Sales
January 16, 2023

Ten Ways to Generate More Leads Using Cold Emailing in 2023

Ten Ways to Generate More Leads Using Cold Emailing in 2023

Cold emailing is one of the oldest marketing techniques in the book. Many swear by it. But to some, it feels like an outdated approach best left in the past. Is it really ineffective?

Despite the growing popularity of social media and chat apps, email remained the favored medium for digital communication. In fact, the world is estimated to have a total of 4.6 billion email users by 2025.

With so many people using email, it is safe to say that email marketing is not yet dead. But why is it not working for many people? For starters, people often misunderstand its true purpose, while others give up too early. If you know what you are doing, it is a great way to generate leads.

So, what is the secret to getting it right? Stick around because we will share ten easy steps to craft a compelling cold email copy.

What Is Cold Email Marketing?

Cold emailing is a method for reaching out to potential customers or clients without prior contact or relationship. The goal is to introduce your product or service and persuade the recipient to take action, such as visiting your website or making a purchase.

Cold email marketing can be an effective way to reach new audiences and generate leads or sales. But it can also be seen as spam if not done correctly. Crafting an email copy that offers value to the recipient can help you avoid the spam folder. It is also important to follow all laws and regulations regarding email marketing, such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States.

Ten Cold Emailing Best Practices for Generating Leads

Because cold emails are unsolicited, people do not expect to receive them. Many do not even have the time or patience to read them. But with the right technique, you can ensure the success of your cold emailing campaign. Here are ten strategies you can use to encourage engagement with your emails.

1. Know Your Target Audience

Knowing your audience is a vital part of cold emailing. This allows you to tailor your emails to the specific needs and interests of the people you are trying to reach. This can increase your emails' open rate, improving your campaign's overall effectiveness.

You can also build a targeted email list when you know your target audience. By segmenting your email list based on location, demographics, and interests, you can ensure that you are reaching the right people.

When you understand the needs and interests of your target audience, you can create subject lines and email content that are relevant and appealing to them. You also get to avoid making mistakes that may turn off potential recipients, such as using inappropriate language or emailing people who are not interested in your product or service.

2. Write a Catchy Email Subject Line

The first thing the recipient sees when receiving an email is the subject line. It is often the deciding factor as to whether or not they will open the email. You can look at it as the key to the door that opens your email.

A good subject line should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should also be intriguing enough to pique the recipient's curiosity. Make them want to learn more. The way in which you craft your subject line could mean the difference between a successful email marketing campaign and an email thrown in the spam folder.

3. Come Up with a Clever Introduction

Were you able to get the recipient to open your email? Great! But that's just half the battle. Now, you have roughly three seconds to keep their attention. You want them to read the whole email, not just the first three lines. This is where writing an intriguing introduction comes in.

A good email intro should be at most two to three sentences. But here's the thing: It's not supposed to be about you. It should be about the recipient's work, expertise, achievements, and company. Adding a little bit of flattery can go a long way, but don't go overboard.

When you have their attention, that's when you list some of the problems you've noticed and how you can help solve them. The purpose of your introduction is to show the recipient that you specifically chose to contact them and that you've done your homework.

4.  Personalize Your Message

Personalizing emails can make the recipient feel like the email is more relevant and targeted to their needs and interests. This increases the chances of them opening and reading the email, improving the overall effectiveness of your campaign. In fact, personalized emails have a 17% response rate. In comparison, non-personalized emails only get only 7%.

Aside from that, it also helps you build stronger relationships with your recipients. This will make them trust your brand and consider using your product or service in the future. Addressing the recipient by name is the best first step in personalizing your cold email copy.

5. Avoid Using Templates

We can all agree that using templates saves a lot of time and energy. But email blasting generic messages will only make you sound like a robot. And nobody wants to talk to robots. Plus, there are likely a ton of marketers out there using the same templates.

Sadly, crafting unique cold email copy takes a lot of time, which you may not have. So if you have to use a template, make the necessary tweaks to make it sound like it came from you.

6. Keep It Short and Sweet

You probably have a lot to say about the services you offer. But don't send a novel; emails with bulky paragraphs are an eyesore. Your prospects are busy and have little time to spare reading a long-winded email from a stranger.

Cold emails arrive in people's inboxes unannounced and uninvited. So you need to be quick, clear, and concise with your intentions. Writing the same way you would talk is one good way to keep things short and direct.

Using images is another way, as they can help deliver your message more effectively. But don't overdo it. You should still balance the text content with the images.

7.  End With a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

A call to action aims to guide the recipient toward the next step you want them to take. This could be visiting your website or contacting you for more information. It is an integral part of any marketing campaign, including cold emailing. This is because it helps increase conversions and improve the overall effectiveness of your efforts.

CTAs are best used as your email's closing statement. Make sure your CTA matches your offer. It should be as detailed as possible without sounding too salesy.

8. Don't Forget to Add Your Signature

Many marketers often forget—or deliberately ignore—adding their signature in their cold email copy. But your prospects don't know you, and you need to let them know who you are.

