Cold email

Lead generation can be frustrating if you’re a small enterprise or a sales team just cutting your teeth in the market. However, if you have a smart cold email outreach strategy, cold emailing emerges as a viable, cost-effective solution.

In this guide, we’ll explore essential tips and strategies for cold outreach and show how to achieve higher response rates with an efficient cold email. We also prepared some template examples you can use as inspiration.

What is a cold email? 

A cold email is a message sent to a recipient you haven’t had any previous communication with. It’s commonly used for business purposes, like reaching out to potential clients or partners.Cold email outreach aims to start a conversation, establish relationships, and explore collaboration or sales opportunities.

For example:

Hey full_name there, My name is your_name. I’m a your_position at your_company. Your website’s design has caught our eye. The visuals really make your point stand out, and the content is very engaging. I’ve shared the link with my colleagues, and we have ideas for improving your website and driving even more traffic. [Describe how you can help in a couple of short and catchy sentences]. We can schedule a short call to discuss the details, or I can email you more information. Best regards, your_name

Crafting personalized cold emails that respect the recipient’s time and interests is crucial for effective outreach.

Is cold emailing worth the investment?

If we could read the minds of some small business CEOs, we’d see a list of doubts concerning cold email outreach. Some of them would be like:

“Should I invest in a cold email campaign or opt for a different marketing tactic to grow my business? Is cold emailing a potent tool for lead generation? I can’t afford to make a mistake—my marketing budget is on the line! “

Does it resonate with you? Let’s take a closer look at whether cold emailing pays off then.

While cold outreach may be associated with annoying cold calls, cold emails are much less intrusive. This is why more businesses are turning to this channel to generate leads. 

The numbers don’t lie: according to Litmus, email marketing promises $36 for every $1 spent. It’s not surprising that the overall daily email volume continues to increase annually.

So, keep reading if you want to learn how to write cold emails and improve your marketing strategy.

How to write a perfect cold email

To make sure your cold email grabs attention, it’s essential to carefully craft each element and establish a clear and easy-to-follow structure.

Elements of writing a cold email:

• “From” line
• Subject line
• Preheader
• Greeting
• Introduction
• Pitch
• Call-to-action
• Sign-off
• Signature
• Unsubscribe button (link)
• Attachments

“From” line

This is the first thing a recipient sees when opening their inbox. The sender name acts as a caller ID for your email. It shapes recipients’ first impression, directly impacting whether they open it or send it straight to spam.

To make yourself look trustworthy enough to convince the recipient, you can do a few things: 

✔️ Establish a direct association with your company or product

You can write both your and your company’s name.

Some of the most popular combos are:

• Holly from [Company Name]
• Kele at [Company Name]
• [Company Name]

✔️ Keep it short

Most mobile devices and computers only display up to 30 characters of your cold email “From” name. Anything longer will be cut off, and your clients simply won’t see it.

✔️ Don’t change it too often

It may confuse recipients and damage the trust you’ve gained. If you absolutely have to, it’s better to switch between the options we’ve offered above, saving the logical link with the company’s name. 

✔️ Don’t send sales emails from a “no-reply” address

No-reply should be used strictly for transactional, verification, change-your-password emails, and the like. Your cold email “From” address is the only means for your lead to contact you. So,  leave it open for communication.

✔️ Ensure your sender name is similar to your email address

This should go without saying, but make sure the cold email from Kate is not sent from the mitchel@company.com address. 

✔️ Consider using a generic sender name

Sometimes, a generic sender name like “Sales Team” or “Customer Support” can be effective, especially if your cold email comes from a shared or departmental mailbox.

Consider the following templates:

• Sales Team from [Company Name]
• Customer Support at [Company Name]
• [Company Name] [Department]

Subject line

Did you know that 47% of email opens are triggered by the subject line? Meanwhile, 69% of customers might report you as spam if they don’t like your email subject line. That’s a good reason to think more about what to put into the subject line when writing a cold email, isn’t it?

There are a couple of ways you can write the best subject lines for your cold emails:

✔️ Make the subject line concise

Remember that some people will read your cold emails on the phone, so subject lines that are too long might be cut off. Stats also prove the benefits of shorter subject lines: the ones under 10 words show a better open rate than the longer ones.

