6 Tips To Make Your Cold Email Marketing Campaign Stand Out
Cold email marketing is a technique several business professionals employ to reach out to prospects to convert them into leads. The act of cold emailing entails contacting a prospect without prior contact or permission. Cold emailing is not to be confused with ‘spam’ as email lists are prepared with careful consideration and targeting.
Cold emails are a variant of the broader concept of email marketing. Cold email marketing combines the techniques of both email marketing and cold emails. By combining the two concepts, cold email marketing aims to reach out to prospective customers and educate them through brand awareness, trust, and loyalty irrespective of their relation to the business.
Using this email marketing technique, one can easily accomplish their objectives and goals regularly. In 2020, the conversion rate for cold emails was noted at 15.11%. This blog explains the importance of cold email marketing and the strategies one can use to create a successful campaign.
Before we delve into the strategies, let’s first look into the benefits of cold email marketing.
Cold emails are a variant of the broader concept of email marketing. Cold email marketing combines the techniques of both email marketing and cold emails. By combining the two concepts, cold email marketing aims to reach out to prospective customers and educate them through brand awareness, trust, and loyalty irrespective of their relation to the business.
Using this email marketing technique, one can easily accomplish their objectives and goals regularly. In 2020, the conversion rate for cold emails was noted at 15.11%. This blog explains the importance of cold email marketing and the strategies one can use to create a successful campaign.
Before we delve into the strategies, let’s first look into the benefits of cold email marketing.
Benefits Of Cold Email Marketing
1. Website Traffic Generation: When you create a great piece of content, you most likely choose email marketing as your preferred method of dissemination. Sending out cold emails is a great way to drive traffic to your website. This also helps in improving your website SEO and keeps your audience engaged with your brand. It is always essential to include a call to action (CTA) in your email content so recipients can easily access your website.
2. Cost-Effective: It is no doubt that cold email marketing is a cost-effective marketing method as compared to other channels. At most, email marketers need to invest in email marketing and tracking software. Having a high Return On Investment (ROI) with low costs is a win-win for any business. There are no other hefty costs such as postage or advertising fees that are involved with this method. If you are using cold email marketing properly, you can maximize the results at a meager cost.
3. Targeted Messages: Email marketing is highly targeted towards those that meet specific criteria. Email lists are often drawn up with precision and then segmented into categories that further refine the target audience. Email content needs to be personalized in a way that lines up with the exact needs of the prospective customer i.e. businesses need to ensure the right message is being sent out to individuals. With advanced tools, such is possible and because of this cold email marketing has proven to work.
2. Cost-Effective: It is no doubt that cold email marketing is a cost-effective marketing method as compared to other channels. At most, email marketers need to invest in email marketing and tracking software. Having a high Return On Investment (ROI) with low costs is a win-win for any business. There are no other hefty costs such as postage or advertising fees that are involved with this method. If you are using cold email marketing properly, you can maximize the results at a meager cost.
3. Targeted Messages: Email marketing is highly targeted towards those that meet specific criteria. Email lists are often drawn up with precision and then segmented into categories that further refine the target audience. Email content needs to be personalized in a way that lines up with the exact needs of the prospective customer i.e. businesses need to ensure the right message is being sent out to individuals. With advanced tools, such is possible and because of this cold email marketing has proven to work.
According to HubSpot, 99% of consumers check their emails every day and prefer this method of communication to receive updates from businesses. So how does one make their cold email marketing strategy stand out from the rest and guarantee high open rates?
Below are five tips that will help you craft the perfect email that will capture your prospect's attention and convert them into paying customers.
Below are five tips that will help you craft the perfect email that will capture your prospect's attention and convert them into paying customers.
How To Make Your Cold Email Marketing Strategy Stand Out?
1. Personalizing Your Email
Source: K6 Agency
Personalizing your emails needs to be a top priority in your strategy. A report by Experian found that personalized email content delivers 6x higher transactional rates. Addressing their needs and wants whilst showcasing how the product/service can bring forth desired results, makes your email enticing.
