Only Eminem can start an email with "Hi, my name is"
Hi!
My name is
Huh?
My name is
Who?
My name is
Slim Shady?
No?
Then nobody cares what your name is.
So stop starting your emails like that.
Cold emails: Business scale-ups or annoying practice?
Let’s be honest. The battle for attention in the Inbox is real.
That’s why you shudder at the very thought of cold emailing. Maybe you wonder if it even works. Well, statistics show it does. And pretty well too.
Now when you know that your email outreach efforts are not necessarily in vain, put in some time and wit to write them well. You have only few characters to catch their attention, so why waste them on repeating yourself. If you do believe that your name, your company name, and other info of that kind can be a game-changer to generate sales, use the signature section. You are afraid that your leads won’t get till the end of it? Write a killer copy then.
But write it from the start. Actually, write it from the very subject line.
Subject line: Why it matters and how to make it better
The subject line of your email is like the cover of the book. Unless you are drawn to it, you won’t buy it. The same applies to emails. If the subject line is not attractive enough, your email will end up in the trash folder. Unless, of course, you are Eminem. ‘Cause, who would not want to know what Eminem wants from them?
That being said, if there was a one-size-fits-all recipe for writing killer subject lines, all emails of this world would be opened. But not everyone’s the same. Therefore, different subject lines affect different individuals. All we can do is help you out with several tips (that work. Not for everyone, of course).
Make it catchy, but not misleading
Your subject line should have a maximum of 9 words or up to 60 characters. In those 60 characters, you need to find a way to summarize what your email is all about and make it attractive enough for your prospects to open it.
What lots of people do, and is strongly frowned upon, is write catchy, yet misleading subject lines. In case you are considering it, just think about the consequences. It might work once, but the next time you send an email, it will immediately end up in the trash.
Examples
- 8 ways to find somebody’s email address (numbers work)
- Why you should invest in Sales Automation platform (use catchy words such as why, how, what)
- Original ideas for personalizing Invites to Connect (people are always on the lookout for something new and different)
Convey urgency
Putting a deadline on what you are offering conveys importance and limited availability. It leaves an impression in a world where everything is utterly accessible.
That’s why subject lines that work usually have some kind of an urgency indicator. If your offer really does expire in a week or your content is available for a certain period of time, mention it right away. Otherwise, don’t delude your prospects.
Examples
- Last chance for 15% off for additional seats
- Expires tonight - download top experts’ sales book
- 10% off if you purchase within the next 24h
Make them feel the FOMO
The fear of missing out is the driving force of today. Write an email that contains valuable information and/or industry updates for your prospects. Then tell them so. Use the subject line to make your prospect understand that, unless they open your email, they will be missing out on something important. Something that would potentially change their lives for the better.
Examples
- LinkedIn Lead Generation trend everyone is talking about
- You don’t want to miss out on this offer!
- Uh-oh, your subscription is expiring.
Preview text: Why is it as important as the subject line
The preview text is what you see below or next to the subject line before opening the email from your Inbox. It is the first several words of your email body, 35 to 90 characters to be precise, depending on your email provider. However, the majority of people open their emails on the phone. That means that you are limited to around 45 characters of the preview text. Sometimes even less! Therefore, make your email opener matter.
It’s your second chance to make the first impression.
Make it an extension of your subject line
Your subject line and preview text should be a cohesive unit. The flow has to be logical and stylistically unified to drive the desired action. Otherwise, no matter how compelling individually, your readers will be confused. The best way to go about it is to think about the preview text as the opportunity to provide a detail that did not fit into your subject line.
Examples
- Subject line: Andy, did you know?
Preview text: More than half of your leads read emails on their phone. This [...] - Subject line: Free gift for any purchase!
Preview text: Until the end of October, with every new account your buy [...] - Subject line: LinkedIn template that scaled up Skylead
Preview text: Don’t miss out to get original message copies that made our [...]
Reference something about the lead
Just like on LinkedIn, the best way to get somebody’s attention is to make a concrete reference about them. It can be a post they’ve made or reacted to on LinkedIn, bring up a colleague or an industry professional you have in common, or simply congratulate them on the promotion they’ve recently got. Your leads will appreciate that you’ve done your homework before reaching out.
Examples
- Hi {{firstName}},
Love the post you made on LinkedIn... - Hey {{firstName}},
I saw that you attended {{nameOfEvent}}... - Hi {{firstName}},
Congratulations on the promotion! ... - Hi {{firstName}},
We recently connected on CompanyTinder... I mean on LinkedIn...
Highlight your value proposition
Use the preview text to communicate the most compelling benefit of your product or service. Highlight the value that you bring to the table that already starts with opening your email.
You don’t know what to point out? Think about why you decided to send the email in the first place. Tell your leads what’s in for them and how it will make their lives easier and scale their business.
Examples
- Save 11 hours a week while generating 6 times more leads.
- Increase the email deliverability rate by using [...]
- 1000 more visitors on your website each week.
***
A/B test your subject lines/preview text
If you are not sure what to go for, split test different subject lines/preview texts. See what your audience reacts to best. Is it a question, an intriguing statement, or a direct and clear call to action?
A/B testing (aka split testing) is a randomized experimentation process where two or more versions are being sent to different target users at the same time to determine which one makes results and influences the desirable business action.
When deciding on the “winner”, take into consideration other factors as well, such as your response rate and click rate, for example, depending on what your end goal is.
Maybe down the road you realize what works best for your prospects. Or go ahead and segment them.
Segment your audience
Not all of your leads will appreciate the same type of content. And that’s totally fine. If you don’t think that one subject line/preview text would produce the same effect for everyone, segment your leads list or use different LinkedIn prospecting method. Tweak the subject line/preview text according to their interests, business goals, and what you think might pique their curiosity.
Summary
Yes, these are some tips that will most likely work to your advantage.
But do you know what else will work to your advantage? Like, for sure?
Being prospect-centric.
Your prospects don’t care how something worked for you. They want to know how it will benefit them instead. This perspective will get you far ahead of your competition.
Do you know what else will get you far ahead of your competition? Trying out Skylead.
