How to Craft Cold Emails that Actually Work

Email is among the most effective ways to promote a product, service or brand. Ideally, you should send marketing emails to prospective customers who’ve already expressed interest in your company. But this isn’t always an option, as some companies may acquire email addresses through third-party sources, in which case the user may not be interested.

What are Cold Emails?

This is where cold emails comes into play: much like cold calling, cold emailing is sending marketing emails to prospective customers with whom you’ve had no previous contact.

If a user prospective customer subscribed to your newsletter, he or she has made contact with you. However, if you acquire their email address through an outside source, they are essentially a cold lead.

Because you haven’t had any previous contact with cold prospects, converting them into a paying customer is a bit more difficult. They may assume your marketing email is nothing more than spam, either deleting it or marking it as spam once it arrives in their inbox.

So, how can you craft cold emails that actually work and generate a response by recipients?

Create a Compelling Subject Line

A compelling subject line can make a big difference in encouraging recipients to open your cold emails. Think about the message you are trying to convey in the email and break it down into just a single sentence or phrase.

According to Hubspot, subject lines should be between 5 and 7 words for maximum visibility. When your subject lines go beyond 7 words, they may get truncated by most email service platforms and web browsers.

Explain Why You are Emailing Them

Recipients of cold emails may feel inclined to ignore your messages simply because they are unfamiliar with your brand. By creating greater transparency, you can avoid this.

Explain to recipients why you are emailing them in the first place. For instance, maybe your product or service can improve their life in some way, so you should explain the benefits of your product or service right away.

When recipients know why you’re emailing them, they’ll be more likely to read your messages.

Keep it Short

Contrary to what some people may believe, it’s usually the shorter, smaller cold emails that yield the highest level of engagement among recipients. Long emails — especially cold ones — are less likely to be opened and read, reducing their effectiveness as a marketing tool.

When crafting cold emails, try to keep them short, concise, and on-topic for a maximum level of engagement. Depending on your niche/industry, just a single paragraph may suffice.

What are your thoughts on cold emails? Let us know in the comments section below!