Here’s an unpopular but obvious truth! Receiving tons of cold emails daily can be frustrating for your prospects– especially when they lack relevance.
In fact, only 23.9% of sales emails have a chance of being opened.
What does this mean? Out of every 100 emails you send, 77 will likely go unopened.
However, experienced email marketers understand the potential of a well-targeted and well-crafted cold email outreach process.
Why?
It can potentially generate millions in revenue.
Cold emails allow you to initiate a conversation with someone you don't have a prior connection with.
This somebody can be a potential customer, a networking contact, or a request for a backlink.
In essence, cold emails allow you to build relationships with a very specific and targeted audience.
Well, to give you some detailed insights, let’s outline the powerful benefits of cold emails.
We’ll also explore some brilliant tips and best practices to create emails that capture your prospect's attention.
Additionally, we'll highlight common cold email mistakes to avoid – to help you boost your conversion rate.
In the email marketing space, cold emailing is an excellent tool for all types of businesses.
Why? Because of its affordability, scalability, and effectiveness. Let’s now check these upsides in greater detail.
Cold emails allow you to reach a specific and targeted list of accounts/prospects – beyond your existing network. You know whom you want to target and outreach and that’s why it has a significant ROI (Return On Investment).
However, the same is not valid for inbound marketing. Here you target a wider audience. Hence, you have no control over who will contact you as a lead, whether it's a fit or not.
On the contrary, you have complete control over your audience list in outbound cold email marketing.
Additionally, cold emails directly reach the platform where your prospects spend most of their time – their inbox. After all, 44% of people in the United States and Canada check their personal email 1-3 times daily.
As a result, you connect with more potential prospects via cold email. So, research your target audience and craft personalized messages to make the most of this opportunity.
Then, you can make meaningful connections with people you don't know yet. It increases your chances of expanding your reach and getting noticed.
Let’s illustrate this with an interesting example.
For instance, let's say you're a startup looking for investors. Next, you use a targeted cold emailing approach to contact potential investors who have expressed interest in similar businesses. This way, you can expand your reach beyond your immediate network.
One of the most significant advantages of cold emailing is its scalability. With the apt tools, you can simultaneously send many custom emails to thousands of prospects.
It saves you time and effort. Hence, it’s especially beneficial for small businesses that do not have a large marketing budget.
For example, let’s say you are a B2B company offering CRM solutions. You launch a new data analytics tool to improve customer insights.
You target businesses with a personalized email campaign, highlighting the tool's benefits and including case studies. This approach quickly spreads the word and increases your sales chances.
Compared to other marketing channels, cold emailing is a relatively low-cost option that can yield a high ROI.
In fact, email marketing generates an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. It is because cold emailing doesn't require a significant investment in resources – such as advertising or sales staff.
Let’s assume you are a B2B company offering IT solutions. You use targeted emails to reach potential customers in your area.
You introduce your company and explain how your solutions can improve business operations and boost profits. This approach generates new business without expensive advertising or hiring sales staff.
Comparing emails with ads, the latter is broader and casts a wider net. As such, adverts make reaching the people who will buy from you more challenging.
Another significant advantage of cold emailing is its measurability and tracking. You can track open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics – to determine the effectiveness of your campaigns.
It allows you to optimize your campaigns over time and improve cold email conversion rates.
Again, cold emailing gives you complete control over the timing and frequency of your campaigns. You can choose:
It enables you to tailor your campaigns to the specific needs and preferences of your audience.
Every cold email that reaches a prospect works toward increasing your brand awareness. Even if the prospect does not need your product or service at that moment, they may remember your business in the future when they need something you offer.
Custom emails are more likely to generate higher transaction rates than generic emails. So,
As such, you can create a more personalized message that resonates with your prospects.
As you can see, cold emails have tremendous potential. So, if you’re not using this technique to leverage your business, you’re wasting a lot of untapped potential.
However, suppose you have already implemented cold email campaigns, but they aren’t working as expected. In that case, you only need to master the right cold emailing strategies!
Before sending out any cold emails, try to study and understand your target audience. This research helps you gauge who you’re emailing and their needs.
As a result, you can create your message per your target prospects' specific interests.
You can pinpoint your potential audience by gathering information on their:
Before sending out any cold emails, try to study and understand your target audience. This research helps you gauge who you’re emailing and their needs.
As a result, you can create your message per your target prospects' specific interests.
You can pinpoint your potential audience by gathering information on their:
You can acquire the above information from the following sources:
Once you identify your target audience, tailor your message to each recipient. Personalizing your message shows that you have taken the time to understand their specific requirements.
Besides the main message, put extra attention to personalizing subject lines. Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
It shows that taking the time to personalize your message can increase your email’s open rate.
Your cold email's value proposition is the key element that drives your message's purpose. Hence, emphasize how you can provide value to them through your cold sales email.
You may promote a product or service or offer advice through an email series.
Here, conveying how your offering can benefit their lives is essential. Plus, explaining why they should spend their time considering your email is vital.