In order to hit the nail with personalization, one must conduct some research on their prospect first. The more personalized an email is, the higher the chances of getting a response. Looking up their work on social media, reading their blogs or articles, gaining knowledge about their background and skills can help you tailor your pitch accordingly.
Hyper personalization is an important factor in cold emailing. Adding one or two details a subscriber may relate to is not enough. By adding something unique to that particular individual will contribute to making them feel special. Cold emailing is such that if undertaken in the right manner, it can produce favorable results. The key here is quality over quantity.
In order to hit the nail with personalization, one must conduct some research on their prospect first. The more personalized an email is, the higher the chances of getting a response. Looking up their work on social media, reading their blogs or articles, gaining knowledge about their background and skills can help you tailor your pitch accordingly.
Hyper personalization is an important factor in cold emailing. Adding one or two details a subscriber may relate to is not enough. By adding something unique to that particular individual will contribute to making them feel special. Cold emailing is such that if undertaken in the right manner, it can produce favorable results. The key here is quality over quantity.
Source: WebEngage
2. Using Catchy Subject Lines
The subject line is one of the first things that your prospect lays eyes upon even before opening the email. Subject lines need to capture their attention almost immediately while presenting the value proposition of the email. Using generic subject lines is a surefire way of going unnoticed and having your efforts go down the drain.
Once you have the recipient's attention through the subject line, the chances of being interested in what you have to offer automatically shoot up.
Adding emojis to your subject line is another tactic used by several marketers. 56% of brands that use emojis in their subject lines have noted a higher unique open rate.
When you use questions in your subject line that are specific and personal to your prospect, your open rates will be much higher. It is all about making a real connection with your recipient and subject lines are a great way of kick-starting the conversation.
The subject line should capture the essence of the content but at the same time not reveal too much. It needs to be crafted in a way that is enticing but also informative. Here are some examples that have all the variables a subject line should have: personalization, informative, and attention-grabbing:
The subject line is one of the first things that your prospect lays eyes upon even before opening the email. Subject lines need to capture their attention almost immediately while presenting the value proposition of the email. Using generic subject lines is a surefire way of going unnoticed and having your efforts go down the drain.
Once you have the recipient's attention through the subject line, the chances of being interested in what you have to offer automatically shoot up.
Adding emojis to your subject line is another tactic used by several marketers. 56% of brands that use emojis in their subject lines have noted a higher unique open rate.
When you use questions in your subject line that are specific and personal to your prospect, your open rates will be much higher. It is all about making a real connection with your recipient and subject lines are a great way of kick-starting the conversation.
The subject line should capture the essence of the content but at the same time not reveal too much. It needs to be crafted in a way that is enticing but also informative. Here are some examples that have all the variables a subject line should have: personalization, informative, and attention-grabbing:
Here are some examples of bad subject lines so that you know the mistakes to avoid:
Invest highlights that 47% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line, whereas 69% of recipients report emails as spam because of the subject line.
So it’s of utmost importance to try out A/B split testing with your subject lines. There is no real indication of what each individual might respond to.
3. Using Visuals To Your Advantage
So it’s of utmost importance to try out A/B split testing with your subject lines. There is no real indication of what each individual might respond to.
3. Using Visuals To Your Advantage
Source: Campaign Monitor
Plain text emails are a snooze fest! There are a variety of email marketing tools available that allow you to design aesthetically pleasing layouts for your content. Beyond that, images are far more effective than plain text as a human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text.
Using images also helps you convey your message with a clear idea more effectively and eliminates the chances of misinterpretation. The images should be contextual and in line with the message you intend to deliver. Hiring a graphic designer will make your design more visually appealing instead of using stock images.
