Cold email may seem a bit outdated and has been replaced by other methods. However, there's something about this method that makes people want to respond to your emails. It can be hard to understand why, but we've created our own list below with seven reasons you should consider implementing cold email into your campaign.
Whether you're starting from scratch or have already tried an online course and failed to see any results, cold email could help you get back on track. We'll take a look at what exactly is involved when sending cold emails and share several examples of successful campaigns. So let's dig right in!
While it might sound like an old tactic, cold emailing is actually quite effective. According to Hubspot’s research, around 70% of respondents said they would open up their inbox if the message was sent directly to them. This means that your chances of success increase significantly when you send emails to potential customers instead of mass mailing everyone who signed up for your newsletter.
The key here is finding someone interested enough to reply to your email, which will make sure you get to know each other better before they start trusting you as well. You also need to keep things professional and avoid too much spamming.
It's important not only to find someone who wants to hear from you, but also someone who can benefit from working with you. If you don't think anyone will buy from you, then you won't receive many replies even though you send hundreds of messages every day.
If you do manage to reach one person who wants to talk to you, you'll probably end up having a fruitful conversation where both parties learn more about each other. And this can lead to long-term relationships that improve your business exponentially.
Here are three ways you can use cold emailing effectively:
1. When looking for new clients - Cold emailing allows you to build trust faster than usual because you aren't asking someone to sign up yet (and potentially pay). Instead, you're simply reaching out to ask questions and get answers first. This way, you can decide whether you'd rather hire them now or later.
2. To create content - Content creation is always a good idea, especially since writing quality articles takes time. But it can become quite tedious when talking to everyone individually. The great thing about cold emailing is that you can easily contact people through platforms such as LinkedIn and collect valuable information without wasting too much time.
3. For future projects - Sometimes, you meet someone during a networking event or while browsing social media and discover they're perfect for some kind of collaboration project. After exchanging a few messages, you realize that you didn't properly introduce yourself and you wouldn't mind giving them a call sometime soon. That's when cold email comes in handy again!
You're going to love this next point...
In 2020, cold email was found to generate 30 times more leads than traditional outreach. In fact, according to HubSpot Research, cold email converts 8x better than direct mail, 3x better than SMS and 2x better than Facebook ads.
This doesn't mean that all types of cold emails are equally effective -- just that cold email works better than anything else.
And while these stats were gathered after the pandemic, there's no reason to believe cold email isn't still effective today. Even if people tend to prefer messaging apps over email nowadays, studies show that those same users still read their emails regularly.
So it seems like cold emailing is definitely worth trying out once you're ready.
A lot of people feel that cold email is ineffective due to its past reputation as spam. While email marketing used to be seen as "spammy", it's evolved drastically over the years. Today, marketers use tools to optimize emails and ensure delivery rates are high. They also focus on creating engaging subject lines and personalizing communications based on previous interactions.
There are two main benefits associated with email marketing: increased sales and brand awareness. Both are crucial factors for businesses operating in competitive industries.
However, email marketing alone isn't sufficient anymore. There are plenty of other channels for promotion that allow you to target multiple audiences, including Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, etc. These days, most companies rely on multi-channel strategies to promote products. Therefore, building a solid relationship with your audience becomes essential to grow your business.
When it comes down to choosing between cold email and phone calls, you shouldn't worry too much about making either choice. Both options serve different purposes, depending on what you want to achieve with your business.
For example, if you want to find new prospects quickly, cold calling is likely the best option. On the other hand, if you're looking for existing customers, cold email is usually preferred. As mentioned above, it provides instant access to contacts and gives you the chance to build strong connections with your audience.
Finally, if you want to convert visitors into paying customers, cold email is often the go-to solution. With a personalized approach, you can offer useful advice and convince the customer to purchase your product or service.
As you can see, cold email offers advantages beyond just increasing conversion rates. By targeting specific groups of people, you can gather valuable data that helps you identify problems and develop solutions. Plus, cold email is less intrusive compared to other forms of communication. You can therefore spend more time focusing on improving your company's image.
