Cold emails get a bad rap because people think it’s spam. You don’t want to spam your prospective customers, but you do want to contact them and engage.
No email needs to be cold, it can be warm.
All you need to do to turn your cold email warm is to use content that lets the recipient know that you’ve taken the time to understand their needs. That your communication is not just a generic message sent to a large audience, it is just for them.
Here are our top tips on how to write content that turns cold emails warm.
Tip # 1: The Right Subject Line
First impressions are everything, so your subject line should be an attention-grabber.
The right style and length of your subject lines will make clicking irresistible.
How long?
Keep your subject line at 50 or fewer characters. Less is more and MailChimp, say your subject line could be less than ten characters.
Avoid overused words
Avoid spammy words – use an email spam word checker for all your email messages as many words that appear good are not.
Change out the spammy word for another word that works with your content this will ensure it is high quality, creating a good first impression.
Example
Overused words that shout spam include:discount, get one free, don’t miss out.
When you use a lot of words that are considered spam your emails are tagged as having a high spam count and they will most likely end up in the spam or junk folder – not the Inbox where you want them.
Your emails need to have a very low spam count ideally under one and never above five.
First name
Instead, get personal right away. Research shows that more sales are generated by using your potential customer’s first name as well as an approachable greeting. Keep it personal and natural. Write about how you speak.
Example:
Hi there, Dee or Howdy, Lisa..
Avoid overusing the personalization in the subject line. Just because you can add the recipient’s name doesn’t mean you should do so for every marketing email. Overuse may result in the recipient unsubscribing so you lose the ability to send them marketing emails.
Tip #2: Opening Paragraphs that Will Be Read
The goal for a cold email is to get it fully read. To do this you want every line to pique your clients’ interest, so they keep reading and respond to your call-to-action (more on that later).
Here are some proven techniques backed by scientific research that will get your emails to read:
Before-after-bridge (BAB)
This setup takes your reader on a journey. The opening should be a relevant problem your lead has, then describe how it could be if that situation was no longer an issue.
End the opening with how you/product/service can help them get there.
Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS)
This one really focuses in on your leads pain point, stirs it up and then provides the solution.
Example
Here is an example of what that might look like:
Hi Ben,
I noticed that a couple of your website’s pages redirect or are errors.
This can cause a major issue when it comes to your user’s experience, costing you tons of money in non-converting traffic.
We have a fantastic SEO package that will make sure each of your site’s pages is fully optimized to get you the best organic traffic and vastly increase your conversion percentage.
Star-Chain-Hook
This is a pretty popular way to open. In this style, you introduce a big idea, then create a chain of facts or benefits, followed by the hook, or call-to-action.
Attention – Interest – Desire – Action (AIDA)
Just like it sounds, your opening should grab your reader’s attention.
Attention
A great way to do this is to ask if they would like to save their company X amount of work hours a month. Then let them know your company does just that all the time.
Desire
Let them know other great features and facts about how you can save them time, money, increase productivity, and revenue.
Action
Take action and ask to set up an appointment – make this specific. Example: I will give you a call on Tuesday at 9 am, okay?
Tip #3: The Close
Like any good sale, it’s not over until your lead is convinced and wants to take action. Make this personal. Your call-to-action should lead them to say “yes”.
Make sure your CTA is clear, and they know exactly what to do and why.
Example
Here are 3 stellar CTA’s that work. Choose the one that makes the most sense for your lead.
- Book a 5-minute slot at your convenience so we can discuss how to optimize your website. Here is a link to my calendar.
- Are you free for a call this Thursday at 7 pm?
- Is getting more traffic a high priority for you now?
Wrap-Up
Turn your cold email into a warm one using the tips above.
Skip the formal and impersonal greetings. Instead use content that is friendly yet professional and above all else relevant.
Remember to get to the point quickly. You want your email recipients to know your company is the solution to their problem.
To close, craft an unforgettable call to action (CTA that your email recipients will click each time.
