Best Call To Actions (CTA’s) for Your Cold Emails

When talking about cold email outreach, it’s impossible to overlook the pivotal role of a cold email call to action (CTA). The CTA is the engine of your cold email, driving your prospects to perform a desired action.

However, designing the perfect cold email CTA that compels your potential customers to take action is a delicate science that requires thought, strategy, and creativity.

Understanding the Cold Email Call to Action

An email call to action is essentially a prompt that encourages your recipient to take a specific action. In a cold email, the call to action can range from encouraging a click on a link, a response to the email, scheduling a quick meeting, or even visiting your business’s website.

The art of crafting an effective call to action in a cold email is about making it as easy as possible for your target audience to understand what you want them to do next. To achieve this, your cold email CTA must be clear, compelling, and persuasive.

The Fundamentals of a Good CTA

So, what makes a good CTA in a cold email? A good CTA must be concise, persuasive, and crystal clear. It should tell the recipient exactly what to do, and it should provide a compelling reason to do so. A clear CTA is one that leaves no room for interpretation. The recipient should know exactly what action they’re expected to take.

If your email call to action is ambiguous, your prospects may not respond as you’d hope. A clear and compelling CTA, on the other hand, will guide your potential customers in the right direction, making it easier for them to move further down the buying process.

Value Proposition and Personalized Approach

While the fundamentals are crucial, a good cold email CTA also relies heavily on your value proposition. In your cold email, make it clear how the prospect will benefit from taking the desired action. This may involve solving a business challenge, addressing a pain point, or offering an exciting opportunity.

At the same time, personalizing your CTA can significantly improve conversion rates. Consider your recipient’s business needs and craft a cold email call to action that resonates with them. For instance, if you know they’re interested in optimizing their sales process, your cold email call to action could invite them to a free study or a webinar on sales optimization.

Make Your CTA Stand Out

In a cold email, the call to action should be the star of the show. Make it stand out by using a different color for your CTA button (like a green button), bolding the text, or even using a different font. You might also consider using a calendar link in your cold email call to action, which allows your prospects to select a date and time for a meeting directly from the email.

To show some cold email CTA examples, imagine you’re sending a cold email to a decision maker in a business. Your other email CTA examples could be as straightforward as “Click here to schedule a quick meeting on your preferred date and time”, or as personalized as “Would you be interested in a personalized video demonstrating how our product can streamline your sales process?”

Multiple Call to Actions

It might sound counterintuitive, but including multiple call to actions in your cold email can actually be effective, as long as it’s done right. A multiple-choice CTA offers prospects more than one option, which can increase the chances of a response. This might involve giving prospects a choice of different dates for a meeting, different reports to download, or different topics to discuss.

However, it’s important not to overwhelm your prospects with too many choices. Two to three options are usually enough to provide prospects respond some flexibility without causing decision paralysis. Multiple choice CTAs can be especially useful when you’re not sure what specific action your prospect might be most interested in.

In the next part, we will discuss how to strategically incorporate CTAs in your cold email campaign, common mistakes to avoid, and the role of A/B testing in optimizing your CTAs.

Remember: your cold email outreach can be a gold mine, but only if your cold email call to action is topmost, top priority in the crafting process. If you want your prospects to take an immediate action, give them a reason to do so.

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Integrating CTAs in Your Cold Email Campaign

Now that you understand the importance of a compelling cold email CTA and the key elements that make it effective, let’s move on to the next stage: seamlessly integrating it into your cold email campaign. A well-placed, strategic cold email call to action can greatly influence the success of your email outreach.

The Right Placement for your CTA

In a cold email, the placement of your call to action cta plays a crucial role. It can be a difference-maker between a quick meeting scheduled or your email left unread in the inbox. The best place for your cold email ctas or call to action is often toward the end of your email, after you’ve given your prospects enough information to make an informed decision.

However, an “above cold email” call to action – that is, a CTA placed above the fold, or before the recipient has to scroll down – can also be effective, especially if your email is long. In this case, you might place a brief, engaging call to action toward the beginning of your email and repeat it at the end.

Cold Email Call to Actions – Dos and Don’ts

An effective cold email call to action must follow certain rules. For instance, avoid being overly pushy or desperate in your CTAs. This can come off as unprofessional and might deter your prospects from taking the desired action. Always keep your tone respectful and aim to convey the value of taking action.

Secondly, avoid open ended questions in your cold email call. Instead, direct the conversation in the right direction. For example, instead of asking “Would you like to talk about our services?”, say “Can we schedule a call on this specific date and time interested to discuss how our services can help you achieve your business goals?”

Lastly, don’t forget to make your CTA mobile-friendly. As most emails today are read on mobile devices, ensure your CTA button or link is easily clickable on a small screen.

A/B Testing Your CTAs

One of the most effective ways to optimize your cold email CTA is through A/B testing. This involves sending out two versions of your cold email with different CTAs to see which one generates the most responses.

