There are many ways to write a good cold email, but there’s only one way to write a great one. Here at the Sales & Marketing Agency, we’ve compiled a list of 12 tactics that will help you double your conversion rate and get more responses.
Takeaways |
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1. Utilize personalized subject lines for higher open rates. |
2. Craft concise and compelling email content. |
3. Incorporate social proof and testimonials. |
4. Implement clear and actionable CTAs. |
5. Experiment with different sending times. |
6. Segment your email list for targeted messaging. |
7. A/B test different email elements for optimization. |
8. Focus on building a sense of urgency. |
9. Provide valuable content and insights to recipients. |
10. Leverage storytelling to engage readers. |
11. Maintain consistency in your email frequency. |
12. Continuously analyze and adapt your strategies. |
1. Don’t Write A Cold Email
You could be making a big mistake. You see, the biggest mistake you can make when writing a cold email is sending an email at all.
This may sound counterintuitive, so let me explain. I’ve worked with hundreds of companies over the years and have seen this pattern play out time and time again:
- If you’re not sure whether or not your audience would want to read your message, don’t send it!
- If you’re not sure whether or not your audience will reply if they do read your message, don’t send it!
Building an effective cold email strategy is crucial for business growth. Explore our guide on A Simple Guide to Cold Emailing: How I Got 5x Response to learn practical tips for improving your outreach game.
2. Double-Check The Recipient’s Name And Title
It’s easy to make mistakes on this step, so double-check both before you send the email. A simple misspelling can be the difference between receiving a reply or being ignored forever! Here are some things to look out for:
Check that you have the right person in mind. Are they even in your industry? Do they run that division of your company? Have they been promoted since last year? These are important details that may inform how you approach them, so don’t forget about them!
Make sure their name is spelled correctly (including middle initial), along with any titles they’ve earned throughout their career this helps ensure that whoever receives this message knows exactly who wrote it!
3. Use Existing Content To Strengthen Your Message
You can use existing content to strengthen your message, too. You just have to look for the most relevant pieces of content that you’ve already created and use them in your cold emails.
For example, if there’s a blog post that has been shared thousands of times and has gotten lots of comments on it (which means people are interested), then you can use this as a way to get their attention and make them want to read more.
If there is no relevant existing content (or even related) don’t worry! It doesn’t mean that you can’t still use what you know about your audience or company to create something new.
Just think about how they would react if they were presented with some information they didn’t know before?
You could send them an email with links back into the conversations from before so that they can see how much others have enjoyed reading them before this will help reinforce why it would be helpful for them too!
Crafting the right cold email templates can significantly impact your conversion rates. Discover valuable insights in our article about Cold Email Templates That Convert to create compelling messages that resonate with your audience.
4. Personalize Your Subject Line
You want to show that you’re interested in the recipient and that you know who they are. You can do this by including their name, company name, industry, or job title in your subject line.
If someone is a senior software engineer at Google and you’ve been following them on Twitter for months now, it’s probably worth mentioning!
Some examples:
- “Dr. Jane Doe (Senior Software Engineer @ Google) – I’m looking forward to hearing from you”
- “Hi, Dr. Jane Doe (Senior Software Engineer @ Google), what’s the best way to reach out?”
- “I noticed that [company] uses [product]. Do you have any experience using it? Have there been any issues with it so far? What do you think of the product overall?”
5. Keep The Emails Short And Sweet
- Keep the emails short and sweet.
- Use bullet points to break up your message.
- Include a call to action at the end of all your emails, no matter what.
- Add a signature that includes your name and contact information (including social media).
- Also include a “Call me” or “Email me” call to action at the bottom of each email, depending on what stage of the sales process you’re in.
6. Add An Incentive To Respond In The First Sentence Of Your Email Copy
If you want to boost your response rate, you should consider adding an incentive to respond in the first sentence of your email copy.
- Offer a free trial or free consultation.
- Use a discount code or coupon.
- Tell them they are the winner of a giveaway (if it’s true).
- Offer a free gift or product sample.
- Offer to help them with a problem they are having by providing an answer or solution (e.g., “I have worked with 100+ companies who have struggled with X before and I can solve this for you!”).
Elevate your cold email campaigns with expert advice. Our post on 14 Tips for Your Next Cold Email Campaign offers strategies to enhance your outreach and increase the likelihood of successful conversions.
7. A/B Test Subject Lines (And Use Data To Improve Them)
Subject lines are the most important cold email tactic, but they’re also one of the least understood.
There are two main points to consider when writing subject lines:
Subject lines must be personalized and relevant to your prospect.
For example, if you’re sending a message to a marketing manager at a food processing company, “Are you ready for a better CRM?” isn’t going to cut it. You need something like “Your food processing company needs an integrated CRM system now.”
Your subject line should not be too long or too short (this varies by industry).
If you have space constraints because of an aggressive time limit or technical limitations on how many characters you can include in an email, try using punctuation marks such as commas and semicolons instead of full stops (periods).
