Only some time ago did someone only need an email address and a contact list to send out emails. Nowadays, a lot more people and companies have shifted their gears to email marketing. Spam filters have become more sophisticated, and your inbox is likely full of all emails from your favorite brands to your far-flung relatives. If you want to enter the cold email game and stand out, it will take a lot of grit, perseverance, eagerness, patience, and time to get a response back. The most successful cold emails are carefully drafted and tested, maximizing the chances of conversion. Every aspect of the email is critical from the subject line to the footer to draw in the recipient and prompt action. You can see results if you follow some tried-and-true best practices. Cold emails are a great way to build relationships and grow your network, among other ways.

Is Cold Email SPAM?

Reading a bit of cold emailing may have made you wonder if your cold emails would violate any laws. The cold email issue originates from the times of aggressive, unsolicited emails during the 1990s. Various countries have agreed to put an end to spam and have developed different laws that will prohibit pointless generic emails from B2C and B2B businesses. In 2003, the CAN-SPAM Act was passed and defines commercial message standards, providing recipients with the right to not receive an email, and sets penalties for the conduct of any breach. The CAN-SPAM Act refers to "any commercial email message for marketing a product or service." It is okay to get in touch with your prospects without fear of your emails ending up in their spam folder. If you send CAN-SPAM compliant cold emails to prospects, you won't be branded as a spammer. Your cold emails will not only comply with CAN-SPAM, but also be successful in getting a response from your recipients if you adhere to the following guidelines.

Do not use deceptive email subject lines

Marketers could get great open rates if they titled an email "URGENT: Update about your bank account", but this would be considered illegal under the CAN-SPAM Act. Don't use terms such as 'urgent' or 'time-limited deal'. In order to avoid a CAN-SPAM Act penalty, be clear about what your emails say. Some of the best subject lines are intentionally brief and creative without being misleading such as "John, I couldn’t believe the numbers I was seeing!" or “Ayo based (but what does based mean?)”.

Make it easy to opt-out

The CAN-SPAM Act states that users must have a straightforward way to opt out of your emails. The opt-out can be a simple link or button in your email footer. Whatever opt-out method you choose, it should remind people that there is something they can do if they do not want to receive messages from you. You can include a link to the subscription preferences if you’re sending out multiple newsletters or promotional emails. Those who may still wish to receive emails will have the chance to do so.

Remove opt-outs within 10 days

After users choose to opt out of your emails, you have 10 days to remove them from your list. If you're sending emails to more than a handful of prospects, you'll probably need marketing automation software to track unsubscribes. Once they click on the opt-out link, you do not ask them to take any further action. It is illegal to charge an unsubscribe fee, request personal information, or continually contact someone who has explicitly stated that they do not wish to receive any further emails.

State who you are

The "From" and "Reply" fields have to reference you and your business. If you use tricks like using multiple general domains to hide your identity, email filter platforms won't recognize you. Use your actual email and include a profile picture of you to personalize your emails. Don’t forget to add your business's address to the email as that’s another requirement of the act. All you need to focus on is developing a relationship with your prospects and following a recipient-oriented strategy. Make it the central message of your cold emails and you'll comply.

Best Use Cases for Cold Email

We often think cold emails are for prospecting and identifying new clients for our product or service. You can do a lot more with cold emails. Here are other ways cold emails can help you boost your business.

Link Building

If you manage a website or blog, you know how hard it is to rank higher in Google search results. Not only you have to take care of the quality of your content, you have to build valuable links as well. You can reach out to other website owners and content managers in your industry through cold emails and ask them for a chance to link back to your page or let you guest post.

Influencer Marketing

If you want to reach out to influencers, you can look within your niche to discover popular content, find the influencer to whom it was attributed, and approach them with your cold email, but with a slightly different perspective or approach. Building interactions with influencers follow the same rules as establishing a business partnership. Make your email personal by getting a clear image of who you want to reach out to. When you approach influencers with respect and show that you've done your homework, then you’ll get a better response.

Job Opportunities

Identifying new hires is as simple as reaching out directly to individuals who fit the requirements. Not only do you have full control over who you email, but automating follow-up can also simplify the entire process.

Reviews from Prospects

Cold emails are a great way to gather reviews. It's a great way to gain valuable feedback and begin a relationship with prospects. Consider offering your prospects a free trial and ask them for their opinions to help you improve your product or service.

Professional Advice

Experienced professionals provide invaluable advice, but they are often hard to get in touch with. Make your opening email a discussion starter. The more specific you are, the more effective your message will be.

Business Partnerships

You might consider partners whose products and services complement your own. This kind of partnership is beneficial for all parties involved as it helps to complement their customers' needs. In addition, you can reach out to another company, which could be a good business partner in the future. This is how you can begin to develop your network by sending cold emails and reaching out to new markets.

Customer Testimonials

Businesses in the same industry often encounter the same objections. Getting testimonials and posting them on your website could help resolve these objections. The best way for you to get their testimonial is through email. It's the most scalable, simplest and most personalized way to connect with customers. Sending an email adds a personal touch, and you can ask a few more detailed questions at the beginning to put them on track.

Inbound Leads

How do you deal with leads generated via webinars or lead forms? Do you leave them to figure things out with a landing page and hope they finally convert? Would you prefer to take more proactive action? A lot of inbound leads need some nurturing to progress through the sales cycle. They need support from sales reps to go smoothly down the sales funnel. A prompt follow-up is the kind of stimulation inbound leads need to turn into paying customers. You will increase conversions when you follow-up with inbound leads and eliminate unqualified leads.

Reduce Churn

In order to reduce churn, customer service must include a constructive approach and a wide range of personal communication. The key is to identify the problem as soon as possible and then resolve it. Get in touch with your chosen group of customers and ask about their experiences with your product so far. You can then give them additional resources like an article that describes a feature or a video that describes it in detail. As time goes on, valuable experience continues to decline. Ask them if they need your assistance and schedule time for calls. Keep reminding your clients of the value your product offers so that you maximize retention.

Upsells

If you've been asked if you want to get a credit card after buying a TV or been given two shots of espresso with your cappuccino, that's exactly what upselling is. The aim is to increase sales by upselling with creating value and letting them know of product updates and features. Take advantage of your relationship when drafting upselling emails without being pushy and sales.

The Cold Email Takeaway

Cold email is essentially one-on-one communication in digital form. You must understand its value and the purpose of the cold emails. You should integrate trust, knowledge, and confidence in your email to break the ice and establish the groundwork for a possible professional relationship. As you spend more time creating opportunities, your conversion rate will go up and your recipients will be much more responsive to you.