B2B email marketing is crucial to converting prospects.
Bruce Swann, Principal Product Marketing Manager at Adobe, explains…
“Email is still the number one touchpoint for reach and relevance with customers and the gateway for customer activation in other channels.”
But while 41% of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel, if your emails don’t hit the mark, your campaigns could get flagged as spam.
That’s why we’re here to help.
Let’s dig into some of the best practices for sending cold emails.
We’ll also take a closer look at successful B2B email templates that convert at scale.
Best Practices for Cold Emailing
A well-crafted cold email unlocks new business opportunities.
But what does that look like?
Let’s explore the best practices to make your cold email campaigns stand out.
Optimize Subject Lines to Catch Attention
The subject line is your first impression.
This is your best and first chance to make recipients click.
If your subject lines don’t immediately appeal to your specific B2B audience, they’ll simply overlook or delete your email.
Here’s the secret…
Keep subject lines short, sweet, and professional.
And don’t forget to limit exclamation points.
Overly long subject lines can lower reply rates, while excessive enthusiasm can decrease open rates.
Two-word subject lines work best.
Try using an AI writing assistant to brainstorm two-word options. 47% of marketers already use AI to refine their subject lines. (More on AI in a bit.)
Don’t forget to A/B test these to see what resonates best with your audience.
Personalize Beyond the Name to Foster a Relationship
A staggering 76% of buyers are frustrated when they don’t receive personalized experiences.
A few years back, it was enough to personalize the subject line and add the prospect’s company details.
This won’t cut it anymore.
Simply personalizing the subject line doesn’t significantly impact open rates anyway.
That’s why 55% of email marketers personalize beyond the name.
Our advice?
Focus on tailoring content to the recipient’s specific needs and problems.
It shows cold prospects that you understand their issues and have the expertise to address them.
But how do you personalize emails to show off your skills and solutions?
Segment your audience based on their needs, so you can effectively tailor email content.
Harness your lead-generation strategies to clarify these needs.
Ask multiple-choice questions when a prospect company subscribes to uncover their pain points.
You can also segment customers by lead generation method.
For instance, imagine you’re a marketing agency with ebooks on social media and email marketing.
You’d tailor your cold outreach emails for each set of prospects, depending on their ebook choice or educational needs.
Once you’ve segmented your audience, create personalized content that fosters engagement.
Be sure to:
- Ask relevant questions about their specific challenges
- Identify ways you can meet their precise needs
- Offer tailored product suggestions or personalized next steps
Use AI to Help with Content Creation
More than half of email marketers use AI.
44% use it to generate dynamic content, while 50% use it to personalize email content.
The result?
Scalable, high-quality, targeted content at speed.
As Ryan Phelan, co-founder of RPEOrigin.com, sees it…
“Content personalization, email retargeting, and subject line optimization are the top three uses for marketers who are the most experienced with AI. These three uses bring us closer to the holy grail of email marketing: Relevancy on top of speed to market.”
When leveraging AI to enhance your content creation process, focus on tone, brevity, optimization, and content repurposing.
Create Templates to Streamline Cold Email Outreach
Personalization is important. But to scale cold outreach, you need streamlined campaigns.
If you’re writing individual emails each time, content creation takes too long.
When you’re overwhelmed with content creation, you can’t focus on email follow-up to nurture leads.
Instead…
Develop B2B email templates and standardize steps for your email campaigns. This speeds up the creation and scheduling processes.
Carin Slater, Email Marketing Specialist at Litmus, advises…
“Implement an email design system with snippets and partials to help you or your team save hours of time.”
Top-shelf cold email software offers template libraries and auto-personalization features.
Optimize Send Times to Reach People at Work
If you send your emails at the wrong times, B2B prospects won’t engage.
It seems obvious, but weekend emails usually don’t work. In fact, they have the lowest open rates.
You need to catch your leads when they’re at their desks.
Analyze existing data to work out when your current prospects are most responsive.
You’ll find these insights helpful for optimizing send times. This way, you won’t waste effort on emails that go unnoticed.
