Bad news: Your cold outreach sucks.
Good news: I can help.
9 cold outreach tips to instantly improve and get better marketing results:
1/ Curate a list of leads.
Pick a couple Twitter accounts in your niche. Look through their followers or people who engage with their content.
(You can do this faster in @sparktoro. You can even get contact info and organize leads in .CSV lists.)
2/ Research those leads.
Make sure your request is relevant and appropriate.
Pitching for media coverage? Check if that publication actually covers your niche.
Asking to do a guest post? Verify whether they even publish guest posts.
Invest the time now to get better ROI.
3/ Edit your outreach list.
Your research is done!
Cut down that list to just the most relevant leads. Think of it this way:
50 high-quality leads with a 60% response rate = 30 interested people
100 low-quality leads with a 20% response rate = 20 half-interested people
4/ Clarify your public persona.
Google yourself. Look at the top 2 results. Maybe it's your LinkedIn and Twitter. Check your headline/bio.
• Is it clear who and what you are?
• Does it align with your outreach?
5/ Start writing a good message.
Speak to a relevant pain point.
Try a tool like @answerthepublic to get a sense of how your target customers describe problems or questions.
Weave those insights into your message.
6/ Don't pitch value. Pitch features AND value.
Write like a human talking to a human. This isn't a landing page.
🚫 We get you to inbox zero in 40% less time.
✅ We're a Gmail plugin that offers templates and automations, so you can save time writing emails.
7/ Be concise.
...a.k.a. tailor your message for the medium.
Twitter DM? Keep it <100 words. People on Twitter aren't reading. They're skimming.
Email? People are primed to read so it can be longer. But try to keep it <200 words, or 1 minute of read time.
8/ Don't express fandom unless it's genuine.
Smart people see through b.s. quickly.
If you actually are a fan, say so, but be specific. What about their work or expertise do you appreciate?
If you're not a fan, don't bring it up. It's weird.
9/ Send a warm message instead.
The best cold outreach isn't cold.
Talk to them on the timeline. If you have thoughtful back-and-forth, consider a DM or email to finish the convo.
When you DM, they'll think, "I know Ian! He does B2B marketing and has thoughtful replies."
TL;DR:
• Do your research
• Make a list of relevant people
• Clarify your public persona
• Write a concise message
• Avoid buzzwords
• Build rapport on social media
• Be genuine
Good luck on your cold outreach! You can do this.
Want more advice?
Follow me: @amandanat
...for tweets on marketing, creativity and life.
And tune in Thursday (9/16) for #SparkToroHours where I'll present on cold outreach.
If you can't join, RSVP for the replay!
crowdcast.io/e/sparktoro-of…
I expounded on this thread in a post for the SparkToro blog.
Lots of extra cheat codes here:
sparktoro.com/blog/shoot-you…
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