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How to Write a Cold Email That Gets Replies

Subject line​

The only job of the subject line is to get the email opened.

  • Keep it short, around 2 to 6 words
  • Make it feel personal, for example by including their first name or company name
  • Ask a question or mention a problem you can solve
  • Write in lowercase or sentence case, like a colleague would
  • Avoid spammy words and symbols such as "FREE!!!", "$$$" or "Act now"

Examples: Quick question, {{firstName}} or cakes for {{companyName}}'s team?

Body​

Keep it short. Most good cold emails are 50 to 125 words and easy to read on a phone. A simple structure that works:

  1. Opening line about them, not you. Mention their company, role or something relevant.
  2. The problem they probably have
  3. Your solution, in one or two sentences, with a result or proof (for example a customer you helped)
  4. One clear call to action

Write like a person, not a brochure. Plain, friendly emails get more replies than heavily designed ones.

Call to action​

Ask for one thing only, and make it easy:

  • A reply ("Worth a quick chat?")
  • A short call, with a link to your calendar (for example Calendly)
  • Trying your product or seeing a short demo

In the first email, a low-effort ask such as a reply usually works better than asking for a meeting.

Opt-out line​

Every cold email should make it easy to opt out. It's required by law in many countries, and it reduces spam complaints, which protects your domains. Add a simple line at the end, for example:

Not the right person? Just reply "no thanks" and I won't email again.

In Instantly, you can also turn on the unsubscribe link header in your campaign settings. Remove anyone who opts out straight away.

Links and images don't automatically send emails to spam, but they do add risk, especially from new inboxes. To use them safely:

  • Only send them from fully warmed-up inboxes
  • Use one link and one image at most
  • Use a custom tracking domain if you track clicks
  • Keep the email mostly text, with a small, fast-loading image
  • A/B test with and without them to see what works for you

We include a personalized image in our cold emails, and links in most of them. Our open rate at the time this screenshot was taken was 81.7%:

Instantly campaign statistics

Open rates are now less reliable than they were, because Apple Mail and some security tools open emails automatically. Use reply rate and meetings booked as your main measures of success.

Email templates​

To get started, take inspiration from proven templates. Good sources are the templates inside Instantly, Hunter and Lemlist. Always rewrite them in your own words, as filters recognize copied templates.