As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you’re probably already familiar with the old-school marketing tactics like email and social media. You’ve likely heard about how these approaches are becoming less effective or even dying out in favor of newer technology like messaging apps.
And yet, cold email remains one of the most powerful tools for getting your message in front of potential customers who aren’t already following you on social media or getting your messages in their inboxes every day.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Embrace cold email as a powerful marketing tool. |
| Tailor your cold emails to resonate with your target audience. |
| Craft compelling subject lines that pique curiosity. |
| Provide clear value and benefits in the email content. |
| Implement personalization to establish a genuine connection. |
| Focus on a strong call to action for desired outcomes. |
| Track and analyze email engagement to refine your strategy. |
| Use testing to optimize subject lines, content, and timing. |
| Consistency and persistence are key to building relationships. |
| Continuously learn and adapt based on results and feedback. |
1. Don’t Be Afraid To Reach Out To Your Best Prospects In A Concerted Effort
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your best prospects in a concerted effort. If it’s time to start cold emailing, don’t be afraid of reaching out to your most engaged audience members. The more you can connect and build relationships with these people, the better.
Don’t be afraid to use cold emailing as a marketing tactic for your business. Cold emailing is a great way to get new clients and customers without spending money on ads or other paid methods of promotion.
But it’s also an excellent way to grow your business in general by improving relationships with past clients and building rapport with potential ones. If you’re using cold emails effectively, you’ll find that they help keep things feeling fresh (and relevant) between each client session as well!
Don’t forget about asking for referrals from satisfied customers it could lead directly back into someone else who needs what you offer!
If you’re new to cold emailing, it’s essential to start with the basics. Our detailed guide on Cold Emailing 101 provides you with the fundamental strategies and practices to kickstart your successful outreach campaign.
2. Keep Your Email Short, To The Point, And Succinct
Short, To The Point, And Succinct
Here’s another email marketing rule that works for pretty much any type of business: keep your emails short, to the point and succinct. It’s not easy you have a lot to say about your product or service, you want to sell every single item or service on offer but it is possible.
If an email from you doesn’t tell someone what they need to know in no more than two sentences (and preferably one), then it probably needs some work.
If you want someone’s attention then break up lengthy paragraphs into bullet points or even just use bullet points alone where possible so that readers can skim through quickly without getting overwhelmed by words
3. Get Straight To The Point In The First Paragraph
The first paragraph is the most important part of your email. It should be short and to the point, and it should grab the reader’s attention immediately.
Your first task is to state exactly what you want from them and let them know why they should do business with you now, and how much better their life will be once they’ve done so. You can accomplish this by:
- Summarizing their problem (in one sentence)
- Stating your solution to that problem (in one sentence)
- Provide an example of how much money/time/hassle they could save if they worked with you (in one or two sentences)
Unlock the full potential of cold email outreach with insights from our comprehensive guide on Cold E-mail Outreach. Discover advanced techniques, best practices, and case studies that can help you achieve remarkable results.
4. Use Personalization Techniques To Get People To Read Your Emails
Personalization. The key is to be personal. Use the prospect’s name, company name, and industry.
Try using his or her location as well if you know it. If you have a list of prospects in specific industries and want to target them all with one email blast, think about what can be done to make each message unique.
Use their product or service names where possible; this will help you stand out from other companies vying for their attention by making sure they know who they are receiving messages from and why they should be paying attention to what’s being said.
If you have an extensive list of potential customers then try targeting specific areas of interest based on hobbies and interests that people might have listed on social media profiles or websites like LinkedIn or Facebook (if they’re open).
Advertising is all about making connections with others so make sure that every time someone opens one of your emails there’s something in there that speaks directly back at them as individuals rather than just another generic advert sent out by some faceless corporation!
5. Test Subject Lines To Improve Your Open Rates
One of the best ways to increase the open rate of emails is to test different subject lines. Don’t just use one or two different subject lines and hope for the best, but test a lot of different variations and see which ones work best for you.
You can do this by using a tool like Splitly which will help you track how many people read each email, who reads them, and more importantly which subject line attracts the most interest from your readers.
