Discover the Anyleads suite | Find emails, verify emails, install a chatbot, grow your business and more!.
blog

What does a cold email do?



What does a cold email do?


Cold email has become one of the most popular methods for internet marketers to drive traffic to their website or blog. Cold email can be a great way to reach out to people you don't know personally but have something in common with. A good cold email will make an impression on someone who doesn’t already know you by getting them interested enough to want to learn more about you. Here are some tips on how best to use this powerful tool.

It's important to realize that not all cold emails are created equal. There are different types of cold email -- including "cold" and "warm." In these examples we'll refer to cold emailing as sending an unannounced message (unlike warm email) to strangers who may or may not have any interest in hearing from you. The goal here isn't necessarily to land an interview, just to build awareness of your company.

What is the difference between spam email and cold email?

Spam email tends to be sent indiscriminately to everyone on a list, while cold email focuses on reaching individuals who might actually benefit from it. This type of email is often called a targeted email because it only goes to those who fit the criteria specified within the body of the email itself. For example, if I'm selling a product online, my target audience would typically be anyone living in North America over 18 years old. So when I send an email to my own subscribers, I am targeting them specifically based on their interests and demographics. On the other hand, if I were trying to sell a book to professors at Harvard University, then I'd probably need to focus my efforts elsewhere since they're unlikely to buy books directly through me.

Does cold email go to spam?

The same thing applies to cold email recipients. If you've ever received an email saying "I bought XYZ widget today," chances are there was no relationship established beforehand so you likely didn't receive that email. You could say it went straight into your junk folder without even being read. But if you had previously interacted with the person behind that email before, such as having a conversation via Facebook Messenger or Twitter DM, then the odds are pretty high that he or she won't mind receiving another email from you. That said, you should always ask permission first before contacting anyone, especially if you haven't communicated with them recently. And remember that many companies now automatically block emails containing certain words like "spam." Be careful not to include those terms in your subject line.

If you are sending cold emails in bulk, you must use a bulk email verifier to detect invalid emails from your mailing list.



What is the difference between email and spam?

There are several key differences between email and spam. We mentioned earlier that spam emails tend to be sent indiscriminately to every single address on a particular mailing list. Email sends messages to specific addresses instead, which makes it less intrusive than spamming. Another distinction is that spam is usually designed to trick users into thinking they're opening legitimate messages. While you shouldn't try to mislead your readers or viewers, you can create valuable content around a hot topic that draws attention to yourself. When done correctly, it helps boost your reputation and generate leads. Just keep in mind that if you're using social media platforms like Instagram or Snapchat, you must abide by its rules regarding spamming or else risk losing access.

Is cold calling considered spam?

Yes, technically speaking. However, it depends on what you mean by spam. Some businesses still consider cold calls to be spam even though consumers aren't actively searching for their products online. They believe that calling someone up to pitch your business is tantamount to invading their personal space. Others argue that cold calling is acceptable if you follow proper etiquette and give the caller ample time to answer questions. It also requires patience, persistence, and confidence to call random numbers listed in phone directories and hope for the best.

If you find that you enjoy cold calling, why stop now? Try making cold calls part of your job description for a few weeks, then see whether you can transition to doing it full-time. Remember that success comes down to building relationships, so treat each individual customer as unique. Don't forget to thank customers for their support after you close the deal. Even if you never hear back from them again, you did everything right!

Here are some things to avoid when cold calling:

Don't pressure prospects into buying immediately. Give them plenty of time to think about it.

Never offer incentives like free gifts or discounts unless you're prepared to pay for them. Otherwise, you're essentially scamming them.

Don't lie during your sales presentation. Tell the truth and provide value.

Always leave voicemails if possible so you can listen to the prospect's response later.

How do you respond to a rejection letter?

We recommend following up with a friendly reminder that includes a link to your website or other educational resources that offer additional information. Also, politely explain that you're sorry to hear that they wouldn't be able to take advantage of your offer. Then let them know where they can contact you for further assistance. Don't expect anything in return, however.

If you want to continue learning about cold emailing, check out our article on the 10 Best Free Email Marketing Software Tools.

Cold emails vs. warm emails

The term “cold email” refers to an unsolicited e-mail sent to a person that was not previously known to the sender, while “warm email” means sending an email to someone that was previously contacted through social media.

In general, cold emailing involves contacting strangers to ask for business, whereas warm emailing focuses on connecting with existing contacts and friends. Both types of email require research before sending because they each come with different challenges and potential pitfalls. Let's look at these two strategies and find out which one works better for us.

Benefits of using cold emailing 

How to write a successful cold email message 

Tips for writing effective cold emails 

Mistakes to avoid when cold emailing 

Warm emails versus cold emails 

Do I need to send both cold emails and warm emails? 