Here are some examples of brief and catchy subject lines for your cold outreach:

• Boost efficiency with our new [Solution]
• Skyrocket business growth now
• Exclusive offer: 1-month free trial!

✔️ Keep it relevant to the cold email content

If the subject line doesn’t reflect the message inside, it can be seen as misleading. So, if you have multiple points in one email, find a way to summarize them in the subject line.

✔️ Double-check personalization

Customized subject lines increase the open rate by 22%. Add variables to your cold email subject lines and always have a plan B in place. For example, if the recipient’s address does not have a name associated with it, add replacement words (like “there” in a “Hey [[NAME]_replacement],” turning it into “Hey there”).

With a special Snov.io feature called Spintax, you can automatically send multiple unique versions of your cold email subject line, which helps avoid spam filters and reach the inbox.

✔️ Use the most important words in the beginning

Start your cold email with eye-catching information so your recipients can see it on any device. 

Feel free to use these template examples:

• Increase revenue: Meet our new revolutionary [Sales Platform]
• Unleash productivity: Get access to new [Tech Tools]
• Cut costs by 25%: Leverage our SaaS platform

✔️ Add power and trigger words

In your cold email outreach, use words that trigger an emotional response in people. Our list of emotional trigger words and phrases can help you convey emotions more easily and convert faster.

Feel free to implement these templates:

• Take control of your sales pipeline: Ignite growth with [Tool]
• Skyrocket your email open rates with [Tool]
• Last day! 20%+ off and free shipping

✔️Avoid capitalization

A CAPITALIZED subject line, or even a part of it, will look unprofessional and spammy, especially in B2B cold email outreach.

✔️ Try using emojis

But only if they fit in. So, before sending a cold email with emojis, make sure they correspond with the topic of your copy.

For example:

• 🚀  Boost your sales: Get ready for success in 2024
• 🔒 Enhance security: Protect your business from cyber threats

✔️ Don’t start a sentence that will be finished in the email body

At first glance, it may seem like a good technique to catch attention and motivate people to continue reading. But we recommend refraining from doing that, as some recipients may see it as a cheap effort to catch their attention.

✔️ Avoid spam trigger words

Check whether your cold email subject line has suspicious wording to avoid getting straight into the spam folder. We’ve collected the list of 550+ spam trigger words, so you can save it and refer to it whenever you need. 

✔️ Ask questions

This is a good way to encourage your recipients to actually open your cold email and read at least the beginning to find the answer.

Consider these template examples:

• Struggling with data security? Let’s discuss how we can help you
• Ready to boost customer engagement? Here’s how
• Want to save 30% time with [Product]?

✔️ A/B test your subject line

While all these tactics can be effective, always keep your target audience and the context of your email in mind.

With A/B testing, you can write two variations of cold email subject lines and test them with the same or different segments of your target audience, for example:

A) Meet new [Software] to boost sales

B) Discover the power of automation: Elevate your workflow

Measure their effectiveness in terms of open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, and you’ll see which is better perceived by a certain segment of your audience.

Preheader

A preheader is visible right after the subject line in your inbox or at the top of the email copy.

Before sending a cold email to a prospective client, don’t forget to include a compelling sentence in this section

Let’s review the best practices:

✔️ Don’t leave it blank

Otherwise, it will be replaced with content on top of your cold email, and the first sentence will most likely be cut off.

✔️ Keep it short

Once again, you need to find a balance between including the needed information and being straight to the point.

✔️ Don’t repeat yourself

The cold email subject line and the preheader are displayed side by side. Use this space to tell more about the email and intrigue the recipient.

✔️ Continue the subject line idea

One email, one goal. If your cold email subject line is about inviting the recipient to a conference, your preheader should confirm that.

✔️Add value of your service or product

The subject line and preheader must motivate the recipient to open your message.

Greeting

Greetings set the tone for further communication, so always include them in your cold emails. To write professional greetings, take the following steps: 

✔️ Consider the relationship with recipients

Know your audience. If your prospects are old-school business people, they will hardly appreciate familiarity and Gen-Z slang. At the same time, professionals in their 20s can be bored with a trite “Dear Mr. Smith.”

