How To Write an Outreach Email That Will Get You a Reply

Have you ever sent a message in a bottle?

I buried one a long time ago — so if you’re ever digging holes at a campsite in northern Idaho, you might just find some of my earliest writing. That’ll be worth millions when I’m famous. (Hey, I can dream.)

In a lot of ways, messages in bottles are a lot like outreach emails. The recipient has no idea who you are, but you have one precious chance to win their interest — and if you’re lucky, they might even reply. All it takes is one amazing message.

But how do you ensure your cold outreach email has a higher response rate than my buried bottle, which is sitting at a lonely little 0? Let’s find out!

What Is an Outreach Email?

When you send an outreach email, you’re trying to spark a business conversation with someone new. That means they don’t have any relationship or connection with you, your brand or your offerings. Although the recipient could be anyone from a job candidate you found on LinkedIn to an influencer you’d like to partner with, we’ll focus today’s outreach efforts on the elusive “potential customer.”

This is where you might be thinking, “Hold on. Isn’t this just email marketing wearing a different hat?” 

While there are plenty of similarities, these approaches are more like companions than copies. Let’s break it down:

• Cold email outreach campaign: You’re walking up to strangers on the street, introducing yourself and inviting them to hang out because you think you can help each other.
• Email marketing campaign: You’re with a group of people you already know. They think you’re pretty cool and want to hear what you’re working on.

The big difference? In marketing, people share their contact information for the specific purpose of getting on your email list — for example, subscribing to your amazing newsletter. They come to you. In an outreach campaign, it’s the other way around — meaning you have to take a few extra steps to explain who you are, why you’re reaching out and what the recipient stands to gain. Otherwise, you’ll be a stranger on the street forever.

So, does that mean marketing is the better, easier path? Not necessarily. While email marketing has plenty of perks, it’s also passive in some ways. Sure, people are coming to you — but you have to wait for them to show up. 

Here are just a few more benefits of a cold email outreach strategy:

• Expanding your customer base: To sign up for your mailing list, people need to know about you. Outreach emails help you identify and address gaps in brand awareness by going beyond the group you’re currently reaching with other marketing efforts.

• Testing your offerings: In this context, your unique selling propositions (USPs) must stand on their own — no longstanding interest, no previous interactions. That means you can track the reply rate to different content and see which points are most compelling to people without context.

• Communicating directly: In marketing, you’re sometimes talking at people. An outreach email is an opportunity for more direct, personal and — hopefully — 2-way conversations.

• Automating your processes: Once you’ve got a solid template library, you can quickly plug in the details and send cold emails to tons of recipients. This helps cut costs and effort, which balances out one of the top concerns in outreach campaigns: the risk that people will just ignore you.

How To Plan and Write an Effective Outreach Email in 10 Steps

Here’s a little secret: The best email outreach tool is good writing.

And I’m not just saying that because I’m a writer. Your message itself can make or break a cold campaign’s success — so follow these steps to do it right:

#1: Identify Your Audience

This can be as specific as one promising person or as broad as a whole group untouched by your current marketing efforts. Just make sure you answer the most important question before writing a single word: Why should they care?

#2: Build Your Email List

Because you’re reaching out to strangers, you’ll need to find their contact info yourself. You can do this by searching their websites, LinkedIn profiles, blog posts or other online content. However, it might be easier and faster to find email addresses using tools like these:

#3: Set Goals

You can often measure cold email performance with the same key performance indicators as any other marketing email:

• Open rate: How many people opened your message?
• Response rate: How many replies did you receive?
• Bounce rate: What percentage didn’t reach the recipient (for example, because they were blocked by email providers)?
• Conversion rate: What’s the ratio of emails sent to successful conversions?
• Lead generation: Did you generate leads, even if they aren’t conversions yet?
• Click-through rate: How many people clicked a link in your email?

#4: Create Compelling Subject Lines

That’s right: I said lines plural.

The thing about cold email subject lines is that they’re your first, and sometimes only, chance to get someone’s attention. That’s why I recommend brainstorming plenty of them. Choose your favorites, but save the rest just in case.

Don’t forget to see if AI can help you out. Here’s a quick prompt you can personalize:

• “Can you please generate 20 cold email subject lines that convey [mood] and communicate the value of [offering or USP]?”

#5: Personalize Your Message

A personalized email feels like it’s from a real person and to a real person. You might not have a ton of information at this stage, but work with what you’ve got:

• Their interests based on their role, industry or previous work.
• Something their business or website needs.
• A unique connection like being from the same hometown or graduating from the same university.
• Compliments on their online content.
• Expertise in their field that creates an opening for you to ask questions (and make them feel like they’re helping out by responding).

#6: Choose a CTA

The call to action or CTA is your last chance to earn a reply. It’s crucial to clearly state what you want the reader to do — and, perhaps more importantly, make it easy for them to do it. Showing up in someone’s inbox unannounced and creating more work for them isn’t going to make you any new friends.

#7: Format and Fix

Ensure your emails are easy to read on every device. Short sentences and bullet points help with readability — plus, they help keep recipients from getting frustrated by walls of text.

This is also the perfect time to go back through your copy and eliminate any word that seems spammy. The idea is to help maximize email deliverability — but it makes your messages stronger, too. Here are a few words and phrases to cut:

• “Cheap”
• “Affordable”
• “Free”
• “Click here”
• “Best offer”
• “Act now”
• “Limited time”
• “Guaranteed”

#8: Check for Mistakes

Typos are just the beginning, people. Make sure you’re not committing these email crimes, either:

• Subject lines: Are your subject lines vague, overly long or just plain forgettable? Do they rely too much on gimmicks or ineffective emojis?
• Email length: Do you keep it short and sweet, or are you rambling on?
• Tone: Could readers feel like you’re being pushy, inconsiderate or “sales-y” to a fault?
• Timing: Are you planning to send emails at times when they could get lost or might cause a frustrating distraction?

