.

Many people are too scared to do this.

If it's good enough for Dan Kennedy, it's good enough
for me. Just sign up for his list and watch how you get
pummeled with emails.

Oh, and never forget to include a offer in each of the emails.

Depends on the tolerance of your list. Some sites I've worked with can only get away with contacting people twice a month, whereas others get a good response with daily messages.

If you get on John Alanis' e-mail list (a "how to pick up girls" site), you'll notice that he literally bombards you with messages -- sometimes 3 or 4 a day. But it must be working for him, or he wouldn't be doing it.

M

Hello Caleb,


The first auto-responder series that I ever received was about gold -- it's history, it's role in sound money and it's place of legitimacy in modern economics.

I didn't even know what the hell an auto-responder was at the time...

I was reading an article about gold on Lew Rockwell's Web Site titled -- "Greenspan on Gold" -- which was written by well known financial newsletter writer Gary North.

Here's the link to the original article:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north204.html

At the end of the this article there was a link offering a free subscription to Gary North's newsletter about Gold.

For anyone interested in investing in gold, or gold stocks -- this was like honey to a bee...

Gary North, like Gary Halbert... knew how to find a starving crowd... pre-google and Ad Words.

Here is the email address you can send a blank email to -- if you are interested in receiving this series, studying it and using it as a swipe file for an info & content rich auto-responder series.

Just send a blank email to:

goldwar@kbot.com

And you'll start receiving the auto-responder series of articles.

For copywriters, or direct response marketers... this is an excellent example of over-delivering very high value, content rich information to your starving crowds.

Gary North is an old school direct response marketer who took a very successful offline newsletter business -- online.

Gary has done joint venture offers and promotions with marketers ranging from Jay Abraham to Bill Myers.

It was from Gary Norths JV offer with Jay Abraham that I got sucked into the vortex of the direct response marketing & copywriting world...

Here's a link to Gary's Membership Site where he offers an auto-responder series on -- auto responders!

http://www.garynorth.com/public/department33.cfm

...but, back to the heart of your question.

For me, it's all about massively over-delivering before even thinking about the first sales pitch, or offer.

And I don't think it can be said any better than this:


Gary Bencivenga's Bullet #15 -- "The Secret of the Moneky's Fist"

http://bencivengabullets.com/bullets.asp?id=15


And I've never seen a better application of the "Secret of the Moneky's Fist" as taught by Bencivenga, than Daniel Levis's auto responder series titled -- "Selling to Human Nature."

Here's the link to Daniel's site. The opt in to his auto responder series is at the bottom of the page. For any aspiring copywriter, or direct response marketer (in my humble opinion) -- it doesn't get done any better than this:

http://www.advertising-online-strategies.com/

When you think about it... isn't an Ezine or, even a Blog (when used properly)...just an extension of an auto-responder series taken to the next level?

If you don't want to do an Ezine, then you can do a 5, 10, or 20 part auto-responder series that is just massively content rich and do what Gary Halbert says to do:

ASTONISH YOUR CUSTOMERS ! -- JUST ASTONISH THEM!

Man, when I first saw that old VHS video from Bill Myers where Gary was pure, raw and unbridled Gary -- and he just went off about "astonishing your customers"... the hair on the back of my neck and on my arms was standing on end and I had tears in my damn eye's...

That's the level of value you need to deliver -- if you want to be truly great.

For a finite 10-20 part auto-responder series that masterfully balances value and content to offers.... Daniel Levis has set the bar with his "Selling to Human Nature" series... study it and model it !

And as far as taking the basic fundamental marketing principles of the auto-responder to the next level...

Clayton Makepeace has just taken the basic concept of the auto-responder and put it on Steroids & MGH (Marketing Growth Hormone) and created the Ezine of all Direct Response & Copywriting Ezines -- "The Makepeace Total Package."

And to model greatness further...

Look at what he's doing with it now!

