What are autoresponders you will ask. In plain words, this is basically an automatic mass emailing program which responds automatically to any incoming mail with an pre-stored message. There are two types of autoresponders: (i) one-time autoresponders, (ii) sequential autoresponders.

One-time autoresponder: This type of autoresponder will reply only once to any email that comes to a specific email address. This is a good thing if you want to promote a product with a brief introduction and offer for registration to a newsletter, etc. It is a one-time affair. Usually the one-time autoresponders are used to distribute introductory letters, price lists, confirmation letters or welcoming letters, data sheets, latest posted articles, and so on.

Sequential autoresponder: As the name implies this autoresponder will send email is a sequence. The messages are pre-recorded as in the case of the one-time autoresponder. However, in this case the difference is that based on the reply or lack of it, the sequential autoresponder will send a pre-determined number of emails at certain pre-determined time intervals. For example mail no. 1 will go on x date, then mail no. 2 will go three days after, mail no. 3 will go one day after, and so on. Because these are so easy to use, they are used almost as a secretary. You program it once and then you sit back and see the results, because the machine will do all the work.

Examples for the use of sequential autoresponders will include online courses, promotions, ad tracking, mail campaigns (which can be virtually unlimited), follow-up to business leads (again this can be unlimited), reminder services, regular delivery of items (articles, jokes, latest quotes, etc)

The sequential autoresponders are wonderful tool in email marketing because it can do all the work for you with the least amount of effort and personal follow up. You will need to work out your campaign and promotion style, feed in the time gap and the messages you want to be transmitted to your customers or prospective customers and then, wait back for the business to roll in.

An additions bonus that the sequential autoresponders do today is storing the contact information as the customer touches your website. In this way you can reach the customer immediately. The customer is happy because they get instant and personalized (almost) replies and they do not waste time waiting for the relevant information to take a decision.

The sequential autoresponders are a real boon to the Internet entrepreneurs and the customers alike. Without their automation, immediate response and broad information dissemination would not have been possible, making business expansion a very cumbersome process. Their existence however is witness to the ingenuity of man to use the machines to their optimal advantage. With a sequential autoresponder on, you can set your business with the least effort and greatest possible returns.