The effectiveness of cold email is a topic of debate among marketers, with some asserting its value while others remain pessimistic. Various factors regarding the success of cold email campaigns will need to be clarified. Among the reasons are low response rates, spam concerns, compliance issues, time-consuming, etc. However, Forbes reported that the proponents of this method still believe in its power to generate new contacts and grow the business.
What is it?
Cold email is a subset of email marketing where sales reps send unsolicited emails to leads without a prior relationship or connection.
How to Write an Effective Cold Email?
Many need to pay more attention to the efforts going into creating high-converting emails. While it may look like a low-hanging fruit, cold emails can be a tricky business.
- Compelling subject lines
The subject line is the recipient’s initial point of contact as they screen their inbox. You should always note that you are not the only person trying to approach your lead. Numerous other emails are also competing in the mailbox to get noticed. It is, indeed, just a matter of how to stand out among the crowd.
Piquing strangers’ interests and curiosity can be an extreme sport for email marketing specialists. You may risk getting kicked out of the competition if you don’t put much care into your outreach endeavor right from the start. That is why you need to showcase a sturdy headline: so strong that it urges your audience to open and read the email.
- Personalization
To grab the audience’s attention, marketers must provide a bridge shortening the distance between the brand and potential customers. One way to do it is by tailoring your body copy based on their pain points, interest, or individuality. A customized salutation would be an excellent kickoff, but it wouldn’t be enough to get them hooked.
You need to conduct thorough research to captivate your audience. However, your interest must be genuine and aimed to cater to their specific needs. Steering clear of generic and one-size-fits-all messages thus will be your way to boost the response rate.
- Conciseness
Busy professionals appreciate value proposition emails that respect their time. Beating around the bush will only create confusion and misinterpretation. The worst possible consequence you should expect is getting your email skimmed, then ignored.
Litmus reported that, on average, people spend 13.4 seconds reading an individual email. Considering this tendency, email marketers must start their emails with engaging first sentences
Otherwise, you will only compromise the speed of decision-making.
- Commonality
Sending unprompted emails might create an awkward situation between the sender and recipient. Therefore, marketers should try to establish a connection to improve the chance of receiving a response. Other than building trust, adding a hint of familiarity can help break the ice and make your message more personal.
Commonality can present in the form of relatability, subjects tackling shared challenges.
Alternatively, you might also mention mutual connections as a social proof attempt. Leads are inclined to take action when they discover others they know have engaged positively with your brand
- Proofreading
In written communication, a great message can get lost in the delivery due to the lack of verbal cues. It also increases the chance of misunderstanding or misinterpretation. So, don’t rush into hitting the send button. Sparing time to review and revise your copy will save you from embarrassing textual errors. Moreover, a well-proofread email represents professionalism and attention to detail. After all, it is credibility that you want to demonstrate.
- Call to Action
In essence, CTA serves as a prompt clarifying the purpose of your email. It helps your recipients understand why you reach out and what you expect from the interaction. Including a CTA encourages your recipients to move on to or withdraw from the sales cycle. In other words, it doesn’t have to be an opt-in. An opt-out option will also cut the time you spend on contact management later.
Whichever type of CTA you implement, always make sure that it leads to meaningful conversations, results in business opportunities, or, at the very least, improves the health of your sales and marketing pipeline.
- Follow-up
Marketers sometimes hesitate to send follow-up emails for fear of making their leads uncomfortable. Most of the time, they only base this worry on assumptions. There are a lot of possibilities preventing your leads from responding. Your emails might slip through the cracks. Your leads probably aren’t ready to reply.
For those reasons, jogging on your leads’ memory won’t hurt. The best way to do it will be by providing them with context.
To sum it up, cold email marketing still holds its ground as a valuable tool for lead generation, even with its challenges. To thrive in this arena, remember the significance of catchy subject lines, genuine personalization, brevity, finding common ground, thorough proofreading, and strategic calls to action. Don’t hesitate to follow up; it’s often a friendly nudge rather than an annoyance. By mastering these techniques, you can leverage cold emails to build meaningful connections, expand your network, and drive business growth. So, dive in confidently and let your cold emails work their magic for your lead generation efforts!
