Tracking Autoresponder Responses
As the name implies, an autoresponder is a tool that automatically sends replies to customers who contact you with a question or comment. It’s like having someone on your team dedicated to sending replies all day long!
Track these autoresponders by storing the responses in a spreadsheet. Start by creating one column for the customer’s name and another for the message they sent you. Now when you receive an email, enter their contact information in your spreadsheet, and add any additional details about their inquiry.
When you reply, copy and paste the response into a new column. When you’ve received more than 10 responses from that customer, it’s time to create a new spreadsheet and start a fresh one. And if you’re anything like me, once you get started responding to customer questions and comments, you won’t want to stop! Creating autoresponders is mostly free work (once you buy a domain name) so I encourage you to get started right away.
Autoresponder example (blogging):
I use this process on my blog every day. When a new visitor checks out my blog for the first time, I set up an autoresponder that reminds them to add my RSS feed to their favorite news reader. To do so, I send them the following email:
Dear <FirstName>,
Welcome to My Blog! I'm delighted you are here. Please take a few minutes to add my FeedBurner feed address to your favorite RSS Reader (Feedly, Newsgator, etc.) so you'll get new posts delivered straight to your desktop as they are published.
If you enjoy this blog, please share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the buttons below. Thanks!
Best,<YourName>
Now when someone new checks out my blog for the first time, I know they’ve received my email. And if they have questions or comments, I have their contact information in a spreadsheet stored on my computer. This saves me time because I don’t have to search through my email correspondence looking for that person’s name or wait for them to reply. If you are using Blogger, there's an autoresponder function you can use -- though it's not as flexible as Google Docs! Here's a helpful tip: If you send an autoresponder email in Gmail, don't type the message directly into the body of the email. Instead, create a new message with the email you want to send as the subject, and copy and paste the autoresponder text into that new message. That way, everyone can view all of your replies at once in your Gmail account!
Creating autoresponders is mostly free work (once you buy a domain name) so I encourage you to get started right away. When I started out, creating autoresponders was my first real discovery of how much time and effort people invest in email marketing. And I don’t want to make the same mistake you’ll find yourself making by overlooking any of these tips.
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I have personally tried autoresponder emails on a few of my blog posts. What I have found is that by emailing the autoresponder message in Gmail, you are able to track more than one thing. I have a link in the email that I send out to my readers, and then I can see how many people clicked on the link. Also, if they sign up using a certain name, I can send them a follow up email the next month to see how many of them are still subscribing to my blog.
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I am a little confused about something. In your tracking example you mention having an autoresponder message that includes linking back to your primary domain for more info. Doesn't this mess with Analytics? It does not mess with analytics because Google Analytics uses javascript. The autoresponders I have used in Google Analytics all have the option to include javascript: so the analytics tracking never gets confused.
How do I send all of my subscribers an automated email asking them to verify their subscription?
I have been just sending a mass mailing out to all my subscribers every month with a short note thanking them for being a part of the community and letting them know what's coming up next. Is there anything more that you recommend that I do to keep up on our blog posts?
How can I get more people to renew their subscriptions?
If you want to lock in your email subscribers for next year, and you will be sending emails about your upcoming events, then you need an autoresponder. It is a great way to keep the subscribers inbound.
It is important for us to know how many visitors we can expect to see, but also when and where they came from. We are running a fairly new blog with limited traffic, but if we are sending out regularly updates, you will probably not be able to influence the number of visits. We need insights that remark on things like "Who came from my blog or what other sites have we linked to.
If you have any ideas please drop me a line. anita@webbizi.com
I've noticed that I have much higher levels of activity when I'm promoting my email list, than when I go to promote my blog posts. Since we're trying to increase the number of people on the email list, would it be better to use the week's blog post as an autoresponder, promoting the email list?
Been using this strategy for 6 months now and I can honestly say that it works! I get 10-20% opens and it doesn't hurt your inbox too bad if you keep them short and sweet (<50 words). I add a graphic in the middle of my email, then some text and an image at the bottom. I send out one out every 3 weeks.
I also send them an email when I add new content to my site and reply to every comment that comes into my site!
Check it out! http://www.jeffreyscottcher.com/blogtools/blog-autoresponders
Hey, thanks so much for this amazing post. It's very information-rich and helpful.
Conclusion
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P.S. This is the most comprehensive step by step guide on setting up Google Analytics, Installing API's from AdWords, and Troubleshooting Email Marketing Tracking - all in one place! Give it a read. What’s included in this guide? If you're starting from scratch, as I was when I began blogging, these tips will help you navigate the world of blogging with Google tools and services. You'll learn how to use Blogger to set up a professional looking blog for free in just 10 minutes (or less). You'll also learn how to take advantage of analytics to grow your blog (and your business) successfully online.