Cold Email Strategy For Affiliate Marketing

If you’re like most people, your inbox is a nightmare. It’s full of spammy emails that take up space and make it harder to find the important messages you actually want to see. 

If you’re an affiliate marketer, especially one just starting out, then it’s even more important that you stand out from this crowd. 

In this post I’m going to show you my top tips for creating emails that get opened (and clicked), plus some resources for making sure your message gets delivered in the first place!

Key Takeaways
1. Cold email is a powerful tool for enhancing affiliate marketing efforts.
2. Personalization plays a significant role in increasing cold email effectiveness.
3. Legal compliance is essential when executing cold email campaigns.
4. Crafting engaging subject lines can improve open rates.
5. Measuring campaign success through relevant metrics is crucial.
6. Cold email can drive targeted traffic to affiliate links.
7. Providing value to recipients in email content encourages engagement.

Use The Full Name Of A Contact When Possible

It’s important to use the full name of a contact when possible, but there will be times where you don’t know their full name. 

When that happens, it’s still better to use the first name than nothing at all. If you only have a last-name match and no first-name match, then you can use their titles or company names instead.

A successful cold email strategy can make a significant impact on your affiliate marketing efforts. Learn how to increase your response rates by following the steps outlined in our guide on A Simple Guide to Cold Emailing: How I Got 5x Response.

Use A Link, Rather Than An Attachment

Although it’s not ideal to send an attachment with a cold email, it happens often. When you’re trying to get your foot in the door, it’s tempting to send over an e-book or PDF with information about your product or service. 

However, these attachments can be blocked by spam filters and/or email clients. They also have a high chance of being blocked by web browsers and mobile devices; 

This is why many websites don’t allow users to download attachments unless they pay extra money each month for “premium” services.

 At best, this makes your email look unprofessional and sloppy; at worst, it will be completely ignored by prospects who don’t want their inboxes clogged up with unnecessary junk mail!

There are two primary ways that people use attachments when sending out cold emails: 1) they attach files directly into the body of the message itself (which is more likely than not going straight into trash), 2) they attach files as links within their message text itself (which has better chances but still too much risk).

Keep It Short And Sweet

If you’re like me, it’s likely that your inbox is overflowing with emails. You get hundreds or thousands of messages every day, and it’s hard to keep up with them all. One great way to make sure that your message stands out from the crowd is by keeping it short and sweet.

Short emails are easier to read because they don’t require people to invest as much time in reading them which means that they’re more likely to be read by their recipients (and acted upon). 

Plus, shorter emails are also more engaging than longer ones: they leave readers wanting more!

Achieving an “aha” moment in cold emailing can lead to breakthroughs in your affiliate marketing campaigns. Discover the key insights to enhance your approach by checking out our article on 10 Cold Email Aha Moment.

Create A Sense Of Urgency And Exclusivity; Make It About Them, Not You

Make It About Them

This is the first rule of good cold email strategy, and it’s a crucial one! If you’re sending an email out to someone that has little or nothing to do with them, they’ll probably see right through your ploy. 

Instead, focus on offering something valuable that will help them in some way even if it’s only a small amount of time saved by using your product/service. 

If you can show how their life will improve as a result of using what you’re offering, then people are going to be much more willing to listen when you make requests or ask for feedback later on down the line.

They’ll also be more likely to trust what they read if they feel like they’re being treated as an individual rather than just another lead (or worse a number). 

Using words like “we” instead of “I” and “me” can help achieve this; while at first glance these may seem similar in meaning (both referring back towards yourself), there is actually quite a bit of difference between them: 

When talking about ourselves we tend not only to want to acknowledge our own existence but also to put ourselves into context as part of something larger than ourselves (e.g., We’re friends). 

Meanwhile using first person pronouns (“I”) emphasizes how connected we feel towards others who share similar characteristics with us; 

So when making an introduction we tend not only want acknowledge our own existence but also put ourselves into context as part of something larger than ourselves (e..g “…introducing myself…”).

It’s been proven time and again over centuries’ worth of study across disciplines ranging from psychology through sociology all the way up until today where researchers have found that these two different modes exist simultaneously within humans.

Instead of describing themselves alone versus adding others too–so each time someone uses “our”, he/she begins building rapport with readers immediately!”

Create A Clear Call-To-Action (CTA)

A CTA is a statement that tells your potential customer what action you want them to take.

The purpose of the call-to-action (CTA) is to get your contacts to do something. It could be as simple as clicking on a link or filling out an email form, or it could be more complex like buying an item, joining an email list, or downloading resources.

Test, Refine, And Test Again

Once you’ve sent a few emails to your list, test them! Are they getting opened? What about click-through rates? If you see that your open rate is low, then it’s time to refine your email template. Test different subject lines and calls-to-action until one works best for your audience.

If you’re continually seeing low engagement from your emails (low opens or clicks), go back and test the length of each one again! Sometimes shorter emails are more effective than longer ones, so make sure this isn’t affecting performance before moving forward with longer content.

Follow Up Promptly. No Excuses!

Following up is essential to your success.  Don’t wait more than a week between emails, and don’t use the same message more than once! 

If you have several people on your list, make sure each message has its own personal touch; don’t just copy-paste or send out one generic email for everyone.

It’s also important not to be afraid of being persistent with your follow-up efforts if someone does not respond after two weeks, send them another email politely asking if they received the first one. 

If you know their schedule (for example, if they work normal business hours), then it’s fine to try again during those times as well. 

It may seem pushy or annoying at first but if they do want to do business with you then this will help ensure that happens sooner rather than later! Don’t let these things stop you from following up though: persistence can pay off in big ways!

New to cold emailing? No worries. Our Cold Emailing 101: A Beginner’s Guide walks you through the fundamentals, making it easier for you to integrate this powerful strategy into your affiliate marketing endeavors.