8. Test Different Approaches To Your Message, And Then Double Down On What Works Best (A/B Testing Is Key)
A/B testing is a simple way to test different approaches to your message. For example, you can run two versions of an email campaign and measure conversion rates for each version.
The above image is from an A/B test we ran in our office; the red bar shows how many people converted after seeing email #1, while the blue bar shows how many converted after seeing email #2.
We learned that people were more likely to click on this variation, so we doubled down on it and sent more emails like this one!
9. Use GIFs Or Other Images To Increase Response Rates
You’d be surprised how well GIFs can increase response rates.
If you’re not familiar with GIFs, they’re those little animated images that play with sound and movement, like the ones you might see on Facebook or Twitter.
They’ve become popular for many reasons: they’re fun to look at and can get a point across quickly in an entertaining way that’s engaging for readers.
But did you know that using GIFs in your email campaigns will increase your open rate? That’s because they give people something fun to look at while they wait for their emails to load (which people love).
You’ll also notice that many businesses use them as part of their branding; so adding a little bit of personality can go a long way!
10. Send A Follow-Up Email That Asks For A Reply
Send a follow-up email that asks for a reply. This is one of the cold email tactics I use to double my conversion rate.
Use a template. It’s important to have an outline for your follow-up email, so you can make sure you’re not missing anything important when writing it and stay focused on your goal with each email. You can use this template as a starting point:
Hi [first name],
It was great speaking with you last week about [topic]. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back to you sooner because I got busy on another project at work and forgot all about it until now! Anyway, thank you again for your time and input; it was much appreciated!
I wanted to ask if there’s anything else I could do or comment on before our next meeting? Do let me know if there’s anything specific that would help us move forward faster 🙂 Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Developing an effective email marketing strategy is key to driving conversions. Learn about Email Marketing Strategy: What I Do & How I Do It to refine your approach and achieve better results with your email campaigns.
11. Implement All Of These Tactics Into A Single Email, And Send It On The Day Of
When implementing the strategies above, you’ll want to make sure you’re not spending too much time creating individual emails. You also want to make sure that you’re creating a consistent brand image with your emails.
You can do this by using templated emails, which is just having a single email template that has the same body copy for each message. This saves time because you don’t have to write out an entirely new message each time (or even worse copy and paste).
It also saves money on hiring someone else or buying an expensive software program like MailChimp or Constant Contact! And finally, it saves energy because you aren’t sending these messages manually every week!
But there’s something else: even though I send out hundreds of cold emails every month, I still find it incredibly painful whenever I have to create something from scratch like this.
That’s why using templates is so important you should always try them out first before trying anything else!
12. Use Templated Emails To Save Time
One of the most important parts of email marketing is that it’s not one-and-done. To be successful, you’ll want to use a follow-up email message. You can do this by sending an automated email or by writing and sending a custom message each time.
In this case, I’m going to show you how I use templates to save time when creating follow-up emails for my cold emails.
Follow Up Template 1: Send a Link To A Landing Page
If someone signs up for your lead magnet on their own accord (like when they click through a link in your cold email).
You should send them back to your site with an “opt in” page like this one so that they give you permission for further contact from your company: https://www.leadpages .net/landing-page-templates?p=8&a_aid=5eb0d70c6b8f4
Master the art of cold email outreach with comprehensive guidance. Dive into The Ultimate Guide to Cold E-Mail Outreach for a detailed walkthrough that covers essential tactics to improve your conversion rates and engage your target audience.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a marketing expert to make your cold emails more effective. All it takes is a little planning and some simple A/B testing. With these 12 tactics in your toolbox, you’re ready to approach your email outreach like an expert.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further enhance your knowledge about cold email strategies and conversion rate optimization:
Mastering Cold Email Follow-Up
Explore advanced techniques for improving your cold email follow-up process and boosting engagement.
Increasing Email Conversion Rates: Proven Strategies
Discover proven strategies to increase your email conversion rates and achieve better results from your campaigns.
Cold Email Templates: Tips for Success
Learn how to create effective cold email templates that resonate with your recipients and drive higher conversions.
FAQs
How can I effectively follow up on cold emails?
Effective cold email follow-up involves personalization, providing value, and using appropriate timing. Consider utilizing tools and techniques to track open and response rates.
What are some proven strategies for increasing email conversion rates?
Some proven strategies include segmenting your email list, optimizing your subject lines, crafting compelling CTAs, and using A/B testing to refine your approach.
How can cold email templates impact my conversion rates?
Cold email templates can influence conversion rates by ensuring your messaging is clear, relevant, and engaging. Customizing templates to address specific pain points of recipients can significantly improve results.
Are there any best practices for creating successful cold email campaigns?
Absolutely. Best practices include researching your target audience, personalizing your messages, keeping your emails concise, offering value upfront, and having a clear call to action.
What tools or software can assist with improving cold email performance?
There are various tools like email tracking software, CRM systems, and marketing automation platforms that can help you manage and optimize your cold email campaigns for better performance.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.