is cold email dead

Is Cold Email Dead?

Cold email remains a powerful tool for sales and marketing professionals to connect with potential customers and drive new business opportunities. Despite claims that “cold email is dead,” many companies are still finding success with this tactic.

In this blog post, we’ll share insights from our recent podcast interview with Filip Popov, Vice President of Partnerships at Growth Era, on how to effectively use cold email to get results.

Key Takeaways

  • Cold email is still one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get a prospect’s attention
  • Proper email warm-up and setup is crucial to avoid spam filters and ensure deliverability
  • Keep emails short (ideally under 65 characters), personalized, and focused on the prospect’s challenges
  • Use a multi-channel approach, integrating cold calling, email, and LinkedIn outreach
  • Measure success primarily through reply rates, not open rates
  • Leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to assist with writing, but be sure to edit for brevity and a human touch

Warming Up Your Emails

Before launching any cold email campaign, Popov stresses the importance of properly warming up your email accounts over a 2-3 week period. This involves gradually increasing email activity to establish a positive sending reputation and avoid triggering spam filters. He also recommends using a separate domain from your primary one to protect deliverability.

Crafting Compelling Cold Emails

When it comes to the actual email content, shorter is better. Popov recommends keeping emails under 65 characters if possible, as busy executives tend to scan rather than read lengthy messages. The subject line should be boring but descriptive in just 2-3 words.Personalization is helpful, but don’t go overboard. At scale, aim for 20% personalization based on the prospect’s job title or industry, and 80% focused on the value proposition and social proof. Quantify how you’ve helped similar companies save time, increase ROI, etc.

Taking a Multi-Channel Approach

Cold email works best as part of an integrated, multi-channel sequence along with cold calling and LinkedIn outreach. Popov notes that some prospects are more responsive on certain channels, so it’s important to engage them from all angles. Referencing your outreach attempts across channels can help grab their attention.

Measuring Success

To gauge the effectiveness of your cold email campaigns, Popov recommends focusing primarily on reply rates rather than open rates. Growth Era aims for a 2-3% reply rate on average. While open rates can be unreliable due to tracking limitations, replies are a concrete indicator of interest.

Leveraging AI Writing Tools

Finally, Popov discusses the role of AI tools like ChatGPT in assisting with cold email copywriting. While these tools can help generate first drafts, he cautions against using the output verbatim. Be sure to edit for length, add a human touch, and avoid common tells like overly formal language.

By following these best practices from Growth Era’s resident cold email expert, you can craft compelling campaigns that cut through the noise and drive meaningful results for your business. Focus on email hygiene, keep it short and sweet, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new AI tools in your outreach process.