✔️ Don’t use gendered language

Gender-neutral language helps you make a good first impression and avoid mishaps when addressing the prospect. So, it most definitely helps if you know the name of your potential prospect to avoid terms like Mr. or Mrs. Personalization is key.

A quick reminder: Spintax also allows you to add various variables for the names of your recipients helping you improve deliverability and start off on the right foot.

✔️Refrain from using exclamations

It’s better not to overwhelm your potential customer from the first moment. We recommend trying other techniques, as in the examples below.

Greeting ideas

Type	Example
Formal	Dear [Recipient’s Name]
Friendly and casual	Hi [Recipient’s Name]
Professional	Greetings [Recipient’s Name]
Warm and professional	Dear [Recipient’s Name], I hope you are doing well.
Based on the time of the day	Based on the time of the day
With a personal touch	Hope this finds you well, [Recipient’s Name]
Acknowledging the recipient’s title	Hello [Title] [Last Name],
Implementing a question	Curious if you’re free to chat, [Recipient’s Name]
With a compliment hook	Impressed by your [Product, work, etc.], [Recipient’s Name]
Expressing gratitude	Thank you for your time, [Recipient’s Name]

Introduction

The introduction is the opening part of a cold email where you set the tone for the rest of the message. Here are some tips on how to write an irresistible first paragraph and encourage your addressee to read further:

✔️ Make it engaging

Keep your cold email introduction short, around 2-3 sentences, and avoid introducing yourself or your company right away. Instead, try to draw the attention of your recipient and show your genuine interest in their achievements, expertise, or work. 

Here are some engaging template examples for your intro:

• I came across your profile and was impressed by your expertise in [Relevant field]. As a fellow professional in the industry, I admire your achievements and the impact you’ve made.
• Congratulations on [Recent achievement or milestone]! As someone who follows [Their industry or work], I’m inspired by your dedication to [Related skill or industry].

You can also write a few good words about their website, the blog post you’ve read recently, or their speech at an industry event. 

✔️ Mention a problem you can solve

Try addressing a pain point your prospect might have that your product or service can solve. This will show that you understand their needs and allow you to build trust from the very first email. 

Consider the following template examples:

• I’m reaching out because I specialize in [Related skill or industry], and I’ve worked with other professionals in your field to help them overcome [Related problem or challenge]. I was wondering if you’ve ever encountered a similar challenge and if you’d be open to chatting about it sometime this week.
• I noticed that [Mention a specific problem or pain point they might be experiencing]. With [Your company], you can overcome these challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth and success. I’d love to share more insights tailored to your specific needs.

Pitch

The pitch is the central part of the cold email outreach where you present your value proposition and explain how your offering can address the recipient’s challenges or goals. A good pitch should answer these questions:

• What does your product offer? 
• How will the prospect benefit from your product? 
• How are you different from others?

To answer these questions and send cold emails with a perfect pitch inside, check out our tips:

✔️ Focus on benefits, not features

Building trust and providing value should be the primary focus of your cold email outreach.

Highlight your solution’s unique benefits and write the most compelling reasons why your potential customer should consider your product or service. 

✔️ Don’t sound too “salesey” 

Be informative but not pushy. Instead of bombarding the recipient with superficial or aggressive language, provide valuable data or insights related to their industry or pain points. Offer a solution or share relevant resources without explicitly pushing for a sale. 

Avoid using overly formal or corporate language. Imagine you are having a friendly conversation with your reader. Use clear and persuasive language to convey the value you can bring them. 

✔️ Provide social proof

Include testimonials, case studies, or success stories from satisfied customers to demonstrate credibility and build trust. Let your recipient see the real-world impact of your product or service rather than perceiving it as a sales pitch.

✔️ Keep it concise and to the point 

According to email marketing statistics, most subscribers respond to messages of 200-250 words long. Our advice is to make your emails a one-minute read. In addition, you can conduct an A/B test to find out what email length works for you. 

✔️ Add a bit of color

The psychology of colors in email marketing says that:

• Yellow and orange provide a sense of cheapness;
• Green tends to soothe readers;
• Purple creates a sense of luxury and creativity.