Use the analytics dashboard on your email marketing tool to find a convenient time that suits your ideal prospect.
Double-Check Deliverability to Make Sure Emails Get Through
Make sure you’re using valid email addresses, and your emails aren’t hitting spam folders.
As Kate Nowrouzi, VP at Mailgun, points out…
“Email is a great source for revenue generation, but when messages end up in spam, people are extremely unlikely to take action. It doesn’t matter how cost-effective email is. If your campaigns aren’t reaching people, your ROI is zero.”
In fact, a special focus on deliverability can lead to a 264% return on investment (ROI) uplift.
Finding a solid email tool can help you bypass spam filters.
Automate Emails To Improve User Experience
48% of marketers are investing more in email automation.
Why?
Because automation is crucial for improving customer experience at scale.
Automating emails throughout the sales funnel helps you nurture customers in a hands-off, yet personalized way.
You’ll see higher levels of engagement and improved customer satisfaction.
Use sales automation tools to trigger emails based on prospect actions and responses.
Test Your Emails to Find What Works
Testing helps you understand what content resonates with your audience and why.
Conduct in-depth tests on various aspects of your emails. Go beyond open and click rates.
The top three things email test include:
- Email message (greeting, body, closing)
- Personalization
- Layout and images
But it’s also important to test email length, timing and frequency of sending, and email subject line effectiveness.
Benchmark your current metrics, then change one variable at a time for A/B testing with an email virtual assistant.
Analyze performance over time to identify the tactics that work and flag those that don’t.
5 Cold Email Templates That Actually Convert
Your cold email campaigns should directly relate to your prospects and the actions you want them to take.
Use the following cold email templates for practical ideas on creating compelling offers, securing meetings, and identifying key players.
1. Problem/Solution Template
Identify a problem common to your target audience, create a customer profile—and offer a direct solution.
Providing a solution to a core problem shows your audience you have the skills to meet their needs.
Get inspired by the following template…
Notice how the email explains the potential issue and its impact. It also unpacks the ways businesses need to handle the issue.
Be sure to also include a clear CTA button and a brief summary that notes the benefits of accessing your additional resources.
2. Compelling Offer Template
Hook your prospects with a compelling offer.
Keep your email short and explain the value you deliver in your first line.
Take a look at the template below.
It received a 57% open rate and a 21% response rate.
Pay attention to how the email offers plausible value.
It’s not suggesting an unrealistic outcome. It gives proof that the offer works.
The email also funnels prospects into a quick 10-minute call. To follow suit, offer a similar CTA, such as a 10- or 15-minute call or a personalized demo.
3. Meeting Invite Template
To quickly convert prospects, nudge them straight into a meeting.
Personalize meeting emails to show how your company provides appropriate solutions.
Check out the following successful email template.
It has a 46% open rate and an 8% replay rate across 70,000 emails.
Note how short and simple it is while containing plenty of information to boost the brand’s credibility.
4. Email Template to Identify Decision-Makers
If you’re emailing the wrong person, you won’t get anywhere.
Instead, leverage the contacts you have to uncover the decision-makers.
Try the following template to pinpoint the relevant person you should speak to at each company:
Notice how it starts with a clear question outlining your intentions.
This way, the reader knows exactly where to direct their queries without wasting time.
Personalize the solutions section to offer help that’s directed to your prospect’s needs.
5. Webinar Invite Template
Webinars are powerful tools that can lead prospects into a pitch.
Reach out to customers with webinar invites that solve their specific problems.
Here’s a good template for this:
Put a clear hook upfront and showcase expert hosts to build credibility and encourage action.
Outline how the webinar addresses the prospect’s challenges so potential customers understand how your expertise can help them.
Finish off with a definitive call-to-action (CTA) to convert prospects into qualified leads.
Elevate your B2B Email Outreach
With the right B2B sales emails, you can significantly elevate your cold emailing strategies.
Try the cold email examples we covered today and integrate them into your sales operations.
Its user-friendly interface and robust analytics make it a powerful asset for enhancing engagement and understanding how to convert prospects into customers.
You’ll streamline outreach, personalize communication, and enhance lead generation.