Let’s dive right in: here’s what we know about cold email outreach…
1: Don’t Use Your Main Domain
When it comes to cold email outreach, protecting your primary domain is non-negotiable. One of the biggest mistakes many businesses make is using their main domain to send out cold emails. This can be incredibly risky. Why? Because if your emails start to get flagged as spam, your domain’s reputation could take a significant hit, affecting your entire business.
Instead, create a secondary domain that closely resembles your main one. For example, if your business is called companyname.com, consider setting up domains like getcompanyname.com or trycompanyname.com. These alternative domains allow you to maintain the integrity of your primary domain while still conducting outreach effectively.
Why use Google or Microsoft accounts? Using Google or Microsoft for your new domains can simplify the setup process, especially when it comes to managing DNS records. These platforms generally have a more straightforward setup and better deliverability rates. Plus, the credibility associated with Google or Microsoft can positively influence how your emails are perceived by recipients.
However, remember not to overload any single domain. Create only 2-3 email addresses per domain before moving on to a new one. This approach minimises the risk to each domain and spreads your outreach efforts across multiple fronts, ensuring that a single issue doesn’t derail your entire campaign.
2: Warm Up Your Domains
Before you dive headfirst into sending cold emails, it’s crucial to warm up your domains. Warming up means gradually increasing the volume of emails you send from a new domain over time. This process is essential because email service providers (ESPs) monitor sending patterns and can flag sudden spikes in activity as suspicious, potentially landing your emails in the spam folder.
How does warming up work? Typically, you’ll want to use a warm-up tool that can send a high volume of emails over several weeks (usually around a month). Tools like Instantly.ai are excellent for this purpose. They work by sending and engaging with emails from your accounts, which helps to build trust with ESPs.
This phase is not just about increasing email volume but also about establishing a positive sender reputation. A well-warmed domain is less likely to have its emails marked as spam, ensuring better deliverability when you start your actual outreach.
3: Plain-Text, Short, No Links
In the world of cold email outreach, simplicity is your best friend. When crafting your emails, keep them plain-text, concise, and free of unnecessary links or images. A good rule of thumb is to keep your email under 50 words.
Why less than 50 words? Short, straightforward emails are more likely to be read. When an email looks like a quick personal message rather than a marketing pitch, it stands a better chance of bypassing spam filters and capturing the recipient’s attention. This approach also makes your email feel less intrusive, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.
Moreover, avoiding links and images in your initial outreach emails can help improve deliverability. Links, especially, can trigger spam filters if they’re not from well-established domains. Save the more detailed information and external resources for your follow-up emails or after you’ve established some level of engagement with the prospect.
4: Verify Your Leads
Verification of your leads is a critical step that can’t be overlooked. Unverified leads often result in high bounce rates, which can severely damage your sender score. Your sender score is essentially your email reputation, and a low score can lead to your emails being sent straight to spam.
If you’re using a platform like Apollo.io to gather leads, be aware that many of these leads might not be verified by default. While Apollo.io does offer a verification service, it’s crucial to double-check and ensure that your email list is as clean as possible before launching your campaign.
Why does verification matter? High bounce rates not only reduce the effectiveness of your campaign but can also trigger ESPs to label your domain as a spam sender. This can quickly lead to your emails being blacklisted, severely limiting your outreach capabilities.
Investing in a good email verification tool can save you from these pitfalls. Tools like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce can scan your email lists and remove any invalid or risky addresses, helping you maintain a high sender score and ensuring your emails land in the right inboxes.
5: Segment Your Audience
Segmentation is one of the most powerful strategies in cold email outreach. Instead of sending generic emails to a broad list of contacts, break down your list into smaller, more targeted segments. Segments can be based on various factors, including industry, company size, job role, or specific pain points.
Why is segmentation important? Tailored messaging resonates more with recipients, leading to higher engagement rates. For example, an email addressing a specific problem faced by small tech startups will likely perform better than a generic message sent to a wide audience.
