An autoresponder according to the Wikipedia is” a computer program that automatically answers e-mail sent to it. They can be very simple or quite complex.”..”Autoresponders are often used as e-mail marketing tools, to immediately provide information to their prospective customers and then follow-up with them at preset time intervals.

There are many practical uses for using an autoresponder such as:

1 Delivering tips or an email course that will share with your visitors the benefits of buying your product.

2. Sharing information that is going to add benefit to your membership

3. To Deliver training courses. The best example to this would be offering your new affiliates a generic email training course to show people how to make an income promoting affiliate style programs

4. Auto responders can be used to deliver issues or samples of your ezine. Offering a sample issue of an ezine has been shown to be a simple but effective way to increasing your subscriptions.

I am sure there are other reasons why autoresponders can be used effectively.

BUT….

SHOULD autoresponders( robots) be used on social communities?

Chris Brogan created a post on his blog titled “Social Media is No Place for Robot Behavior” where he talks about why he feels that automated direct messages on Twitter is something that should be avoided at all costs.  Personally we at Success BlogNet have never used this kind of tool as we truly feel that a social community is about developing relationships not creating a list of names.

After reading Chris’s point of view, make sure you read the following comments as they also will tell you why autoresponders on social communities will in the end work against you.

Your thoughts and ideas are always welcomed.

To Your Success,