If follow-up Auto Responder marketing were easy, everybody would be doing it. But it’s not easy. It’s a real challenge that takes time and high-touch planning!

First of all, you’ve got to “create the time” to keep in touch. But secondly, you’ve got to know how, when, and how often to send your marketing pieces. And for most small business owners, this presents a problem. This is, until they see how rewarding the benefits can be.

To be completely honest, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is:   what should my auto responders do or say to my list?

I wish there were an easy “cookie cutter” answer that I could give to all of my clients, but there is not.  Each and every business or individual must speak to their audience differently.  A car salesman is not going to try and up-sell you on buying a faster processor for that out-dated PC sitting in the corner, they are going to try and get you to opt-in for that new in-dash GPS unit with state-of-the-art bluetooth communication. So with that said, neither should you.

In this day and age where content marketing is on the rise and is worth dollars, you MUST know your niche and focus within that bubble by offering more than FREE advice or FREE tips.  You must gently and systematically up-sell yourself and your products, by backing up what you say with, ” … and, Here is How You Can Achieve This”.

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#1- Get Permission

Before starting any follow-up sequence, be sure your contacts WANT to receive the information you’re sending. Whether you include a checkbox on a webform, use a double opt-in, or collect business cards in a fish bowl, you need permission to market to each new contact.

If you’re using email marketing, getting permission isn’t just a good idea…it’s the law! To get the best response from your marketing sequences, double opting-in new contacts is your best bet.

#2 Survey Your Contacts

How often do your contacts want to hear from you? Well, you’re never going to know until you ask. Surveys are a great way to find out what your customers and prospects want. And although not every contact feels the same, a survey will help you gage the interest level in your marketing pieces.

#3 Observe What Others Are Doing

Chances are, someone in your industry is following up with their contacts. Add yourself to one of their marketing campaigns and see what they’re doing. How often do you receive messages? What form are the marketing messages coming in?

As a “prospect” or “customer”, ask yourself how you feel about the communication you’re getting. And then plan your sequences accordingly.

#4 Mix Educational and Sales Copy

Follow-up marketing sequences need to dance that fine line between providing your contacts with value, and asking them to buy. If you bombard your contact list with sales pitches, you’ll soon lose the interest of your prospects and customers. To keep them interested, you need to be providing your contacts with education, suggestions, tips and tricks of your industry…and once in a while…a sales pitch.

The more education and value you provide your contacts, the better your relationship will become. And you’ll soon find they don’t mind receiving your “pitches” either.

#5 Test Everything

No matter how great your marketing sequences may seem to you, sometimes you just miss the mark. Keep track of your marketing sequences. Pay attention to open rates on your emails. Chart the conversion rates of each sequence you put in place. Then be prepared to make a few tweaks to your marketing campaigns if you need to.

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Here we go …  Practicing what I preach.  Sign up to receive my Adwords Tips for Success where I share the high-Touch methods I use day to day with my clients. In addition to receiving tips for Adwords, I will share some advanced web marketing tips that will be sure to wet your appetite.  *Look for the Sign up box on the Top Right side.