If we had to choose just one strategy to increase our sales, which would it be? That depends entirely upon what kind of products or services we sell and whether our target audience cares about them too. If we're selling online courses, then cold email might work well for us if there are many leads available. However, if we're selling physical goods like books, clothing, or electronics, then we may find that warm emails perform better since people aren't likely to buy from strangers over the phone.

Why should you use cold email messages?

There are several reasons why cold email could benefit you if done correctly. The first reason is that people expect cold emailers to contact them

Cold emailing has become one of the most effective ways for marketers to reach out to their target audience. But it’s also controversial with some claiming that it could be considered spamming or even illegal depending on where you live. However, if done correctly and strategically, cold email can lead to better results than any other form of digital communication.

So how exactly does cold email work? And why should you try it instead of another tactic like social media ads? Let's take a look at everything you need to know about this powerful tool before diving into our guide on cold email templates.

What is the purpose of cold email?

The goal of sending an email without prior contact is simple — make someone want to hear from you so they will open up your message. The best way to accomplish this is by making them feel special. Cold email allows you to send messages directly to people based on specific criteria rather than using mass-marketed emails sent to everyone who may have bought something similar within the last few months. This gives you much greater control over which individuals receive your email, giving you far more opportunity to connect with those who are actually interested in hearing from you.

What do you say in a cold email?

When you first start writing your cold email, you might think that you don't really need to include anything beyond the subject line because there's no chance anyone would read past that right? Wrong. You absolutely must craft your entire email around the person receiving it. That means including your name, company name (if applicable), address, phone number, website URL, etc., all in order to give the receiver context when reading your letter. It may seem redundant but it helps establish trust and familiarity, two things that help ensure you'll get a response.

You can use tools such as MailChimp or AWeber to create and manage your cold emails easily. These services allow you to set up automated campaigns that automatically send your emails to subscribers once you choose a list. They also offer analytics tracking features to see whether your efforts were successful. If not, you can always tweak your campaign until it works.

If you're looking to improve your cold emailing skills and learn how to write the perfect cold email, check out these online courses.

What is cold email template?

An email template lets you reuse content across multiple emails. In fact, many companies build entire lists of prewritten email copy based on certain subjects so they can quickly compose new emails whenever necessary. Templates are especially helpful when targeting large groups since you can change just a couple words to alter its tone and content.

While building your own custom cold email template takes time, you can save yourself lots of hours if you opt to purchase a readymade template that fits your needs perfectly. Here are some of the top free templates you can find on sites like Hubspot, Wistia, and Constant Contact.

What is the difference between cold email and spam?

Spam is defined as "unsolicited bulk electronic mail" while cold email refers specifically to unsolicited emails sent to individual recipients. There isn't necessarily a strict definition for what constitutes "spam," however. Some consider it acceptable to send promotional emails to members of an affiliate program or newsletter signups, and others argue that it's completely unacceptable to bombard strangers with sales pitches.

As long as you follow basic guidelines outlined above, you won't run afoul of the law, though. Just keep in mind that the majority of people view cold emails as spam so you probably shouldn't expect too much success unless you plan on following through with every single email you send.

What is the best time to send cold emails?

There's no absolute answer here because different industries require varying levels of urgency. For example, if you sell shoes, then sending an email during the holiday season is likely going to result in fewer conversions compared to sending one after Christmas break. Similarly, food businesses often prefer to wait longer than usual to launch promotions in hopes that customers will come back to buy again soon.

However, you can still apply general rules to determine the optimal timing for your particular industry. If you're launching a product, you'll want to send your initial emails closer to the release date. Afterward, you can shift toward promoting ongoing deals and discounts throughout the month.

For business owners who rely heavily on referrals, you should aim to send cold emails on days when clients tend to be active. While it's never a good idea to approach clients at inconvenient times, doing so on days when they're typically working makes sense.

How old should my cold email be?

This question comes down to personal preference. Generally speaking, people aren't overly concerned with age anymore when it comes to communicating via email. However, older users may experience issues opening links due to outdated software or having difficulty remembering passwords. On the flip side, younger users may feel less comfortable engaging with brands that don't appear relevant to them personally.

Ultimately, it depends on whom you're reaching out to. If you're trying to engage with college students, then you'd definitely want to avoid creating an account with Gmail or Yahoo!. Instead, go with Outlook or Apple Mail in case they're familiar with either platform. Likewise, if you're aiming for B2B relationships, you'll want to focus on professional accounts that are more secure and reliable.

The next step is deciding on the ideal format for your email. Do you want to stick to text only? Or perhaps you'd like to add images or videos? Either option is fine, but remember that images and video files can eat up bandwidth if you send too many attachments. So pick wisely and limit your attachment count accordingly.

