Here we will focus on exactly how to use iContact Autoresponder.

Why iContact? That’s simple, it’s the one I know how to use- it works for me and has excellent delivery.

If you’re unsure which autoresponder software to use, check out this article where I compare two leading autoresponder software systems.

Here’s the article >>> Email System Autoresponder Software: A Comparison of AWeber and iContact

1. Create an Account

The first step in learning how to use iContact Autoresponder is creating an account.

Go to iContact.com

Click the tab that says, “sign up for a free trial”.

The cool thing is you don’t even have to give a credit card for the free trial.

Next, fill out the form.

2. Create a List

The second step in learning how to use iContact Autorsesponder after you log in to your account is to create a list.

Click on the “My Contacts” tab.

Go to the box that says “My List” and click on “Create a List”.

Give your list a name and a description and make it value based.

For example: the list name could be “Dry Skin e course”; the description could be “mlm email leads that have opted in to my dry skin capture page”.

Next, check the “send notifications when contacts are added/removed” box. This is so you know when you get a new contact.

Decide whether or not to check or uncheck the welcome message box. You can use their welcome message or you can use the first message in an autoresponder attached to that list

Now, hit save.

3. Create an Autoresponder

Step three in learning how to use iContact Autoresponder is to create an autoresponder.

Click the Create tab.

In the “My Autoresponders” box, click “create an autoresponder”.

In the “Autoresponder Name” box, give your autoresponder series a name.

In the “Autoresponder Description” box describe your autoresponder.

Then, in the “Source List” drop down box choose the name of the list you want to use.

Underneath, you will see the “Autoresponder From Name” box. Put your name in the box.

Under the name box will be the “Autoresponder From Email Address” box. You should use an email that is associated with your domain name. (Read more about why using a matching domain name here is important!- link to article on domain names)

Now Click Save.

4. Create an Autoresponder Message

Step Four in how to use icontact autoresponder, is creating your first message.

Click on to the Create tab.

Go to the “My Autoresponders” box and choose “My Autoresponders”.

There you will see the list of your autoresponders you have created and the list attached to it.

Click the green plus sign next to the autoresponder list that you want to add a message to.

Fill in your subject. Put your body content into the add body html section.

Click “Copy” to put your html body into the plain text box.

Write the day number in the “Days from initial Subscription” box. If it is your first email, put zero. Then, have emails go out every three or four days.

Click Spam Check and send the email to yourself. If the email is ready to send to your MLM email lead, [link to flagship article]create save.

Add additional email messages and when your MLM email lead opts in, your MLM opt in email lead [link to article] will get your messages.

5. Enable Your Autoresponder

Step Five in how to use icontact autoresponder, is enabling your autoresponder.
Click the Send tab. Go to the “Enable My Autoresponders” box and click.

Look for the autoresponder you want to enable. In front if it is a “piece of paper” with a green circle on it.

Click that circle.

You now know how to use icontact autoresponder.

If you want to learn more about email campaigns, creating a list building mini site, copywriting, autoresponders and monetizing your emails, check out my “Savvy MLMers in Training” Course “Put Your MLM Biz Online”.

Related Blog Posts:
MLM Mailing Lists: What is a MLM Mailing List?
MLM Opt in Lead – What to do with Your MLM Email Lead Once They Have Opted In
What’s the difference between a broadcast and a follow up Email?
Email System Autoresponder Software: A Comparison of AWeber and iContact
Email Tracking System: How to use iContact’s Email Tracking System
Also check out the overview article “MLM Email Lead”

In this post I will review email system autoresponder software.

You’ve learned that you need an MLM mailing list and an “email system autoresponder”. Now, you’ve got to choose a specific email autoresponder.
There are three features I’m going to compare.

•    Cost

•    Deliverability

•    Ease of Use
Cost Comparison of Email System Autoresponder Software (as of the writing of this post)

•    AWeber – $1 for the first month;

$19 per month for 0-500 subscribers,

$29 per month for 501-2500 subscribers;

$49 per month for 2501-5000 subscribers; and up.

•    iContact – Free trial for the first 15 days;

save 10% if you pay for the entire year, otherwise;

$9.95 per month for 250 contacts;

$14 per month for 500;

$19 for 1000; $29 for 2500; $47 for 5000; and up.

Conclusion: So it seems that looking at cost alone,  perhaps your best bet is i Contact.

