Looking to expand your email marketing strategy further?
Cold emailing is the perfect way to get more from this popular marketing channel.
In fact, the average cold email open rate stands at 44%, per QuickMail’s 2023 report.
However, 8% of cold email campaigns have been shown to achieve open rates of 80% or more.
This goes to show how cold emails can perform outstandingly when done right.
It’s important to master the art of cold emailing by understanding the dos and don’ts to execute it correctly and get the most out of your cold marketing initiatives.
In this article, we’ll take a look at:
Let’s get started.
What is a cold email?
Cold email is a message that aims to gain sales benefits and opportunities from recipients who have no prior connection with the sender. Cold emailing function as an excellent way to reach out to new potential customers and introduce them to your brand.
Here’s an example of what one could look like:
Hi [Name], Don’t let [subject] keep wasting your time. [Company name] provides [industry] solutions for [target audience] who experience [common pain point]. Our product/service combats [common paint point] by [product function]. Want to see how [product] gives back an hour of your day every day? Sign up for our free demo to try it out for yourself! |
What is the difference between cold emails and spam messages?
Although these two email types are targeted toward unfamiliar recipients, they are completely separate entities.
Unlike cold emails, spam emails contain unprofessional, inappropriate, or untimely content, and are often sent in mass quantities.
They are considered a very bad practice.
There are various aspects of cold emails that differentiate them from spam. These include:
Audience: Spam emails don’t discriminate. They’re sent to pretty much anyone with an email address. However, cold emails are targeted toward specific audiences based on factors such as demographics and behavior.
Style: You can usually spot a spam email from a mile away. They have a generic, robotic tone that often contains off-putting messaging, like emoji overuse or all caps. Cold emails take on a personable, conversational tone to engage email recipients.
Focus: Spam emails are broad, misleading, and often contain false promises, whereas cold emails are concise, honest, and realistic in their messaging to new customers.
Choice: With spam, there’s no way to back out of their emails. On the other hand, cold emails offer compliant opt-out options, so recipients can choose to reject communications from businesses.
Is cold emailing legal?
Cold emailing is legal in many countries, provided that it adheres to specific guidelines and regulations designed to protect consumer privacy and prevent spam.
These guidelines often include providing clear opt-out options, accurately identifying the sender, and only sending content that is relevant and not misleading.
However, the legality of cold emailing varies across different countries, with each nation having its own set of rules and regulations.
In some countries, cold emailing is subject to strict regulations and consent requirements, while in others, it may be more leniently treated, as long as it follows basic anti-spam guidelines.
Countries where cold emailing is not legal or highly regulate
Germany: Requires explicit consent for commercial emails.
Canada: Under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), consent is needed before sending commercial emails.
Australia: The Australian Spam Act requires consent and includes strict penalties for non-compliance.
Brazil: Under the General Data Protection Law, consent is necessary for direct marketing.
Italy: Italian law mandates prior consent for sending commercial emails.
Spain: Spain's regulations align with the EU's GDPR, requiring clear consent for commercial emails.
Netherlands: Dutch laws are strict about consent for email marketing.
Belgium: Follows GDPR guidelines, emphasizing consent and data protection.
It's important for businesses to familiarize themselves with the email marketing laws of the countries they are targeting.
Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and damage to reputation.
Understanding the nuances of these regulations helps to keep cold emailing a viable and legal strategy for business growth.
Making cold emails more unsubscribe-friendly
Incorporating an easy unsubscribe option in your cold emails is a legal compliance as well as a reflection of your brand's respect for the recipient's choice, and a step towards maintaining a healthy sender reputation.
An unsubscribe-friendly approach can lead to better email engagement and a positive brand image.
Check out tips to make your cold emails more friendly to those wishing to unsubscribe:
Include a clear unsubscribe option in every email. Make sure it's visible and easy to find.
Simplify the unsubscribe process. Ideally, it should be a one-click action without additional steps.
Consider providing alternatives like reducing the frequency of emails or changing content types before finalizing the unsubscribe action.
Ensure immediate removal of recipients from your mailing list once they opt out.
Use polite and respectful language in your unsubscribe messaging.
Avoid deceptive tactics in presenting the unsubscribe option. Make it clearly labeled and visible.
Regularly update your mailing list to remove unengaged subscribers and those who have opted out.
Pros and cons of cold emailing
Many companies don’t announce their products and services right off the bat.
Some promote their newsletter to introduce themselves as thought leaders and generate interest in the organization; the sales hook comes later.
Though unsolicited emails may appear a little forward, cold email marketing has proven to be an excellent strategy for many businesses to improve brand visibility.
Pros of cold emailing
As with most marketing strategies, there are both benefits and drawbacks to know about before putting in the time and effort.
a) Cost-effective
The email channel is already a cost-effective way to communicate with consumers, but cold emails are even cheaper.