Once you've picked out your preferred method of delivery, you'll need to decide which platforms to use. Most major email providers let you customize almost every aspect of your inbox, allowing you to tailor each email to fit your desired style.

Here are several popular options for email hosting:

SendGrid - Sendgrid is one of the largest cloud service providers available today. It offers unlimited storage space, easy integration with third party APIs, and 24/7 support.

Mailchimp - With nearly three million subscribers worldwide, Mailchimp is known for offering affordable plans that enable beginners to grow their subscriber base exponentially.

Constant Contact - One of the oldest email marketing solutions, Constant Contact has been providing high quality products and customer support ever since it was founded in 1999.

Wix Email Marketing Pro - Another excellent choice for small business owners, Wix Email Marketing Pro provides customizable landing pages, autoresponders, drag & drop layouts, and mobile responsive designs.

HubSpot - Similar to Wix, Hubspot is a well established email marketing solution provider that focuses primarily on helping SaaS startups succeed.

Bluehost – BlueHost is among the most widely recognized names in web hosting, and its email management system is designed to complement existing websites.

Which leads us to the final piece of the puzzle...

What do you say in a cold email?

Now that we've covered the basics, you're finally ready to begin crafting your very own personalized version of a cold email. Start by brainstorming ideas related to your topic along with the types of questions you hope to answer in your letter. Next, figure out the best way to ask each question so you can clearly communicate your point. Finally, put together a compelling introduction followed by a strong conclusion that ends on a positive note.

Afterwards, it's time to test out your newly developed campaign. Remember that it's important to track your progress, so make sure to monitor your stats closely. When you finish testing, you'll want to compare your results against previous attempts so you can identify areas for improvement. Once you've found the tweaks that worked best, it's time to repeat the process until you achieve the desired outcome.

Finally, congratulations -- you now know how to properly execute a cold email in order to generate leads and improve conversion rates. Whether you use cold email as part of your overall marketing strategy or simply as a standalone tactic, it's worth taking advantage of this powerful tool if it suits your goals.

Learn more about cold email marketing strategies and tactics in our article titled What is cold email marketing?

Cold emails may seem like something from the past but they're still one of the most effective ways for you to reach out and connect with someone who could potentially be interested in your product or service.

While there's no denying that it takes some time to build up a relationship through social media platforms, it also doesn't take long before people start losing interest and forget all about you. On the other hand, cold emails remain relevant because they give businesses another avenue to stay top-of-mind while building trust over time. So how exactly do you go about sending a cold email to make sure it gets noticed?

What qualifies an email as spam?

If you don't know what constitutes a "spam" email, here's a quick rundown on why certain types of messages might not be received well by recipients.

According to Google, it's defined as any type of communication where the sender hasn't been directly contacted by the intended recipient (e.g., friend request) and includes any message sent via social media platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter Direct Messages, etc.

Additionally, according to the Do Not Email Registry, it's considered email spam when the content isn't related to anything that would have made sense within its original context. For example, if you were trying to contact a person regarding their new job offer, it wouldn't make sense to include them in a list of current employees at your company unless it was part of the initial conversation. In this case, the email will likely end up being flagged as SPAM since the intended audience wasn't targeted specifically enough.

Similarly, any message that contains links to webpages or websites unrelated to the original subject matter (i.e., website advertising) will usually be seen as SPAM. This is due to the fact that many companies use automated tools to monitor these kinds of communications so they'll often flag these emails as SPAM.

In short, avoid using automation tools such as autoresponders, drip campaigns, newsletters, etc. whenever possible. Instead, focus on reaching out to individuals directly through individualized messaging instead. It's much easier to track which methods actually lead to results compared to relying solely on automated systems.

What determines if an email is spam?

As mentioned above, there's no clear definition of what makes an email fall under the category of SPAM. However, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has provided some guidelines for determining whether or not an email is SPAM. Here are three examples of common scenarios involving SPAM:

An email containing promotional information that offers free products or services to anyone who clicks on it (this is commonly referred to as "bait")

Any form of promotion that involves offering incentives for signing up for a newsletter or joining a mailing list

Any form of advertisement that requires users to provide personal details in order to access the full content (such as signing up for a dating site profile)

It should be noted that not every business falls under these categories and those who follow these rules will receive few negative consequences from doing so. But just remember that even though you want to keep things simple, it never hurts to err on the side of caution.

What kind of emails are spam?

The main reason we classify emails into two broad categories -- regular and spam -- is based entirely on our own interpretation. As explained previously, there's no official set standard defining what counts as either. That said, it seems fair to say that there are some general trends that help us determine whether a particular piece of correspondence is going to land on a user's inbox. These tendencies include:

Paying attention to keywords

Using excessive punctuation

Having too little detail

Not providing enough context

Avoiding proper grammar usage

Following industry conventions

For instance, if you see an email message that starts off with "Dear Sir/Madame," then ends with a closing period, chances are that the rest of the email won't really catch anybody's eye. If you find yourself writing lengthy paragraphs filled with lots of unnecessary jargon, then chances are high that your email will eventually end up getting deleted.