Besides images, there are other visual elements one can use. These include infographics, GIFs, behind-the-scenes pictures, product images, customer testimonials, product demo videos, how-to videos, and illustrations. When designing the perfect visual email, consider using colors that are in line with your brand. Running A/B tests to see what works for your business is another excellent idea.
Using images also helps you convey your message with a clear idea more effectively and eliminates the chances of misinterpretation. The images should be contextual and in line with the message you intend to deliver. Hiring a graphic designer will make your design more visually appealing instead of using stock images.
Besides images, there are other visual elements one can use. These include infographics, GIFs, behind-the-scenes pictures, product images, customer testimonials, product demo videos, how-to videos, and illustrations. When designing the perfect visual email, consider using colors that are in line with your brand. Running A/B tests to see what works for your business is another excellent idea.
Source: Mailigen
The text to image ratio should not be disproportionate. One should primarily use visuals to illustrate the text, and they shouldn’t be at the forefront. The 80 (text) by 20 (visuals) rule helps maintain this balance.
Source: Tidio
4. Avoid Sounding Too Sales-y
The entire premise of your email is indeed to entice the prospect with your pitch. Think about solicitors for a second because their whole spiel is too ‘sales-y’ and we often find the entire experience very off-putting. Apply this same logic when writing up your email.
If propelling your recipient feels forced, they won’t even give it a second thought. Instead, try greasing the wheels first. Start a conversation by saying “let’s set up a call soon”, this will allow them to act at their own pace. Think of email as having a conversation with a person face-to-face, start slow and then build it up from there.
Nobody, not even you, want to be pressured or manipulated into making a purchase. Another way one can avoid this is by cutting down on the sales pitch verbiage. These include terms and phrases such as, “guaranteed”, “prospect”, “once in a lifetime opportunity”, “coupon”, “promotion”, “discount”, etc.
If you are unclear about sounding sales-y, refer to this dos and don’ts list:
Dos
The entire premise of your email is indeed to entice the prospect with your pitch. Think about solicitors for a second because their whole spiel is too ‘sales-y’ and we often find the entire experience very off-putting. Apply this same logic when writing up your email.
If propelling your recipient feels forced, they won’t even give it a second thought. Instead, try greasing the wheels first. Start a conversation by saying “let’s set up a call soon”, this will allow them to act at their own pace. Think of email as having a conversation with a person face-to-face, start slow and then build it up from there.
Nobody, not even you, want to be pressured or manipulated into making a purchase. Another way one can avoid this is by cutting down on the sales pitch verbiage. These include terms and phrases such as, “guaranteed”, “prospect”, “once in a lifetime opportunity”, “coupon”, “promotion”, “discount”, etc.
If you are unclear about sounding sales-y, refer to this dos and don’ts list:
Dos
Don'ts
5. Harness Your Storytelling Skills
Source: The Hustle
Storytelling is an excellent technique used to excite, involve and persuade readers in any given context. By implementing this in your cold email outreach, establishing a connection with the recipient will add value and quality to the message being conveyed. It is no doubt that by now, readers are quite tired of over-aggressive and repetitive sales approaches.
Storytelling is an effective strategy as it increases user engagement, facilitates conversions, increases brand value, and most importantly increases brand reputation. Additionally, using storytelling in your email campaigns helps you stand out from the crowd by creating an empathetic bond with your audience.
To build a compelling storyline, you must understand the needs and preferences of your prospects. Drawing up a buyer persona will guide you to choose the appropriate elements to include in your story. The content of your story must create added value that is informative and relevant to your business. Try to keep it as plausible and straightforward as possible. Going overboard with your imagination skills might be overkill.
Try to convey the values of your company through the story you are telling. Alternatively, you can also create a storyline encompassing the pain points of your prospects that will resonate with them. In sum, it’s important to remember that your main aim is to write a story that is compelling for your readers that will facilitate conversions.
6. Using An Email Finder Tool
You must have a verified list of email addresses for your cold emailing campaign. Without a verified list, all your efforts will prove to be fruitless; wasting both time and resources. This will directly impact your deliverability rates too.