Adding a signature makes you look more professional, establishing your credibility as a sender. Plus, it gives recipients more contact options for you. Think of it as your electronic business card.

The most basic information you should add to your signature includes your name, title, company name, and website address. You can also add your social media information.

9. Check Everything Before Sending Your Email

Make sure your email's format is correct. Are all the components properly arranged? You can send a test email to yourself to check that everything is where it should be. Also, remember to spell check or a free grammar checker such as Grammarly.

Many email users are unforgiving when it comes to grammar and spelling errors. Such errors don't just make your email look unprofessional. These are also spam triggers. So make sure to give your email copy one last look before sending it.

10.  Use the Right Email Marketing Software and Tools

The right email marketing software can help you streamline and optimize your cold email campaign. It allows you to create and save email templates, personalize emails with custom fields, set up automated emails, track and analyze the performance of your campaign, and avoid spam filters. Using an email tool can save you time and effort.

It also provides features that are not available to regular email clients. This includes sending bulk emails at once and segmenting and targeting your audience. Some can even validate your email list for you. Our top software picks include SalesBlink, SmartReach, Woodpecker, Mailshake, Snov, and Reply.io. You might want to check them out.

How to Avoid Spam Filters

Are your emails ending up in the spam folder? If so, you're not alone. Many businesses struggle to get their emails delivered to others’ inboxes, as spam filters catch them.

Spam filters are designed to protect users from unwanted and potentially malicious emails. Unfortunately, they can also accidentally block legitimate emails, including those you send as part of a cold emailing campaign. Here are some tried and tested ways to improve your chances of getting your emails delivered to the recipient's inbox.

Don't Rent or Buy Email Lists

Buying or renting an email list is not illegal per se, but it is not recommended. Email lists that are bought or rented may not be relevant to your target audience or the products or services you offer. This often results in low engagement and a lack of interest in your message. They may even mark you as spam.

Plus, you'll likely get poor quality, with outdated or fake email addresses. This can result in a high number of bounced emails. You will just end up harming your email deliverability and IP reputation, making it harder for you to reach your target audience.

You should also avoid scraping sites for email addresses. This may seem like a fast way to build your contact list. But it is illegal in many countries, such as the United States. Even if it is not illegal where you plan to use it, it is still considered unethical and can damage the reputation of your business.

Avoid Using Dynamic IPs

A dynamic IP is a temporary IP address assigned to you by your internet service provider (ISP). It constantly changes, so somebody else may have used it before. Using an IP previously used in things you have no control over will make it harder to establish a good sender reputation.

If you want to improve your email deliverability, you'll need a static IP. This is a dedicated IP assigned to you and you alone so it is easier for email service providers (ESPs) to track and determine your sender's reputation. You can use free tools to check your IP reputation, such as Talos Intelligence and Sender Score.

Verify Your Email List Regularly

Make it a point to check the validity of your email list from time to time, even the ones you've verified before. Things can happen; emails get abandoned, blocked, or mistyped every day. Even if you got your email list legitimately, it will need cleaning over time.

Why is this important? Sending emails to invalid addresses will cause them to bounce. The higher your bounce rate, the harder the hit your sender reputation gets.

Don't Use All Caps and Exclamation Points

Using all caps in your subject line will get the recipients' attention but not in a good way. It may even rub them the wrong way because this is considered yelling. Personalizing and using catchy subject lines is a better way to get people's attention.

Using exclamation points, especially a whole bunch of them, in the subject line is another way to make your email look spammy. Relying on punctuation to get your point across is a poor way of doing it. It also dilutes your message.

Avoid Including Attachments

Email attachments are often used to hide malware and viruses. For that reason, emails with attachments are more likely to get filtered. Instead of sending attachments, you can upload the files to your website or Google Drive and include the links to your email. This doesn't just reduce the chances of getting caught in spam filters. It also makes your email load faster.

Choose Your Words Wisely

Emails with spam trigger words are more likely to get flagged. This includes words like "hurry," "free," "buy now," "no obligation," and other things a used car salesman would say. You don't need those words to convey the same meaning. Be creative, informative, and interesting.

And while you're at it, make sure not to use multicolored fonts, especially red. Being bombarded with different colors for every sentence screams spam. You can still play with colors just don't overdo it. Avoid using more than two colors, and make sure they are easy on the eyes.

Avoid Adding Too Many Images

Adding too many big-sized images is a surefire way to land your email in the spam folder. You should balance the text-to-image ratio to avoid deliverability issues. Some insist on an 80:20 ratio. But a more balanced ratio of 60:40 will also work as long as the images serve their purpose.  

Conclusion

Cold emailing can be an effective way to reach out to potential clients or partners. But it is important to approach it with caution and consideration for the recipient. Knowing your audience, crafting a catchy subject line and personalized message, using a strong CTA, and respecting the recipient's time and preferences can increase the success of your marketing campaign.

It is also crucial to be aware of and follow best practices and anti-spam laws. By following the strategies we've shared, cold emailing can be a useful tool for expanding your business or professional network.

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