The first generation of autoresponders was basically Out of Office notifications where you turned the autoresponder on when you were going to be out of the office for a period of time and wanted to let people know this in case they were expecting an immediate response to their e-mail.
The second generation of autoresponders saw them being used for different purposes like sending price lists and e-brochures, but still using very simple technology. A request was sent to a specific e-mail address and the predefined response was immediately returned with the requested information. Over the last few years, we have seen major changes in the technology being used. The enhanced features have provided many opportunities for marketers and merchants alike.
Today’s autoresponders are more sophisticated and are getting better every day; new features and bells and whistles are being added all the time. Autoresponders enable you to provide an immediate response to prospects and customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without the need for human interaction.
In terms of mail list administration, autoresponders have changed dramatically. These programs gather the e-mail addresses of people requesting information and store them in a database. The program adds new names to the database and monitors and eliminates e-mail addresses that no longer work.
Tags: Many, Marketers, Merchants Alike, Opportunities
As marketers have gained experience with viral campaigns over the last number of years and have measured the results to see what works and what doesn’t, there have been a few subtle changes to viral campaigns that have improved their effectiveness. Viral campaigns today of the “Tell a friend” variety all are associated with something specific. We know that “Tell a friend about this site” is nowhere as effective as having the viral element tied in with something specific: “Tell a friend about this product” or “Tell a friend about this special.” Providing an incentive increases the uptake on viral marketing. “Tell a friend about our special and receive a ballot in our contest” or “Tell three friends about our golf package to be included in a drawing for this golf bag” will see a higher uptake than a viral marketing promotion with no incentive.
All successful viral campaigns are personalized. The recipient’s first name is incorporated throughout the e-mail—in the subject line, in the salutation, and throughout the body. The sender’s name is also incorporated into the message as well, to reinforce the recommendation from a trusted source. The more innovative and interesting, the higher the uptake. On April Fool’s Day Workopolis offered all MSN.ca Web site visitors the opportunity to send a fake press release to their friends. There were a number of templates provided to choose from—things like announcements of the sender’s new job as CEO, TV news anchor, or supermodel. The viral campaign was a resounding success, far exceeding Workopolis’s expectations.