Are you spending more time looking for writing jobs than actually doing any client work? Maybe you feel like you’re hustling instead of growing a business. If you want to get away from bidding sites that waste your time and make you constantly rethink your pricing – Try cold emailing.
What Is a Cold Email?
Cold emailing involves sending a short email to a target client, to introduce yourself and explain your unique value proposition. Cold emails should also link out to your freelance writer’s website showcasing writing samples relevant to their business.
How do you write a killer cold email? – Table of Contents
- How to find email addresses
- What to do before sending cold emails
- How to structure your cold email
- Cold email template
- Follow up emails
- 4 Pro tips to remember when writing cold emails
- 5 Common mistakes to avoid during cold emailing
- How to send your first cold email
- Conclusion
- How do you write a killer cold email? – FAQs
How To Find Email Addresses
I used to struggle with finding leads for cold emails in the past since it can be a tedious task. You can buy a cold email list on sites like Fiverr or Upwork, but if you don’t have the money, I’ll show you two methods I use to find email addresses fast: Google search and LinkedIn search. I prefer using the first method even though both take you to prospects on LinkedIn.
1. Google Search
This is a super quick method of finding potential clients. Simply open up a new search tab and input your values in this formula:[position1] or [position2] [city] [domain]
E.g. nutritionist or dietitian Florida site:linkedin.com
You can have just one position, but I included nutritionist and dietitian because people use these terms interchangeably.
Some of the results you get won’t be in the exact location that you specified, but they could still be relevant to you.
Next up, open a few of the profiles in new tabs, if it looks like a good target, use a free tool like Lead Leaper to scrape the email. Sometimes email scraping tools can’t get the email address, or it may be the wrong address. That’s why I highly recommend sending a connection request first.
P.S. Make sure to send connects to targets whose emails you don’t have because if they accept your connection you can see the email on their profile…and take it from there.
2. Linkedin Search
LinkedIn is a great way to build a relationship with prospects before cold emailing them, which ups your chances of getting replies because they’ll now be warm leads. Even if it does take more time.
Type your niche in the search bar on LinkedIn and hit enter. Filter the search by location, company size, title, etc. At the ‘title,’ you have to add the position of the decision maker e.g. CEO or founder.
Check the results for profiles that match your requirements as sometimes all of them don’t match. Sometimes adding too many filters will give you no results, so play around with it.
Open up a few profiles and do the same as before: check if they match your requirements and scrape the email. If that’s not possible send a connection request.
Who you have to target and cold email:
- Founder, owner, CEO
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Marketing Manager, Content Marketing Manager
- Content manager
- Editor
What To Do Before Sending Cold Emails
It is important not to just jump in and start cold emailing without having a plan and a few things in place, such as:
- Define your goals
- Identify your target audience
- Create an email signature
- Set up your freelance writer website
- Get a professional email address
- Connect your domain address to Gmail
Define Your Goals
Cold emailing can get very confusing that’s why it’s best to have a plan so you don’t give up (like I did, many times). Having goals can help you be clear and have an answer for things like:
- What is your offer?
- How many cold emails will you send per day?
- How many follow-ups will you send and how often will you send them?
- How will you keep track of cold outreach, through a spreadsheet or CRM?
- What’s the Call to Action (CTA)?
Identify Your Target Audience
If you’re here to learn about cold emailing hopefully you already have a niche and target clients. To recap, a niche is a focus area or topic that you want to write on, and your target will be businesses in that niche.
You can niche down further by targeting a specific client within a niche. For example, if there are two writers for the sleep coaching niche, one could target adult sleep coaches and the other could target pediatric sleep coaches.
If you need help finding a niche, join my email course (above)!
Create an Email Signature
An email signature is a block of text at the end of an email showing your face, contact details, and company branding. I used Canva to create an email signature containing clickable social icons from a tutorial by Duo Collective Marketing.
Set Up Your Freelance Writer Website
Your cold email should link out to a freelance writer website which is a website with an about, contact, portfolio, services, and a homepage. If you can’t afford to set up a website now you can upload your writing samples to a free platform like Journo Portfolio.
You can even use your LinkedIn profile to showcase your writing samples. LinkedIn has a section where you can feature your work, either link out to it or add a PDF version.
Get a Professional Email Address
It’s okay to start freelance writing without a professional email address. Just make sure your email address is something formal like writercandice@gmail.com instead of candy548@gmail.com. I use Hostinger to host my website, and it comes with a free domain email.
Connect Your Domain Address To Gmail
By connecting your domain email to your Gmail account you can send [and receive] emails directly through Gmail and it’ll show up as a professional email to the receiver.
How To Structure Your Cold Email
- Spend time on the subject line so you can get more opens
- Start with a relevant opening to get their attention
- Introduce yourself, your niche, and your reason for reaching out
- Mention their pain points
- Provide a possible solution to their problem
- Add your unique value proposition
- Include call-to-action (CTA)
- Give them a way out
- Don’t forget your email signature
Cold Email Template
Subject: [Niche] Copywriter available
Hi [Name],
My name is [name] and I am a [niche] freelance copywriter. I’m reaching out to introduce myself and see if there might be an opportunity for us to work together.
[Include 1-2 sentences about your value proposition].
I’d like to know if you need a [niche] SEO copywriter who can help with X, Y, and Z.
If you’re interested, I’ve included a link to my website below:
[link]
I’d be more than happy to chat about the possibility of us working together. Are you up for a quick call on ____?
I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
[Your name]
Reply ‘No’ to stop receiving these emails.
