You may think that today's online vibrant growth has left the old email behind. Don't give up just yet on it, because it is still one of the most effective and simple ways to build your online marketing strategy. There are lots of ways you can use your email. Further we would like to detail how to draft a cold email that actually works and how to turn it into a winning situation without seeing it in the spam folder.
First of all, let's settle its definition: a cold email is a personalized email you send to someone you never had contact with before, with the purpose of starting a collaboration. Usually this approach is used in B2B relations and the term "cold" implies that neither of the two parties knows the other.
This is your chance to make a good impression and get the recipient to react to your call to action - preferably positively. You need to get them to read your email and find there something of interest for them. Let's look into some tips to make your cold email serve its purpose better.
- Set a personal tone to the discussion
It is very important that you set your email apart from sales promotions or content that can be marked as spam. Spam email is essentially impersonal and does not provide a mean of connecting. You can start by addressing the recipient by their name and use a subject line that accurately describes the purpose of the email.
You should use a personal tone to the conversation, be clear and concise. Don't write a long stiff email, break your email body into a few clear points and keep the message simple and relevant. A cold email should take up to 1 minute to read and offer the basic information needed.
You obviously did some research to find this person's contact details, but don't stop there. You need to have a real reason for this person to end up on your email list, let them know what that reason is. Tell them what you like about their business strategy, brand or approach, anything that you consider to be relevant to you. This genuine interest in what they are doing is going to convince them that you are serious about a collaboration.
Every interaction we have is based on a certain social exchange - in this case it is quite obvious that you want this person to be a partner or have an interest in what you have to offer or sell. Present your own assets and show that you can also bring value to the table. When presenting your case it is important not to sound like a salesman. Keep the personal tone throughout the conversation, even if you are selling a product. Focus on the person and not on your product or service and explain why you consider your assets to bring an advantage to the recipient.
After presenting your case, you need to leave room for further communication and provide the means for them to follow-up. You can end your email with a question ("Would you be interested in sampling my product?") or an invitation ("If you are interested, please feel free to call me or visit the office").
Always provide your contact details, a phone number where they can reach you or your office address. Include links to your product, but don't make them the highlight, just give the recipient the freedom to visit themselves. Entice your audience with words and phrases that are appealing, but make sure not to sound to salesy. People love getting emails, although they don't like subject lines that promise too much.
Optionally, you can end your email with an opt-out possibility, keeping the tone personal rather than giving a cliché "Unsubscribe" button. You can simply ask them to let you know if they are not interested in collaborating with you and you might even get constructive feedback. This approach will help your online marketers decide on an audience that actually wants to hear what you have to offer.