Another way to test subject lines is through A/B testing (or any other variant), where you send out two versions of an email with identical content but a slightly different headline (such as “How To Use Cold Email Marketing” vs “6 Ways To Use Cold Email Marketing”).
By doing this over time, you can identify what works best for your audience and then tailor future emails accordingly.
6. Write In A Conversational Tone And Talk Like A Real Person
When you’re writing a cold email, be sure to use a conversational tone. Don’t try to sound like some slick salesman or saleswoman people can tell when someone is trying too hard to impress them.
Don’t use jargon or tech-lingo. You don’t need to say things like “solution provider”, “best of breed”, or any other buzzwords that the recipient hasn’t heard before. If you’re not sure if your email sounds too intense, it probably does!
Don’t overdo it with text either: Keep your emails short and sweet so people want more from you in future emails! It’s better for people to see an image than reading text anyway so try adding some graphics into your emails (but not too many!)
7. Keep It Simple, Stupid! No Fancy Formatting Or Overly Long Sentences!
If you’ve ever read a long, complicated email from someone who’s trying to make a sale, you know how frustrating it can be. What’s the point?
There are so many things that can go wrong when people try to use fancy formatting and overly long sentences. So keep it simple: use short sentences, bullet points, and simple language.
Keep your paragraphs short no more than three sentences in each paragraph so readers won’t get bored or confused.
If you have multiple points to make about your product or service, separate them into separate paragraphs using headers like “Point 1,” “Point 2” and “Point 3.”
This way everyone knows what’s coming next without having to read through a block of text first (or worse yet just skim past).
When sending an email via Gmail (or other services), remember that Gmail will automatically format some emails as HTML so they look nice on mobile devices.
But if yours isn’t formatted correctly and looks like plain text only then chances are good that Gmail will mess up the formatting when it tries converting into HTML!
Sometimes, the key to mastering cold email lies in those ‘aha’ moments. Explore our collection of eye-opening insights in 10 Cold Email ‘Aha!’ Moments to learn from realizations that can transform your approach.
8. Make Sure You Have A Clear Call-To-Action At The End Of Your Email
The last thing you want is to just send an email out there and have nothing happen. The purpose of cold emailing is to build relationships with people who can help you grow your business.
To do this, you must include a clear call-to-action at the end of your email otherwise, what’s the point?
Here are some simple rules for crafting an effective CTA:
Keep it short. Don’t use more than one sentence; two if necessary. If you’re over two sentences, then consider breaking up your CTA into two separate ones instead (more on this in the next section).
Make sure it’s not too long — if it takes more than five seconds for someone to read what you wrote (after reading their name), then it’s probably too long; keep things simple and make sure that there are no big words involved (especially industry jargon)!
Don’t be complicated or hard to understand. You don’t want them confused about what they should do after reading this letter!
9. Don’t Use Too Much Tech-Lingo Or Jargon (But Use Enough To Make Them Feel Comfortable)
When you are writing your email, don’t get too technical. Use some words that might be unfamiliar to your prospects, but not so many that they will be lost in the process of reading your message.
Use enough jargon so that they can understand what you are talking about and feel comfortable with where you are going with it.
The last thing anyone wants is for their customers to feel uncomfortable when trying out a product or service. If this happens often enough, it could cause people not to buy from us at all!
We want our customers to feel confident about what we are selling them, so we need to make sure we aren’t confusing them with our message by using too much technical language in our emails
10. Do Not Send Plain Text Emails — It Looks Unprofessional, Untrustworthy, And Even Spammy!
It’s a simple tip and one that you likely know already. But I still see people sending out emails without sending them as HTML.
And if you’re not using HTML, then at least make sure your email is styled with some CSS so it doesn’t look like you’re in grade school typing on the computer lab keyboard in between classes.
You should also include images in your email campaigns to help illustrate what you are selling or provide more context for what you are promoting (a picture tells a thousand words).
If possible, use an image with high resolution to allow for better quality when printed out or displayed on larger screens such as laptops/desktops or smartphones/tablets. If possible, include a professional signature next to your name which includes:
- Your company’s logo
- Social media links (or other relevant links)
- Contact information
Effective email marketing goes beyond just cold emailing. Discover a holistic perspective on email strategies in our article on Email Marketing Strategy. Learn how to engage your audience and drive conversions.