You can experiment with colors, too. However, keep in mind that too many colors in one email may look messy. We recommend using two: one color for the text itself or the background and another one for the CTA. 

Call-to-action

A call-to-action (CTA) is a word or phrase that prompts an immediate response. As a rule, this significant part of an email is placed at the end. It provokes readers to click on it and, as a result, get what they want. Some examples include “Click here,” “Buy now,” and “Subscribe.” 

Here are a few tips for creating a compelling CTA:

✔️ Don’t overdo it

Two or more CTAs drive the recipients from the primary goal, confuse them, and make them less eager to click. Just like in the following template:

So, focus on the one main call to action.

✔️ Stand out

Use large fonts to make the CTA visible and easy to read and click. A different color of the button, for example, can draw more attention to it.

✔️ Highlight value

It’s important to clearly outline how your recipient may benefit from completing your CTA.

For example:

• Original CTA: “Get My Free Trial Now”
• Updated CTA: “Get Your Free Trial Now”

The updated CTA resonates better with the audience, which may lead to a higher click-through rate and better engagement.

✔️ Provide a calendar link

This approach eliminates back-and-forth communication for scheduling, making the recipient more likely to engage and proceed with the call. 

Just look at this template:

• Let’s have a 15-minute call to discuss the details. Simply click the link below to access my calendar and choose a time slot that suits your schedule: [Insert your calendar link here].

What a solution! While sending cold emails with the Snov.io Email Drip Campaigns tool, you can sync with Calendly and add a calendar link right in your email copy. Just insert a Calendly link in your email drip campaign by clicking the Calendly icon and choosing a meeting you want to insert:

Sign-off

By crafting a professional, appropriate, and action-oriented sign-off, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a positive response from your recipient.

Here are some tips for writing the best sign-off:

✔️ Stay professional

Avoid colloquialisms, slang, and overly friendly wording. 

✔️ Don’t use caps and exclamation marks

When we see something written in all capital letters, it can give the impression that the writer is shouting at us.

✔️ Refrain from using emojis

Though emojis in the subject line can increase the open rate, they can sometimes look unprofessional and informal in the sign-off.

→ Fine more sign-off tips and examples for your cold email in our post. 

Signature

An email signature is the closing part that provides your contact information: name, business phone number, email address, website URL, or social network links.

Here are some tips for you to write a prominent signature:

✔️ Keep colors muted

The simpler, the better.

✔️ Add your photo and social media links

Emails with photo signatures give you more credibility. With personal pages (or, what is even better, with links to your business profile on LinkedIn, for example), you can prove to your recipient that you are, in fact, a real person.

✔️ Provide your company information and socials

Add the company name, website, and telephone number.

Keep in mind: It’s essential to regularly update your email signature to feature different products or promotions, keeping it fresh and relevant. By leveraging your email signature effectively, you can drive conversions with every email interaction.

→ Find out more email signature tips, tools, and examples in this post.

Opt-out options

While your cold emails do not necessarily need an unsubscribe link, you still have to let your recipients know what they can do to stop receiving emails from you. Otherwise, you may soon find yourself on their spam list which will significantly worsen your overall sender reputation.

With Snov.io Email Deliverability Check, you can monitor where your emails land and keep your cold outreach going with the help of dedicated tools.

Attachments

It is not a necessary element of a cold email. However, if you need one, ensure you’re doing it the right way. 

✔️ Videos

Including a video in an email can increase CTR by up to 300%. Videos can easily attract prospects, catch their attention, and gain respect. With visual support, people will grasp the information much faster. 

You can either attach them or paste a link in the email body of the email. In both cases, they will be displayed correctly. Other ways to do this are a GIF or a picture with a link to your YouTube channel. 

✔️ Images

They can be used as a great alternative to a plain-text email. Yet some ESPs don’t display them by default, and spam filters may be triggered if you use too many images. To avoid that, do the following:

• don’t attach too many images; one is enough;
• be ready with a fallback text in case the image doesn’t display in the recipients’ ESP;
• create your own images for the email campaign.

✔️ Links

Links are an easy way to improve CTR and increase the conversion rates of your cold email. By using links in your email outreach, you push customers to click on them, go to your website, and make a deal.

