Sopro’s 2022 The State of Prospecting Report definitively reveals the email prospecting approaches that yield the best results. Analysing 25 million emails sent to over 80 industries, the report uncovered a treasure trove of insights.
The companion survey found email prospecting to be more effective than PPC, SEO and social media, making email prospecting a key – and often underused – weapon in the marketing arsenal. Below are 5 keyways you can ensure your email prospecting is reaching its full potential written by Ryan Welmans, the CEO and Co-Founder of Sopro.
Make sure to time it right
When it comes to emails, timing is just as important as the content of the email itself. You want to send the email at the perfect time to maximise the chance of it being opened, read and actioned.
The “golden hour” for sending emails is either midday on a Wednesday or 11am on a Thursday, when the highest lead rates are seen. In terms of opening emails, the optimum time is 8am on a Friday, whilst the time you can expect the most responses (although not all of them positive!) is 11am on a Monday.
The ideal length
Length is a crucial factor when writing outreach emails. According to the report, 150 words is the perfect length, but an email should never exceed 250 words. Structure-wise, try and aim for two to four paragraphs of around 16 – 40 words each.
Additionally, pay close attention to both the content and length of your subject line; it is the first thing people will see and therefore makes the difference between your email being opened or ignored. One thing to be wary of is the over-personalization of the subject title: people tend to assume it is spam and delete it straight away. To ensure high engagement, keep the subject line to between five and ten words and use direct language.
Be “politely consistent”
When you are chasing up someone who hasn’t replied, avoid being too persistent straight away. Sending an email the following day at the same time makes your outreach look automated. Instead, wait six to eight days and then reply.
Initially, send a polite nudge and forward the original email. If they do not respond, forward the last two emails and ask to be referred to the correct person. On the third attempt, as well as the content of your final attempt, make sure to confirm that you will not be sending any more emails. Staying polite throughout will allow you to keep the channels open for possible communication later.
Don’t be put off by the bad times
One key takeaway from the COVID-19 pandemic has been that investment in marketing today means impact tomorrow and in the long term.
When any crisis or hardship is ongoing, it may feel insensitive to send promotional emails. But tailoring the message to reflect the situation can have long-term benefits. Yes, decisions will likely be delayed but, so long as you remain respectful and clearly target issues the sector in the question is facing, the responses will come.
Be optimistic and realistic
Finally, going in with the belief that each email will be successful is unrealistic. Whilst it shows great enthusiasm (something that should be championed), the fact is that not everyone feels the same way about marketing.
Some will welcome your email whilst others will mark it as spam immediately — there’s simply no way around this. However, as the report shows, email marketing remains one of the strongest ways to reach out to prospects. Therefore, as long as expectations are managed, it is a valuable channel!