11. Include Photos Of Yourself And/Or Smiling People To Boost Replies By 14%! (The Presence Of Faces Is Always A Plus!)
If you’re sending out a lot of cold emails, it can be hard to remember who you’ve sent it to, especially if they don’t respond right away.
Including pictures of yourself or even just smiling people, in general, can help make your emails stand out and make the recipient more likely to remember what your message is about when they do get around to reading it.
Use photos of people (especially if those people look like they’re having fun) instead of text-only emails whenever possible;
This helps ease reader’s fears about whether or not you’re a “scammer” or not (because let’s face it: that’s one person everyone thinks about when they receive an unexpected email from someone).
12. Avoid Sending Prospecting Emails On Weekends (But It’s Ok If You Want To Reach Out On Friday)
While it’s always a good idea to avoid sending prospecting emails on the weekend, there is one exception: Friday.
Friday is the best day of the week to reach out to your prospects. It’s when people are most likely to respond and get back in touch with you.
Studies have shown that Fridays tend to be more productive than any other day of the week, so whoever takes over at 5 o’clock on Friday may be more receptive than usual.
13. Limit Yourself To One Email Per Day (That Way You Won’t Be Seen As Spam)
At this point, you should be sending out a minimum of one email per day. The more emails you send, the better your chances of getting a response from someone.
But don’t overdo it! If your emails start to seem too frequent or repetitive, then people will just stop reading them and may even mark them as spam.
That’s not a great outcome for anyone involved you want people to read what you have to say (and hopefully respond), and they want their inboxes free from clutter.
In general, I recommend sending one email per week unless there’s an urgent need for communication if so, let whoever you’re contacting know why they need to hear from you right away (they’ll understand).
Sending too many messages in quick succession can also come across as spammy because it could feel like harassment when some people get dozens of emails within minutes or hours of each other;
Make sure that there’s enough time between subsequent messages so that recipients aren’t overwhelmed by information overload while also giving them enough time before they forget who sent what message last time around.”
Crafting cold emails that resonate with both marketers and salespeople requires finesse. Dive into our Cold Email Guide for Marketers & Salespeople to discover strategies that bridge the gap and drive impactful results.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has given you some great tips on how to use cold email to market your business. If you follow the tips we’ve outlined above and keep in mind our overarching advice: don’t be afraid to reach out and start a conversation!
The key is to keep it simple, personalize your messages as much as possible and make sure that they’re short enough so people will actually read them (and not just delete them).
Further Reading
Do Cold Emails Work? Short Description: Exploring the effectiveness of cold emails as a marketing strategy and understanding their potential impact on business growth.
Mastering the Art of Cold Emails Short Description: Delve into the techniques and strategies to craft compelling cold emails that capture attention and drive engagement.
Writing Killer Cold Emails for B2B Sales Prospecting Short Description: A guide to writing high-impact cold emails tailored for B2B sales prospecting, offering insights to maximize your outreach efforts.
FAQs
Are cold emails an effective marketing strategy?
Cold emails can be effective if executed strategically. A well-crafted cold email targeting the right audience with personalized content can yield positive results in terms of engagement and conversions.
How can I make my cold emails more engaging?
To make your cold emails more engaging, focus on crafting attention-grabbing subject lines, addressing specific pain points of the recipient, and providing value in the content of the email.
What’s the key to a successful B2B sales prospecting cold email?
Successful B2B sales prospecting cold emails require thorough research about the prospect’s business, clear communication of how your product or service can solve their challenges, and a strong call to action.
How can I avoid my cold emails being marked as spam?
To avoid being marked as spam, ensure that your cold emails are personalized, relevant, and provide a clear way for recipients to opt-out. Additionally, follow email deliverability best practices to maintain a positive sender reputation.
What should I do if I’m not getting responses from my cold emails?
If you’re not getting responses, consider revisiting your email content, subject lines, and targeting. Experiment with different approaches and continue to refine your strategy based on feedback and analytics.
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.