Email marketing has undergone a massive evolution since its inception. Previously, cold emails were often seen as the golden ticket to raising inquiries. Businesses could shoot off emails with catchy subject lines and subsequently witness a flood of responses. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.
The initial effectiveness of cold emails was primarily because they leveraged a novel communication channel that had not yet become saturated with spam or unwelcome correspondence. However, this has since changed due to the intrusion of automation-based techniques. These methods found a misguided belief in sheer volume of emails equating to effectiveness.
Businesses hoped that the more the emails sent, the better the results; this couldn’t be further from the truth. The idealistic approach of cold emailing a million potential clients per month raises a poignant question: are you planning to email aliens too? Because that’s the only way you’re finding a million interested people. Suffice to say, the golden era of cold email strategies is a thing of the past.
The standard cold email often feels robotic and impersonal, like a correspondence addressed to a ‘Dear Occupant’. Successful emails need to resonate with the recipient, a feat that requires effort. This effort is something that mailbox providers have also started taking note of. The generic cold emails, which used to give them substantial cash flow, are no longer as effective and are now as welcome as a telemarketer during your dinner time.
Now, providers are introducing new sender requirements, thus making the mass cold emailing strategy redundant. This marks the end of an era, one where email marketing tactics were fast and loose. Essentially, cold emailing as we know it is as dead as fried chicken.
It’s high time for entrepreneurs to use their creativity to discover new avenues. There’s a long list of alternatives to communicate more effectively with their consumers. Cold and impersonal approaches are yesterday’s news.
The world has changed, and it’s important to adapt with it. There’s no point in holding onto a dying strategy desperately, hoping to find a miraculous loophole. There are 152 different ways to profit from email, so why depend on just one?
Link to the original article: Why I’m Throwing in the Towel on Cold Email (And Why You Should, Too).
Credit: Ed Forteau.