At its core, all you need is a variety of email addresses, powerful messaging, and a strong call to action.
You can utilize tools to expand your cold outreach, boost email deliverability, and leverage your initiatives further for the best results.
b) Targeted
Cold email capabilities enable you to specifically connect with people or businesses that match your target demographic.
Not only that, you can tailor messages to include individual consumer details, which helps to attract and engage recipients.
c) Scalable
You can send as many emails as you wish with cold email marketing.
It’s possible to contact thousands of email addresses with one singular motion.
Automation allows you to maintain email personalization while reaching substantial numbers of recipients.
Cons of cold emailing
While cold emailing offers several advantages, it's important to be aware of its drawbacks to fully understand its impact and strategize effectively.
a) Risk of being marked as spam
One of the significant challenges of cold emailing is the risk of your emails being marked as spam.
Since recipients haven't opted in to receive these emails, there's a higher likelihood of them perceiving your messages as unsolicited, leading to increased spam complaints.
This can harm your sender reputation and email deliverability.
b) Lower open and response rates
Cold emails typically see lower open and response rates compared to opt-in email marketing.
Since the recipients don't have a prior relationship with your brand, they may be less inclined to engage with your emails.
Crafting compelling subject lines and personalized content can help, but overall engagement rates are usually modest.
c) Requires precise targeting and research
To be effective, cold emailing demands a lot of upfront work in terms of researching and identifying the right targets.
This process can be time-consuming and requires access to accurate and up-to-date contact information.
Incorrect targeting can lead to wasted efforts and resources, as your emails may reach individuals with no interest or need for your product or service.
Cold email use cases
From sales to HR, cold emailing campaigns offer a unique way to reach out to potential leads, partners, and candidates.
While sales is a major use case for cold emails, there are other industries that can benefit as well.
1. Sales
In sales, cold emails are a fundamental tactic for generating email leads and initiating business relationships.
They allow sales professionals to reach out to potential customers who may have never encountered their products or services.
A well-crafted cold email in sales can introduce a business, highlight the value proposition, and set the stage for further discussions.
Here, the cold email’s purpose is to spark interest and create opportunities for deeper engagement, often leading to sales calls or meetings.
2. Search engine optimization
For SEO specialists, cold emailing serves as a strategy for link-building and content promotion.
By reaching out to website owners, bloggers, and influencers, SEO professionals can request backlinks, pitch guest post ideas, or share valuable content.
These emails aim to build relationships and collaborate on content that improves the website's visibility and search rankings.
Tip: If you would like to learn more about SEO, make sure to check out this comprehensive SEO guide for beginners. |
3. Human resources
In the realm of human resources, cold emailing is an effective tool for talent acquisition.
HR professionals use cold emails to approach potential candidates who may not be actively seeking new opportunities but possess the desired skills and experience.
These emails typically involve introducing the company, outlining the job opportunity, and inviting the candidate for a conversation.
In this field, cold emailing is a proactive way to source talent and build a pipeline of qualified candidates.
4. Networking
Cold emailing for networking is about establishing professional relationships, seeking advice, or sharing knowledge.
It's commonly used by professionals seeking to expand their network, explore new industry insights, or collaborate on business ventures.
A networking cold email might involve reaching out to industry experts, potential mentors, or peers to initiate a conversation, exchange ideas, or propose a meeting.
In each of these scenarios, the effectiveness of cold emailing hinges on personalization, relevance, and respect for the recipient's time and interest.
Tailoring the message to the recipient's needs and context allows cold emails to open doors to numerous opportunities across various aspects of business operations.
How to prepare a cold email strategy
Step 1: Identifying your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Crafting effective cold emails begins with a clear understanding of your target audience.
Knowing who will most benefit from your products or services is crucial for achieving better open rates and engagement.
Sending emails to random recipients often leads to low performance, as the message may not resonate with their needs or interests.
To pinpoint your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), invest time in comprehensive research.
This involves identifying a set of key characteristics that define your ideal audience.
Consider aspects such as their industry, the department they work in, their geographic location, and company revenue.
These factors help in creating a more focused and relevant outreach strategy.
Step 2: Building your lead list
With a well-defined ICP in hand, the next step is to compile a lead list for your cold email campaign.
Building a lead list is a critical step in your cold emailing strategy, but it's essential to approach this task with ethical considerations in mind.
While purchasing email lists might seem like a quick solution, it's often frowned upon in the business world due to several reasons.
Firstly, recipients on purchased lists have not opted in to receive communications from you, which can lead to low engagement and high spam complaints.
Additionally, using such lists can lead to legal issues, especially under strict privacy laws like GDPR, and damage your brand's reputation.
