Cold Email Best Practices Guide: 2025 Edition

I’ve been in the cold email game for a dozen years now. Trends come and go, but the core tenets of effective writing have remained largely the same. And while tools and platforms change, these core principles are what drive successful email marketing campaigns that actually get responses.

I'm confident that these simple principles will increase your open rates and response rates, and lead to quality conversations. And hey, don't sleep on the power of a good follow-up sequence. That's where the magic often happens.

But don't confuse "simple" for "easy" though. Doing this well takes plenty of practice and takes time to master.

The Prospecting Venn Diagram

Before we get into the elements of great emails, I have to issue a caveat. Effective writing can only come on the heels of deep research and understanding – of your accounts, your prospects, and your own product.

Without this foundation, even the most cleverly written cold email campaigns will just pile up in inboxes, ignored and ineffective.

If all you’re doing is trying to tweak subject lines and CTAs, you’re missing the forest for the trees. Stop obsessing over tiny tweaks and start thinking about how to truly optimize the whole approach.

The goal is to develop meaningful relationships with your buyers. And to do that, you need to really understand them.

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‍1. Persona Knowledge‍

Way beyond what you get from a battlecard. You need to really understand what matters to the people you’re communicating with. Read what they read, attend the events they attend, follow the people they follow.

Make sure you can speak their language, understand what their key responsibilities are, and know what metrics they’re accountable for. Once you've developed your messaging for different personas, run some A/B testing to validate what actually works instead of just going with your gut.

2. Account Knowledge

‍Way beyond the industry they’re in and the number of employees they have. You need to know what’s top of mind for their leadership teams, where they’re placing bets for growth, and what challenges they’re likely to face.

Speaking to these things is essential to breaking through the noise. This deep research is what separates mediocre cold email outreach from the stuff that actually gets responses.

3. Personal Knowledge

‍Way beyond where they went to school or the type of car they drive. You need to understand people’s backgrounds as best you can to get a sense of what they care about and what they focus on now.

Work experience and history can sometimes tell you more than their current title, so you need to dive in. And hey, if you happen to find a sports team they care about maybe that’ll come up in small talk down the line.

Be thorough, but don’t be creepy. Building a quality email list starts here – not with buying some random database.

4. Value Prop Knowledge

‍Way beyond what’s on your website. You need to really understand the deep pains your solution solves and why it matters to your target audience. Ask yourself “why?” five times when reasoning out your value props, and do this in the context of points 1-3 above.

You’ll start to find more creative, more interesting angles to pursue and ways to present your solution. This is lead generation that doesn't stuck, because it actually connecting with people who need what you're selling.

How’s that for a preamble! You thought you were getting cold email best practices, and now you’re getting lectured. Classic me. Let’s talk about The Checklist.

Before we dive in, remember to do your homework on LinkedIn – it's one of the best places to gather the insights that make your outreach relevant rather than random.

The Cold Email Writing Checklist

I first published this back in 2021. What’s changed most? My penmanship writing on the iPad has greatly improved.

But more importantly, identifying your prospects' specific pain points remains just as crucial now as it was then – maybe even more so with increasing inbox competition.

The principles outlined here are largely the same. There’s one key thing I recommend changing – keep reading to find out. 

‍Digging into Substance

Let's face it, if you land in the spam folder, game over before it even starts. Nailing a compelling subject line is half the battle, because you can't start a conversation with someone who never opens your email.

Therefore, start with the subject line. There are three main things someone sees when an email hits their inbox: the sender's name, the subject line, and the preview line. Nothing you can do about your name, so let's focus on optimizing the other two.

A 1-3 word subject lines which allows for ~18 words of the body to be seen. Make the most of this real estate, and maximize your odds of getting an open. Of course, I can't guarantee they'll respond. But I can guarantee they won't respond if they don't open the email in the first place. Have a look:

Moving along to Personalization in the first line. The word “personalization” is the most overused word in all of sales. I’d like to take this opportunity to change it to “Relevance in the first line.”

Back to our Venn Diagram above, this is your moment to show some insight you have about them or their company, proving to them that you’ve done your homework. Don’t write a full essay here, we’re talking one or two lines. Brevity is key, as you see if you move further down the checklist.

Make sure you have a legitimate reason to reach out, and be specific about it. The best way to do this is in the "challenge & solution" format I touch on in the checklist. You'll see an example of that a bit further down, but for now, here are some compelling reasons to keep in mind.

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So, Call out a challenge they face that’s associated with that relevance in the first line. What about realizing their corporate strategies will be particularly difficult? This may be something they already know, or it could be a new concept to them.

