What is Cold Email?

Cold email is approaching potential customers by email when you have had no previous contact with them. In B2B sales, cold email is one of the most effective channels for direct lead generation, provided it is done well: personalised, relevant and aimed at the right person.

The difference between cold email and spam

Cold email is relevant, personalised and sent to a well-qualified ICP. Spam is mass-sent, irrelevant and undifferentiated. Good deliverability and a low spam score are essential to land in the inbox and not in the spam folder.

An effective cold email campaign

Start with a properly warmed-up domain through email warm-up, a sharp ICP and personalisation based on company name, role and specific context. Send a sequence of 3 to 5 emails over 2 to 3 weeks, with a different angle in each email.

Measuring cold email

The most important KPIs are the open rate, reply rate and bounce rate. A reply rate above 5 percent is a strong indicator of relevant targeting and convincing copywriting.

Is cold email legal in the EU?

The rules differ per EU country. In B2B, cold email is often allowed if there is a legitimate business interest, the recipient is relevant and you offer an opt-out. Always ask for legal advice for your specific situation.

How many emails do I send per day?

At most 30 to 50 per inbox per day to protect deliverability. More at developers.google.com/search.