If your Internet marketing efforts are paying off and you’re making sales, are you keeping in touch with your customers? Keeping in touch means to show your appreciation for their support, and it also is the perfect way to nurture your new relationship with your customers. From a marketing standpoint, the list you are beginning to form is going to become the lifeblood of your business. From a relationship standpoint, you are also forming a bond that if you treat your customers right, it is very likely that they will help you build your business by giving you repeat business and the added positive effect of building your brand.

Using an email autoresponder will ensure that whenever your customer makes contact with you, they will receive communication from you. This is only the basic definition, however. Email autoresponders have evolved over the years and have become a must-have for any serious Internet marketer. Learning how to use an autoresponder in its most basic form will only take a short time to master. The basic uses include writing a few or as many emails as necessary to form a “campaign”.

A campaign is usually a series of emails with a specific purpose in mind. That purpose could be to introduce a new product of yours that you want your list to be aware of. Another basic use is to test market a new product before you bring it to the masses, so to speak. Still another use is to produce a signup box on your website and, depending on the service you use, create a free eBook to give away to each person who signs up for your newsletter. Using a promotion such as a free gift or eBook is a great way to build your list, as I’ve mentioned in previous articles.

The timing of your emails is critical and is very sensitive to the subject of your emails. Sending your emails to often will only annoy your list and cause many readers to unsubscribe from your list. You should read my article, “Best Practices in Email Marketing.” This article will explain more about the timing of your emails. That brings me to another point.

Any reputable autoresponder service will require you to have a valid physical address as a “sent from” address that is printed within your emails. The service should also require that you send out all of your emails as “opt-in.” This means that whenever you send an email to a customer and before they can sign up for your list, the service will automatically send your customer a request for permission to allow you to send them email in the future. Without their written consent, you cannot continue to send them your emails. If you do, you will be violating the CAN-SPAM Act. The fine for each violation can be as high as $16,000. I don’t think I need to say anything more about this!

Now that you have permission to send your emails to your opt-in list, you can begin to send them regular, appropriately time-spaced emails about your product. This is a great feature of autoresponders. It’s kind of “set-it-and-forget-it” in a way. Just be sure to double check that all is going well with your automation and make updates where necessary so nothing gets stale and outdated. In the meantime, you can focus more of your time on building your list and perfecting your offering!

Once you learn how to use an autoresponder, you will find it indispensable in your business online. May I suggest, though, that you spend the time necessary to learn all that you can about the service. A few are now offering surveys as part of their service. Surveys are becoming a very popular way for marketers to get feedback on their products or services. This can be invaluable information for growing your business. Good luck in your marketing venture!