Email finder tools are a great solution to this problem, as they provide the emailers with verified emails of the prospect they are actively using at the time. Tools such as Clearout help marketers and salespeople find and verify mass email addresses in seconds. In addition to that, this tool also pinpoints specific email addresses that have spelling errors or are not in use. It also provides an estimated delivery rate for your overall email campaign.
Storytelling is an effective strategy as it increases user engagement, facilitates conversions, increases brand value, and most importantly increases brand reputation. Additionally, using storytelling in your email campaigns helps you stand out from the crowd by creating an empathetic bond with your audience.
To build a compelling storyline, you must understand the needs and preferences of your prospects. Drawing up a buyer persona will guide you to choose the appropriate elements to include in your story. The content of your story must create added value that is informative and relevant to your business. Try to keep it as plausible and straightforward as possible. Going overboard with your imagination skills might be overkill.
Try to convey the values of your company through the story you are telling. Alternatively, you can also create a storyline encompassing the pain points of your prospects that will resonate with them. In sum, it’s important to remember that your main aim is to write a story that is compelling for your readers that will facilitate conversions.
6. Using An Email Finder Tool
You must have a verified list of email addresses for your cold emailing campaign. Without a verified list, all your efforts will prove to be fruitless; wasting both time and resources. This will directly impact your deliverability rates too.
Email finder tools are a great solution to this problem, as they provide the emailers with verified emails of the prospect they are actively using at the time. Tools such as Clearout help marketers and salespeople find and verify mass email addresses in seconds. In addition to that, this tool also pinpoints specific email addresses that have spelling errors or are not in use. It also provides an estimated delivery rate for your overall email campaign.
Bonus Tips
1. Sending An Email At The Right Time: There are no hard and fast rules regarding the ideal timings one should schedule their email campaign for; it depends on your recipients. While there is no definitive answer, research has provided us with some answers. Data analyzed from over 10 studies have revealed that Tuesday has the maximum number of open rates, resulting in increased click-through rates and website traffic.
2. Adding CTAs: Adding a compelling CTA in your content will enhance your content. You want to add a CTA that captures your reader's attention and propels them to take the desired action immediately.
Before you craft the perfect CTA, consider the following:
a) What is the goal of the CTA?
b) How can I word my CTA in an attractive and attention-grabbing way?
c) What sort of design will prompt a click?
3. Follow-Ups: Most marketers and salespeople are under the impression that if the primary email does not fare well, then it’s time to wrap it up and focus efforts exclusively on interested prospects. In some cases, this may hold to be true. However, sometimes people need an extra push, in a non-intrusive way of course. Learn Hub suggests that just one follow-up email can convert 22% more prospects. A follow-up can also be used in the case of reconnecting or reconfirming one’s interest. A total of five follow-up emails are recommended to maximize your results in an impactful way.
4. Email Verification Before Setting Up Your Campaign: Verifying your contact list ensures the deliverability of your email campaign. In order to avoid your email from being flagged as spam or blacklisted in totality, email verification helps ensure that email addresses are active, error-free, and accurate. Using email verification software, one can avoid hard bounces, reduce the chances of being flagged as spam, and increase their sender score.
1. Sending An Email At The Right Time: There are no hard and fast rules regarding the ideal timings one should schedule their email campaign for; it depends on your recipients. While there is no definitive answer, research has provided us with some answers. Data analyzed from over 10 studies have revealed that Tuesday has the maximum number of open rates, resulting in increased click-through rates and website traffic.
2. Adding CTAs: Adding a compelling CTA in your content will enhance your content. You want to add a CTA that captures your reader's attention and propels them to take the desired action immediately.
Before you craft the perfect CTA, consider the following:
a) What is the goal of the CTA?
b) How can I word my CTA in an attractive and attention-grabbing way?
c) What sort of design will prompt a click?