All that being said, it's true that cold email does require extra effort on your part. You need to invest time in crafting a good response to each individual message. You also need to be prepared for rejection, as it happens to almost everybody.
But if done correctly, cold emailing will give you a headstart in your quest to succeed as an entrepreneur. Whether you choose to run a side hustle or launch your full-fledged startup, cold emailing can provide you with excellent practice and experience.
Do you send cold emails to potential customers? What did you notice after doing so? Let us know in the comments section below!
The internet has changed everything. It's a lot easier than ever before to start your own business from home and generate passive income with online advertising or affiliate programs. But sometimes you struggle to get started because you're not sure whether you should be contacting people directly by email or if there's another way.
Cold email can seem like a scary prospect at first because it involves making contact with someone without their knowledge. However, since it's always better to ask permission rather than assume, we'll show you how to use cold emailing effectively as part of your affiliate marketing strategy -- even when you don't have permission yet. So let's take a look at what they are and why you might want to consider them.
Affiliate marketing is a type of revenue sharing that allows companies (the merchants) to pay commissions on sales made through third party websites (the publishers). The publisher will then share these payments with its authors who create content related to the product being sold. This means that the author receives money each time someone buys something after clicking a link within one of his articles. These links usually lead to merchant sites where users click around until they find products that interest them.
If this sounds familiar, you've probably already heard about affiliate marketing before. In fact, most well-known brands today employ affiliate marketers to sell their goods and services all over the world. For example, Amazon uses affiliate marketing to market thousands of different types of items ranging from books to electronics to clothes. Some of these items are listed alongside other retailers' offerings on Amazon's website, while others appear as ads on pages throughout the site. You may also see offers on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.
So why would anyone need to know more about affiliate marketing? Because it could help you make more money if you're looking to promote a brand yourself. If you were able to convince somebody else to buy a certain product, you'd receive a percentage of the sale price. And it doesn't matter if you do it once or hundreds of times. As long as you provide value to the customer, you can earn money every single day. There are plenty of ways to go about promoting a new product, however, which brings us to our next point.
How to send an effective cold email
Now that you understand the basics behind affiliate marketing, here are some tips on how to properly structure an email that will catch someone's attention and encourage him/her to open up.
1. Use a compelling subject line
Since many people simply delete any promotional mail they receive, it's important to keep your initial message brief and enticing. Start off strong with a short headline followed by a few sentences explaining what the offer entails. Keep your pitch concise, simple, and clear. Then include a call to action that encourages readers to act now.
2. Write in conversational tone
This isn't just good practice in general writing, it's especially crucial when you're trying to persuade someone to purchase something. People generally feel comfortable speaking with those whom they perceive as equals, and having a conversation implies that both parties are taking part equally. When you approach a potential buyer face-to-face, he'll instantly recognize you as a person instead of just a random stranger.
3. Make your offer stand out
In order to grab someone's attention, make sure your words convey your offer clearly. One common mistake is to put too much emphasis on a particular benefit or feature without mentioning the main reason someone would choose your product over another option. Instead, focus on highlighting the benefits and features that set your offer apart from competitors'. Also try to avoid including unnecessary text that only serves to clutter the reader's view.
4. Be specific
People tend to remember details more easily than broad concepts, so describe your offer in detail. Avoid vague descriptions, and stick to specifics whenever possible. Think about what makes your product unique and memorable, then emphasize those qualities. A great example is offering customers access to exclusive videos that demonstrate how your product works. Be sure to explain in full detail what these videos entail and give examples of past clients who used your service.
5. Include extra information
Once you've convinced someone to read your email, you still need to build trust and rapport between you and your target audience. To do that, you need to add additional personal touches. Try adding testimonials from happy customers or pictures of your office space to reinforce your credibility and professionalism.
6. Follow up via phone calls
Some businesses prefer to handle customer inquiries during regular business hours, but others appreciate the flexibility offered by working remotely. Regardless of where you live, you shouldn't hesitate to reach out to prospects via telephone to answer questions or schedule interviews. Remember to keep your conversations short and sweet, though, otherwise you run the risk of losing your momentum and potentially falling into a rut.
