How to Get More Leads From Your Autoresponder Emails

There's this scene in the popular sitcom Friends where Ross finally tells Emily he loves her. She says "Thank you." It's pretty funny, but I digress: Though there are exceptions, most people appreciate hearing a sincere "Thank you."

This is especially true in regards to your marketing sign-ups, which bring us to the "Thank You Email," an important yet often underutilized marketing tool.

When to Use Thank You Emails

Say a customer lands on your site, reads a few blog articles, and decides they'd like to exchange their contact information for a downloadable PDF (note: your freebie could be an mp3, eBook, or a number of other things).

What happens next?

How does the person get their gift?

Usually, distribution happens one of two ways: The prospect will either be redirected to a webpage that contains a link for download or they'll be notified to check their inbox for an email that contains said link. The best way to continue nurturing that lead? Send an email with further instructions.

When correctly utilized, this is a prime opportunity for guiding leads further through the decision-making process. The more relevant information you can provide, the more likely they are to download and interact with your content. Let's be honest: We've ALL downloaded something fully intending to read it, but never quite getting around to it. For one reason or another, we lost our sense of urgency to interact with it.

By packaging your link inside a well-crafted email, you'll have a much greater chance of keeping that momentum going. Now, let's discuss some tips for generating more leads with those "Thank You" emails!

How to Structure Thank You Emails

Keep Them Simple

Remember, your prospect provided you with their information in exchange for the link. Don't make it hard to find! Begin the email with a simple greeting, provide the link and then explain how they can get the most out of your content. Here's an example:

Hey <name>,thanks for downloading our FREE guide "How to Teach Your Dog 5 New Tricks." You'll find the link below. We created this guide after talking with dozens of dog owners who all said the same thing, "I've tried to teach my dog the standard tricks, but it's never worked. What am I doing wrong?"

Interestingly, they were all making two or three common mistakes. Follow the steps in this guide from start to finish and your dog WILL learn those tricks. Once you understand how to avoid those common mistakes, all it takes is a little persistence.

Reads well, right?

That's because it's simply continuing the conversation much like one would with a friend. Other ways to keep things simple include: Using a legible font, breaking paragraphs every 2-4 sentences, using headlines, and forgoing extraneous sidebars (you want it to be mobile friendly).

Make Them Shareable

Have you ever read a great article and thought, "Oh my gosh, so-and-so has to read this?!" It happens all the time. Whether we've recently had a conversation with a friend about a particular subject or are fully aware of the business objectives a colleague is trying to accomplish, we want to share pertinent information.

By including your download link in an email, you'll make it that much easier for prospects to share. Obviously, you should include common social sharing buttons. But what about directly asking prospects to forward the email to family, friends, or coworkers?

You can do that too. Remember more leads equals more business.

Include An Additional CTA

What if your prospect reads your guide and is really impressed with the information? What should they do next? Now's your chance to let them know. Once you've introduced the link and explained how to get the most out of it, include a next step "Call to Action" for those who are interested.

Continuing with the example above, maybe you offer a doggy training course for those wanting more hands-on support. This "Thank You" email would be a great place to casually introduce prospects to the course. Other CTAs could be free trials, consultations, or product purchases. Think about what would make the most sense for this stage of The Buyer's Journey and offer it.

As you can see, "Thank You" emails are simple yet highly effective lead-generating opportunities. Follow these tips when creating your next one and let us know how it goes.