3. Follow-Ups: Most marketers and salespeople are under the impression that if the primary email does not fare well, then it’s time to wrap it up and focus efforts exclusively on interested prospects. In some cases, this may hold to be true. However, sometimes people need an extra push, in a non-intrusive way of course. Learn Hub suggests that just one follow-up email can convert 22% more prospects. A follow-up can also be used in the case of reconnecting or reconfirming one’s interest. A total of five follow-up emails are recommended to maximize your results in an impactful way.
4. Email Verification Before Setting Up Your Campaign: Verifying your contact list ensures the deliverability of your email campaign. In order to avoid your email from being flagged as spam or blacklisted in totality, email verification helps ensure that email addresses are active, error-free, and accurate. Using email verification software, one can avoid hard bounces, reduce the chances of being flagged as spam, and increase their sender score.
5 Examples Of Cold Email Templates That Will Generate Warm Leads
#1 Connecting After A Milestone
Hi {First Name},
I just heard the news about {milestone they achieved}. On behalf of everyone here at {your company name}, we would like to congratulate you and your team!
This is a pivotal moment for your organization.
To my knowledge, when such a thing, {value proposition} becomes a top priority.
We have helped organizations with similar needs before.
{insert line on how you helped, include statistics}
I know you must be crazy busy right now, but if you’re interested in this, then shoot me an email.
Let me know which day and time work best for you.
Wishing you all the success!
Best,
{Your Name}
#2 Mutual Connection
Hey there, {First Name}
I grabbed a coffee with {name of mutual connection} last week. We were talking about [the annoyances people face in their email marketing campaign].
{name of mutual connection} mentioned that you were having trouble in that department.
Believe it or not, it’s a pretty common problem.
I am {your name}, working as {job title}, at {your company name}.
We aim to resolve {explain how you will resolve their pain point}.
Here are a few resources for you to look over to understand what we do:
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
Let me know what you think so we can set up a call to discuss this further!
I am eager to help!
Best,
{Your Name}
#3 The Luke-Warm Reach
Hey there {First Name},
Thank you for your interest in {company name/product/service} and for {how they interacted with your organization - attended a webinar, filled out a survey, joined a group, etc}.
I wanted to reach out to provide you with some insight into how exactly {your company name} can help you {add value proposition}.
Do you have 10 minutes next week sometime in the morning for a brief demo?
I am attaching a few resources that will help you understand who we are and what we do.
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
[Resource 3]
Hoping to connect with you.
Best,
{Your Name}
#4 Website Visitation
Hi {First Name},
You recently visited {insert name of website} and {add action taken}.
I understand that you might be interested in {content topic}.
I am attaching a few recommended additional resources that will provide you further insights on {content topic}.
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
[Resource 3]
{Your company name} also offers {product/service} that aims {mention specific goal or result from your product they can achieve}.
If you are interested in this, we can schedule a quick call at a time of your choosing.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
{Your Name}
#5 The Direct Pitch
Hey there, {First Name}
I only need 10 minutes of your time to explain how {prospect's company name} can boost their sales by 10% in under 6 months.
{Competitors name} recently used our services, and reported an increase by {add metrics} in 3 months.
I would love to have a chat with you about this to help understand our strategy.
Let me know when you are free.
Regards,
{Your Name}
Conclusion
Cold email marketing is a great outbound marketing technique that helps in generating hundreds of prospects and expanding your business venture. The Adobe Email Usage Study conducted in 2019 revealed that individuals check their work email at least 3 hours per day compared to their personal email measured at 2 hours a day. Thus, using cold emailing can be exceptionally advantageous for your business; however, it must be undertaken with caution and a conversant strategy.
Don’t forget to include follow-up emails in your cold email outreach, as the primary email is only meant to facilitate the conversation. 44% of marketers give up after sending out one follow-up, but 80% of sales pitches require at least 5 follow-ups. So ensure you include a follow-up sequence in your cold email outreach to increase the response rate of your readers.
