So, using some common sense, you identify either some web sites where you can place an ad, or a newsletter that appears to cater to your potential client base.

The next step is tracking your results. This is where many budding entrepreneurs miss boat. There are a number of ways to track where your inquiries are coming from. Probably easiest is to give an email address, which is unique to that ad. If you have your own domain, you most likely have unlimited aliases that all come to same email address. If all else fails, get yourself a supply of free email addresses.

You can also use web to help in your tracking. Designing a unique form, which sends you an email for each ad someone responds to, is not an overwhelming task. You can build a keyword right into form, that person filling it out will never see, that lets you know exactly where they saw ad.

Newsletters are a good choice. If a newsletter has been around for awhile, and has a decent number of subscribers, they are doing something right. If your ad is not pulling, odds are either you are in wrong target market, or have a poorly written ad.

The first mistake someone might make is confusing subscribers with potential customers. One newsletter with 500,000 subscribers may produce minimal results, while another with only a thousand or so, may produce a lot. Here is where you have to determine if newsletter you are considering is reaching your target market.

Many people will throw together a "crummy" ad, and then blame vehicle they use to advertise it when it doesn't work. If it is reaching your target market, and you have a decent product or service, which is affordable to those you are trying to reach, you will do business.

CALL FOR AN ACTION

Consider also overall goal you have for each message. What is it you want reader to do after he or she finishes reading? Do you want them to re-visit your site? Subscribe to your ezine? Get back in touch with you? Define action you want your reader to take and call them to that action by end of message if not sooner.

TIME INTERVALS

Almost exclusively, you'll want first email from your multi- message auto responder sent out immediately. From there, though, how long do you wait before sending next one?

In general, if you're providing information, such as in a marketing course, you'll want to send messages daily until finished. If your goal is to follow up on a visit to your business opportunity, though, you may want to spread your messages out a bit.

Your goal in this case is not just to provide information, but to stay in contact over time and remind your reader to look further into what you are offering. Send your messages more frequently in beginning, perhaps every other day, and less frequently as time goes by. This will give you more opportunities for contact without overstepping your welcome.

RESOURCES

There are many auto responder services available online. Some of most popular are:

Get Response http://www.globalwealthnow.com/getresponse.html

Aweber http://www.globalwealthnow.com/aweber.html

List Warrior http://www.globalwealthnow.com/listwarrior.html

Quicktell http://www.quicktell.com

Send Free http://www.sendfree.com

As well, there are a multitude of marketing programs that offer auto responders as part of their program.

One more thing to consider, however, is benefit of having your auto responders reflect your own domain name. Having your messages come directly from your site will only increase credibility of your business.

To get auto responders on your own domain, you'll need to install a CGI script on your site. Again, some marketing programs provide auto responder scripts as a benefit of membership. One such program is Internet Marketing Warriors. http://www.globalwealthnow.com/warriorpro.html

Searching for 'auto responder scripts' will get you several results to check out as well.

PROMOTING WITH AUTO RESPONDERS

The main thing auto responders can do for you in terms of promotion is offer repeat contact with potential customers. Auto responders carrying good content can recommend products or services, refer to affiliate programs, solicit ezine subscriptions or site visitors, re-emphasize benefits of a product or opportunity, explore further benefits, and even carry related classified advertising along with message.

Start by providing useful content related to what it is you wish to promote, and then include a call to action in each message that directs people toward what you are offering.

Auto responders are certainly an indispensable tool for online marketers. Consider how they can play a more useful role in your business, and you're bound to increase your profits.

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*written by Joe Bingham of NetPlay Marketer http://www.netplaynewsletters.com ---------------------------------------------------------------