Hot Leads from Cold Emails

If you're an email, the fate you fear the most is languishing in the spam folder, there to be eventually deleted unread. If you're a business that depends on online lead generations, you fear the same fate. Either scenario paints a bleak picture for a business and the customers it wants to serve.

Look at Me!

Every cold email you send represents a potential customer, and an email that goes unread is useless. When your email lands in the inbox of a potential customer, it should be jumping up and down, waving its arms and shouting, "Look at me!"

You want to engage customers and develop devoted brand followers. Most of us, however, get far more emails than we really want. To get your emails noticed, start by considering what most people want to see in their email inbox.

• Up-to-date information
• Personal invitations
• Information that's relevant and helpful to them personally
• A benefit or reward for acting quickly

Think of your subject line as a headline. The best is short, to the point and entices the recipient to check it out.

Catnip for Spam Folders

People set their spam filters to cull out commonly used cheesy or flashy phrases. To avoid this pitfall, make certain that your email subject lines avoid these mistakes.

• The word "free" is a definite no-no
• Long, flowery subject lines
• "Please help me!" themes
• Offers to knock a percentage off
• Statements that are obviously too-good-to-be-true
• "Donate now!" requests
• Exclamation points – just don't use them

Keep it short, pithy, classy and relevant to the customer you're going after.

Success with Cold Email Campaigns

Email campaigns based on cold emailing can be successful, with a little planning. If you want to see your emails go to the top of the heap, try these tips to get your email noticed.

• Improve open rates. Personalize the subject line when you can. Give a hint to the important information inside the email.
• Go casual. Never open with "Dear Sir or Madam." Keep it casual while letting your recipient know you are interested in hearing from them.
• Don't send a novel. Keep your content short and simple. Once the email is opened, you're going to lose your potential customers if they must read through a manifesto to get to your point in emailing.
• Go out with a bang. Sign off your email with a definitive call to action. Make it simple for the customer to say "yes."

Staying out of the spam folder isn't that difficult. It just takes a little planning and a lot of determination to keep at it until you hit the right combination for your needs.