Killer Cold Emails — Making That First Message Count  

Successful email marketing campaigns depend more on understanding and successfully relating to a specific target audience than finally zeroing in on that elusive tactic that makes cold emails shine. Marketers who fail to grasp this waste time chasing after perfect templates and optimal word usage strategies rather than focusing on what matters — tailoring the emails to the personal tastes and preferences of recipients. But how does a marketer know if a certain email hits the desired sweet spot? Sending out hundreds or even thousands of emails only to have the vast majority of them virtually ignored happens all too often even to those who are convinced they’ve hit on just the right email strategy.

Testing, Testing

Even if you think you’ve come up with exactly the right message to trigger positive responses from your recipients, launching a large email campaign without testing it on a small segment of your intended audience may result in your entire campaign falling flat. Here’s how to create the type of email subject line most likely to hit the mark:

• Start with a clear, concise subject line and keep it short and sweet. The majority of recipients decide in a matter of seconds whether to open emails or click them into oblivion, and vague, wordy subject lines fail to entice readers. Your subject line should clearly state your mission and leave them wanting more in five words or less.
• Get personal. Your message will be less likely to be flagged as spam by email clients if you include the recipient’s first name in the subject line.
• Other spam triggers include salesy words such as “offer” and “buy.” Avoid these.

Write an Engaging Preview

Your email preview should be conversational, personalized, and focus on a problem that can be solved or a common connection. Most people will click off if your preview begins with an obvious sales pitch or if you immediately begin describing yourself and your company.

Craft a Scannable Body

Most emails are scanned rather than read, so make sure yours has plenty of appealing white space by using short paragraphs and bulleted lists. Bolding keywords ensures they get noticed, but be careful not to go overboard with this. As with your subject line, use clear, straightforward wording with a personal accent.

After you’ve crafted your email, test it out on a small group of recipients. If the response is positive, you know you’ve struck gold.

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