Yuka Kato
Are you considering a cold email to grow your business or land new jobs? It’s an effective strategy, but sending emails to prospects you don’t know can feel confusing and downright nerve-wracking.
How do you structure it, and what are best practices to encourage a response? This guide will explain everything, including what cold email copywriting entails, examples of successful cold emails, and best practices for success.
What Is Cold Email Copywriting?
A cold email is a message sent to a business prospect you don’t know and haven’t interacted with previously. Cold email copywriting involves writing the text in the email and tailoring it to grab the prospect’s attention and make them want to learn more about your products or services.
Cold emailing is a common strategy for freelancers, remote workers, and businesses that want to generate more leads. It’s also very effective. 80% of buyers say they prefer to be contacted through email, and all sales emails (including cold emails) have an average open rate of 23.9%.
If you aren’t sure where to start, let’s examine the parts of a cold email to give you an overview of the proper structure.
The Parts of an Effective Cold Email
Cold emails consist of five key parts. Here’s a breakdown of each one, along with good and bad examples, to give you an idea of how to format each effectively.
The Subject Line
The subject line of a cold email is the first line of text you see after the sender’s name. It’s a pivotal aspect to master while learning how to write effective cold emails since it’ll be the first thing your recipient notices, clueing them in on what your email is about. When the subject line grabs their interest, it’s much more likely your email will get opened.
Example of a Good Cold Email Subject Line
An example of a strong subject line would be “Question about your social media marketing strategy.” This subject line works because it’s short and to the point while cluing the prospect in on what the email will be about: their social media marketing strategy. It also adds just a touch of curiosity that they’ll likely click to see what your question is about.
Example of a Bad Email Subject Line
A bad cold email subject line would be “Make 10x more money!” Subject lines like this sound spammy and don’t give any insight into the email’s topic. There’s a much higher chance it’ll get deleted immediately or reported as spam.
Email Preview Text (Pre-Header)
The email preview text is what you see right after the subject line. Usually, the auto-generated preview text will be what’s in the first line or two of your email. However, some email marketing tools have features that let you edit and add custom preview text that can act as an extension of your subject line.
Example of Good Cold Email Preview Text
Here’s a good example of using preview text as an extension of your subject line:
- Subject Line: Question About Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
- Preview Text: Plus, some tips to help you boost engagement.
Preview text like this shows some extra value that your email will offer. It could make the recipient more likely to click since they know they’ll get some value out of the tips you’re providing.
Example of Bad Preview Text in a Cold Email
An example of bad email preview text would be, “Click here now! I’m the social media manager you need to hire to elevate business performance, generate new leads, gain followers, and make more money.” The two main problems with this are that it sounds spammy, too good to be true, and it is too long. Most recipients will stop reading the preview text halfway through and delete the email if this is what they see.
The First Line of Your Message
Once someone clicks on your email, the opening line of your message is where they’ll be greeted, and is one of the first things they’ll see. You’ve generated interest with your subject line and preview text, so aim to keep that going with an opening line that makes them want to read the rest of your message.
Example of a Good First Line of a Cold Email
A good example of a cold email’s first line is, “I recently saw the AMA you did on Instagram and thought it was an excellent idea to boost engagement with your followers.” Starting with a compliment can be an excellent strategy to get a prospect’s attention before the rest of your message. Plus, it shows you know a bit about them or their company.
Example of a Bad First Line of a Cold Email
A bad first line would be, “We just launched our new social media marketing automation tool! Have you seen it yet?” This doesn’t work well since it’s a cold email, and your prospect likely won’t know much or anything about you or your brand. Plus, it feels too impersonal to go straight to discussing your product without showing any interest in the person you’re emailing.
Personalization in the Body of Your Email
The body of your cold email is where you can explain why you’re emailing and describe your product or service. Try to make this personal to your prospect by relating to their pain points or explaining why you think it’ll be an effective solution for them.
Example of Good Cold Email Body Text
A good cold email body section would be:
“Since I saw that you want to grow your presence on Instagram and other social media platforms, I wanted to reach out about our new social media automation tool that could help in your efforts.
It’ll help you schedule posts, automate social listening, and perform weekly competitor analysis. For example, I’ve seen many people discussing add-ons they’d love you to develop for your home fitness products. Our tool could help organize all that information in one place.”