Happy Cold Emailing!
Author Bio:
Dhruv is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Saleshandy, a sales engagement platform that helps sales professionals close more deals. He is an empathetic marketer, people person, SaaS enthusiast, hustler, and growth hacker. He is passionate about identifying customer needs, measuring success and delight. He loves to write on customer-centric problem solving and growth, enabling customers and businesses to make better decisions.
Hi {First Name},
I just heard the news about {milestone they achieved}. On behalf of everyone here at {your company name}, we would like to congratulate you and your team!
This is a pivotal moment for your organization.
To my knowledge, when such a thing, {value proposition} becomes a top priority.
We have helped organizations with similar needs before.
{insert line on how you helped, include statistics}
I know you must be crazy busy right now, but if you’re interested in this, then shoot me an email.
Let me know which day and time work best for you.
Wishing you all the success!
Best,
{Your Name}
#2 Mutual Connection
Hey there, {First Name}
I grabbed a coffee with {name of mutual connection} last week. We were talking about [the annoyances people face in their email marketing campaign].
{name of mutual connection} mentioned that you were having trouble in that department.
Believe it or not, it’s a pretty common problem.
I am {your name}, working as {job title}, at {your company name}.
We aim to resolve {explain how you will resolve their pain point}.
Here are a few resources for you to look over to understand what we do:
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
Let me know what you think so we can set up a call to discuss this further!
I am eager to help!
Best,
{Your Name}
#3 The Luke-Warm Reach
Hey there {First Name},
Thank you for your interest in {company name/product/service} and for {how they interacted with your organization - attended a webinar, filled out a survey, joined a group, etc}.
I wanted to reach out to provide you with some insight into how exactly {your company name} can help you {add value proposition}.
Do you have 10 minutes next week sometime in the morning for a brief demo?
I am attaching a few resources that will help you understand who we are and what we do.
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
[Resource 3]
Hoping to connect with you.
Best,
{Your Name}
#4 Website Visitation
Hi {First Name},
You recently visited {insert name of website} and {add action taken}.
I understand that you might be interested in {content topic}.
I am attaching a few recommended additional resources that will provide you further insights on {content topic}.
[Resource 1]
[Resource 2]
[Resource 3]
{Your company name} also offers {product/service} that aims {mention specific goal or result from your product they can achieve}.
If you are interested in this, we can schedule a quick call at a time of your choosing.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
{Your Name}
#5 The Direct Pitch
Hey there, {First Name}
I only need 10 minutes of your time to explain how {prospect's company name} can boost their sales by 10% in under 6 months.
{Competitors name} recently used our services, and reported an increase by {add metrics} in 3 months.
I would love to have a chat with you about this to help understand our strategy.
Let me know when you are free.
Regards,
{Your Name}
Conclusion
Cold email marketing is a great outbound marketing technique that helps in generating hundreds of prospects and expanding your business venture. The Adobe Email Usage Study conducted in 2019 revealed that individuals check their work email at least 3 hours per day compared to their personal email measured at 2 hours a day. Thus, using cold emailing can be exceptionally advantageous for your business; however, it must be undertaken with caution and a conversant strategy.
Don’t forget to include follow-up emails in your cold email outreach, as the primary email is only meant to facilitate the conversation. 44% of marketers give up after sending out one follow-up, but 80% of sales pitches require at least 5 follow-ups. So ensure you include a follow-up sequence in your cold email outreach to increase the response rate of your readers.
Happy Cold Emailing!
Author Bio:
Dhruv is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Saleshandy, a sales engagement platform that helps sales professionals close more deals. He is an empathetic marketer, people person, SaaS enthusiast, hustler, and growth hacker. He is passionate about identifying customer needs, measuring success and delight. He loves to write on customer-centric problem solving and growth, enabling customers and businesses to make better decisions.
