How to write COLD EMAILS that WORK
Tips for freelance copywriters to help land their ideal clients
Writing effective cold emails is one of the greatest skills you can learn to grow your copywriting business.
In this article, I’ll explain the elements needed to create a successful client-winning email:
Research
The proper structure, content & language style
Irresistible subject lines
Getting it to the right audience
A follow-up system & tracker
They can’t all be winners
(Round-up / Other resources)
COLD EMAILING is challenging because you have no prior connection to your target audience, yet you want them to take action such as hiring your copywriting services, signing up for your newsletter etc.
However, with careful research and a targeted, personalised approach, you can soon land those wish-list clients.
Over time with consistent practice, you’ll dramatically increase your customer response rates.
So let’s get started.
“Research is the cornerstone of a successful cold email..”
Research
A cold email is an email you send to a recipient without any prior contact. Its purpose is to make the recipient take some kind of action; in your case, hopefully, hire your services or just sign up for your newsletter or whatever.
To increase the chances of your email getting opened, read and actioned, it needs to be:
Personalised to the recipient
Relevant
Problem-solving
Value-added
Understandable
Actionable
To do all this effectively, you have first to do your homework.
Remember - good research is the cornerstone of a successful cold email.
Therefore before you begin to write one word, spend at least 45-60mins researching the prospect in depth.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Prospect's website - (e.g. pages such as: About us / Company history / Resources / Community / Press)
- What kind of service are they providing? What are their needs and concerns? What is their strategy? What are they trying to achieve?
(How can you help them?)
- Do they have a value or mission statement? What is their vision?
(How could your copy/content contribute to this?)
- What is the company's history?
- What taglines or brand slogans regularly appear on the website?
(Maybe weave this into the text of your mail or subject line?)
- What is the quality of their copy and content? What is the style like? Does it appeal to you, and could you imagine writing in this style? Do they look like they value good content?
- Do they produce regular content? E.g. Blogs, Case studies, Newsletters, White papers, Landing pages?
(Can you suggest some ideas for new content?)
-Press releases - what has happened with them recently?
Is the company expanding?
(Is this something you could reference in your mail?)
-How are their financials? (Here, you could check a source like Crunchbase)
(Can they afford your rates?)
Prospect's Social media output
Research whatever social media the company uses to promote itself (X, Instagram, Tiktok etc.).
Be familiar with their latest campaigns and activities. What's in the news for them? What's a popular topic or product?
Linkedin is also a useful source of information. If you have time, follow your prospect here and keep up to date on their posts.
The proper structure, content & language style
Before you get started on the email, think first about the overall structure.
I would recommend sticking to the following guidelines:
Keep it short: a shorter mail is more likely to be read.
No more than 3 (max 4) paragraphs for the Intro & Main sections with circa 3-5 sentences per paragraph.
Total word count between 150-200 words
Font: use one that is easy to read (e.g. Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman)
Where appropriate, highlight words in bold but don’t overdo it.
Use bullet points, sub-headers or numbered lists where suitable.
All this makes it easier for your reader to skim and find the essential information quickly.
““Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely”
Now you have done your research and have a broad idea of how it should look; it’s time to create the content.
Introduction and hook
Nearly as important as the subject line, the first line should hook your prospect into reading further.
An excellent way to do this is to personalise the email and tailor it to the recipient.
Therefore, try to utilise or create genuine connections between yourself and the recipient after introducing yourself. For example:
Reference a conversation you shared
An event you both attended
An e-book or report the company/prospect has published that you enjoyed.
Comment on something that has happened in the company which impressed you.
Compliment them on some aspect of their content or brand which appeals to you.
Use anything that helps create a personal bond and shows the reader that they are not just another recipient of your one hundredth spam mail.
Alternatively, if you don’t have anything else, introduce yourself briefly, explaining who you are and what you do and move on to the main section.
Main Section - the challenge/pain point
Here, focus on any challenges, pain points or issues you have identified in the prospect’s business or industry. You are also showing that you have done your research, understand them and care about their business.
