5 Easy Personal Autoresponder Away Message Tips

Let’s talk about away messages with the upcoming holiday weekend, summer trips, and vacations on the horizon.

Email autoresponders, also known as automatic replies or away/vacation messages, are messages the server automatically sends to the address of every incoming email. Unfortunately, in many cases, onliners use autoresponders without understanding how and when to use them.

As with most tools with practical and useful applications, sometimes you should not use an autoresponder. So here are some tips for your personal away messages. (For business autoresponder etiquette tips, I have a site for that!)

Easy Personal Autoresponder Tips

Once you activate your autoresponder, write yourself a note to disengage the autoresponder, so it is one of the first things you do when upon your return.
Include a greeting and a closing with your name so senders know they sent it to the correct person.
Do not provide specific locations or details that may indicate where you are or why you aren’t available. There is no need to provide exact dates that those you don’t know too well will know that you are not home. Think personal security.
If you have subscriptions to email lists, forums, and discussion boards, consider not using an autoresponder. Instead, virtual loops can be created that send thousands of back-and-forth emails. Create a list, unsub, then resub when you return.
Moving forward, use a different email address just for subscribing to email lists, forums, blogs, or discussion boards. Then you can easily use autoresponders or away messages on your primary address without worry. And you will minimize your email load upon your return.

Tools Used Properly

Autoresponders are a great tool, and when used appropriately. Autoresponders can help keep others informed while freeing you up to do other things.

But you need to activate them in the right way to make sure you are safe. Keep these issues in mind so that when you use autoresponders, they are more of a benefit than an annoyance.

For more on Business Email Etiquette topics, check out my other site, BusinessEmailEtiquette.com.