No resting on his laurels:


-- produced the 2006 Power Marketing Summit.
-- launched the new "Profit Center" Web Site.
-- added Daniel Levis and "The Web Marketing Advisor" to his team.
-- releases ongoing cutting edge Teleseminars.
-- launched the Virtual Hot Seat Webinar series.
-- is creating a new Storefront, an Affiliate program and the Easy Writers Club House.


...AND -- he apparently has something "cooking" with none other than
-- Mr. Michel Fortin!

Hmmm?

Something new and exciting is about to happen in the world of online copy.

The Offline Master teaming up with the Young online Turk?

Now that's going to be r-e-a-l interesting...

Aint nothing like the rich getting richer & the smart getting smarter -- now is there?



Well you asked the question Caleb... there's my .02 cents.

Final thought:

--- ASTONISH YOUR CUSTOMERS first...and then & only then -- make the offers.

From a customer standpoint:

It seems to me that 98% of all the marketers are putting 90% of their time, effort and energy into finding and making offers...and only 10% into creating their content.

Reverse that... and I think you'll rule the universe.

Study how masterfully Gary North, Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace and Daniel Levis have used auto-responders, or extensions of them -- while massively over-delivering value rich content along with subtle offers.

I hope that helps,

Martin

PS: Are you the same Caleb who apprenticed under The
Prince of Darkness....err, Print himself?

How about an auto-responder series on that!?!?!?

...how many of Trump's apprentice's have launched hot selling books?

If you're "that" same Caleb... my freind, you've got an auto-responder product in the making whose future is so bright -- you need to be wearing shades!



...run with it

Thanks for the replies.

I should been more specific though.

I know about frequency, and I agree EVERy day is best, 2 times a day is better, and 3 times a day is even better (I've been on Matt Furey and John Alanis's lists a while now, haha, and learned the "fureyious email marketing" method from Matt's brother Sean... also this method relies mucho on daily broadcasting NOT autoresponders).

And I listeneded to and was surprised that Frank Kern uses this same style with his sites (listen to Stephen Pierce's optimization series with him) talking about 5 days of autoresponders / week plus 3 broadcast special offers!

But I was talking more about what you're trying to accomplish with each autoresponder letter,

Should the first one be an introduction/statement of purpose. And the second a nugget, then a nugget?

I think I'm gonna go with a small bit of content and a pitch Each and every time even in the autoresponders... maybe the first one an intro and statement of purpose.

Sorry, I guess I kinda answered my own question, but I guess sometimes it just helps to put your situations out on "paper" and think through em.

Later guys
Caleb

P.S. I'm not "that" Caleb... but he's a cool guy too

It's not a popularity contest is it, Moff?

I agree though that it depends on the overall strategic purpose and goals for your list.

Don't "burn them today" on a minor promotion if you have something bigger and more beneficial in the works.

Yeah,

But emailing every day doesn't mean you have to burn them.

Get on Matt Furey's list to see how this is done.

It's mostly a lot of soft sells that appear to contain valuable info (the ole tell em what to do but not how to do it) with an occasional hard sell email... always a link/offer back though.

Stay in the front of their mind!

If you're on Matt Furey's list, you're getting a Masters in Autoresponders.

I think Perry Marshall does a great job, too.

The one's I resonate with are not really Autoresponders. Like the recent one's from Harlan and the Tactic 7 Crew. They're very specific, 'cos they're keyed to a specific event.

If you can make your autoresponder series seem like they're unique to a place and time, and not just something that everyone gets all the time, I think you're doing a great job.

A.

I know Stephen Pierce used to send two high content emails (usually short emails with links leading to high content and no sales pitch).

Then he'd hit them with a sales pitch on the third email.

And I think he repeated this process.

My personal philosophy is that you can send your prospects to a series of report type sales letters that target different benefits of your product or service one by one.

One thing that is pretty important.

ONE link per email repeated three times through the email.

And more frequent shorter, very tightly focused emails tend to get a better response (but this is NOT a rule - I and many other online marketers have had tremendous success with long emails).

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh