The Cold Email That Earned 140 Followers in 10 Hours

I always struggled with getting followers on my blog. I even tried buying shoutouts, but it didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. 

A few days ago, however, I sent out a cold email that earned me 140 followers in 10 hours–for free. Here’s what you should know about cold-emailing potential customers:

Takeaways
1. Effective cold email strategies can yield impressive results in a short period.
2. Craft a compelling subject line that grabs attention and entices recipients to open the email.
3. Personalization and relevance are key to increasing the chances of engagement.
4. Clearly communicate the value proposition and benefits in the email content.
5. Include a strong call to action that encourages recipients to take the desired action.
6. Monitoring response rates and engagement metrics helps measure the success of cold email campaigns.
7. Quick results can be achieved with well-targeted, persuasive, and valuable cold email outreach.

I Always Struggled With Getting Followers On My Blog

I know what it’s like to struggle with getting followers on a blog. 

I’ve been blogging since 2013, and even though I’ve gotten over 100,000 pageviews per month and thousands of email subscribers, there’s always been this looming problem: how do you get people to follow your blog?

The answer is simple: cold-email outreach. But before I get into that, let me first set the stage by explaining why you need new followers for your site in the first place.

Cold emailing can be a powerful strategy for reaching out to potential clients. Learn effective techniques for crafting compelling messages and boosting your response rates with this comprehensive guide on cold emailing.

I Even Tried Buying Shoutouts, But It Didn’t Work As Well As I’d Hoped

You might think that buying followers would be a good way to boost your follower count, but it could actually hurt your account in the long run.

To start with: no matter how much money you spend on social media ads and services like shoutouts, those followers are not going to do anything for your business. They’re not real people and they won’t come back when you do a live stream or post new content. 

And purchasing extra likes or shares won’t help either because they’re just bots doing what they’re programmed to do not real humans who genuinely enjoy interacting with your brand.

The truth is that the more authentic engagement you have (likes, comments, shares), the better off your business will be in the long term. 

Sure, it takes time and effort but if someone takes an interest in your page because of something real (your product/service) then there’s a better chance they’ll stick around longer than some random stranger who doesn’t really care about what you’re doing anyway!

A Few Days Ago, However, I Sent Out A Cold Email That Earned Me 140 Followers In 10 Hours–For Free

I was trying to find someone who could help me with my content marketing strategy and stumbled upon a blogger who had recently published an article on the topic. 

In it he asked for guest contributors to pitch him ideas and guest posts, so I decided to be proactive and reach out with my own offer before any other freelancers did.

Here’s how it looked:

Here’s What You Should Know About Cold-Emailing Potential Customers

Cold emailing is an excellent way to get more followers, customers, clients and referrals. You can use it to get more fans on your social media pages. You can even use it to build your email list.

There are many reasons why you might want to cold email potential customers:

• You’re looking for business opportunities in a specific industry or niche market.
• You have something useful to offer that’s related to the interests of the people you’re targeting with your cold emails (for example: “I noticed that [targeted group] like [insert product/service]!”)
• The cost of these cold emails is very low compared with other marketing methods such as pay-per-click advertising or direct mail campaigns (if done incorrectly).

Discover the moments of insight that can transform your cold emailing approach. Uncover valuable tips and strategies in the article on 10 Cold Email Aha Moments to enhance your outreach efforts.

You Can Send Cold Emails To Anyone, But Not Just About Anything

You have to be specific about what you’re offering; if it’s a free ebook or guest post, spell that out from the start. You also have to be specific about why you’re contacting them; did they write an article on your topic? 

Did they recommend something similar in another article? Do they have a blog with high traffic numbers and aren’t already covered by other bloggers? What makes this person special?

Finally, once again: how long will this offer be available for? If people miss out on your offer today, how long before next time? 

Use this information as inspiration for creating urgency in your copy and giving readers plenty of reasons why now is the best time possible for them to act on whatever it is that you want them do (and possibly even why it’s better than doing nothing).

You Have To Keep Your Emails Short And Offer Value To Your Recipients

Even if you’re not selling anything, you still want to follow the same basic principles.

Make sure your email is short. I would suggest keeping it under 150 words.

Make sure every word offers value to the recipient. Every time you send an email it should have a purpose and serve someone in some way or another, whether that be by providing information or entertainment (like with this article!). 

What are they going to get out of reading your message? If there isn’t something valuable in there for them then don’t send it!

Provide specific details about your offer, including how long it will be available and where they can find more information on how they can take advantage of what’s being offered at that time. 

Don’t leave room for confusion; give them everything they need right off the bat so there aren’t any questions lingering around when someone reads over the contents again later on down the road.”

If you’re new to cold emailing, start with the basics. Our Beginner’s Guide to Cold Emailing walks you through essential steps and principles for crafting effective emails that get noticed.