Here are some ethical and effective ways to build your lead list:
Utilize your website: Use your website as a tool to gather email addresses. Include sign-up forms on your site, offering visitors exclusive resources or subscriptions to newsletters in exchange for their email addresses.
Host webinars or online events: Putting on webinars or online events related to your industry is a great way to gather email addresses. Attendees who sign up are likely interested in your content, making them ideal candidates for your cold email campaigns.
Use social media: Social media can be a powerful tool for lead generation. Engage with your followers, share valuable content, and direct them to resources where they can sign up to receive more information.
Networking and partnerships: Attend industry events, either virtually or in-person, and establish partnerships with other businesses. Networking can be a rich source of leads, as you can exchange contact information with potential customers who show interest in your business.
By focusing on these methods, you not only ensure that your lead list is composed of individuals who have a genuine interest in your products or services, but you also maintain ethical business practices.
These approaches lead to higher engagement rates and build a foundation of trust with your potential customers.
Step 3: Verify your leads' contacts
Once you've built a lead list through ethical means, the next critical step is verifying the contacts.
This process is absolutely necessary to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information you've gathered.
It involves confirming that the email addresses are active, valid, and belong to the individuals who fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
This step improves email deliverability and also reduces the bounce rate, which is vital for maintaining a good sender reputation.
One of the easiest and fastest ways to verify your contacts is to use an email verification tool like EmailListVerify.
Step 4: Warmup your inbox
Before launching a cold email campaign, it's essential to warm up your inbox.
Email warmup means gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new email account to build its reputation with email service providers.
Starting with a low volume and gradually increasing it helps in establishing your account as legitimate and reduces the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.
A well-warmed-up inbox ensures better deliverability and open rates for your cold emails.
Warmup Inbox is your go-to for a toasty warm inbox that’s free from spam complaints and high bounce rates.
Want to give it a go? Sign up for free! The warm-up process isn’t an overnight thing, so it’s best to start as soon as possible. |
Similar to warming up your inbox, domain warmup is about establishing the credibility of your new domain.
This is especially important if you’re using a new domain for your cold email campaigns.
The process involves sending emails from the new domain in gradually increasing numbers over a period of time.
This helps in building a positive sending reputation with ISPs and paves the way for successful email deliverability.
Step 5: How to write a cold email
Writing an effective cold email is an art that combines personalization, clarity, and a compelling call to action.
Start with a strong subject line - Your cold email subject line should grab attention and encourage the recipient to open the email. Keep it short, relevant, and intriguing.
Personalize the greeting - Use your recipient's name to make the email feel more personal and less like a mass copy/paste message.
Introduce yourself: Quickly and clearly introduce yourself and your organization. Explain why you are reaching out, specifically to them.
State the purpose of your email - Be clear about why you're emailing. Whether it’s a product, service, or partnership proposal, make sure the purpose is upfront and clear.
Include a clear call to action - What do you want the recipient to do after reading your email? Be clear and concise in your call to action.
Keep it short and sweet - Respect the recipient's time by keeping your email concise and to the point.
Use spam words checker - To truly avoid being seen as just another spammy pest in someone’s inbox, use our spam words checker to grade your email on areas such as subject length, personalization, reading time, and (of course) how many spammy words you’ve used.
Test inbox placement - In order to make sure that your emails are actually landing in recipients' inboxes, use our free email spam tester to check whether or not your cold emails are landing in primary folders.
For more detailed guidance, visit our complete guide on B2B cold email templates.
Step 6: Monitor and analyze your results
Once your cold email campaign is underway, the last step is to track its performance and glean insights for future improvements.
Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - Keep an eye on email marketing metrics like open rate, click-through rate, response rate, and conversion rate. These KPIs will help you gauge the effectiveness of your campaign.
Analyze the responses - Pay attention to the feedback and responses you receive. Are recipients engaging positively, or are there common objections? This information can be invaluable for refining your approach.
Adjust and iterate - Based on the data and feedback, make necessary adjustments to your email content, targeting, and overall strategy. Continuously iterating based on performance data is key to improving the success of your cold email campaigns.
Monitoring and analyzing are just as important as writing the email and verifying your contacts.
If you don’t look at the results, how do you know if something is working?
Cold email best practices
Adopting best practices in cold emailing is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of your outreach strategy.
These practices ensure that your emails not only reach the inbox but also resonate with the recipients, prompting them to engage with your content.
1. Timing
Understand your audience: Determine the best time to send emails based on your target audience's location and typical work hours. Marketing emails see the highest open rates between 9 AM to 3 PM.
Avoid weekends, holidays, and after-hours: Stick to sending emails on weekdays, ideally in the middle of the week, to increase the likelihood of your email being opened.
Test different times: Experiment with sending emails at different times of the day to find when you get the best engagement rates.
