There are plenty of sources that tell you how to use autoresponders, but what about what you shouldn’t do? Are there things you shouldn’t do? Are there things that you shouldn’t do, unless you’re doing something else at the same time? 

The answer to the last two questions is yes. Read on to learn what those things are. 

Avoid Sending Obvious Responses

“I’ve received your email.”

“I’ve read your email and I’ll respond as soon as possible.”

“Expect a response in 24-48 hours.” 

“Thank you for emailing me!” 

The first two are are incredibly obvious, while the third will annoy the recipient because they’ll have thought the email was a legitimate response. The fourth will annoy them for the same reason, but with the added benefit of possibly making them roll their eyes. 

In some instances, these responses might be appropriate. The one promising a response in 24-48 hours is only appropriate if it comes from your customer service department, and then only if they can live up to the promise. The other three should only be sent if you send them personally, and with the addition of some more detail to personalize it so that the recipient knows you care about their concerns.

Don’t Send Without a Strategy

Why are you sending the auto-response? Are you confirming their subscription? Offering them a discount on your services or a freebie? Asking them to confirm they still want to receive your emails? 

Or is it because you feel like you need to send something every X days/weeks to make sure you aren’t forgotten? 

Determine the purpose behind each auto-response you want to send. It might be that you want to wish the subscriber a happy birthday. Perhaps you want to send one after someone buys something – or to encourage a purchase after they’ve browsed your site without buying. There could be dozens of reasons for sending your auto-response – just be sure you know what it is before you set it up and send it. 

Make Your Marketing More Effective

Autoresponders certainly have their place in the email marketing process. By keeping the two tips above in mind as you create yours, you’ll ensure they’re effective, efficient, and that your customers enjoy hearing from you – and that keeps you out of the spam folder. 

RedCappi offers several plans that allow you to scale your business up or down. Autoresponders, along with deliverability tests and A/B tests, let you create the ideal email marketing campaign for your customers. Contact us today to learn more.