Autoresponders are messages set to go out automatically after a contact subscribes to your list. You can create several messages to go out in a cycle, one after the other.
Autoresponders help you automate campaigns and manage one-to-one communication with your recipients. They can be sent in a sequence or at intervals, starting from the day a contact signs up to your list, e.g. Day 0 (the day a contact subscribes), then day 3, 7, 14.
So, autoresponders are useful if you want to send an automatic message to contacts who join your list. When you set up an autoresponder cycle, messages will go out on a specific day of a contact’s subscription period, according to how you set up the cycle.
The Autoresponder feature gives you the ability to create and manage autoresponders. Use it to:
add a message to the autoresponder cycle. You can use existing newsletters, autoresponders, and drafts. You can also create a new autoresponder message from scratch.
manage autoresponders in the calendar view and list view
move messages to different days in the autoresponder cycle
prevent messages from going out on specific days of the week
schedule the time autoresponders are to go out, including adjusting the schedule to different time zones
add contacts to the autoresponder cycle or move them to a different cycle.
You can also preview, edit, and duplicate your message, check message status and statistics, as well as – view the number of users on a particular day of the cycle.
Autoresponders only react to subscriptions, imports and contacts added manually. Make sure to check the box add to cycle on day for your subscription method, or when you add contacts to your account, to get them started on the autoresponder cycle. Without this setting, the autoresponders won’t send.
The first thing is to sign up for Getresponse. That is if you do not already have an account. If you don’t have an account you can get one by going to the website. Click the sign up for free button, which will be in the up right corner of the screen, or in the middle of the screen.
After clicking the sign up for free button, Getresponse will walk you through the process step by step and it only takes a few minutes. Once you have completed that you will need to sign in. After you sign in you should be at this screen.
Now, that you have made it to this we have to set up a your email. To do this, in the upper right corner is your account. Select that, then go to manage account.
Then click on email address then click on add email. You have to add an email address so you are able to send emails. Then to go back to the home screen just click on the Getresponse logo in the upper right corner.
Now that we have made it this far our next step is to set up our list. To get to the list click on the list button that is located at the top middle of the screen. It should look something like this.
Now, if you have an email list from another source you can add them here by clicking the add contact button. Or you can select the create list button.
When you create your list name you are not able to use capital letters or spaces. when you have your list name complete click on the create button. Now you have your first list.
Now you will need to go to the menu button at the top and click that. Look for autoresponders and click on the word. It will bring you to this page. It will look similar to this one.
Ok, it seems like we have done a lot of steps to get to this point, and we have. now let’s start bringing everything together and create our autoresponder. Click on the create autoresponder button. It should bring you to this.
First, name your autoresponder. This will just help you to know what it is. Second, underneath the untitle autoresponder is a list link. Select the list name that you just created. Then scroll down to email and make sure that is correct. Then you will want to fill in the subject line.
Then click on design message. Create your message. Side note, when you are done creating your message, at the bottom of that you will need to put your address there. You will need to put something there by law they require it. When you are done creating your message click next. Then at the bottom right click save and publish.
Now you want to repeat the process and add whatever you want your emails to say. The only difference is on the rest of your emails you will use the Autoresponder settings. You will set up the (on day) option. This is for when you want to send out the next email.
You will repeat this let’s say 5 times. The first email will be sent out right away. The second email will wait two days and be sent out then. The third email will wait two days before it is sent out. You can sting out your 5 emails over a course of a couple of weeks. All you have to do is change the numbers in the on day option.
How do I add another message to an existing autoresponder cycle?
You may already have an existing autoresponder cycle, and decide that you want to add a new message to it. You can do it by creating a new autoresponder message.
Repeat the process every time you want to expand your cycle with new messages to create a continuous sequence. We explain the process in detail below.
1. Go to Menu>> Autoresponders.
2. Click Create autoresponder.
3. Give your message an internal name.
4. Choose the list linked to the autoresponder. This is the list your contacts subscribe to. If you’re planning to create more than one autoresponder in a cycle, make sure to select the same list for all of them.
5. Assign the autoresponder to a specific day in a cycle. Keep in mind that day 0 is the day of subscription, with day 1, day 2 etc. following at 24-hour intervals. For example, if your first message is scheduled for day 0 and you want the new message to go out the next day, type in “1”.
6. Select if you want to send the message on same time signed up, with a delay of, or exactly at a specific time.
7. Choose the days of the week you’d like for the message to go out on.
8. Select the from and reply-to addresses.
9. Add your message subject line.
10. Next click Design message to design how your message should look like. For more on using the new editor visit this section.
11. Choose if you want to send the message as a source to Google Analytics.
12. When you’re done, click the button to Save the message if you don’t want to turn it on just yet. Click Save and publish if you want it to start working right away.