As an alternative to cold calling, cold emailing can be a good addition to your lead generation strategy if it is done correctly. This approach has advantages and disadvantages. In terms of benefits, it can help bring in leads that may not have been exposed to your brand through your various channels. It can also help drive awareness, promoting new products and services or introducing new business. On the other hand, cold emailing can fall flat if there is no clear plan in place. Failed cold emails usually tend to result in emails being sent straight to spam. They can also drive customers away.
The best way to see the benefits offered by this approach is to plan, create and send cold emails in a way that aligns with your lead generation strategy. In this guide, we share some tips on how you can use this approach to bring in leads.
Using Cold Emailing in Your Lead Generation Strategy
Before we get started, it is important to know that cold emails should only form part of your overall lead generation strategy. A comprehensive cross-channel strategy is your best bet for targeting leads at every stage of the funnel. Used as a standalone strategy, cold emails are unlikely to offer much value. When they are used as part of your overall strategy, they are far more useful. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind when using cold emails.
1. Know your audience
We cannot over-stress the importance of audience research. This is essential for every single type of lead nurturing campaign. For cold emailing, it is particularly important. Rather than taking the risk of unethically sourced lists, take the time to do your research. Identify exactly who your target audience is and know who to target. If you are planning to pitch a new image editing software product to photographers and studios, this would entail building a list of photography leads who would have a need for your product. You can then refine your list even further by identifying decision-makers within each business. Your goal here is to identify businesses that are already likely to become customers because they already have the need for products or services that you offer.
2. Use personalisation wisely
Few things are more frustrating than spammy emails. To many people, the idea of cold emailing is not unlike spam. This is why personalisation is crucial. If you have built a focused, highly targeted list of leads to reach out to instead of taking a short cut or unethically purchased a list, you have the chance of reaching the right people instead of mass blasting to random people. If you are automating your outreach emails, be sure to use personalisation very carefully. Make your emails read like they have been written for individual leads. Keep language natural and avoid sales speak. Sign off emails by name and make it easy for leads to contact you or your key sales contact directly. Using our photography leads example, you could address leads by name and open with an introduction of who you are, and then include a line or two that focuses on the need for advance image editing. You could then move on the most important part of all – how you add value.
3. Show value right from the start
You will need to show value as early into the email as possible. Emails are scanned quickly and readers take just a second or two to decide whether to delete the email or read it through. Showing your value right away will make readers want to know more. Show readers how your software helps produce better images and how it has more features than standard software. Instead of launching into a sales pitch, focus on how your product solves a primary problem for photographers. The goal here is to make initial contact with leads. Selling will begin once they have entered your lead funnel.
Perfecting Your Lead Generation Strategy
The best way to see full value from cold emailing is to start small. Create a highly targeted list of ten or so leads and plan a tailored campaign to connect with these leads. You can then gauge response, plan a follow-up campaign and then move on if you do not have engagement. Integrate this approach along with your lead generation strategy and you should start to see your leads grow organically.