Personalize Your Emails

Personalization is key to getting subscribers’ attention. You can do this by using their name and addressing them by their title in the subject line, or mentioning something from a previous email that you know will be relevant to them. 

For example, if someone ordered an e-book from you last week and did not read it yet, you could mention it in your next email as a way of staying connected with them.

Include the name of someone he or she knows in the subject line. You can also use the person’s first name in the subject line to create relevance. 

This can help you stand out in crowded inboxes. Just make sure it’s not already a part of their email address or you’ll just look dumb and desperate.

Use the person’s name: If you know the contact’s name, that works best. But if not, try using their first name or even their full name. Don’t worry about being too personal; it doesn’t have to be long-term friends or family members here.

Use The Person’s First And Last Names: This Is Another Way To Make Your Email Feel More Personal (And Less Like Spam)

Use someone else they know in the subject line: A good way to stand out from other cold emails is by including a common connection someone who knows both you and your prospect. 

The subject line could read something like “Hey [insert friend/family member]! This is [insert your name]. I wanted to let you know about this great opportunity…”

Refer To Something You Have In Common With Your Prospect (As Long As It’s Not “Unsubscribing From This List”). This Can Help Establish Credibility And Trustworthiness By Showing That You’re Familiar With Their Brand And Know Their Audience.

Another effective way to make your prospect feel more comfortable and confident in you is by referring to something you have in common with them. 

This can help establish credibility and trustworthiness by showing that you’re familiar with their brand and know their audience. 

For example, if a prospective customer writes articles about digital marketing, then mention how they’ve written something similar before: “I saw your recent article on [insert topic here]. It was really helpful.” 

If they write regularly on social media marketing topics, say something like: “I loved reading your latest post on Facebook’s new algorithm update.” 

If there’s anything else relevant that comes up during the conversation maybe you both attended the same conference last month you can use this as an opportunity to ask for an introduction for another connection of yours who might be interested in his industry.

Crafting compelling and effective cold email templates is essential for driving conversions. Explore our collection of templates and gain valuable insights into optimizing your emails with Cold Email Templates That Convert.

Match Your Tone To Your Audience’s Personality. If They Are Casual And Fun Loving, Use Slang Terms And Light-Hearted Language.

You can click here to read more about my story.

It’s true that you will have a better chance of succeeding at affiliate marketing if you understand your audience’s personality. 

I’ve been using the same email tone for all of my campaigns, but I don’t think it has really worked as well as it could have because the tone doesn’t match with my target audience’s personality. 

If they are casual and fun-loving, use slang terms and light-hearted language. For example: “Hey buddy! I’m going to send some awesome deals your way today!”

Start With A Question (And Then Answer It). Questions Intrigue Us; They Get Us Thinking About Solutions . . . Or Problems We Didn’t Even Know We Had Until Just Then!

Nobody likes to be cold-called. It’s a fact of life for people in the business world that we can’t control, but it doesn’t mean we have to accept it as an inevitability. 

In fact, with a well-crafted email strategy, you can use this very truth to your advantage and start turning the tables on your competition.

Start with a question (and then answer it). Questions intrigue us; they get us thinking about solutions . . . or problems we didn’t even know we had until just then!. 

But if you ask too many questions at once, you come across as needy or desperate the last thing anyone wants from their affiliate marketing partners! So keep them focused on one particular topic at once; for example: “What is one thing holding back traffic on your website?” 

Or “How does your current email system do when under heavy load?” The more specific and pertinent this question is to their business interests and how they answer the better insight you’ll have into whether or not they’re worth pursuing further.

Are you aspiring to secure your dream job using cold email techniques? Find out how to leverage this strategy effectively in our comprehensive guide: How to Get Your Dream Job with Cold Email. Uncover the tactics that can open doors to exciting career opportunities.

Conclusion

When you have a compelling offer that is highly relevant to your audience and a clear CTA, you can be sure your cold email will be well received. Keep in mind that one of the most important things to do when it comes to writing an effective cold email is to follow up! 

Many people get busy with their day-to-day lives and forget about sending out emails they had meant to send weeks (or even months!) earlier. 

Following up on your potential customers’ needs shows them that you care about their time as much as they do and if there’s anything anyone wants more than anything else right now, it’s respect!

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources that delve deeper into the topic of cold email affiliate marketing:

Pearl Lemon – Cold Email Affiliate Marketing

Discover advanced strategies and tactics for leveraging cold email in affiliate marketing to drive better results.

SmartWriter – Cold Email Affiliate Marketing Practices

Learn about the best practices and techniques for implementing cold email in your affiliate marketing campaigns effectively.

ROI Collective – Your Guide to Cold Email Affiliate Marketing

Gain insights into the comprehensive guide that covers the ins and outs of cold email affiliate marketing strategies.

FAQs

How can cold email enhance affiliate marketing campaigns?

Cold email can enhance affiliate marketing by reaching out to potential customers directly, showcasing the benefits of products or services, and driving targeted traffic to affiliate links.

Is personalization important in cold email affiliate marketing?

Yes, personalization is crucial. Tailoring your cold email messages to the recipient’s needs and interests increases the chances of engagement and conversion.

Are there any legal considerations when using cold email for affiliate marketing?

Absolutely. Ensure that your cold email campaigns comply with relevant laws such as CAN-SPAM in the US and GDPR in Europe to avoid legal complications.

What strategies can improve the open rates of cold emails in affiliate marketing?

Crafting compelling subject lines, providing value in the email content, and segmenting your audience effectively can all contribute to higher open rates.

How can I measure the success of my cold email affiliate marketing campaigns?

Tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall affiliate sales attributed to the campaign can help gauge its success.