Either way, it helps show that you both understand what matters to them as well as what the potential blockers are. Your email content should scream "I get you" not "let me tell you about me."

This helps tee up A perspective on a better way. Show not only that you understand the problem, but that you have a solution to that particular problem. And if you can, make sure you communicate the value to them personally, not just the value to their company. Remember, you’re communicating to an individual who has their own priorities and emotions.

Tip: Keep an eye on your email deliverability – you can write the world's best email, but it's useless if it never arrives.

Here’s the big change

The Interest based call-to-action has been overdone. The whole sales world switched to this, often with tortured triple negatives like “would it not be horribly offensive if you didn’t consider this idea?” Recipients got sick of it, and the preference has switched (back!) to a more direct ask for a meeting. So, instead of “Interested to learn more?” the guidance is to say something like “Free next week to discuss?”

Put it all together, and it looks something like this:

Hopefully you can track all the elements from the Substance section of the checklist. Let’s spend a minute talking about Style.

Digging into Style

It’s about them, and then it’s about me. But even when it’s about me, it’s focused on the solution for their company and for the individual.

It’s plain language, no jargon about “getting a 360 degree view on your sales process” or any nonsense like that. Real words that real people would use in real life. It should sound conversational.

In fact, it should be a script that you could use as a voicemail. If it sounds stuffy or formal, or if there are words you wouldn’t actually say – don’t use them.  Nail your value proposition in plain English – if you can't explain it to a 10-year-old, it's too complicated.

Put separate thoughts on separate lines. This does not mean that every sentence should be its own line. That gets monotonous and actually becomes harder to read. But weaving in the right amount of whitespace makes your email easy to scan and for the point to still come across.

And it’s only 77 words! If you can somehow make it even shorter without compromising the power of the message, be my guest. But this email gets a 95 in Lavender, so I’m not going to sweat it too much.

There you have it! These are the best practices we use when we help design sequences for our customers. We’re seeing great results and we hope you do, too.

Advanced Cold Email Techniques

Let’s also dive into the more advanced techniques of cold emailing—strategies that go beyond the basics to improve deliverability, personalization, and automation.

The Technical Foundation: Authentication and Deliverability

Let’s dive into the more advanced strategies, the technical backbone of successful cold email marketing. Without proper technical setup, even the best cold email content won't reach its intended recipients.

1. Email Authentication: The Invisible Gatekeeper

Email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are critical for maintaining your sender reputation. These technical standards help verify that your emails are genuinely from your domain and haven't been tampered with in transit.

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) identifies which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your emails that verifies they haven't been altered
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) tells receiving servers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks

Implementing these authentication methods significantly reduces the likelihood of your carefully crafted messages landing in spam filters or being flagged as spammy.

2. The Warm-up Process: Building Credibility

One of the most overlooked aspects of cold email success is the warm up process. You can't simply create a new email account and start sending hundreds of cold emails. This behavior pattern looks suspiciously like what spammers do.

The warm up process involves gradually increasing your sending volume over time, maintaining consistent sending patterns, and generating positive engagement signals. This methodical approach helps email service providers recognize you as a legitimate sender rather than flagging your account.

When you properly warm up your email accounts, you'll see lower bounce rates, improved deliverability, and ultimately better engagement metrics. Many email warmup services can automate this process by creating natural engagement patterns with your new email accounts.

Compliance and Best Practices for Avoiding the Spam Folder

Staying compliant with regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act isn't just about avoiding legal issues—it's essential for maintaining your sending reputation with email clients like Gmail.

Every legitimate cold email should include:

• A physical address in the footer
• A functioning unsubscribe link that's easy to find
• Honest subject lines that aren't misleading
• Your accurate business information

These elements not only keep you compliant but also help build trust with recipients. When people know they can easily unsubscribe if they're not interested, they're actually more likely to engage with your content.

Additionally, avoid using pushy language, excessive exclamation points, or too many links, as these can trigger spam filters. Instead, focus on providing value and establishing a genuine connection before making your ask.

Personalization Beyond the Recipient's Name

Including the recipient's name is email personalization 101, but truly effective cold email strategies go much deeper. When crafting messages, consider how you can reference:

• Recent company news or achievements that mention their company name
• Industry-specific challenges that align with their role
• Content they've engaged with on social media platforms like LinkedIn
• Mutual connections or shared professional experiences

Research shows that emails with personalized elements beyond just the recipient's name can increase click-through rates by up to 14%. This deeper level of personalization demonstrates genuine interest in their business challenges rather than simply trying to push your solution.