(Remember, if you highlight challenges or potential weaknesses, avoid directly criticising your prospect's content or business. Instead, offer constructive criticism and be diplomatic).
Suppose there is nothing that jumps out at you here. In that case, you could perhaps reference their company vision, marketing strategy or objective(s) they are trying to achieve.
Main section - the solution
Why can you help them, and how?
Explain why your experience and skills ideally qualify you to help them overcome the challenge or achieve their objectives.
Mention your achievements and successes, proving you are the right person to hire.
Here is an opportunity to build credibility and trust, but remember to promote yourself only in how you help the prospect.
It's all about them, not you.
Social proof
It's time to follow up your statements with a testimonial if you have one. One quote from a happy customer is enough, but don't worry if you are still working on that.
Work sample(s)
Explain you are attaching some samples for their interest.
Use one or two relevant examples of your best work.
Call to Action (CTA)
Always finish up with a call to action to encourage your prospect to respond or take action. For example:
-Ask them to email you if they wish to discuss further.
-Link the CTA back again to your pitch, explaining how you will go into more detail over a quick telephone or zoom call.
- Send them a link using an app like Calendly, asking if they would like to book a quick chat with you
Generally, make the next step clear, so they know what to do.
Sign off
Sign off your mail with a professional business signature. Include your telephone number, email address, link to your website, and your business logo if you have one.
Make it simple for your prospect to get in touch with you.
Language style
See your email as an open conversation. The style of language naturally then reflects this:
Keep the tone friendly/conversational but professional.
Use clear, concise, jargon-free language.
Avoid complicated words when simpler ones are available.
Write in short sentences.
Give an impression of empathy and friendliness, competence, and professionalism. After all, you want your reader to keep reading and not drift off.
Finally, ensure your text is grammatically correct with no spelling or syntax errors. It's essential when pitching for copywriting projects.
Apps such as Grammarly or Hemmingway App are helpful to quickly check your work.
Sock it to your reader…
The irresistible subject line
The subject line of a cold email is the single most crucial element.
According to statistics, eight out of 10 people will read the subject line, but only two out of 10 will continue to the rest of the content.
Your subject line has to grab the reader's attention and entice them to further into the email.
I suggest leaving this until you have first completed the email draft. In this way, you may get inspiration for that perfect attention-grabbing subject line while you write.
Tips on writing subject lines:
Make it funny or intriguing. Spark curiosity with a question or a bold, eye-catching statement.
Mention the solution you will provide to their issue (pain point).
Reuse or rephrase a slogan or keyword on the customers' website (see research section).
Personalise it: mention something happening at the company or reference a meeting or call you had.
Generally, I make my subject lines double-loaded. I include some reference to the company, the pain point, some personalisation etc., and on the other side, I might add a point about how I can help, what value I can bring or include a rewrite of their slogan.
For example:
"Experienced Copywriter with a talent for Chit-chat"
(Email to a tech company that offers customers a platform to create their own Chatbots)
“Copywriter with supply chain background - ready to transform”
(Email to a company that helps customers digitise their supply chains. They use multiple references to transforming and transformation in their content)
There is no one winning formula for creating a subject line, but by doing your research, understanding your audience and being imaginative, you will become more skillful.
Therefore, spend time on the subject line. It can make or break your email.
Getting it to the right person
Once you have carefully reviewed your email, it's ready to go out there and work for you.
So, to whom do you send it?
First of all, do not send it to the general mail that the company will have on its website (e.g. info@XXXXX.com)
As a copywriter, you are looking for someone in the marketing or content creation department. Of course, every business uses slightly different terms, but here are some possible titles or keywords:
Head/Director/VP of Content - Marketing - Brand Marketing - Branding - Communications - Advertising
Check the company website
Most companies will have an 'About us' or 'Our team' page, which may include email addresses under the team members.
Using Linkedin
If there is nothing on the website, Linkedin is your best bet.
On Linkedin, take the following steps:
Enter the company's name in the top left corner and click 'view page.'
