Here’s How to Write Cold Emails That Actually Get Opened

Tips to get you started and help improve your current cold email strategy.

Just like the traditional process of cold calling, cold emails are used by companies to reach out to prospective customers that you’ve never interacted with. They’re designed to educate new audiences about your products and services and let them know how you can solve a problem they are experiencing.

Cold emails are a great option if you’re looking to expand the reach of your current marketing efforts. It’s a direct way to build a connection and get your value proposition into the inboxes of your prospects.

If you’re new to the cold email market, you may be wondering how to get started and create impactful messages that readers want to open. Or maybe you’re already utilizing cold emails in your everyday practice, but aren’t seeing the results you expected.

Whatever the case may be, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll cover tips from composing the perfect cold email subject lines to leading with the value you have to offer.

Here’s a quick look at the tips we’ll discuss:

• Identify who you are
• Write great subject lines
• Lead with your value
• Tell them what to do next

Tips for Writing Cold Emails

Perfecting the art of writing cold emails takes some time, but with the right guidance, it doesn’t have to be rocket science. No matter what product or service you may be selling, there are a few tips that can help improve cold emails across the board.

Let’s take a look at a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when writing your cold emails.

Cold emails are just like introducing yourself to a potential customer you’ve never met before. You need to lead with who you are and then start to build a connection around similar interests.

Identify Who You Are

The nature of cold emails is that the person you’re reaching out to doesn’t know who you are. And when you first meet someone new, what is the first thing you do? Shake their hand and introduce yourself. Cold emails are no different.

By introducing yourself right away, you become more familiar. Users aren’t always receptive to emails from someone they’ve never heard of, especially if it seems like it may not be a real person.

That’s why it’s important to share who you are right away. Sending emails from a personal email and including your name will allow you to quickly identify yourself to the user. This will let them know that your email isn’t junk mail that’s being sent out by a mass email robot and is much more likely to result in opens.

For the best results, your emails should look like they are coming from a friend or colleague. This familiarity will help your users feel like they already know you and build a sense of trust.

There are a number of ways you can choose to share your identity. Whether you opt for just sharing your first name or decide to share your name and include your company name, it will help your cold emails in the long run.

Brainstorming the perfect subject line is well worth the effort. Knowing that it’s the first thing your reader will see and will likely influence them to click to keep reading.

Write Great Subject Lines

The subject line. Often touted as the most important part of an email — and for good reason.

First impressions go a long way and in the world of cold emails, that’s your subject line.

A subject line is the first chance you have to intrigue your potential customer. If the content you share in the subject doesn’t pique their interest, you may have already lost your chance to convert them.

When you consider that 47% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line, it’s not something you want to leave up to chance. You’ll want to take the time to understand what your audience wants and how you can tie your value into the message.

Writing cold email subject lines can be tricky at first, but get easier in time. As you start to learn what types of subject lines work well with your audiences, you can continue to evolve. Eventually, you’ll be able to write killer subject lines like the back of your hand.

Here are a few things to consider when writing subject lines for cold emails:

• Keep it clear and concise
• Don’t use clickbait subject lines
• Tell the reader what is to come
• Let your value help do the talking

Subject lines are one of the most important elements when writing cold emails, but they aren’t the only thing you need to consider.

Tell your prospects how you can help them climb the mountains they are facing. Leading with the value you have to offer helps potential customers know exactly what you can do to help them.

Lead With Your Value

Let’s move into the body copy for your email.

The first tip in this section of your cold email is to lead with the value you have to offer potential customers. There’s no need to waste their time with fluff content. Get straight to the point and tell them what you have to offer them.

If you’re expecting a potential customer to take time out of their day to read your email, there better be something in it for them. Telling them what problems you can help them solve or how you can save them money will get them interested quicker than sharing a story about your weekend.

So don’t make it a long-drawn-out message that confuses prospects about what the main point is. Cut to the chase and lead with the value you have to offer them.

If you don’t tell your prospects what the next steps are, they won’t take them. Make sure to clearly outline what comes next and you’ll see higher conversion rates.

Tell Them What to Do Next

Now that you’ve mapped out what your subject line and body copy are going to say, it’s time to line up the call to action.

What is the next step you want this prospect to do?

You need to identify what that next step is and clearly outline it for your readers. Even if you write the most amazing subject line and killer body content, without a clear call to action readers, won’t know what to do next.

Spell it out for them. Tell them exactly what comes next and what actions they may need to take to move forward working with you. Whether that action is to reply back via email, download a resource, or request a consultation — it needs to be clear and simple for the user.

Cold Emails Really Work When Done Right

Don’t let the unknown of cold emails scare you into dumping the process. When done right, cold emails can be an extremely valuable marketing tool. From perfecting your cold email subject lines to adding the right call to action — your cold email strategy can be one of your most successful avenues.