How Many Emails Should Be In Your Autoresponder Series?
Wow! Another million dollar question – how many emails should be in your autoresponder series?
If you have just started out building your email list, you may have asked yourself this question. Odds are you are on someone’s email list. Perhaps they send a new message to your inbox every day. Maybe they only send out 2 emails per month. You know that person is a successful Internet marketer, so you wonder if you should be following in their footsteps as far as your autoresponder series length is concerned.
Some marketers believe in short sequences. Others have involved autoresponder series that take a year for you to make it through. Which of these marketers is right? What is the ideal length for your autoresponder sequence?
My Experience with Autoresponder Series
As I have stated in the past, my business model is slightly different than most in terms of selling digital products. I don’t go through a “launch” sequence like most do. We create and resell many products per week so setting up lengthy autoresponders for every freebie or products would be way too much work (or work I just don’t want to do).
Years ago, I had zero autoresponders. I used freebies simply as a way to gain readers and to build authority in my space. Recently, I started adding mini autoresponders and it has worked quite well and is profitable. After someone submits their email address to get the freebie, they are tagged and added to the autoresponder. They usually receive one extra email to review the freebie and offer other related products. It works for me and increases our revenue quite easily without a significant amount of extra effort.
Rule of Seven?
You might ask what about the old marketing saying known as the Rule of Seven? It is based on a lot of research which shows a prospect needs to be contacted at least 7 times before they will buy from you. Does that mean you should have just 7 emails in your autoresponder sequence?
Maybe. (but in my opinion a BIG maybe)
The truth is, the key cannot be found in a specific number, but rather the relationships you develop.
Think about your own inbox. If someone consistently delivers great information and “speaks” in a voice you can identify with, will you ever get tired of them sending you an email? Probably not. You have connected with that marketer in some way. They have done a great job of answering your questions and providing value that really means something to you. As long as the emails deliver content you are looking for, and they are not sales-oriented most of the time, you might stay on that email list forever.
Some people are different. They opted into a particular list because that marketer promised to deliver special discounted sales offers to their inbox each and every day. Those people are bargain hunters. They fully expect to see some type of sales oriented content when they open their emails. Those individuals might buy something from the first email they received. They might not need to be contacted 7 times.
Give Your Readers What They Need
The key is in giving your “dream prospect” exactly what he or she is looking for.
Take a look at your opt-in page. What does it offer? What does it promise? The answers to these questions can give you an idea of how many emails you should have in your autoresponder series. You should also look at your thank you email. Does it clearly tell your subscribers what to expect from you? This is a great place to inform the people on your list about the frequency and length of your autoresponder sequence.
No matter how many emails you decide on, make them relevant and fluff-free. As mentioned above, 7 is probably a good minimum number because a lot of sales research points to that. One email may be perfect in your situation. Just be sure that you are sending an email out for a reason. If you have a 6 email autoresponder series that seems perfect, don’t cram a 7th in their just because research tells you to. Remember do what works for your audience and for you!
Need more help with email marketing?
If you are frustrated with the results of your email marketing, feel like you’re wasting your time when you spend hours trying to craft the perfect marketing email, or you just aren’t getting many sales from your emails, then the Email Copywriting Workbook can teach you how to craft the right structure and copy for every email. If you know what to write and how to write it, your emails can effortlessly convert prospects to customers and build a lasting, profitable relationship with your current customers.