On the company page, click the 'people' tab
In the search field (search employees by title, keyword or school) - enter some of the following keywords separately:
Head / Director / Brand / Communications / Content / Marketing / Copywriting etc.
With these search filters, you should hopefully find the right person (e.g. Head of Content or VP of Marketing)
Once you have found a potential contact, you can search for their addresses in one of the search tools.
Email search tools
There are many valuable tools are available to find prospects’ email addresses.
Most will offer a free trial period or free credits. You can also re-register with an alternative email address for further free usage.
I have personally found Getemail or Rocketreach to be helpful.
Here is a comparison list of other email finder tools:
Avoiding the spam folder
To reduce the risk of your email landing in the spam folder, follow a few of these guidelines:
Personalising the email (as discussed)
Including a reference to the content in the subject line
Avoiding spammy phrases in the subject
Sending your email from a business email address
Follow-up process & tracker
Following up
After you have sent the email, I would recommend following up twice and in roughly, these time frames:
1st follow-up: one week later
2nd follow-up: two weeks later
Keep the follow-up emails simple and to the point. You can also use the same subject title.
Reference the original email you sent and briefly summarise the content and purpose.
For example:
Hello (Contact name),
I emailed you a few weeks ago about potential freelance opportunities with (Company name).
I gave my background details together with some writing samples. Did you have time to look through it?
I would love to talk with you or someone from your team about this.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks,
Regards
If you are unsuccessful here, you can try another contact at the company and start the process again.
Email tracker
Create a tracker for all the emails you have sent. It will help remind you when you need to send follow-ups and show you how well your emails are performing.
Soon you’ll have valuable data on response and success rates. In addition, you’ll be able to see if you are hitting your targets and what you may need to tweak to improve.
The tracker should include at least the following:
Company name
Name of contact person & role in the company
Email address of contact person
Sent date of the email
Response Y/N and date of response
1st follow-up date
2nd follow-up date
Status
Comments
Add whatever other information you find helpful, and use colour coding to show the status of your prospect emails.
They can't all be winners
Regardless of how practised or good your emails are, you’ll still get those rejections and no-responses.
Don't take these personally. It can be challenging, but it's simply part of the cold mailing game.
With time and practice, your confidence, success rates and your pool of clients will grow.
“You are doing your prospect a favour..”
Many believe cold emailing is like spamming, cheesy selling, or just being a nuisance.
However, you’re actually doing your prospect a favour:
Offering targeted services or solutions
Creating opportunities for yourself and others
Building relationships
Generating revenue
Your prospect is looking for someone like you, and you have just saved them time and money searching.
A well-researched, well-written, targeted and value-added email is like a gift to a potential client. You are starting a conversation, offering help and potentially building a relationship.
Nothing could be less spammy or unethical, so remember this when you begin your next cold email.
Round up
Let's summarise:
To write a cold email that will attract the clients you want, you need to put focus and effort into it.
With time your skill and experience will grow, the process will get easier, and your success rate will increase.
Things to remember:
Do your research
Keep the mail short, simple and structured
Create an attention-grabbing subject line
Personalise the content
Offer solutions and value
It's all about the prospect, not you
Be genuine
Always follow up
Don't get discouraged. Just keep writing!
Other Resources
Here are some resources I can recommend on the topic of cold emailing:
Maya Capasso is a freelance entertainment & lifestyle journalist who
has a great blog called, ‘The accessible cold pitch blog’.
https://www.mayacapswrites.com
In addition, she also appears on the All Things Freelance podcast where she discusses her cold mailing process:
#5: Cold Pitching with Maya Capasso
Bree Weber is a conversion copywriter and cold pitching strategist and
offers a cold pitching masterclass:
https://www.coldpitchcopy.com/
She has also appeared on a number of podcasts discussing the art of ‘ethical cold pitching’, similar to the approach described above:
B2B Craftworks podcast
If you liked this article and would like to have more information and advice on cold emailing - PLUS
Some examples of successful cold emails?
A copy of my prospect tracker template?
Just get in touch:
If you have any comments, please leave them below.
I look forward to hearing from you!