Example of Bad Cold Email Body Text
A bad body paragraph would be:
“I’m reaching out to companies like yours because I know our social media automation tool will be a perfect fit for everyone. It’ll help you schedule posts, automate social listening, and perform competitor analysis. These features could 10x your sales revenue!”
This body paragraph doesn’t work well since it doesn’t relate to the recipient at all. It sounds like a generic message that’s getting sent to tons of people.
A Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Toward the end of your cold email, you should encourage recipients to take a specific action, such as scheduling a call or signing up for a demo. These actions will get you one step closer to landing the sale.
Example of a Good Cold Email CTA
A good CTA would be:
“Book a 15-minute Zoom call at your convenience, and I’ll walk you through a demo of how our social automation tool works. Here’s a link to my calendar to schedule an appointment.”
This CTA works because it clearly states what you want them to do and what you’ll discuss during the call. It also makes it easy for them to open the calendar link and find an appointment time that works for them.
Example of a Bad Cold Email CTA
A bad CTA would be:
“We’d love to have you check out our product. If you’re interested, look us up.”
This CTA doesn’t work well since it isn’t clear what the recipient should do. Instead, it’s better to provide a direct link to a page or specific times they can schedule a meeting.
10 Cold Email Copywriting Best Practices
Now that you have a good overview of a cold email’s structure let’s review some best practices to help you get better results.
Write an Intriguing Subject Line to Get Their Attention
As mentioned earlier, the subject line is likely the first thing your recipients will see. Some tips to get attention with subject lines when copywriting cold emails are:
- Make it personalized, such as including the recipient’s name
- Add common pain points in the prospect’s industry, such as “Are you struggling to retain financial advising clients?”
- Ask a question related to your prospect’s brand
- Keep it relevant to the topic of your email
- Present the value your email will offer
Personalize the Email from the Beginning to Build Rapport
Adding personalization to cold emails will make them more relatable and generate more engagement. You can personalize emails by:
- Addressing recipients by their name
- Using their brand’s name
- Complimenting something their brand has done
- Talking about features of their product or service you like
- Discuss recent news you heard about the brand
- Touch on current problems in the industry
Keep the Email Concise and to the Point
Cold emails that are too long will lose your recipient’s attention since they’re likely busy working, and many people read emails on the go. Keep your cold emails to about 100-150 words to ensure your main point gets across.
Show You Understand Their Problem and How You Can Solve It
A good cold email copywriter knows how to put themself in their prospect’s shoes. Before sending emails, brainstorm what pain points your product or service addresses and how you can see it solving problems in your target customer’s daily life.
Speak the Recipient’s Language
Effective sales email copywriting is tailored to how your prospects speak. Many industries have specific lingo or terms often used in daily business practices. For example, if you were emailing someone in manufacturing, discussing cycle times or change order management could show you understand the industry’s ins and outs.
Avoid Clichés and Salesy Catchphrases at All Costs
Avoiding typical clichés or sales catchphrases will ensure your email doesn’t sound scammy or impersonal to your recipient. Some examples of common catchphrases to avoid would be “Get more for less!” or “Hot sale going on now!”
Ask Open-Ended Questions to Prompt a Response
When you’re just getting to know a prospect, prompting open-ended discussion can make it less intimidating for them to respond rather than making them feel like they must take action immediately on your offer. Good examples of open-ended questions could be:
- What has been your biggest challenge in keeping up with your competition this year?
- Could you tell me more about your sales process?
Add Subtle Urgency Triggers so the Recipient Acts Fast
While you want to avoid being too salesy or pushy, you can add some subtle triggers that make your recipients want to act.
Adding curiosity, such as saying, “I have a few ideas that could boost your website’s performance that I’d love to discuss with you this week,” can work well to get them wondering about your services.
You could also discuss their desire to achieve specific goals, such as boosting retention rates or gaining brand awareness. It can help to include a brief example of results you’ve achieved for companies you’ve worked with previously to get them thinking about the impact of your services.
Include a Specific Call-to-Action so They Know the Next Step
As mentioned, a call to action will help encourage the next step you want recipients to take. For example, saying, “I’d love to discuss your lead generation needs in more detail. Are you available for a call next week?”
Always Proofread Before Hitting Send
This is an easy one to do. A cold email with tons of grammar errors will look unprofessional. Always proofread to ensure you make the best first impression!
3 Effective Cold Email Templates to Close the Deal
Having some copywriting cold email templates at the ready will help you optimize your message’s structure. You can use the examples below for common scenarios and customize them with the specifics of your recipients and offer.