Also,  iContact gives you the option of having only up to 250 contacts and spending less money until you need the extra contact plan.

Comparison of Deliverability of Email System Autoresponder Software

AWeber - This email autoresponder doesn’t list deliverability rates, but this is what AWeber says on its website

At AWeber, we pride ourselves on getting your requested email delivered by:

•    Enforcing a zero tolerance anti-spam policy.

•    Authenticating all email campaigns using SPF and Domain Keys.

•    Establishing and nurturing relationships with major ISPs.

•    Automatically processing unsubscribes and undeliverable addresses.

•    Proactively seeking out and resolving potential delivery issues.

•    Providing content filter-checking tools to all users.

iContact states on its website that it has a 98-99% deliverability rate.

Conclusion: So in terms of deliverability, it’s hard to say-

but it would seem they are both pretty much in the same category (i.e. good!)

What about the Ease of Use of each Email System Autoresponder Software?

•    AWeber – This system has a series of tutorials, articles, and a live getting started video website.

If you are the type of person, who tries to put something together without reading the instructions, you’ll need to use their tutorials.

I used to use Aweber, but I didn’t find it intuitive to use. I needed detailed instructions to use it.

•    If you want to use both plain text and html, then you have to copy and paste your message into AWeber twice.

Once for html and once for plain text.

•    AWeber does let you know if your messages are spammy,but I haven’t figured out how to tell what they consider the problem to be.

•    In adding to its autoresponders, you have a setting that asks you to enter  how many days from the last message.

E.g enter “3 days” after last email. (In iContact, you have to enter how many days from original opt in, each time you add a new email to the autoresponder.

This can lead to mistakes as you have to check each time what the previous email’s “delivery day” was, and then add the additional days onto that.

E.g last email was sent out on day 17, next email sent out on day 20 etc.)

•    iContact – This email autoresponder has a very clean cut layout. On it’s home page after you log in it has a section called iContact Assist.

There they lead you in detail through the various features.

•    Another thing I really like about iContact is how easy it is to convert you html text to plain text. All you have to do is click the button “Copy Text”.

•    iContact also has a check spam feature. When you check it, it tells you want the problems with your message are.

•     iContact also allows you to import your previous mlm email lead list without making your subscriber re opt in.

This is especially helpful if you collect leads through an affiliate system such as Magnetic Sponsoring.

•    When you add to an iContact autoresponder, you choose how many days the new message is sent after your mlm email lead has opted in.

Conclusion: To me iContact appears to be easier to use. It seems more intuitive.

It helps you make sure your messages aren’t too spammy.

In iContact it is easy to have both html and plain text messages without a lot of extra work.

Which email system autoresponder software do I use?

I use iContact. It has all the features that I want and did not confuse me with the advanced stuff it can do, but wasn’t yet ready for, when I started.

It is user friendly, has an excellent deliverability rate, does not require a double opt-in, and it is used by none other than Mike Dillard and his company Magnetic Sponsoring.

I have to add though, that AWeber has MUCH more flexibility in terms of opt in forms (you can design your own submit buttons, customize the forms more and track opt ins better, as well as split test different variations of the forms from within AWeber.

AWeber  also allows pop ups, (forms that pop up on a website while you are reading, to entice you to opt in) and other features like this- that can raise your opt in rate considerably.

They also have a cool feature that allows you to hook your blog up to your autoresponder list and send out a “weekly digest” of your previous week’s blog entries- sort of in a newsletter format.

Your readers are automatically kept updated, yet they are not bombarded every time you add a post, because you can set it to a weekly interval.

Even though I started with I contact and it was so EASY to learn, I now regret that decision and would recommend everyone to get going with AWeber right from the start.

(Aweber also integrates with WordPress Wishlist Member Plugin- a cool tool if you’re needing software to manage your membership site. I- contact does not (at the time of this post).

Which of the two  is your favorite email autoresponder and why? Tell us in the comment section below.
Ready to purchase one of the email autoresponders reviewed in this blog? Click on the picture of the email autoresponder you want to use.
Related Blog Posts

MLM Mailing Lists: What is a MLM Mailing List?

Effective  Email Copywriting: Five Key Components of Effective Email Copywriting

MLM Opt in Lead: What to do with Your MLM Opt in Lead Once They Have Opted in

What’s the Difference Between Broadcast and Follow Up Emails?

How to use iContact Autoresponder

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