#9: Test and Optimize

A/B testing is a method in which you send one email to group A and a different email to group B — and then you learn from which message performs better. The trick is to limit your variables. If the emails have different subject lines, body copy, CTAs and target audiences, you’ll never know what exactly made one group more successful than the other.

#10: Follow Up

A cold outreach email sequence should always include a quick follow-up message. Why? Because they help you stay top-of-mind, create one last chance at earning someone’s attention and show that you’re actively pursuing a connection.

Bonus: Always Be Learning

I was recently chatting with a writer friend (hi Ben!) about how we learn from other marketers’ emails. We talked about which messages deserve a click and which go right to the trash folder — and I encourage all marketers to do the same. You’re cleaning out your inbox anyway; why not learn from the subject lines and outreach strategies along the way?

5 Examples of Outreach Emails (With Templates!)

Ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into the world of cold outreach emails? Here are 5 examples and templates to get you started:

Link Exchange Request

Subject: Love Your Blog, [Name] — Link Exchange?

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re doing well! My name is [Your Name], and I’m with [Your Company/Website Name], where we focus on [industry]. I’ve been following [Recipient’s Website/Blog Name] and appreciate the quality content you share on topics like [specific topic or example from their site].

I’m reaching out to explore the possibility of a link exchange between our websites. I believe we could mutually benefit by helping our audiences discover more valuable resources and improving SEO.

For example, I noticed your article on [specific topic or post URL] would pair well with my post on [your related topic or post URL]. Similarly, I’d be happy to include a link to your content in [your specific post or topic].

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I’d love to discuss it further or hear your thoughts on a potential collaboration.

Looking forward to your reply!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Website Link]
[Your Contact Information]

Lead Generation

Subject: Helping [Company] Achieve [Specific Goal/Benefit]

Hi [Name],

I hope this message finds you well! My name is [Your Name], and I’m with [Your Company Name], where we specialize in [expertise or service]. I came across [Recipient’s Company Name] and was impressed by your [specific detail about their business].

I wanted to reach out because I believe we can help [Company Name] achieve [specific goal or outcome]. For example, we’ve recently worked with companies in [their industry or niche], helping them [specific benefit].

Here’s how we can help:

1. [Benefit 1] – Brief explanation.
2. [Benefit 2] – Brief explanation.
3. [Benefit 3] – Brief explanation.

If this resonates with you, I’d be happy to schedule a quick call to discuss how we can tailor our solutions to meet your needs. Does [specific day/time] work for you?

Looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate and support [Recipient’s Company Name].

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company Name]
[Your Website Link]
[Your Contact Information]

Customer Testimonial Request

Subject: We Want To Show You Off

Hi [Name],

I hope this email finds you well! I’m reaching out to express our gratitude for being a valued customer of [Your Company/Product Name]. It’s been a pleasure supporting [specific customer goal or project], and we’re always thrilled to hear how our solutions have helped make a difference.

We’d love to feature your experience in a customer testimonial to inspire others who may benefit from [specific product/service]. Your feedback is incredibly important to us, and sharing your story would highlight [recipient’s strength or niche].

Here’s what the process involves:

Step 1: [Explain how you’ll interview the recipient.]

Step 2: [Explain how you’ll draft the testimonial and request their input.]

Step 3: [Explain what you’ll do with the content.]

If you’re open to it, please let me know, and we can set up a time that works for you. Thank you for considering, and we look forward to showcasing your success!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]

(Tip: You can tweak this template just a little and make it work for survey or feedback requests, too!)

Influencer Outreach

Subject: Collaboration Opportunity with [Your Brand Name]

Hi [Name],

I hope this message finds you well! My name is [Your Name], and I’m with [Your Brand Name], where we [briefly describe your brand]. I’ve been following your work on [platform] and am impressed by your [specific strength].

We’re currently working on [campaign or goal], and we believe your voice would be a perfect fit to help us connect with [your target audience]. Here’s how we envision collaborating:

• [Campaign/Project Name]: [Brief description of the campaign and what it entails, e.g., sponsored posts, product reviews, giveaways, etc.]
• What’s in it for you: [Mention any incentives, e.g., payment, free products/services, access to exclusive events, etc.]

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, we’d love to discuss further details and explore how we can work together.

Let me know if you’re available for a quick chat or if there’s a better way to connect. I’m excited about the potential of collaborating with you!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Brand Name]
[Your Website/Social Media Links]
[Your Contact Information]

Resource Sharing

Subject: [Asset Name]: A Free Resource to [Solve Specific Problem or Achieve Goal]

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out to share a resource I believe you’ll find valuable: [Asset Name], which offers [brief description].

This resource is designed to help [target audience] tackle [specific challenge] and achieve [specific goal]. Inside, you’ll find:

• [Highlight 1] – Brief description.
• [Highlight 2] – Brief description.
• [Highlight 3] – Brief description.

You can download it for free here: [Insert Download Link].

Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think! If you have any questions or would like to discuss the topics covered further, I’d be happy to connect.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company Name]
[Your Website Link]
[Your Contact Information]

Start Converting Your Cold Email Efforts

Take it from someone who’s been waiting 20 years for a reply to a message in a bottle: Outreach can be scary. But with the right tips, tricks and inspiration, you might just have more success than I did. 

Good luck and may your cold emails warm up!