Remember that potential customers can spot generic templates from a mile away. Your goal is to make each recipient feel that your message was crafted specifically for them, even when using cold email templates as starting points.

Crafting Compelling Content with Templates and Case Studies

While every cold email should feel personalized, you don't need to reinvent the wheel each time. Using proven cold email templates can provide a solid foundation that you can then customize for each recipient.

The best templates include:

• A compelling opening that grabs attention
• A clear value proposition
• Social proof elements like customer testimonials or case studies
• A strong clear call-to-action

When incorporating social proof, be specific about results. Instead of saying "companies love our product," try "Company X saw a 37% increase in productivity within three months." These concrete examples make your claims more credible and compelling.

Case studies are particularly effective when they feature companies similar to your prospect's. This allows them to more easily envision how your solution could work for their specific situation.

The Sequencing Strategy: Follow-Up For Maximum Impact

No matter how perfect your initial email is, most deals are closed in the follow-up emails. Creating a strategic email sequence significantly improves your chances of getting a response.

An effective follow-up emails strategy should:

• Provide additional value with each touch
• Vary the messaging approach and format
• Space contacts appropriately (not too frequent, not too sparse)
• Include 3-5 touches before moving on

Research consistently shows that response rates jump dramatically after the second or third contact. Many prospects need time to consider your offer or may simply miss your first message among their crowded inbox.

When designing your email sequence, consider how each message builds upon the previous one. Early emails might focus on education and establishing credibility, while later ones can be more direct about the specific action you want the recipient to take.

The key is persistence without becoming annoying. Each follow-up email should bring something new to the conversation rather than simply asking "did you see my last email?"

CRM and Automation Tools

Managing your outreach strategy requires more than just good writing. Incorporating a robust CRM system can transform how you track and nurture relationships with potential customers.

A good CRM solution allows you to:

• Track all touchpoints with prospects
• Segment audiences based on their specific needs
• Monitor performance metrics like reply rate and conversion rates
• Personalize follow-ups based on previous interactions

Similarly, automation tools can dramatically improve your efficiency without sacrificing personalization. When properly configured, these platforms can:

• Send personalized emails at scale
• Schedule follow-up emails at optimal times
• A/B test different approaches to refine your cold email strategy
• Integrate with your CRM to maintain a single source of truth

The key is finding the right balance between automation and personalization. Your goal should be to streamline repetitive tasks while ensuring each recipient feels like you're speaking directly to their unique situation.

Measuring Success Beyond Open Rates

While open rates get much of the attention, truly understanding the effectiveness of your cold email marketing requires tracking multiple metrics:

• Reply rate: The percentage of recipients who respond (aim for 10%+)
• Conversion rates: How many leads convert to meetings or customers
• Click-through rates: The percentage who click links in your email
• Bounce rate: Emails that couldn't be delivered

These metrics help identify bottlenecks in your funnel. If you have high open rates but low reply rates, your content may not be compelling enough. If bounce rates are high, you might need to improve your list quality.

Use these insights to continuously refine your approach. Small improvements in each metric can compound into significant results for your overall marketing strategy.

Making Cold Email Scalable Without Losing Personalization

As your outbound efforts grow, maintaining quality while increasing volume becomes challenging. The solution is building systems that are scalable without sacrificing personalization.

This involves:

• Creating modular content blocks that can be mixed and matched
• Developing processes for efficient research and personalization
• Implementing automation that allows for personalized variables
• Regularly testing and optimizing your approach

The goal is to create a system where research insights can be quickly transformed into personalized outreach at scale. Tools that offer advanced functionality for dynamic content insertion can help maintain that personal touch even as you increase volume.

Copy.ai Can Help

Getting consistently excellent writing from your sales team is way easier said than done. Our customers rely on Copy.ai to codify their processes, learn from examples of "what good looks like," and ensure that best practices are being applied by every rep in every segment and geo.

We'll help your team construct purpose-built Workflows for doing deep account and contact research, connecting that research to value props, and turning all of that thinking into solid sales email outreach.

Our platform integrates seamlessly with popular CRM systems to ensure all your customer data remains synchronized while providing the functionality needed to craft personalized messages at scale. Whether you're focused on cold calling, social media outreach, or email campaigns, our tools help you create consistent, compelling communications.

Need more insights? Check out these resources:

• Email Marketing Response Rates – What’s a good rate and how to improve it.
• Boost Your Email Reputation – Tips to keep emails out of spam.
• Email Marketing ROI – Maximize returns with smart strategies.

Worth a call? Request a demo here and our team will be in touch.