Follow Up Emails
Following up boosts your chances of getting a reply as the prospect might have planned on replying to you but got swamped with work. The follow-up email is quite short and it allows you to get back on their radar. Here’s an example of a follow-up email:
Hi [friend],
I sent you an email a while ago about my writing services.
[Your value proposition: I help X get Y results with my services].
Are you interested in working together to grow your traffic?
Best,
[Your name]
Reply ‘No’ to stop receiving these emails.
4 Pro Tips To Remember When Writing Cold Emails
- Spend enough time on your subject line to make it stand out and to the point
- Ask a question to which they’ll reply ‘Yes!’ easily
- Have an email signature (you can design one in Canva)
- Use the P.S to mention something interesting or give them a compliment
IMPORTANT: Try to get them on a call [ASAP]
Many people say to not send a calendar invite to book a call as it seems insincere, but because I don’t live in the same country as those I’m reaching out to, it is confusing for me to schedule a call in different time zones.
So, I use Calendly and just send them a link to book a call without worrying about those issues. Sometimes they might send their schedule, which is also okay.
5 Common Mistakes To Avoid During Cold Emailing
Here’s what not to do in a cold email:
- Use a forceful tone
- Make it about you
- Use writing samples that are not relevant
- Use a subject line that sounds like clickbait
- Forget to have a way for them to unsubscribe
How To Send Your First Cold Email?
After doing your research on companies you want to pitch to, it’s time to personalize your cold email template and send it to prospects.
When I started cold emailing I used Gmass which allows you to automate cold emailing, this became a bit confusing for me. So, I’d suggest first sending 10-15 emails manually every day to warm up your email account and later look into automation software.
Conclusion
Cold emailing is a great way to get in front of the decision-maker quickly and create close relationships with brands and businesses in your niche to build a sustainable freelance writing business.
So, are you ready to cold pitch your dream clients? If you want to win at cold emailing, grab The Freelance Writer Template Kit.
Related Posts:
- Can I make $1000 a month freelance writing?
- How do I start freelance writing with no portfolio
- How to set up a freelance writer website in 20 minutes
How Do You Write a Killer Cold Email? – FAQs
What Does a Good Cold Email Look Like?
A good cold email is short, offers value to the prospect, speaks to their pinpoints, and includes the next steps. Here’s an example of a cold email:
Subject: Health copywriter available
Hi [FirstName],
My name is [] and I’m a copywriter for [niche] companies. I would like to help you produce high-quality blog posts.
Here’s a link to my portfolio.
Are you available to chat?
Best,
[Your name]
Reply ‘No’ to stop getting these emails
How Do You End a Cold Message?
The most important thing you need in a cold email which many new freelancers mess up is a call-to-action or CTA.
Always end your cold email with a CTA, so the recipient knows what to do when they finish reading it. Your CTA can be in the form of a question to which the answer is an easy ‘YES’.
Here are some CTA examples:
- Do you have time for a quick call this Thursday between 12-4 p.m.?
- Would you like me to send you a complementary blog caledar to kickstart your content strategy?
Only use one CTA, by telling the reader to do too many things, you are likely to end up with nothing.
What Is an Ice Breaker For a Cold Email?
Using an icebreaker will separate you from other cold emailers. They’re the key to transforming cold leads into warm conversations. If you have something in common with the prospect then mention it.
This won’t always be the case, but if you saw a webinar, an event, or something on social media just mention it and what you learned from it.
Is Cold Emailing Bad?
Some may think that cold emailing is illegal but it’s not, all you have to do is follow the rules so you don’t develop a reputation as a spammer, or end up on some blocklists.
To avoid sending bad cold emails:
- Send out 5-10 emails every day to warm up your inbox, then gradually increase the amount you send.
- Avoid using emojis or promotional words like free, discount, or limited-time offer.
- Include a way for them to unsubscribe from your cold email list.
What Is The Best Sentence To Start an Email?
The first sentence has to captivate them, let them know immediately why you contacting them, and get them to read on:
“I wanted to reach out to you because…”
“I enjoyed your podcast on X, have you thought about recreating blog posts from them?”
“My name is X and I’m a [niche] writer for businesses like [brand] and [brand].”
How Long Should a Cold Email Be?
Cold emails should be short at around 50-125 words which is the optimal number. This is just to get the reader’s attention and start a conversation.
How Do You Write a Killer Intro Email?
An intro email or Letter of introduction (LOI) is different from a cold pitch in that you’re not asking for a specific job, you’re just making yourself known to potential clients, agencies, and editors.
LOIs are a way to introduce yourself, an overview of your freelance writing skills, and show how you can potentially benefit the potential client.
This is a great way to create close relationships with brands and businesses in your niche and have a successful long-term freelance writing business.
How Do I Create a Cold Email To Get Results?
Here are a few tips for a cold email that gets results:
- Do your research so you can personalize the email
- Write conversationally so you don’t sound pushy
- Build rapport
- Don’t beat around the bush, say why you’re reaching out
- Keep it short
- Provide a solution
- Don’t use a clickbait subject line
- End with CTA
- Always follow up at least 3 times
How Do You Get Someone’s Attention In a Cold Email?
Give a compliment, but it’s not necessary if you don’t mean it or it doesn’t feel right with you, Talk about something you saw about them on social, etc.
Your cold email should provide value and relevance to your recipient. Identify their pain points then provide a solution and highlight the benefits of your offer or offer a free resource.
Have you tried cold emailing before? Let me know in the comments.