By Samantha Gonda
Writing an effective cold email is an uphill battle. First, you’re writing to someone you don’t already know so there’s a lack of both context and a relationship. Second, it’s all done virtually so it’s tough to gauge where an error occurred, if one has. If you have been struggling to get your cold emails read, we’ve gathered some tips from PR experts across the globe who have perfected the art of writing an effective cold email that actually gets read.
1. Make Sure It Absolutely Has to Be a *Cold* Email
Molly Ishkanian, President of Weinstein PR, advises anyone writing a cold email to “first check LinkedIn to see if you can turn that cold email into a warm one through connections.” And if you’ve checked LinkedIn, Instagram, and wherever else you make connections and are still coming up short, don’t lose hope.
2. Personalize Whenever Possible
When writing a cold email to prospective clients, Ishkanian stresses the importance of experiencing the product or brand for yourself before rushing into that email. She uses an ice cream chain as an example. “Go visit a shop and retell a simple, yet memorable, story in your email to the potential client.” This type of personalization in the email will show the client that you truly care and can even deepen your own understanding of the product. And if things don’t work out, at least you got some ice cream out of it.
3. Be Relevant
In addition to general personalization, one of the most crucial aspects to a cold email is adding some form of relevancy into the mix. As publicists we are used to creating news out of thin air, and this is no different. Kai vom Hoff, Managing Partner of vom Hoff Kommunikation, believes in the importance of doing research on the company beforehand and taking the time to identify any relevant business topics or challenges. Furthermore, vom Hoff strongly suggests that the email “should be short, very precise and sent out quickly once the topic is highly relevant.” To know if they’ve been opened, you can look into insights from email analytics software.
4. Create a Strong Opening
And how do you get someone to read far enough into your email to appreciate all of your research? “Don’t talk about your company first,” Julia Labaton, Founder and President of RED PR recommends. If business was dating, a cold email is the first date and nobody wants to continue a relationship with someone who is only willing to talk about themselves. Instead try to find an interesting opening line that shows the recipient that you understand them and their brand. “The reader must identify with the opening before deciding to continue reading,” says Labaton. It’s a critical first step that when done correctly can showcase your own wit and capabilities, or potentially your lack of creativity if done wrong. Many businesses even turn to email deliverability consulting to ensure that their well-crafted messages actually reach the inbox and get the attention they deserve.
5. Keep it Short & Sweet
The length of an email can be an immediate turn-off from any prospective client or new connection. As Labaton puts it, “No one wants to read a 500+ word email from a stranger.” If you have a hard time trimming your content down Labaton advises utilizing help from AI. By inputting your original email and simply asking whatever AI system you prefer to trim the content down by 30% or even to a certain word count, AI does half the work for you at a fraction of the time and price of you doing it yourself. “AI is an invaluable tool for efficiency to create a first draft of emails or marketing copy from which to edit. It’s such a time saver.” says Labaton who has embraced the aid of AI in her daily routine.
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