On the flip side, if you write straightforward sentences without using overly technical language, then that's probably going to increase your odds of having your email read by others. Don't worry though - this is definitely not an exhaustive list. You shouldn't feel limited by the following tips alone. Use whatever works best for you.

How can I send a cold email without spamming?

Now that you understand what constitutes SPAM, let's talk about how to properly craft a cold email that doesn't look like trash. The key to avoiding a harsh rejection is simply to stick to the basics. Remember that each message needs to stand apart from everything else that comes across a recipient's screen. Therefore, it's important to think carefully about the words you choose and the tone you apply.

Keep in mind that the goal of a cold email is to initiate a dialogue between you and a specific group of people. Therefore, it's crucial to tailor your message accordingly. While you needn't become a professional writer overnight, you can always improve upon the quality of your writing skills throughout the course of your career.

Here are four steps that will allow you to create a compelling message that stands out among the crowd:

Start off strong. By saying hello right away, you immediately establish your credibility as a human being and show that you care about communicating with others.

Make a statement. State clearly what you hope to achieve by contacting the other party. Make sure that you express how your organization wants to benefit from engaging in a conversation.

Show empathy. People tend to respond better to messages that come from genuine sources. Thus, try to convey a feeling of compassion towards whoever receives your mail. Doing so will encourage the recipient to open your message rather than automatically clicking the "delete" button.

Be concise. Keep your messages brief yet informative. Avoid making assumptions about the other person's knowledge base. Additionally, refrain from making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Always leave room for negotiation and compromise.

You can easily learn more about crafting great cold emails by checking out our article on the topic. And although there aren't any hard and fast rules around email etiquette, it helps to adhere to these basic principles whenever you send out any type of correspondence. After all, nobody likes receiving junk mail.



Does cold emailing work?

Yes! At least that's what several studies suggest. According to Marketing Week, around 60% of respondents surveyed agreed that cold emailing is still very effective despite the rise of digital channels. Furthermore, 80% reported that cold emails helped them generate sales leads.

Even though cold emailing has fallen out of favor amongst some marketers nowadays, it remains popular among small businesses looking to grow their customer bases. One study conducted by Hubspot found that 85% of B2B marketers prefer using cold email marketing techniques to attract prospects. Moreover, 69% believe that cold emailing provides value to customers regardless of their age.

That said, cold emailing still faces challenges. Some of the biggest issues include low response rates and lack of data collection. When you consider that approximately only 1% of incoming emails are opened, it becomes obvious why both sides struggle to engage in meaningful conversations.

However, if you approach cold emailing correctly, you can expect your efforts to pay off handsomely. All it takes is some patience and persistence to cultivate relationships with potential clients. Once you've built rapport with your target market, you'll notice that cold emailing becomes far less challenging and significantly more fun.

The legality of cold emailing largely depends on the location of the recipient. Many countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States have passed legislation prohibiting unsolicited commercial email practices.

Therefore, if you plan on pursuing this strategy in one of these locations, you'd better check first. Otherwise, it's highly unlikely that you'll experience any repercussions whatsoever. Still, as stated earlier, it pays to exercise caution when dealing with sensitive topics. Even if you live somewhere that allows this practice, it's advisable to consult a lawyer beforehand.

Still unsure about whether or not cold emailing is acceptable in your country? Check out the guide below for more info.

To summarize, cold emailing is an incredibly powerful tool that enables you to interact with prospective clients outside of traditional channels. Since this method generally relies heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations, it's extremely beneficial for establishing strong ties with potential partners.

Finally, if you haven't already done so, it's worth taking a moment to evaluate your existing strategies to see whether or not they align with your goals. Just imagine how different things could turn out if you took things to the next level...


Author

Anyleads

San Francisco

We are the leading marketing automation platform serving more than 100,000 businesses daily. We operate in 3 countries, based in San Francisco, New York, Paris & London.

Join Anyleads to generate leads

Error! Impossible to register please verify the fields or the account already exists.. Error, domain not allowed. Error, use a business email. Welcome to the Anyleads experience!
More than +200 features to generate leads
Register to start generating leads

Create your account and start your 7 day free trial!

Error! Impossible to register please verify the fields or the account already exists.. Error, domain not allowed. Error, use a business email. Welcome to the Anyleads experience! By registering you agree to the Terms and conditions agreement.
More than +200 features to generate leads

We offer multiple products for your lead generation, discover them below!

>> Unlimited access to all products with one single licensecheck our pricing.