As your email list grows, email automation becomes a necessity. Email service providers (ESPs) can solve this problem, from triggered opt-in confirmations to sequences to autoresponders.
What is an email autoresponder?
An email marketing autoresponder is a script that sends automated emails in response to a user trigger. They’re often the first interaction in an email sequence and are highly customizable. Autoresponders are usually notifications to remind, confirm, or re-engage with subscribers, hopefully resulting in more conversions.
Autoresponders can be as simple or complex as their triggers (be it action-based or time-based). These become more multi-purpose as you integrate them with other platforms, like social media or interactions with your website. Some common examples include:
- Confirming a subscription after entering an address into an opt-in form (welcome emails)
- Confirming the creation of a ticket after contacting Customer Support
- Sharing the receipt and order ID of an online purchase
- Following up on items only partially through the purchase process (abandoned-cart emails for e-commerce brands)
- Reminders about upcoming paid plan subscription expiration
- Sending an out-of-office message when contacted
Autoresponder software can also trigger an email to be sent to the sender itself to notify them of any negative activity, like bounces or undelivered mail.