Tell People Why You’re Contacting Them, And Be Specific About What You’re Offering Them

When you’re cold emailing, it’s important to tell people why you’re contacting them and what you have to offer. 

You also need to be specific about what you want from them. If someone follows a link in your email, makes it through the signup process, and doesn’t see something that immediately catches their attention (like an interesting offer), they’re unlikely to stick around for long.

One easy way to stand out is by using a personal email address for all of your correspondence with prospects rather than generic no-reply@yourbusinessname.com addresses. 

This can make your emails feel more human and friendly, because most people will open emails from people whose names they recognize before those from unknowns or businesses that don’t seem as personable.

Let The Recipient Know How Long Your Offer Is Available For

In addition to the product or service itself, you should also let the recipient know how long your offer is available. 

For example, “I have 10 boxes of these vitamins left and they’ll be gone in 2 days.” This can help you get more people signing up before your product or service gets sold out.

If it takes a customer an hour to complete the purchase process and then another 3 days for them to get results from your offer, let them know that too!

Also, let them know when they will receive their payment (if there is one) and when they can expect their product shipped out if there are any shipping costs involved with what they purchased.

Let The Recipient Know How Long Your Offer Is Available For

In addition to the product or service itself, you should also let the recipient know how long your offer is available. 

For example, “I have 10 boxes of these vitamins left and they’ll be gone in 2 days.” This can help you get more people signing up before your product or service gets sold out.

If it takes a customer an hour to complete the purchase process and then another 3 days for them to get results from your offer, let them know that too!

Also let them know when they will receive their payment (if there is one) and when they can expect their product shipped out if there are any shipping costs involved with what they purchased.

Send Your Email From A Person’s Actual Email Address–>Not No-reply@yourbusinessname.com

When you’re sending an email, it’s important to use the same email address as your web domain. This makes it easy for people who are interested in your business to reply and get in touch with you.

You should also avoid using generic sender addresses like no-reply@yourbusinessname.com or info@yourbusinessname.com; this will make people think that they can’t reply directly to you, which could make them less likely to respond at all!

Ready to take your outreach efforts to the next level? Dive into the ultimate resource for successful cold email outreach: The Ultimate Guide to Cold E-Mail Outreach, filled with advanced tips and strategies.

This Technique Worked Great For Me, And It Can Work For You–Just Be Thoughtful About Who You’re Reaching Out Too!

One thing I’ve learned from this experiment is that it’s important to be specific about what you’re offering. When I say “specific,” I mean both the product and the way it’s presented:

• What are you offering?
• Why would they care?
• How do they get it, and when will they get it?

It also helps if your email address is correct. You don’t want to look stupid by sending out dozens of cold emails with typos in them (you wouldn’t believe how many people do this).

Writing a novel involves challenges and pitfalls. Learn from the amusing yet insightful article on The 13 Hilarious Mistakes Novelists Make to avoid common missteps in your creative journey.

Conclusion

Remember, the most important part of cold emailing is to provide value to your recipients. As long as you’re doing that and following the other tips above, you’ll be well on your way to getting more followers for your blog or business. Good luck!

Further Reading

Explore these resources to deepen your understanding of cold email strategies and techniques:

Do Cold Emails Work? Uncover the effectiveness of cold email campaigns and learn about their potential impact on your outreach efforts.

The Cold Email Template That Won 16 New B2B Customers Discover a successful cold email template that led to the acquisition of 16 new B2B customers, and gain insights into crafting compelling outreach messages.

Using Cold Emails to Generate Leads Learn how cold emails can be leveraged as a powerful tool to generate leads and grow your business’s pipeline.

FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about cold email strategies:

How do cold emails work?

Cold emails involve sending unsolicited emails to individuals who haven’t expressed prior interest. These emails aim to initiate a conversation, build relationships, and potentially lead to desired outcomes like sales or partnerships.

What are the key elements of an effective cold email?

An effective cold email should have a compelling subject line, personalized content, a clear value proposition, and a strong call to action. Personalization and relevance are crucial to increase the chances of engagement.

How can I improve the open and response rates of my cold emails?

To improve open and response rates, focus on crafting engaging subject lines, segmenting your audience, and providing value in the email content. A clear and concise message with a relevant offer can pique recipients’ interest.

Are there any best practices for writing cold email templates?

Absolutely. Keep your cold email concise, avoid overly promotional language, and focus on how you can solve the recipient’s problem or fulfill a need. Personalization, social proof, and clear benefits should be highlighted.

How do I measure the success of my cold email campaigns?

Success can be measured through metrics like open rates, click-through rates, response rates, and conversion rates. Monitoring these metrics helps you assess the effectiveness of your subject lines, content, and overall approach.