When you take the time to craft messages that speak directly to the needs and interests of your segmented audience, you demonstrate an understanding of their challenges and position your solution as relevant and valuable. This level of personalisation can significantly increase your response rates and overall campaign success.
6: Rotate Your Scripts
Using just one email template for your outreach is a recipe for stagnation. Prospects vary widely in how they respond to different types of messaging, so having multiple scripts at your disposal is crucial.
How many scripts should you have? Ideally, create 3-4 variations of your outreach email. These can differ in tone, length, approach, or call to action (CTA). For instance, one version might be very direct, asking for a meeting, while another might be more exploratory, seeking to start a conversation.
Why rotate scripts? Rotating scripts helps you avoid email fatigue – both for your recipients and for ESPs. Sending the same email repeatedly can lead to lower engagement rates and increase the likelihood of your emails being flagged as spam. By testing different scripts, you gather valuable data on what messaging works best for different segments of your audience, allowing you to refine and optimise your strategy continually.
7: Use Soft CTAs
The call to action (CTA) in your cold emails should be more about opening the door to further conversation than closing a deal. A common mistake in cold outreach is using overly aggressive CTAs, like asking for a meeting or a call right off the bat. Instead, opt for a softer, curiosity-driven approach.
Examples of soft CTAs: Phrases like “Is this worth exploring further?” or “Interested in learning more?” can be more effective than direct requests like “Book a call.” The goal here is to pique the recipient’s interest without making them feel pressured.
Why softer CTAs work: Cold emails are often the first point of contact with a prospect, so it’s crucial not to overwhelm them. A softer CTA lowers the barrier to engagement, making it easier for the recipient to say yes to the next step, whether that’s replying to your email, visiting a landing page, or scheduling a call later on in the conversation.
8: Keep Subject Lines Simple
Your subject line is the first thing a recipient sees, and it plays a huge role in whether your email gets opened. However, that doesn’t mean you need to spend hours crafting the perfect subject line. In fact, simplicity often works best.
What makes a good subject line? Short, relevant subject lines typically outperform more creative or vague options. For example, a subject line like “Quick question” or “About [topic they care about]” is more likely to get opened than something more complex or salesy.
Why simplicity wins: Simple subject lines don’t raise red flags with spam filters and come across as less promotional and more conversational. They give the impression that the email is from someone who knows the recipient or has something genuinely relevant to share. This approach increases your open rates and sets a positive tone for the rest of the email.
9: Track and Test Everything
Successful cold email outreach is not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. It requires constant monitoring and optimisation. Key metrics to track include open rates, reply rates, and bounce rates. Each of these metrics provides insights into the performance of your campaign and highlights areas for improvement.
How to track effectively: Use email tracking tools to monitor these metrics in real-time. Tools like Mailshake, Woodpecker, or HubSpot Sales can provide detailed analytics on how your emails are performing. If you notice that a particular subject line isn’t getting opens, or a specific email template isn’t generating replies, don’t be afraid to change things up.
Testing different elements: Experiment with different subject lines, email copy, and even sending times to see what works best. Cold email outreach is as much about strategy as it is about persistence. By continuously tweaking and testing your approach, you’ll be able to refine your strategy and achieve better results over time.
10: Stay Consistent
Cold email outreach is a numbers game that requires both volume and consistency. You need to send a significant number of emails regularly to see results, but that doesn’t mean spamming your prospects. It’s about maintaining a steady, high-quality outreach effort over time.
Why consistency matters: Many marketers give up too soon, expecting instant results from their cold email campaigns. The reality is that success in cold emailing often comes from sticking with it and making incremental improvements. Consistent effort allows you to build momentum, learn from your mistakes, and gradually improve your strategy.
Avoiding common pitfalls: If you’re not seeing success, it’s essential to review your process. Are you skipping steps? Are you sending enough emails to generate meaningful data? Cold email outreach can be challenging, but by respecting the process and staying committed, you can achieve the results you’re after.
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