But don’t think that lots of links in the text will lead you directly to success. The more links you insert into the cold email, the more suspicious the email is to ESP, hence the higher the chance the email will land in the spam folder instead of inbox.

→ Read our quick guide to email attachments.

Best practices for cold emailing

In this section, we’ve compiled the most important information about the art of writing cold emails and included some tips from renowned B2B marketing specialists. Think of it as a short guide you can refer to whenever you need it.

Cold email best practices:

1. Be concise
2. Personalize your cold emails
3. Use AI for email copywriting
4. Don’t forget to follow up
5. Automate your cold email campaigns

1. Be concise

We live in an era of shorter attention spans than a goldfish’s memory. Avoid overwhelming the recipients with excessive information. A short, focused cold email is more likely to be read and responded to.

“The length and formatting of the cold emails were indeed a crucial aspect of our campaign’s success. We found that concise, clear, and well-structured emails, typically around 100-150 words, received the most engagement. This length was sufficient to communicate our message without overwhelming the recipient, promoting readability and engagement.”

Johannes Larsson, Founder & CEO at Financer

2. Personalize your cold emails

Imagine receiving an email that starts with the dry and impersonal “Dear Sir/Madam.” Yawn, right? Let’s add some zest! Show them you’ve done your research and watch their interest skyrocket.

“As an experienced B2B marketer, the most successful cold email campaign I’ve managed had a significant impact due to a blend of factors. Among them, personalization played a pivotal role. Our team conducted thorough research on our prospects to customize each email, not just with the recipient’s name but also by aligning our product’s value proposition with their specific business needs. This strategy significantly increased our open and response rates.”

Johannes Larsson, Founder & CEO at Financer

Template policy warning! Using templates for your cold email outreach is a good idea to boost productivity. However, be careful: applying one and the same template to every prospect on your list is not a better idea.  Therefore, whenever you pick a cold email template, adjust it to the needs and goals of a particular prospect.

Customize your message to fit your target audience’s pain points, goals, and industry. Highlight the value you can offer. Write how your product can solve their specific problem or meet their needs.

3. Use AI for email copy

By leveraging AI tools, you can craft templates and personalized emails, all while saving time and effort.

“ChatGPT’s ability to generate personalized email content based on customer data and historical interactions has had a remarkable impact on our campaigns. We witnessed higher click-through rates as a result, with our rate increasing from 2% to 5%.”

Tariq Khan, Head of Digital Marketing and Business Leader at FlexiPCB

The right solution: Now you can access creative and personalized template-like emails generated by the new integration of Snov.io and ChatGPT — the Snov.io AI Email Writer. It’s like having your own copywriting team available 24/7! Create engaging emails in seconds by describing your offer and letting AI Email Writer craft a well-structured, persuasive email for you.

4. Don’t forget to follow up

This is a must in cold email outreach. By sending timely messages after the initial cold email, you remind the prospect about your message and boost the chances of getting a response.  Consistent follow-ups increase the likelihood of making meaningful connections and achieving successful outcomes for your sales efforts.

“I always follow up with at least 2-3 emails unless the recipient gives up on the start. Different emails with different angles, different offers, different CTAs. If you’re sending multiple emails, you always have to be able to offer more than what can be said in a single email.”

Michael Maximoff, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Belkins

5. Automate your cold email campaigns

With the growth of your business, the number of prospects you’ll be sending cold emails to will grow at rocket speed. At some point, you’ll feel that manual cold emailing takes much of your time.Automation will make your cold email outreach less stressful and more productive.

Automation you deserve: With the Snov.io toolset, your cold email outreach can be put on autopilot right from the moment you start prospecting. Its Email Finder will find potential customers’ emails in minutes and help you build well-segmented email lists, while Automated Email Drip Campaigns will care about your cold email sequence element by element.

It’s time to create your cold email campaign!

With newfound expertise, you’re now equipped to craft the most compelling subject lines that skyrocket your open rates, greet recipients in a polished and professional manner, incorporate high-performing CTAs that boost click-through rates, bid a farewell that leaves a lasting impression, and create the ultimate email signature.