A Beginners Guide to Autoresponder Terms

Some of the terms you hear associated with an autoresponder service can be a little confusing. This article will help explain what the most common terms are so you can understand this terminology better.

Squeeze Pages - these are the pages that you set up to help capture the person's email address. This is the first step in getting a new subscriber onto your list.

Opt-in - this simply means the person has decided to join your list and has opted in to it. They do this from your Squeeze page and then receive an email to confirm that this is what they want to do.

Single or Double Opt-in - this process may vary depending upon what autoresponder service you use. Many prefer that you use a double opt-in for new subscribers. This is when a new subscriber will be sent a confirmation email to confirm that they want to be added to your list.  A single opt-in means that they do not get the confirmation email. This can lead to issues if it is not clear that they will be added to a list when parting with their email address.

Confirmation or Verification - this is the email sent to the subscriber once they have entered their name and email address. This is done to also protect the subscriber so that they know they will be added to a list. It also helps protect against someone else using your email without your knowledge.

Follow Up Emails - this is the sequence of emails that you have scheduled to be delivered to your list. Most people like to schedule 7 emails about two or three days apart.

Automatic Replies - this is the beauty of an autoresponder, it will send out automatic replies for you. This is usually connected with the opt-in process as described above.

Broadcast Emails - these are emails that you can create and send at any time. They are used in addition to your follow up sequence. Many marketers like to use them to announce news of a new product launch or to send out breaking news on certain topics.

Unsubscribed - you may receive a notice in your account when people decide to leave your list. They simply unsubscribe from your list. This is just part of the normal process of running any type of mailing list. People will join and leave at certain times.

The above terms are the most commonly used ones associated with any type of autoresponder service. This has hopefully cleared up any confusion that you may have had.