You can capture your recipient's attention by clearly articulating your value proposition. As such, you can persuade them to take the desired action – whether responding to your email or engaging in a more extended business relationship.
The subject line of your cold email is like the cover of a book. Why? It’s the first thing people see, which can make or break their interest in reading ahead.
In fact, as many as 33% of recipients open emails based solely on the subject line. That's why it's crucial to get it right.
To capture your recipient's attention, your subject line should be short and interesting. You want to build curiosity while still clearly conveying what your email is about.
When creating your subject line, consider your target audience and what appeals to them. Ask yourself questions such as:
You can follow the following tips to design result-driven subjects:
Remember that when you send a cold email, your recipients likely have no prior knowledge of your business. That’s why it's crucial to introduce yourself clearly in your email. State your name and position, and explain why you're the best person to assist them.
To build trust and credibility with potential clients during cold outreach, consider using social proof examples from previous companies you've worked with. It can include things like:
By using social proof, you can establish yourself as a reliable person to do business with. As such, this makes it easier for potential clients to see that you fit their needs.
Your email’s format should be visually appealing and easy to read. Use the following elements:
– to break up your text.
You can also include images or videos to make your email more engaging.
According to a study by Constant Contact, emails with three or fewer images and approximately 20 lines of text result in the highest click-through rates. It means that using a simple and concise email format can increase your email’s success rate.
Make sure to research your recipients thoroughly and find out what problems they might be facing. Incorporating a pain point in your cold emails has several benefits:
To identify a pain point, you can:
It's crucial to highlight how a particular pain point affects your prospect’s short and long-term goals.
Further, also explain why it's essential to address it. In your cold emails, help your recipients envision how their business could benefit if that issue were resolved.
Lastly, showcase why you are the best person to help them with their problems.
The US government enacted the CAN-SPAM Act in 2003 to regulate commercial email messages. CAN-SPAM stands for "Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003."
It sets rules for commercial email messages and gives recipients the right to opt out of receiving future emails.
As a sender of cold emails, following the guidelines set by the CAN-SPAM Act to avoid penalties and maintain your reputation is essential. Here are some key points to remember:
Now, you’ve successfully engaged your recipient with an attention-grabbing opening. Plus, you’ve presented them with a clear and valuable offer.
Next, provide them with a CTA. It prompts the reader to take action if they’re interested in your proposition.
Your CTA should be a simple, direct statement encouraging your prospect to engage with your brand. It could be anything from:
The goal is to make it easy for your potential customer to take the next step without having to think too hard about it.
Finally, a well-constructed email signature adds a professional touch to your cold email. Additionally, it reassures the recipient of your legitimacy. It should include your:
A well-designed email signature enhances your credibility and provides additional contact details for the recipient to reach out to you.
Having a specific methodology is essential for cold emailing to boost your conversions. In the following section, you will learn about the eight common mistakes made by those new to implementing a cold emailing strategy.
Follow-up emails are crucial in cold emailing. Statistics show that not following up can lead to lost sales opportunities. In fact, the average initial email open rate is only 21.3%.
Therefore, it is essential to send follow-up emails to increase the chances of getting a response.
Sending only one email without any follow-ups usually results in an average reply rate of 16%.
Including at least one follow-up in your campaign can significantly improve your outreach success, with users who follow up achieving a 27% reply rate. It underscores the importance of follow-up emails in your outreach strategy.
When it comes to the number of follow-up emails after no response to your initial email, research indicates that 2-3 follow-ups are the most optimal.
Campaigns with at least one follow-up convert about 22% more prospects than those without any.
The above statistics highlight the significance of follow-ups in increasing your chances of eliciting a response from your prospects.
A generic subject line can make your email look like spam. And your message may get deleted without being read.
So, make the subject line personalized and relevant to the recipient. As such, you can increase the chances of the email being opened.
Here are 8 examples of targeted subject lines:
Tailor your cold emails to the specific recipient and their needs. Writing a generic email copy that doesn't address the recipient's pain points or interests can result in a low response rate.
Here are some illustrations of generic introductions to avoid:
You need to identify and address the recipient's pain points to make your email relevant and valuable to them.
Do your research and discover what challenges they face and how your product or service can help solve them.
Here are some elements that companies often miss out on addressing in their emails:
Your cold email should focus on the recipient and how you can help them, not on your company or yourself. You should avoid the following:
Instead, you MUST write the email from the recipient's perspective. Plus, it should show them how your product or service can benefit them.
Sending cold emails to people outside your target market or who have shown no interest in your product or service can waste time and resources. We advise you to abstain from the following actions:
It's crucial to have a well-defined target market and to only send emails to those who fit within that market.
A cold email should be concise and to the point. Including too much information can overwhelm the recipient.
On the contrary, including too little can make the email seem unprofessional or incomplete. Here are some mistakes to avoid:
It's vital to strike a balance between providing enough information to pique the recipient's interest without overwhelming them.
Buying prospect lists may seem like an easy way to get leads, but it can lead to low-quality leads and waste your marketing resources.
