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Outreach Techniques
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7
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Written by
C-Leads Team
September 4, 2024

5-star Email Structure that Will Actually Bring You Customers!

Cold emails have been proven to be one of the most effective lead-generation techniques in B2B marketing. However, getting through an email, not only in the inbox but also in the heart of the recipient, is becoming increasingly difficult. 

Properly approaching and structuring your B2B cold email strategy can significantly improve your response rates and boost your chances of converting prospects into customers.

In this article, you will learn about a perfect email structure that will make your B2B cold email responses better and generate high-quality cold email leads. We will also discuss frequent questions like how to stop emails from going to the junk folder to guarantee that your emails are delivered to the intended recipient. 

Email Structure: Why It Matters 

Before we turn to the particular questions related to the structure of the email, it’s necessary to think about what exactly makes a good email structure meaningful.

A well-crafted email can: 

Increase Open Rates: A good subject line makes the receiver open the email because the title has captured their attention, ultimately increasing response rates to B2B cold emails.

Enhance Engagement: It can increase open and click-through rates, leading to higher conversion rates and a more effective lead nurturing process.

Drive Action: A good and clear call to action (CTA) compels the recipients to proceed to the next step.

The 5-Star Email Structure

Now let’s look at the five major elements of a successful cold email and why they work.

  1. Compelling Subject Line 

Your subject line is the first thing that the recipients are likely to see, and it determines whether or not they will open your email.

Here are some strategies to create compelling subject lines:

Personalization 

You can tremendously increase the open rates for your cold emails when you incorporate the recipient’s name or company name. Personalization proves that you have researched who is going to be receiving your message and that you actually care. 

 Example:  “John, start making more sales today!” 

Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency can compel recipients to act quickly. Phrases like “limited time offer” or “act now” can prompt immediate responses.

Value Proposition

Make it clear what you want the recipient to get out of the message – it should spark their interest, too. Inform the recipients of what they stand to benefit from once they open your email.

Example: “Discover how to increase your lead conversion by 25%!”

Best Practices for Subject Lines

  • Keep it short (under 50 characters).
  • Avoid spammy words like “free” or “urgent.”
  • Test different subject lines to see what works best for your audience.

2. Personalized Opening

The first line of your email determines the rest of your message, including its tone. A personalized greeting and an engaging opening line can help establish rapport.

Personalization Techniques

  • Use Their Name: Always address the recipient by name.
  • Reference Their Company: Mention something specific about their company or recent achievements.

Example:

  • “Hi John, I noticed that [Company] recently launched a new product line — congratulations on the success!”

Establishing Common Ground

Once you can find common ground, it will be easier to connect. This could be a mutual connection, common interests, or industry trends.

Example:

  • “As a fellow enthusiast of innovative marketing strategies, I wanted to share some insights that could benefit [Company].”

3. Value-Driven Body

The body of your email should focus on the value you can provide. This is where you address the recipient's pain points and demonstrate how your solution can help.

Remember, B2B email lead generation is about bringing the value your prospects are looking for — speak directly to their needs.

Addressing Pain Points

Point out the pain that your prospect is going through and outline how your product or service solves the problem.

Example:

  • “I understand that many businesses struggle with lead conversion. Our platform has helped companies like [Client Name] increase their conversion rates by 30% within three months.”

Social Proof

It's a good strategy to add a testimonial or case study section to your proposal – this will build credibility and demonstrate the effectiveness of your solution.

Example:

  • “After implementing our solution, [Client Name] saw a 40% increase in lead generation within just 6 weeks. Here’s a brief overview of their success story: [Link].”

Data-Driven Insights

Using statistics is also useful to back up your claims so that readers will have more reasons to accept them.

Example:

  • “According to recent studies, 70% of businesses report that personalized outreach significantly improves their response rates.”

Best Practices for the Body of Your Email

  • Keep it concise and focused.
  • Use bullet points or numbered lists for easy readability.
  • Avoid jargon and overly technical language.

4. Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Another key element in cold email lead generation is a powerful Call to Action – it has to show the recipient what to do next.

When crafting your CTA, remember that it should be really specific and link directly to what you’re communicating in your email. 

Types of CTAs

  • Schedule a Call: Encourage recipients to discuss how your solution can help them.some text
    • “Let’s schedule a quick call to explore how we can help [Company] achieve its goals.”
  • Download a Resource: Offer valuable content that showcases your expertise.some text
    • “Download our free guide on optimizing B2B lead generation strategies.”
  • Request a Meeting: Propose a specific time for a meeting to discuss further.some text
    • “Can we set up a 15-minute call next week to discuss your current challenges?”

Best Practices for CTAs in 

  • Use action-oriented language.
  • Make it easy for recipients to take action (e.g., include a calendar link).
  • Limit the number of CTAs to avoid overwhelming the reader.

5. How to Stop Emails from Going to Junk

No matter how good the content of an email is, if not properly optimized, it can end up in the spam folder. Understanding the major key factors that affect a typical email delivery is very essential if you want to get to the targeted audience and stop your emails from going to the junk folder.

Here are some key strategies to prevent your emails from going to junk:

Use a Professional Email Address

Do not conduct corporate business using free email services such as Gmail, Yahoo etc. Instead, use a custom domain that will relate to your company in one way or another. This also brings credibility, and the mailing gets passed the spam filters.

Avoid Spammy Language

Certain words and phrases can trigger spam filters and land your emails in the junk folder. Steer clear of:

  • Excessive exclamation marks (e.g., "Earn extra cash now!!!")
  • Phrases like "free," "guarantee," or "limited time offer"
  • Excessive use of capital letters or red text
  • Misleading subject lines or content

Examples to avoid:

  • "Earn $1000 a day working from home!"
  • "You've won a FREE vacation! Click here to claim your prize."
  • "URGENT: Your account will be suspended if you don't act now!"

Monitor Your Sender Reputation

Monitor this score from time to time and try to enhance it in case it needs some improvements. There are certain resources available, like SenderScore, that can give some information about the bad practices used while sending emails and stop them from going to junk.

Authenticate Your Domain

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records have particularly been adopted as those that one can use to increase emails’ reliability. These protocols ensure that all emails coming in and out of your domain are authentic and have not originated from a fake domain.

BONUS TIP! Open Rate and Follow-Ups:

Lastly, we also want to give some tips about your email open rate and follow-up strategy. These are important metrics to track to make sure you're doing everything right. This way, you can confidently count on good results. 

Tools like Mailchimp, Brevo, and Campaigner can help monitor open rates and provide insights on what works best. If you're not happy with your open rates, you should first look at the subject line of your emails. This may be the problem. Try to rewrite it in such a way that the subject line won't be too big, but it will capture the prospect's attention.

Additionally, don't overlook the importance of a follow-up strategy. Sending just one email isn't enough; there should be at least three follow-ups. If the initial subject line doesn't perform well, try changing it in subsequent messages to increase engagement.

Conclusion

When you apply this 5-star email structure, your email marketing B2B lead generation should receive a boost and, therefore, your B2B cold email response rates. Just to recap, it is all about creating value and being personal to avoid your email going to spam.

Ready to elevate your B2B lead generation? At C-Leads, our specialists design customized outreach strategies tailored to your needs. Let us help you convert prospects into loyal customers with precision and expertise.

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