The Information You Want, When You Want It
Reader-Pulled Sequential Auto-Response
It is appropriate that a new idea about sending sequential
auto-response emails be introduced in the first Possibilities
article published this year.
The idea is to let the reader control when (and if) the next
email in the sequence will be sent — instead of sending the
entire series at pre-determined intervals.
As a publisher, we know it takes effort to get permission to
send email. When permission is obtained to send a series of
emails, then we naturally want to send the entire series.
The series of emails has a purpose, whatever that purpose
might be. The timing of the emails might also contribute
to the purpose. Letting the reader determine the timing and
even whether or not the rest of the series will be delivered
could well be a block to the purpose being realized.
Still, there might be more upside than downside.
Let's look at it from the reader's point of view.
As a potential subscriber to various email offerings, you
make decisions about whether or not to give your address to
strangers in exchange for a series of emails on a subject
you might be interested in.
Some of your considerations might be:
-
Will I get spammed?
-
Do I really want more email?
-
Will they stop if I tell them to stop?
You weigh your considerations against your desire or need
for the information. Unless you tell them, publishers never
know why you did or did not take them up on their offers.
Consider, now, as an example scenario, that you are
contemplating providing your email address for a series of
web site technical tips. You are just about ready to move on
because one of the three considerations listed above
outweighs your desire for the information.
Then, you see this note right by the sign-up form:
"We'll send you the first email of the series. Read it.
If you want more, click on the link we provide."
You then review your considerations:
-
Spammers lie. Still, these people don't seem like
spammers. They're probably honest.
-
One more piece of email, one time, won't matter.
-
I don't even have to click an unsub link to stop
the series. That's really nice.
And the publisher gets permission to send the first email of
the series that otherwise would not have happened.
As a publisher, you may cringe at the idea of giving the
reader that much control, requiring a click to get the next
email in the series.
Ask yourself, do you send the email to send the email or
do you send the email to talk to someone? Is it important
the recipients actually read your email?
Give them a choice. Some will and some won't. Those who will
are interested, no doubt. See what your conversions are like
when you write directly to a reader who is already very much
interested in what you have to say.
It will take testing and tweaking, of course. Each email
must sell the click for more information. It might be done
with promises, with awesome content, with cliffhangers,
or with something else.
The more they click and the deeper in the series they get,
the more confident you can be they are highly interested.
Contrast that with an automatically delivered sequence of
emails on a predetermined schedule. One where they must open
the email and find the link and click on it to make you quit.
The more you push, the more they push back, and the less
they like you.
Now, switch back to a reader's point of view. So that you
can give the idea a try, a series of three emails has been
prepared.
Use this form and we'll send you the first email of the series.
Read it. And then click the link in the email if you want
more information.
The series of emails tell you about Master Autoresponder Bank. In the process, you see how the system works.
The newest version (1.3) of Master Autoresponder Bank is
used to deliver the first email of the series, and the rest,
in turn, provided you click to have them sent.
You don't have to listen, if you don't want to. The series
automatically stops unless you actually click on the link to
get the next one.
It's entirely in your control.
If you like how that feels, consider that your own
prospective customers or clients might like it, too.
Respect and confidence tend to kindle respect and confidence.
Will Bontrager
©2008 Bontrager Connection, LLC
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