It's better to build your own list through research and outreach. Then, you can ensure you are targeting the right people who are interested in your product or service.
Now that you’re equipped with the tips you need to craft excellent cold emails, here’s a list of nine cold email practices to follow before sending out your cold emails:
Beginning with a clear objective is essential to the success of your cold email campaign. Determine the purpose of your email, whether it's to:
Having a clear goal in mind will help you tailor your email content and ensure that you're targeting the right audience.
A/B testing involves sending two versions of your email to a small group of your target audience to determine which version performs better.
You can test different subject lines, email content, and call-to-action buttons to determine which elements resonate with your audience. It helps you optimize your campaigns and improve your overall response rates.
Email automation allows you to set up a series of emails – automatically sent to your target audience over a set time frame. It can be useful for:
With email automation, you can ensure that your target audience receives relevant and timely content, increasing the chances of a response.
Prospecting tools such as Hunter.io and Snov.io can help you:
Plus, by using prospecting tools, you can streamline your lead-generation process and improve your overall response rates.
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system can help you keep track of your cold email campaigns, leads, and prospects.
Also, it enables you to personalize your email content and track the performance of your campaigns.
Maintaining a CRM can improve your strategy and ensure you target the right audience with the right message.
Keeping your contact list up-to-date and accurate is crucial to the success of your cold email campaigns.
Regularly cleansing your data ensures you target the right people and avoid any issues that may arise from sending emails to outdated or incorrect contacts.
In fact, dirty data costs businesses an average of 12% of their revenue. Therefore, it ensures your data is clean and accurate before starting any cold email campaign.
Fresh and relevant sales prospect lists are essential to the success of your cold email campaigns. Why? Here are some benefits:
Building long-term relationships with prospects is essential. It means focusing on providing value rather than just selling them something.
Plus, by building trust and establishing yourself as an expert in your industry, you increase the chances of prospects responding positively to your emails and eventually becoming customers.
As we’ve mentioned countless times, targeting and personalization are crucial for email marketing. As such, using a custom email server can provide you with more control over your communication. Plus, it can help you deliver more targeted messaging.
There are several advantages of using a custom email server:
Warm Up Your Email Addresses Before Sending Out Your Campaigns
It involves sending a series of low-volume, non-promotional emails to your list over a period of time. It establishes your sender reputation with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and improves delivery rates.
As a result, you gradually increase your email volume and send more promotional content. Hence, you further improve your delivery rates and overall campaign success.
Configure the Server to Meet Your Specific Needs
You can set up SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records to help authenticate your emails and reduce the likelihood of them being marked as spam. You can also configure your server to use dedicated IP addresses, which can help improve your sender reputation and delivery rates.
Get More Control Over Your Email Data
You can set up your own email list management system and track your email open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics. It allows you to optimize your campaigns and make data-driven decisions to improve your results.
Note that setting up and maintaining an email server requires technical knowledge and expertise. You need to have a solid understanding of email deliverability best practices, server administration, and security.
However, a custom email server can be a valuable investment for businesses that are serious about email marketing and want to improve their delivery rates and campaign success.
Cold emailing has existed since the internet's inception. Plus, it has stood the test of time for one primary reason: it works. Even large organizations worth millions of dollars have attributed some of their successes to cold emailing – particularly during the early stages.
It's a strategy that can benefit any business, regardless of size, by generating more sales leads and expanding its network. So, there's no reason you shouldn't try it.
With Revnew, you get access to a team of experts who can help you craft result-driven cold email marketing strategies. Start your cold email campaign now and reap the benefits it has to offer. Contact Us Now!
Check out how Revnew helped In-House Medical generate 20 appointments in just 3 months and acquire a fresh list of high-quality prospects by using strategic cold email campaigns.
Cold emailing can be effective if done properly – with a targeted approach and personalized messages. However, it is not guaranteed success and requires careful planning and strategy.
No, cold emailing is not illegal as long as it complies with anti-spam laws and regulations, such as providing an opt-out option and not sending unsolicited messages.
A cold email is an unsolicited message sent to a recipient who has no prior relationship with the sender. An example of a cold email could be an introductory message from a salesperson to a potential customer, offering their product or service.
When starting a cold email, it is best to use a polite and professional greeting such as "Dear [Recipient's Name]," or "Hello [Recipient's Name],". Avoid using informal or overly casual language.
Yes, cold emailing is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. It involves understanding your target audience, crafting effective messages, and following up with potential leads.
To write an effective cold email, research your target audience and tailor your message to their needs and interests. Keep your message concise, clear, and personalized, and include a clear call to action.
When starting a cold email, introduce yourself briefly and explain why you are reaching out to the recipient. Show your knowledge and interest in their company or industry and explain how your product or service can benefit them.
Avoid using overly promotional language, spammy tactics, or making assumptions about the recipient. Also, avoid sending a generic message or a message that is too long or confusing.
A cold email's first line should be attention-grabbing and relevant to the recipient's interests or needs. It could be a question, a statement, or a compliment that shows your interest in their business or industry.