According to Belkins, only 7% of cold emails get a response. That's not exactly encouraging, but it beats cold calling when 8 out of 10 buyers prefer to be emailed. Marketers create cold emailing campaigns because they’re easier to initiate and scale.
This blog post is all about creating cold email campaigns. We’re going to talk a little bit about the basics and move on to tips that’ll empower you to launch a successful cold email campaign that drives results. Sound good? Let’s go!
What is cold email marketing?
Cold emailing is a strategic method of outreach where you send emails to potential clients or leads who have no prior relationship with you or your business. The primary goal of cold email marketing is to establish a connection, generate interest, and ultimately make a sale.
One important note: cold emailing is not an eblast (email blast). Cold emailing is sent to individuals with no previous relationship, whereas an eblast sends mass emails to users.
Is cold emailing effective?
If you look at the average statistics regarding cold emails, it might look like it’s not even worth the effort. The truth is a bit more nuanced than that. Yes, it only has about a 6-8% response rate and a 25-30% open rate, but those are averages based on the broader scope that cold emails offer.
Cold emailing can be a little challenging to nail. When it works, it works like magic. It can open doors to new business opportunities and meaningful connections with potential clients or leads when done right. Those connections and leads can then be converted with additional strategic effort.
The biggest reason to understand cold emailing is that it’s so cost-effective. Once you have the right mix of elements for your email campaigns, it’s a breeze to scale it up. Generally, you have to put in minimal effort at that stage to get outstanding rewards and returns. We say that’s the kind of strategy worth learning and experimenting with.
Creating your own cold email campaign: tips and tricks
Decide on a great cold email call to action
What you aim to achieve with your cold email is your call to action (CTA). Whether it's scheduling a call, downloading a resource, or making a purchase, clarity of the CTA is critical. Phrase your CTA in a way that’s clear, concrete, and appealing to your audience.
Your CTA is going to dictate everything about your email content. It will guide the content of your email, the tone, the delivery, and even how you convince your audience to click the CTA.
It’s also recommended that you have no more than one CTA per email. Having more than one will complicate the content and distract the reader.
Personalize your subject line and message
Personalization is the secret sauce in cold email campaigns, and it’s why they work. Start with a subject line that grabs the recipient's attention by mentioning their name or showing you know their specific needs or interests. Calling attention to a pain point is also an effective method of getting noticed.
Personalization means you use any and all information in your email that makes the recipient feel that you know them and that the email is meant specifically for them.
Sometimes, it takes a little research on your part. You can use their company’s or organization’s name in the email or talk about a recent achievement of theirs that you came across. However, it’s important to sound authentic, genuine, and sincere in your email for it to be effective.
Follow cold email marketing tips when writing
Selling isn’t easy. Nevertheless, that’s what you’re doing in a cold email: you’re persuading your audience to act on your email. Follow these email marketing best practices to have a better time convincing your reader:
- Forge a connection: Mention how you may not be total strangers after all. Do you have a common connection? Did you work with a common client? Did you get mentioned in the same article? Whatever it is that gives you some common ground, use it.
- Value Proposition: Clearly communicate the value or benefit of your product or service. Remember the principle of reciprocity: they’ll give you their time and attention if you provide them with something valuable.
- Keep it concise: No one reads long emails. Deep inside, your reader knows you’re going to ask something. Don’t stretch it out. Just spell it out once you think you’ve delivered some value. They’ll thank you for it.
Establish your credibility up-front
You can get your audience to open your email with a hook and get them reading with the common connection. However, at some point, your recipient is going to wonder whose email they’re reading. Introduce yourself before they start wondering.
Pull out all your credentials to show that you matter. Give your reader a reason to read your email, but do this in a classy and considerate manner. If your work overlaps theirs, you can build a connection and introduce yourself simultaneously. It's important to be natural and fluid.
Decide on some cold email software
Cold emailing is dynamic. You send, you observe, you test, and replicate what works. There’s also personalization to take care of, and the sooner you start scheduling your emails, the better.
Things get much easier if you decide on a simple email software that works for you. Since you’ll be looking at metrics often to see if your emails are getting opened. It’s worth getting software that makes observing metrics simple. That’s where YAMM comes in.
YAMM: the best cold email software
YAMM is the perfect solution for combining simplicity with efficacy. With YAMM, you can send personalized cold emails from Gmail in just a few simple steps, saving you time and effort. You can also manage your mailing list on Google Sheets itself, where you can track email open rates, clicks, replies, and bounces.
If you’re launching a cold email campaign, why not give YAMM a go? It’s free to get started!