Better Results Using Both Newsletters and Follow Ups

Around the web and in conversation with ambitious new email marketers, we often hear of our company cited as either an “autoresponder” or an “email newsletter” service.

You say “toe-may-toh” I say “toe-mah-toh”, right?

Well, we often describe our service as a “permission only email marketing solution”, because autoresponders and newsletters are only two of the many features we offer. With that said, we’re not overly concerned about how our service is referred to.

What we are concerned about is how this limited perception sometimes holds back many new and even some experienced email marketers from reaching their campaigns’ potential.

Starting on the Right Foot …

With an understanding of some of the benefits of email marketing, new customers often join us with a single, very focused goal. Often it is something like:

“I’d like to send an email newsletter for my website”
“I’d like to send an automatic series of messages to convert prospects into customers”

These are great ideas, and they describe perfect applications of both our broadcast feature (for newsletters) and follow up feature (for a series of messages) for helping a business to grow.

Not clear on exactly clear on what makes these features unique? Read more on the difference between follow up messages and broadcasts and how they can be used.

The problem is, once these ideas reach fruition and some success is evident, too many marketers stop there.

What Else Would They Do?

Whether an email campaign has series of follow ups with no broadcast messages — or vice versa — it is missing a critical piece for optimal success.

A while back, Justin published an article discussing why email newsletter publishers need autoresponders, meant to motivate senders who focus solely on newsletters (broadcasts) to also schedule a few follow up messages.

A new article in our Knowledge Base takes a slightly different approach, explaining why all email marketers should use both follow up and messages:

Read More About Why Email Campaigns Need Both Follow Up Messages and Broadcast Messages
This is also one of the many topics we cover with new email marketers in our weekly, free getting started live training seminar, along with others tips, like what to write in your messages as you get your campaign set up.

Only Using One or the Other?

If you’re sending only follow up or broadcast messages and not both, don’t fret. Today you can use this opportunity to do something quite simple that will boost your results.

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13 Comments

  1. Mike Herberts

    There are many things that we (internet marketers) can do without, and still be able to run our businesses. We don’t need a website for example as these days it is perfectly feasable to run a web business via a free blog.

    When people ask me about aweber/autoresponders/email systems, my answer is always the same, the service you provide is the engine/motor of the business. It is the motive force and the email addresses we collect (via permission only systems) are the fuel.

    Thankyou for making all this possible.

    1/29/2008 3:13 pm
  2. Bob Jenkins

    Great discussion about your service. Most of the time affiliate marketers should be using the follow up series to promote products instead of the broadcasts.

    This way, EVERY subscriber they ever see will see those messages.

    The broadcasts should be used for time-sensitive information. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to put my Halftime Sale promotions in an autoresponder, since it won’t active after Sunday’s "big game."

    At the same time, promoting a product that never goes away should be shared in an autoresponder instead of a one time broadcast.

    I also suggest that Aweber users get into the habit of adding at least one follow up message to their lists every week. There’s no reason why you can’t have 150 messages or more in one autoresponder.

    1/29/2008 4:49 pm
  3. Martin Russell

    On the idea of how to vary follow-up, I’m using an "offline autoresponder" called SendOutCards so I need not just names and emails, but also mailing addresses.

    I’ve set up my own methods in the past, but do you have any proforma way to collect those details into aweber eg suggestions on standard categories to use, templates, drop-down boxes etc?

    1/29/2008 10:50 pm
  4. Marc Kline

    Martin,

    You can include up to 25 custom input boxes with your sign up forms.

    Check out the Knowledge Base article we’ve published explaining how to add custom fields.

    Once you’ve added the fields to your form, you’ll see options to select whether you’d like to use drop-downs, radio buttons, checkboxes, etc.

    1/30/2008 11:20 am
  5. Jennifer Hofmann

    This is brilliant. I am a HUGE Aweber fan – and love how you’re continuously showing us (your subcribers) not only to use your services more effectively but grow our businesses.

    I’ve been marketing a customized 1-on-1 program lately in my newsletter lately, and you’ve reminded me how important it is to follow up with specific and timely messages related to it.

    You rock – thanks again!

    2/1/2008 2:36 am
  6. Dianne Gregg

    When someone subscribes to my site, they automatically receive soy-free recipes that are not in the book.

    I don’t send out follow-ups every week. I don’t want to annoy them. I do send broadcast emails when I have new information that my database would be interested in, or when someone has made a new post to my blog.
    I do send emails for every holiday.

    When my book is released, I’ll be able to send more emails with my calendar of dates as to where I will be regarding TV & Radio interviews, book signings, etc..

    2/4/2008 4:34 pm
  7. Lyn Smith

    I send out a quarterly newsletter to a list of subscibers and I find that it is a great way or marketing a product. I get a lot of readers of the newsletter clicking onto my website for further details.

    4/12/2008 6:54 am
  8. Rob Smeed

    It takes time sometimes to build up a lost of prospects, so it’s not always possible to send a newsletter for start up business straight away.

    7/14/2011 12:04 am
  9. Dave Cook

    I normally get a good response from newsletters that I send out, but I think it is important to have an easy unsubscribe option for those few who don’t care to receive it.

    7/28/2011 10:26 am
  10. Sue Clark

    Automated reply messages are good for website inquiries, so that the customer gets a message back straight after sending in their inquiry. This way they feel sure that the site is active and that their inquiry will be dealt with.

    8/19/2011 7:57 am
  11. S

    One thing that I am adding to my website is a Call Us on Skype Button, as more and more people are now using Skype and can call in for free.

    9/12/2011 5:07 am
  12. Neil

    Prospect details should be complied and kept on a database, with new prospects being added all the time. This way, it is easy to send out newsletters, or details or special offers to everyone.

    10/4/2011 9:26 am

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