The largest challenge to developing a cold email is the actual creation of your structure. Once you can create a strong cold email structure, it can become undeniably effective.

Recently, we’ve created a blog with a focus on cold email copywriting that you can reference. Now that we’ve relayed that to you, we want to focus on how you can structure your emails to receive a stronger response rate.

Below we’ve put together some key touchpoints for you to begin structuring a successful cold email campaign.

Get Responses Through Cold Email Structure

Tip 1: Be Direct and Concise

You have to respect your recipients time and the amount of marketing messages the receive on any given day. When planning the structure of your cold email, keep that in mind. This has to do with both content and context.

Grasping their attention and giving them reason to interact with your cold email outreach becomes a major factor in ensuring they don’t close and delete your email.

Keep your structure clear, direct, and digestible.

Tip 2: Subject Line is Key

We’ve also written subject line blogs in the past that you can dive into if you wish. But understanding this is the first step in getting your intended recipient to open and read your cold email outreach should relay the importance of a strong subject line.

• Personalize Your Subject Line: Become a step ahead and address them personally using a token in your subject line. Whether that be their first name or company name. Addressing them personally could have a great increase in open rate.
• Identify Their Hurdle: Keeping segmented lists based on similar audiences is a key part in your targeting. Therefore, these segmented groups should have similar issues. If you can address one of these hurdles, you can directly offer assistance or maybe even a solution. Just remember to be concise in your delivery.

Tip 3: Address the Issue

Be consistent with your subject line and the opening of your content. This is what got them to open your email so leading in with what their interested in will go a long way in them reading your full message.

To put this into perspective, I will relay an example below:

Let’s say you sell office chairs that are particularly durable. If your target audience is companies whose office chairs break all the time, then your subject line could be something like “<Company>’s Chairs Breaking Too Often?”

This way you’re directly touching a hurdle or pain point that your target deals with regularly. When they open your email, address the reason why they opened it right away. The delivery of your opening line could sound something like this “Many offices have a similar problem when it comes to the lifecycle of chairs in the office. Our focus is on durability without lacking comfortability and remaining ergonomically friendly and that’s why we offer a 10-year warranty on our chairs”

This example is of course a little outlandish, but you can understand the point we’re striving for. Address the problem in your subject line and apply a solution in the opening line of your message. After all, that is why they decided to open your email.

Tip 4: Build a Case

Now that you’ve shown that you understand the problems your intended recipient faces, you can now begin to continue the structure that will keep them reading and interested in your solution.

Focus on what makes your product superior and the benefits that come with it. Include a short and concise description of the functions so they are now understanding your product with a little more depth.

You want to understand your recipient’s problem as if it’s your own. Think about the hurdles they experience and try to get a head and answer their questions before they ever ask them. For instance, if the transition of bringing new chairs in seems to be tough logistically, let them know that integration is simple. The key is you must be truthful though. Remain integral and that will build credibility between you and the recipient. The benefit of sending a cold email marketing campaign around this is that you could be building credibility with thousands of potential prospects.

Tip 5: Implement a Strong Call-to-Action

Not only is having a strong Call-to-Action (CTA) important, but the placement of it can be just as important. If it’s misplaced and the viewer doesn’t see it, then it doesn’t matter how strong it is because it’s out of sight.

Make sure your CTA pops with high visibility and is in high interest areas of your content. Use language like “Read the Article”, “Download the White Paper”, or “Get a Demo”, etc. as opposed to something generic like “Click Here”.

Look for strategic areas to place your CTA. Centered below your body copy is a strong location as your reader will typically make it to that section.

Tip 6: Include a Signature with a Friendly Photo

Sending a cold email doesn’t always have to feel cold. In fact, do your best to make it feel like a warmer presence.

Making your message feel as personal as you can without over doing it. Keep it authentic and not too “pitchy”. If you begin to cross that line, it takes the opposite effect as it begins to seem like a marketing gimmick.

To provide a small bit of commonality, as in we’re both humans and I’m not a robot, it goes a long way to have a subtle image of yourself attached to your signature. Be friendly in your image while remaining professional.

Let’s Put It All Together

Let’s briefly break down all the thoughts listed above and simplify it for you to build the structure of your cold email campaign successfully and get results:

• Personalize your subject line and present a hurdle within
• Lead in with the hurdle and how you can provide a solution in your content
• Showcase how your product or service will solve their problem – if it’s true
• Briefly explain to them the increase of benefit and/or efficiencies you can offer
• Let them know how your product works, but it’s important to keep it brief. They can learn more when committing to your CTA
• Strategically place your CTA and ensure you’ve presented them an offer worth clicking
• Finish your message with a personalized signature that includes a warm, friendly photo

Following this structured process, you will be well on your way to crafting strong cold email marketing campaigns that generate results.