Yes, cold email does work. But, that doesn’t mean any old email you blast out to prospects is going to generate replies.

Like any effective marketing strategy, there are a few best practices you should follow when you send cold emails.

Simple Subject Lines

Short subject lines will be your key to getting your email opened. Try not to overcomplicate the subject line, and just fall back on what’s been proven to work!

Here are a few great examples:

• Quick question
• Question for {name}
• {company} + your company
• Question about {company}

Personalization

Every email you send should have some form of personalized statement written about the prospect you are reaching out to.

This can be as simple as “Saw you were nominated for best marketer in Tampa. Congrats!”

If writing a first line for each prospect you outreach to is going to be too time consuming for you, you will receive a first line written about every prospect by ordering a ListKit.

Short Scripts

Unfortunately, no one has the time or energy to read a 200 word email, so don’t bother typing one out.

Instead, focus on keeping your script as short and concise as possible – a strategy we highly recommend is the one sentence cold email.

Focus Your Messaging On The Prospect

Human nature will draw you to write cold emails that talk a whole lot about yourself… Which is exactly what you want to avoid.

Instead of using phrases like “I would love to” or “I have some ideas in mind”, use phrases like “Would you like to” or “Are you interested in learning more?”

These subtle changes in wording go a long way.

Simple Signature

A fancy email signature with your company’s logo and a well done graphic may look good, but in reality it can hurt your email deliverability and sabotage your emails before you even send them.

Instead, opt for a very simple email signature, something like:

“Christian BonnierListKit

Let’s Talk

(hyperlinked to your website)”

Run A/B Tests

All of these pointers work in theory, but the only way to truly find a winning strategy is to test new ideas and different variations of your messaging.

Set up a few different A/B tests comparing different subject lines and email scripts so you’ll be able to identify winning strategies. You can do this very easily in a software like Mailshake.

When done properly, cold email will be a tremendous marketing asset for you and your business.

You’ll be able to generate new opportunities all without having to spend hardly any money, and once you land on a winning email strategy you will be able to replicate it time and time again.

By keeping your emails short and personalized, using simple subject lines, focusing your messaging on the prospect, and always using simple signatures, you will see that cold emails do in fact work (with a bit of testing of course).