32 tips to generate more B2B leads with cold email outreach
Photo by Nate
Cold email outreach is a powerful B2B lead generation tool for businesses looking to grow their customer base by generating more qualified leads. It helps you to quickly reach key decision makers in your target market without the need for expensive ad spend.
Cold email is powerful for building relationships with potential customers and allows you to scale your outreach activity and create meaningful connections without spending too much time or money in the process. It’s an effective way to introduce yourself and your product/service, as well as increase the visibility and awareness of your business.
However, it can be difficult to know where exactly to start when sending B2B cold emails. Without understanding the best practices for using this channel effectively, you could waste valuable time or even risk annoying potential customers.
Setting up a cold email campaign can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. If you follow the steps below and ensure that you have all your technical requirements sorted, you'll be well on your way to implementing an effective and successful cold email program that reaches its intended recipients and gets you the desired results.
So, to help you get started, we’ve compiled this list of 32 tips for your B2B lead generation cold email outreach.
First things first. You need to set up a new domain that is slightly different from your main website. Depending on the registrar you choose, setting up a new domain can be as simple as purchasing it online.
Check that the following technical requirements are met. Once your domain is set up, you should configure your SPF, DMARC, and DKIM. All of these are used to verify the authenticity of your domain, so it's important that you get them set up correctly. The exact details may vary between email service providers, but generally, they can be set up using DNS records.
Use a professional-looking email address. Your business email should look professional and match your company name/branding. Avoid generic addresses like “sales@yourcompanyname” as they lack personalisation and can come across as spammy. It’s better to use a human name, ideally the person that will be talking to the leads that you generate. Don’t send from your @gmail.com, as this looks amateur.
Warm up your new email address. This is an important step that ensures your emails don't land in the recipient's SPAM folder. Start by sending out smaller batches of emails and gradually increase the amount over time. After a few weeks of warming up, you should be able to start sending larger batches without any issues.
Double and triple-check that your emails meet all the delivery requirements set by your email service provider. This may involve checking bounce rates, open rates, clickthrough rates, and other metrics. If any of these appear to be out of line, it could be an indication that there is something wrong with your technical setup.
Ensure you meet the legal requirements for GDPR, CASL, & CCPA. You can find guidance on those here: GDPR, FTC, CRTC, CA OAG.
Research your audience. The key to successful B2B cold emailing is to make sure that you understand your target audience. By researching the organisations and people you are trying to contact, you will be able to tailor your message and provide more relevant content that resonates with the recipient. This includes researching their company, products/services, successes, challenges, and goals. The more you know about your targets, the more compelling your messages will be.
Craft a compelling subject line. Your subject line is the first thing potential leads will see, so it needs to be attention-grabbing and relevant. Make sure it’s concise, descriptive, and hints at the value you’re offering in the body of your email.
Personalise messages. Generic emails are guaranteed to get ignored, so personalising messages is essential if you want your emails to stand out from the rest. Include relevant information about the recipient, such as their name, company, position etc., so they feel like they’re interacting with a real person rather than just another generic cold email.
Keep it short and to the point. Brevity is key when cold emailing potential B2B customers. People are busy, so it’s important to keep your cold emails concise and avoid long-winded introductions. Get right to the point by focusing on what value you’re offering and why they should care.
Build a relationship. Your cold email should be about more than sales – you should also focus on establishing a relationship with the recipient. Make sure to build trust by offering helpful advice or resources like case studies, whitepapers, and reports.
Establish credibility. Establishing credibility is important when sending B2B cold emails to prove that you are knowledgeable in their sector and business. You can do this by linking to case studies or showcasing awards and recognitions received.
Use social proof. Adding social proof, such as customer testimonials or case studies, is a great way to build trust and credibility with potential leads. This will help demonstrate the value of your product or service more effectively.
Use an appropriate tone. Your cold emails should be professional but friendly with a hint of personality. Strike the right tone by avoiding corporate jargon and using inclusive language
Use a conversational tone. Cold emails shouldn’t sound like robotic messages sent out in bulk. Take time to craft emails that are friendly and conversational in tone. This makes it easier for your recipients to trust you and be more likely to respond.
Aim for clicks. A great B2B cold email should encourage the recipient to click on a link or visit your website – make sure this is easy to understand and do.
Keep contact information up to date. Double-check that your B2B cold emails contain accurate contact information for both you and the recipient. This reduces confusion and helps ensure your message gets through.
Don’t use SPAM trigger words in subject lines. To avoid ending up in spam folders, emails should avoid using overly promotional language or words like “free”, “guaranteed”, etc., to ensure your messages don’t get filtered out by email providers. HubSpot has a great resource on this.
Make it easy to unsubscribe. B2B customers should have the option to opt out of cold emails easily. Make sure your email outreach includes an unsubscribe link or button.
Avoid generic templates. B2B customers are used to receiving cold emails, so make sure yours stands out from the crowd by avoiding the generic templates everyone else is sending.
Include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). Every B2B cold email should include a call-to-action that tells the reader exactly what you want them to do next. This could be something like scheduling a call or requesting more information.
Personalise the CTA: Make sure your email outreach includes a compelling call-to-action that is tailored to that customer’s needs and interests. This will help drive conversions.
Offer incentives. If possible, include an incentive such as discounts or free trials in your outreach. This will help make your offer more enticing.
Follow up. B2B cold email outreach often requires multiple touches before you see results, so follow up with recipients who don’t respond to your initial message and gently remind them why it was worth their while to open your email. It’s a good idea to wait at least 3-5 days before sending reminders so that you don’t overwhelm them with too many messages.
Use A/B testing. Try different versions of B2B cold emails with variations on subject lines, body copy, and calls-to-action to see which performs best. A/B testing lets you optimize your B2B cold email outreach campaigns
Test different approaches. Developing on the above point, as with any B2B lead generation tactic, it’s important to test different approaches when cold emailing potential leads. Try varying elements such as subject lines, calls-to-action, length of emails, and more to see what works best for your audience.
Ask for feedback. Cold email outreach is an ongoing process, and getting feedback from recipients can be invaluable when it comes to optimising future campaigns. Ask for feedback and use this to refine and improve your lead generation efforts.
Use a good email service provider. B2B cold emails should be sent using a reputable email service provider, as this will help ensure your messages reach the right people and avoid getting caught in spam filters. We like lemlist and Woodpecker.
Check email deliverability. Make sure your B2B cold emails reach their intended recipients by checking the deliverability rate. Your email provider will offer this.
Monitor your reputation. B2B lead generation through cold email outreach requires being respectful of recipients’ time. If you’re sending too many emails or not following up as promised, this may damage your reputation and hinder your success.
Automate your processes. Automation allows you to scale your cold email outreach quickly and efficiently, helping to streamline activity by reducing manual tasks and allowing you to manage multiple campaigns at once. You can automate everything from sending messages and tracking responses to scheduling follow-ups and personalising messages.
Monitor results. Tracking the performance of your campaigns is essential for understanding which tactics are working and which ones need improvement. Make sure to track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, response rates, and conversion rates. This will help you refine and optimise your B2B cold email strategy over time.
In conclusion, B2B lead generation through cold email outreach is an effective way to establish meaningful connections with potential customers. By following the tips outlined above, you can ensure that your campaigns are successful in reaching the right people and generating qualified leads for your business.
B2B lead generation through cold email outreach takes time and dedication, but it can be an extremely rewarding process if done correctly! So why not get started today?
If you'd like to learn more about how we could help you generate more qualified leads for your business, book a call for a short intro chat to see if we're a good fit for each other.
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