7. Send personalized replies
Many successful entrepreneurs rely heavily on automation tools such as autoresponders, which enable them to manage multiple client accounts simultaneously. That said, you should never forget the importance of human interaction. While automated messages are extremely useful, you should continue to engage with your contacts regularly to maintain positive relationships.
8. Don't spam your list
You wouldn't want to become known as a spammer, right? Well, unfortunately, spammers often prey on unsuspecting individuals whose inboxes are flooded with unwanted emails. By contrast, your goal as an affiliate marketer is to establish mutual respect among your subscribers and gain their trust. Don't abuse your position and treat everyone with equal dignity.
9. Stay professional
There's nothing wrong with asking for referrals, but make sure your request comes across as genuine and friendly. Never talk down to your recipients or pretend to care less about their opinion than yours. Being polite goes a long way towards establishing a connection with your subscriber base, and ultimately increases the chance that she'll recommend you to her friends.
10. Offer incentives
It may sound obvious, but don't overlook the power of incentives. Consider signing up your newsletter subscribers as beta testers for upcoming releases, providing them with discounts on future purchases, or giving away coupons. All of these perks will entice people to sign up for your mailing list.
As you can see, cold emailing is quite versatile -- provided you adhere to basic principles and remember to stay true to your values. Once you master the art of crafting engaging emails, you'll definitely start seeing results. Not only will you attract qualified leads, but you'll also develop valuable connections within your network. Ultimately, these warm introductions can prove invaluable later down the road.
How to respond to cold email requests
A big problem with cold emailing is that you won't necessarily hear back from prospective clients unless you specifically ask for feedback. Most people aren't going to jump at the opportunity to tell you which products they think are worth buying, so you'll likely end up wasting a ton of time chasing after dead ends.
However, that doesn't mean you should stop cold emailing altogether. On the contrary, you must learn how to reply to negative responses appropriately. Many times, people will say they're interested in learning more about your company, but when pressed for further details, they will clam up completely and refuse to elaborate. Before responding to these rejections, you should analyze what went wrong and determine whether you did anything wrong or if the rejection was justified.
After you've figured out what caused the disconnect, you should either fix whatever issues exist or move forward with your plan regardless. Just remember to be respectful and courteous at all times, and you'll reap the rewards eventually.
Cold email is one of those things you hear about that you think "I'll try and see if I can do this" or "Why not?" It's something that sounds like it would be effective, but with all the other tasks on your plate at any given time, it doesn't seem practical.
The idea behind sending a cold email is that there isn't much preparation needed before contacting someone. You're just going to get straight into it without having to worry too much about what you say, how long you keep it short, etc. The only thing you need to consider beforehand is where to find people who might benefit from your offer. So let's look at whether cold emailing works for affiliate marketing.
There have been many different opinions on this topic over the years. Some lawyers will advise against doing anything illegal, while others believe they should never take such action unless you really want to risk being sued. To help decide which side of the fence you belong on, here are three reasons why cold email could actually be beneficial to your business, even though it may break some laws.
1) Cold email offers a more personal approach than social media posts or ads. This means you can reach potential customers directly, rather than trying to catch them when they've already read through hundreds of messages.
2) Your email opens up a new channel of communication between yourself and your target audience. When you start reaching out to people via email, it gives you a chance to build trust and rapport by talking about relevant topics instead of promoting products. If you don't feel comfortable approaching people face-to-face yet, you can use email as a form of introduction.
3) Email has become the preferred method of direct contact thanks to its convenience and flexibility. In fact, most people prefer communicating online because it allows us to choose when we receive messages (i.e., we can set our own schedule). There are plenty of tools available that make it easy to create professional looking emails quickly.
So overall, there seems to be nothing wrong with starting off a conversation with someone via email. However, remember that every step needs to comply with the law, especially when it comes to data protection. We'd recommend reading our article on how to stay safe during the pandemic first if you haven't done so already.
In addition to legality concerns, another reason why cold emailing may not always be the right choice is that it takes longer to open than traditional methods. For example, according to Mailshake’s analysis of 1 million emails sent within 24 hours, an average reader spends around 30 seconds on each message. That equates to roughly 4 minutes spent per day on your campaign. While these numbers aren't necessarily bad, it does mean that you have less room to play with when compared to other forms of advertising.
