When I was first introduced to an autoresponder I thought "wow cool program, I don't see how it can help me". Then one day my girlfriend received an email from a clothing shop she recently purchased a pair of jeans from informing her of an upcoming sale in their store for "valued customers only". At that moment I realized the awesome power of the autoresponder.

Autoresponders are remarkable, versatile programs that do so much more than just automatically answer your email. Regardless if you have an online business or a brick and mortar business using an Autoresponder can help you transform the casual customer into a profitable customer.

Here are a just a few ideas that will help you to creatively and productively use your autoresponder to increase your profits . Use your autoresponder to:

1. Publish a newsletter. Your newsletter can keep your visitors informed about your services or products, while building your reputation as a credible expert in your particular business.

2. Distribute your articles. Writing and distributing targeted articles is a powerful tool to build your business credibility, bring traffic to your site, and increase your sales potential. If your articles contain valuable information, many editors will print what is known as a resource box for you. A resource box contains your bio and a brief description of your service or product. It can also contain your autoresponder address.

3. Increase your ad exposure and automate your sales process. repeat exposure of your message has been proven to effectively increase sales. In your ad, include the option to "learn more" and put your autoresponder address. This will not only build you a list of people interested in your business but also expose them to numerous marketing materials. This multiplies the chances of converting visitors into customers. For example, if you're selling a particular product, put testimonials about how spectacular it is on your autoresponder, and add a detailed, enticing description of your product.

4. Distribute an email course. Each day, have your autoresponder send out another lesson. Just be sure that each lesson has quality content - not a sales pitch. Your content will do the selling for you, and will do it much more effectively. You can include tips centered on a different topic for each lesson, illustrating how your product will benefit the reader. Include the tangible benefits the visitor will reap by purchasing your product. Make sure to include a paragraph or two at the end of each lesson enticing your prospect to consider making a purchase.

5. Automate a reminder about your service or product after a visitor has completed your course or sent in an inquiry about your product or service. We all have busy lives and often your customers forget about your product or service. You can use an autoresponder to remind them to purchase your product/service before it sells out. This will increase the possibility of sales from visitors who are dragging their feet about actually making a purchase. You can also use these reminders to promote new products or services.

6. Distribute free reports. This gives your visitor an idea of the type of information you can provide and the quality of your product or service. Make sure these reports are not sales letters or you will more than likely lose a potential customer than gain a sale.

7. Offer a trial version of your product. Give your prospects a sample of your ebook, course, software, membership, etc. People who are exposed to a little taste often end up wanting the whole pie. You can also capture their email addresses when you offer them a free trial from your website. Set up your autoresponder to give instructions on how to obtain their free trial, and then make sure to follow-up to try and close the sale.

One final note; when using an autoresponder make sure you receive the consent of the person you are sending the message to. If you do not have consent then you could be considered a spammer and be in violation of CAN-SPAM regulations. The last thing you want to do is upset your potential customer by spamming them.

Now that you have a better understanding of how autoresponders can be used be creative. See if you can come up with some brilliant ideas of your own!

Chris Stirling is the owner of http://www.stirls.com and his internet marketing website is designed to help other people achieve their goal of having their own work at home business. To sign up for his newsletter "Marketing Strategies that Empower Success" visit http://www.stirls.com/newsletter