2. Follow-up emails
Persistence is key: Don’t hesitate to send (some) follow-up emails! Often, multiple touchpoints are necessary to get a response.
Space them out: Wait a few days between your initial email and the first follow-up. Subsequent follow-ups should be spaced out incrementally longer.
Change your approach: If there's no response, try altering the subject line or email content in follow-ups to provide new value or a different angle.
Tip: Make sure to read our guide to cold email sequences to get a more complete picture of how to send multiple cold emails successfully. |
3. A/B testing
Experiment with variables: Test different subject lines, email bodies, call-to-actions, and email formats to see what works best.
One change at a time: Like controlled experiments in elementary school science class, only change one element per test to accurately measure its impact.
Analyze results: Use the insights gained from A/B testing to refine your cold email strategy.
4. Use unsubscribe links
Provide an easy opt-out: Always include an unsubscribe link to allow recipients a straightforward way to opt out of your emails. In many places, this is required by law.
Maintain transparency: Be clear and honest in your unsubscribe messaging.
Respect the choice: No thanks means no thanks! Promptly remove those who opt out from your mailing list to maintain a clean list and abide by email marketing regulations.
Top 20 cold emailing software
What’s a good guide without some product comparisons? Here are our top 20 picks for the best cold emailing software tools on the market.
Here's the revised cold emailing software comparison table with added columns for "Free Trial" and "Customer Support":
Software | Price | Free Trial | Email Templates | Personalization | Analytics | Integration | Customer Support |
Amplemarket | On request | Demo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
$49/mo | 14 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Email, phone | |
GMass | $25/mo | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Limited to Google Workspace | Email support |
Hubspot | €441/mo | Free version | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Live chat, email |
€34/mo | Free version | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||
Klenty | $50/mo | 14 days | Limited | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Live chat, email |
Lemlist | $32/mo | 14 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Email, live chat |
Mailmeteor | €9.99/mo | Free version | ❌ | ✅ | Limited | Limited | Email support |
MailRush | $19/mo | 14 days | ❌ | – | ✅ | Limited | Phone, live chat |
$9.99/mo | 14 days | ❌ | – | ✅ | Limited | Email support | |
Mixmax | $29/mo | Demo request | ✅ | – | Some plans | ✅ | |
Outplay | $79/mo | Free version | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Outreach | On request | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Various |
Overloop | $49/mo | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Quickmail | $49/mo | 14 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Limited | |
$49/mo | Free version | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Email, live chat, phone | |
Saleshandy | $25/mo | 7 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Smartlead | $34/mo | 14 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Email, phone |
$30/mo | Free version | Limited | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Email, live chat | |
$79/mo | 7 days | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
This table provides a comprehensive overview of the basic functions that you’d like to see in any cold emailing software.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please visit each software's official website or contact their customer support directly.
Conclusion
Cold emailing is an effective but tricky marketing tactic that requires preparation, finesse, patience, and a close adherence to best practices.
Warming up your emails can help you build a healthy brand reputation and increase your sender score.
With the help of a consistent warm-up service, you can elevate your brand to a stronger position and get verified as a legitimate sender.
Warmup Inbox are the perfect people for the job. We’ll send your cold emails to over 20,000 real inboxes, manually open and respond to them to build your brand’s reputation, and remove all spam-triggered emails from your campaign.
At Warmup Inbox, we strive to bring your email campaign to good health. That’s why we also report technical details, such as DMARC, DKN, and SPF settings, to take you a step further.
As time passes, you’ll begin to see your cold outreach campaign succeed and grow.
Find out more about how our platform works, or sign up today for free!
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cold email be?
The ideal length for a cold email is about 50-125 words. This length is brief enough to respect the recipient's time while providing sufficient detail to spark interest and convey your message.
Keeping it concise helps maintain the reader's attention and increases the likelihood of a response.
What should a cold email subject be?
A cold email subject line should be clear, concise, and engaging. Aim for a length of 50 characters or less to ensure it's fully visible in most email clients.
Personalization, such as including the recipient's name or referencing a recent event, can make the subject line more appealing.
Avoid generic phrases and strive for a balance between intriguing and informative.
What is the best day to send a cold email?
The best day to send a cold email varies, but midweek days like Tuesday and Wednesday are generally effective.
However, this can depend on your target audience and industry, so testing different on days can be beneficial.
What is the best time of day to send a cold email?
The optimal time for sending a cold email is typically mid-morning (around 10-11 AM) or early afternoon (around 1-2 PM) in the recipient's time zone.
These times usually coincide with when people are more likely to check their emails during a break in their workday.
How can I follow up with a cold email?
Following up on a cold email is crucial. Wait for a few days after your initial email before sending a follow-up.
This email should be polite, and to the point, and remind the recipient of your previous message while adding additional value or information.