As always, there are pros and cons associated with everything you try to promote, so we suggest weighing both sides carefully before making a decision. A good rule of thumb is to stick to the basic rules of email etiquette whenever possible, since it tends to go a lot further than just writing down a few sentences.
To answer this question properly, we need to know exactly what kind of relationship you're discussing. Since email is usually used to communicate with friends, family members, colleagues, and clients, the general public won't expect anything else from you. Therefore, it's perfectly fine to send a cold email to anyone under 18 years old. But if you plan to sell products or services to companies, then you must ensure that the recipients are aware of their responsibilities regarding data protection. As mentioned above, this includes complying with applicable legislation, including the Data Protection Act 1998.
If you're interested in selling goods or services to small businesses, you should also note that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which regulates competition issues in the UK, requires you to disclose information about your company's size, structure, ownership, and management. In order to do so, you should fill out CMA's registration form, which you can download from the CMA website.
It's important to understand that although you might be able to legally send a cold email, you still shouldn't be surprised if the recipient ends up ignoring your request. After all, people tend to avoid unpleasant conversations, so try not to assume that everyone will respond positively. Instead, focus on building relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and was introduced back in 2018. Although it applies to pretty much every type of organization worldwide, it specifically targets organizations collecting and processing data related to individuals' private lives. This regulation aims to protect users' privacy rights by requiring organizations to handle data responsibly and put security measures in place.
Since it came into force, many businesses have begun implementing changes designed to improve user experience and reduce risks. These include implementing strict policies for handling customer data, creating detailed records outlining their procedures, and hiring external experts to audit their systems. According to Google, businesses that fail to meet compliance requirements may face huge fines. And since GDPR is enforced globally, it's critical that businesses across the world adhere to these regulations.
If you're thinking about setting up a blog or website to market your product or service, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of GDPR. You can learn more about it by visiting the official EU web page.
Lastly, there are two types of emails that fall under GDPR guidelines. They are "personalised," meaning they contain specific details about a person's identity, and "processed," meaning they involve automated processes that collect and process sensitive information. Personalized emails require consent from the individual, while processed ones cannot rely on opt-in mechanisms.
Here's a quick overview of GDPR principles and recommendations:
You must obtain explicit consent from individuals before gathering or storing their personal data.
All identifiable data collected must be kept secure and protected from unauthorized access.
Organizations must inform users about what data they store and how it affects them.
Users must be informed about ways to withdraw consent.
Data breaches must be reported immediately.
Your site needs to clearly state what information is gathered and stored, along with how it's used.
Companies claiming to provide free services or offering discounts to consumers must ask permission before obtaining or holding personal data.
Any personally identifying information, such as names and addresses, must be removed from communications once the purpose of the correspondence has been fulfilled.
What's interesting is that GDPR is often confused with COPPA, which stands for Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and refers to websites aimed at children aged 13 and younger. Both regulations aim to give parents control over their kids' activity online, however they differ significantly in terms of age range and scope.
While COPPA focuses primarily on protecting minors from inappropriate content, GDPR looks after adults' interests. It makes sure companies treat all users fairly regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, and political beliefs.
We hope that this article helped clarify the difference between cold emailing and spamming, as well as clarified whether cold email campaigns are considered lawful. Nowadays, almost every business owner uses email marketing to advertise their brand, connect with prospective leads, and generate sales. With proper planning ahead and following certain practices, cold email marketing can boost conversion rates and bring in revenue.
That said, it's worth noting that cold email templates are created for marketing purposes, not promotional materials. Most companies will probably appreciate receiving an informative piece rather than a promotional pitch, so try to tailor your message accordingly. Remember, it's better to leave a positive impression early on instead of hoping buyers notice later.
And finally, if you ever run into trouble with the authorities, it pays to have a backup strategy ready. Even if you're completely innocent, you may end up losing valuable time and money due to unnecessary delays caused by bureaucracy. Take advantage of our list of 10 essential steps to file a GDPR complaint to stay updated on the latest developments.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.