Template 1
A freelance pay-per-click (PPC) strategist is trying to get more clients. He’s sending cold emails to fitness industry business owners and marketing managers to generate interest in his services.
Subject line: Are you getting relevant leads from your website?
Hi Jeremiah,
I recently saw that New Age Fitness launched a new summer boot camp program! About five years ago, I participated in one and lost about 10 pounds, so I know just how beneficial programs like that are.
I’m reaching out because I’m a PPC strategist and was wondering if you were considering running any paid ads to help promote your boot camp. I like the page you built on your website describing the program. We could optimize its performance by targeting the right keywords on Google with a PPC ad campaign to help you generate more leads.
I have a few ideas I’d love to discuss with you. Would you be available for a 30-minute call next week? Here’s a link to my calendar, where you can schedule a time at your convenience: {{Scheduling Link}}
Hope to hear from you soon,
Marshall Peterson
Template 2
A startup founder has created a certificate of insurance tracking software that helps construction managers limit liability on jobs. She wants to send cold emails to promote the software’s benefits to those in the construction industry.
Subject line: Question about your insurance tracking system
Hello Matthew,
I came across Silverstone Construction and was impressed by the projects your team has worked on. The Westside Market you redeveloped in Manhattan is very eye-catching!
With material costs in the construction industry rising, I’m sure you know that limiting unforeseen project costs is a must. Do you currently have a certificate of insurance tracking software you use to manage liability on jobs?
Our team at CertTrack has developed software that helps you track and manage all your insurance certificates in one place. It’ll help you go into commercial building jobs knowing you’re well-covered.
I’d be happy to discuss CertTrack’s features in more detail with you if you’d be interested in learning more. Would you be available for a call on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon?
Thank you,
Kendra Martens
Template 3
A graphic designer got a lead from a friend who said a company they have connections with might be hiring designers for a new marketing department expansion they’re planning. They’re sending a cold email to the company asking about potential work.
Subject line: Graphic design work inquiry, referred by Emma Davis
Hello Mr. Williams,
My friend Emma Davis provided me with your contact information since it sounds like you might be hiring for an upcoming marketing department expansion. I looked up Painting Solutions, and I appreciate your company’s innovative touch to commercial painting jobs. I’d be excited to work with a forward-thinking company like yours.
I’d be interested in a graphic design role with your marketing department. I have five years of experience creating visuals for websites and social media posts that make brands stand out. I’ve attached my portfolio and resume for your review.
Do you have time for a call next week? I’d be excited to discuss in more detail what I could bring to your marketing efforts at Painting Solutions. Also, feel free to email me with any other questions you have.
Thank you,
Britney Harrison
Cold Email Copywriting Tips to Maximize Results
Now that you have the structure down with those cold email marketing examples, here are a few more tips to improve the performance of your emails.
Segment Your Prospect List
When you have an extensive prospect list, try segmenting it by industry, company size, or geographic location. It’ll help you personalize your message for varying business needs without having to write a completely unique message for each one.
Promote Benefits Instead of Features
The more you can speak from the prospect’s position, the better your message will relate to them. Talking about benefits, like peace of mind or loss prevention that insurance will provide for someone, sounds more relatable than features like insurance deductibles.
Track Results to Improve Future Cold Emails
Gathering data like open rates and click-through rates for the cold emails you send will help you learn what messages and structures perform the best. Our tools at Mailsuite can help with this by tracking opens and clicks in real-time.
Be Sincere and Human
You don’t want to make your recipients feel like they’re just another prospect on your list. Instead, relate to who they are and the business they run. Add human elements that show you care about their success.
Follow Up (But Not Too Much)
The average person gets hundreds of emails each day, so it’s only natural that some get missed. Following up with prospects who don’t respond is a great idea to give yourself another chance to stand out in their inbox. We recommend following up twice and then stopping. If someone doesn’t respond after two follow-ups, they likely aren’t interested.
The Best Cold Emailing Tool to Scale Your Cold Email Outreach
When you want to scale and improve your cold email efforts, Mailsuite offers several features that can help. Our tool offers:
- Real-time insights to see how people interact with your emails
- Integrated tracking directly in Gmail
- Custom email signatures for a professional appearance
- Customized follow-ups based on different metrics
- Email delivery certificates
With Mailsuite, you won’t have to question whether your cold emails land in your prospect’s inbox or if it’s time to follow up. Our tool will give you the insights to make educated decisions that optimize your results.
