Key Points for Cold Email Marketers

Cold email marketing is a process of communicating with exceptions, by using email as the main way of communication.

A successful strategy is one where your email is not only read by your recipients, but you also receive some replies as part of your campaign. Though cold emailing is mostly used by sales teams to build relationships with recipients, there are so many other reasons why a company may use this strategy to achieve its goals.

Are Cold Emails Spam?

One of the main reasons that cold emails can be so effective is that they are not spam. There is a huge difference between bulk emailing and targeted one-to-one emails to a business audience.

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing (CAN-SPAM) act allows you to send emails to business people you even don’t know. However, you’ll be required to comply with rules laid out by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

1. Email Headers should be correct. The information in the email (particularly the “From,” “To,” and “Reply-To” fields) should reflect who you are.
2. Make your subject lines real. It should accurately reflect the content of the message.
3. If your email is an ad or a coupon, label it as such.
4. Include your business address.
5. Provide an opt-out option. Let recipients know that they can ask you to stop or direct you to a more appropriate person to contact.
6. Honor your opt-out word. You said they could ask you to stop. If they do, then stop.
7. You must know about everything that is sent on your behalf.

Now let take a look at how you can send cold emails in the right way.

Set your cold email campaign

Unlike cold calls where you have an opportunity to convince someone to listen, with cold emails you have no control over what a recipient will do once your email lands in their inbox.

Less is always more here, so keep your email as short and to the point as possible and personalize what you can.

1: Start with an email address on a different domain

The safer option would be to set up a new domain reserved for outbound campaigns to new audiences.

2: Set Up SPF, DKIM, DMARC, rDNS Records

Make sure the all the records like SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and rDNS are set for the sending domains.

To test whether you’ve set things up properly, you can use a tool such as this one from Mail Tester.

3: Set Up “From” Field and Real Personal Data

Remember that your identity will impact the deliverability of your e-mails. Therefore, you want to use real personal data.

• Set up a “From” line that serves the purpose of your campaign.
• Your prospects will most likely want to validate your identity. If they use Gmail and a plugin like Rapportive, LinkedIn will be integral. Therefore, go to LinkedIn and add this new address to alternative email addresses.

If you use Gmail, complete your Google Account with real data and a recent photo of you.

4: Warm Up Your New E-mail Address

The new e-mail address should be adequately warmed up before you start sending out cold e-mails, especially if the domain is brand new

5: Collect Quality Leads

As you configure your email, earn your domain some reputation, and warm up your new email addresses, start collecting high-quality prospects

 6: Emails Personalization

Sending a similar copy to many addresses sends the wrong signal to your email service provider. This may lead to you getting blocked. To avoid that, make sure your email text is filled with personalization.

7: Choose Your Words Carefully

Spammy emails all have one thing in common: they use the same trigger words. The bad news is that you, an innocent cold e-mailer, could be doing the same thing without knowing it.

8: Limit the Number of Images and HTML

Avoid fancy fonts and pictures, emails sent to many people that look super salesy may not go over too well. Remember that a cold email is not the same as a marketing email to which contacts have subscribed. Including too much HTML affects your deliverability.