If you live
in a small town
like I do it is
not at all
unusual to walk
into your
neighborhood
store and be
greeted by name.
Just yesterday I
went in the
local market to
pick up some
ground beef and
the owner
addressed me by
name and asked
if I had been
okay. As a
matter of fact
between a
wedding and a
bout with the
flu I had not
been there for a
while. Hearing
my name and
knowing they
were concerned
are part of why
I regularly shop
there. Good old
customer
service.
It is
extremely hard
to create that
same kind of
relationship on
the internet. A
first quality
autoresponder
though will at
least allow you
to personalize
your messages.
You may not know
how long it has
been since
someone opened
an email from
you or visited
your site but
you can at the
very least
address that
person by their
name. If you
collect the name
when people opt
in to your list
then you will
have it
available when
you send out
your messages.
The
information is
included in the
autoresponder
messages by
using codes.
Each
autoresponder
will use
different codes
to insert the
information in
your messages.
For purposes of
this article we
will use the
codes from
Email Aces,
the recommended
autoresponder of
Opt In Master
Course. You
simply write
your message,
and put the
codes where you
want the
personalized
information to
appear. For
instance, your
message may
start out with
'Hello %firstname_fix%!
In this case,
the person's
first name will
be inserted
where %firstname_fix%.
is. Not only
that but that
particular code
will
automatically
fix the
capitalization.
If I submitted
my name on the
form as mike it
will
automatically
change it to
Mike.
Personalizing
your
autoresponder
messages will
help to improve
your response
rate. Research
has shown that
emails that are
personalized
with the
person's first
name are opened
more often, and
those people are
generally more
receptive to the
contents of the
email message.
It is usually
very easy to do.
You write one
message, using
the codes where
you want the
personalization,
then, no matter
who that one
email is sent
out to, their
personal
information will
appear where the
codes are.
It is
important to ask
for that
information when
people are
signing up. This
is done with the
use of forms
that activate
the
autoresponder.
For instance, if
you are giving
away a free
ebook, and you
have your
visitor fill out
a form with
their email
address to
receive the
download
instructions for
the ebook by
email, that form
should collect
any type of
information that
you want for
personalization
- such as a
first name, as
well as the
email address.
If that
information is
not collected,
the
autoresponder
won't have
anything to
insert where
that code
appears in your
messages. Then
you are stuck
with the dreaded
Hi Friend
greeting.
Personally, I
opt to just go
with a Hi
instead of the
Hi Friend. Just
a personal
preference for
me.
There are
lots of other
options within
the user panel
at
Email Aces
so take the time
to check them
out and gather
the information
to personalize
from the start.
