The Psychology of Cold Emails3 min read

Here at Sharp Innovations, we take pride in providing our customers and clients with solutions that are genuine, innovative, and effective. When helping conduct cold email campaigns, we always suggest using methods that are sincere, effective and increase the percentage of emails opened and read. No one likes to receive disingenuous marketing emails and so we offer these tips for increasing engagement.

(Our Sharper Edge ™ email marketing automation platform can help make your email campaigns even easier to launch.)

Consumers Want Mutual Engagement

Consumers are more likely to engage with an email or marketing tool when there is a compelling, simple offer stated in the subject line. When content creators offer a useful piece of content, this can increase reciprocity and promote distribution on social networks, via word of mouth or by way of other avenues.

Consumers Want Social Proof

In addition to mutual exchange, consumers appreciate the opinions of other people when they are making decisions about whether to engage with a product, service, or piece of content. As social beings, we automatically look to others on how to think and act.

Examples of using this tactic effectively might include using a subject line like this: Subject: 90% of Californians utilize product xyz …

Or, perhaps talking about the number of followers you have on a social post or the positive percentage information from a poll you conducted or researched. Name dropping also entices. These types of tactics are familiar and persuasive.

Consumers Appreciate Short Length

“When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.”
– Author Elmore Leonard Short

Every successful cold email campaign understands that shorter emails are far more effective than longer ones. Many research firms have conducted studies that prove that over 80 percent of consumers spend their time on the top third of all web pages and emails and that their attention rate decreases as they scroll down.

When you write, keep it short and simple. Use clear, concise language and use as few words as possible. You do not want your tone to come across as blunt or impersonal but you also want to grab the reader’s attention as soon as possible. And that brings us to our last point.

Consumers Want You to Engage as Early as Possible

As we talked about in regards to the length of your email, early engagement with the reader is crucial to an effective campaign. Chances are, you’ll lose them the reader’s attention within the first few lines or seconds of reading if you don’t engage quickly. After all of your hard work writing and editing your campaign, the last thing you want is for your readers to unsubscribe or place your message in the trash.

To avoid that, make a personal connection in your very first line of any cold email. The most crucial information that you want your reader to know must be shared in the very beginning.  

Additionally, always place important keywords at the top. These are words that reference the reason your reader might want to engage with your product or service. If you want them to open a video or a web page, the sooner they discover it the better.

Consumers Want You to Acknowledge Them and Their Needs

Every day, people are bombarded with tons of marketing. Everyone is trying to sell everyone something. For effective cold email campaigns, you must remember that the person on the other end of your message is an individual first. They have emotions, feelings, and needs and want to be engaged with as such.

As said earlier, be personable. Think about what it is that your consumer needs and write toward that. Ask yourself: If you were the consumer, what would you want to walk away from this email with? Appeal to the individual by writing in a tone that makes them feel special and as if their needs are being met.

Do you have questions about conducting a cold email campaign? Our Digital Marketing Department would love to talk with you about your needs and answer any questions! 

Schedule a free consultation today!