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Making Cold Outreach Warm: Quick Marketing Tips

An important aspect of every company's marketing efforts should be turning strangers into customers. It can be extremely difficult and expensive, but through cold outreach, which is contacting people and businesses you aren't currently in contact with, it's possible. I was recently asked by our Content Adviser Michael Luchies, "What does a cold email from a marketing company have to do to get your attention or consideration?"

In responding to this, I want to make it clear that what works on me may not work in the marketplace and vice versa. It seems that what is working to attract other companies (based on the large number of cold emails I receive each day that are all the same), don't work on me and are sent directly to my trash folder.

Cold Emails That Get My Attention

As the Chief Operating Officer for Mavidea, I also oversee much of our marketing efforts, including handling incoming marketing emails and calls. My goal is to solve problems for our company, even the problems that I haven't seen yet. Email/phone messages that clearly explain how you can do something better, cheaper, and more efficiently get my attention. When the subject line of an email is addressing a problem we have or claims to improve an aspect of our business, even if I'm skeptical of it, I'm going to read it.

Cold Emails That Work in A Marketplace

Outside of what works on me or for us, one of the most popular messages I receive is along the lines of "Hey, we think we might be able to help, could we talk?" These emails and calls are usually vague, meaning the person or company did little actual research before sending. These are not likely to get my attention, but when they are sent to thousands of small businesses, they are very likely to get at least some interested businesses.

The Keys to Cold Outreach

There are two main keys to successful cold outreach based on my experience of what works for our company and what works on me: quality and consistency.

Quality

Quality cold emails will have an attractive subject line that gets my attention without sounding cheesy or desperate. The body of the email is personal, meaning they use my name and company name, and share something they know about the company. And the message is relevant to me, short, and leads to a direct call to action.

Example:

Subject: Create More Blog Content For Less, I Can Help Jake!

Hello Jake,

I came across Mavidea when searching for companies, and I visited your blog. I really enjoyed your article on choosing the right digital marketing firm. Knowing your target market is an important step before creating a marketing plan and hiring a company to help you achieve your goals.

My name is Johnny Content Writer and I'm a writer for website development companies. I've spent the past five years working with companies just like Mavidea to expand their reach and generate new leads. I can help you write more great articles like yours on hiring a digital marketing firm quickly and at just $100 each.

Could we setup a call next Thursday morning to discuss?

Thank you for your time and consideration!

- Johnny Content Writer

Consistency

No one buys anything the first time they hear about it. Marketing campaigns that work are able to consistently get the attention of their target market over a specific period of time. Instead of one email or phone call, to generate a solid lead, you may need to send 5 or 10 emails and make 4 or 5 calls.

Because of the way we make decisions, with so much information available at our fingertips on the internet, we naturally feel like we shouldn't make a decision until we're overwhelmed with positive information.  You also can't rely on connecting with a potential customer on only one channel. You want to have a presence on social media, email, phone, and advertise to them wherever they visit online. By connecting with them frequently, as long as you're not annoying them, you can earn their trust and they will feel more comfortable doing business with your brand.

So, the next time you plan to send an email or call a potential customer you've never spoken with before, make sure to be relevant, understand what they want and need, and be persistent without being pushy.

Need additional marketing help? Contact Mavidea today to get started.