For example, you could test different CTA text (“Book a call” vs. “Schedule a meeting”), different types of CTAs (a link vs. a button), or even different colors for your CTA button. You might be surprised at how small changes can lead to big differences in your response rates.

Remember, the goal of A/B testing your CTAs is not only to find out what works best for your current campaign but also to gain insights you can apply to future cold emails. Over time, this can lead to significant improvements in your cold email outreach results.

Evaluating the Success of Your Cold Email Call to Action

How can you tell if your cold email call to action is working? The key metrics to email tracking are the response rate and the conversion rate. If your prospects are responding to your emails and taking the desired action – whether that’s booking a call, visiting your website, or buying your product – that’s a strong indication that your CTAs are effective.

In the next part, we will delve deeper into CTA examples and how you can craft the best call to action for your business needs. It’s crucial to remember that the best person most effective tactic is often the one that best addresses your biggest challenge – in this case, getting your prospects to respond.

Examples and Insights on Crafting the Best Call to Action

Having gone through the fundamentals and integration of CTAs in your cold emails, let’s now delve into some specific examples. These cold email call to action examples will provide practical insights on how to craft an effective CTA for your business needs. Remember, the best call to action is one that is tailored to your audience and reflects your unique value proposition.

Straightforward Email Call to Action

The most straightforward email call to actions are often the most effective. This is especially true in cold emails, where your prospect might not be familiar with your business and thus might not be willing to spend time figuring out what you want them to do.

For instance, a straightforward CTA like “Click here to book a call on [specific date]” or “Kindly refer to landing page on our website for more details” makes it clear what the next step is. This type of CTA can be highly effective if you’ve already provided enough information to interest the prospect in taking the next step.

The “Sounds Interesting” Email CTA

Another effective tactic is the “sounds interesting” CTA. This type of CTA frames the action as an opportunity for the prospect to learn more about something that might interest them. For example, “If boosting your sales by 30% in the next quarter sounds interesting, click here to schedule a call.”

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This type of cold email call to action can be effective because it presents the desired action as a response to a potential interest or a pain point, rather than a requirement or an obligation.

The Conversation Starter Email Call to Action

A conversation starter CTA can also be highly effective in a cold email. This type of CTA encourages the prospect to engage in a dialogue, either by responding to the email or by booking a call. It could be something like “I’d love to hear more about your current sales process. Would you be free for a quick call next Tuesday?”

This type of email call to action can work well because it presents the desired action as a two-way conversation, rather than a one-sided sales pitch.

The “Curiosity” Email CTA

Lastly, there’s the “curiosity” CTA. This type of CTA piques the prospect’s curiosity by promising them something interesting or valuable if they take the desired action. It could be something like “Click here to discover the secret to doubling your conversion rates” or “Interested in learning how our solution helped Company X increase their revenue by 50%? Book a call here.”

By the new leads and sparking curiosity, this type of email call to action can motivate prospects to take the desired action to satisfy their curiosity. This can be especially effective if your offer is highly relevant to the prospect’s business needs.

In the next section, we will explore the CTA’s critical role in cold emailing, advanced strategies for personalizing your CTAs above cold email, and how to incorporate CTAs into your cold email subject line for optimal results.

The Role of CTAs in Cold Emailing and Advanced Strategies

In this section, we will dig deeper into the crucial role that CTAs play in cold emailing and explore advanced strategies for personalizing your CTAs. We’ll also delve into how you can incorporate CTAs into your cold email subject line for optimal results.

The Power of Personalized CTAs

Personalization is an effective strategy in cold emailing and this extends to your email call to action. A personalized CTA, such as a personalized video or a calendar link for a specific date and time, can make your prospects feel like your message is specifically meant for them, increasing the chances they’ll respond.

For instance, a personalized video CTA could say, “Watch this personalized video to learn how our product can solve your [pain point]”. This indicates most prospects that you’ve spent time understanding their business challenge, making your CTA more compelling.

Harnessing Multiple Call to Actions

Contrary to popular belief, using multiple call to actions in your cold email can be effective if done properly. For instance, you can present a multiple choice CTA where prospects choose the call to action cta, that most aligns with their current business needs.

A multiple choice option could say, “Interested in boosting your sales? Choose one: a) Book a call to discuss our strategies, b) Download our free study on outbound lead generation, c) Visit our landing page for more information. Giving options empowers the prospects to choose the action that feels most relevant to them.

Cold Email Subject Line and CTAs

Your cold email subject line and your call to action should work hand in hand. The subject line’s job is to get the prospect to open the email, and the CTA’s job is to get them to take action once they’ve opened it. An enticing subject line could say, “Boost Your Sales by 30% This Quarter – Let’s Talk!”.

This raises interest and when followed by a powerful CTA like, “If increasing your sales by 30% sounds interesting, let’s schedule a quick meeting right person to discuss further”, you’ve got a high chance of getting a positive response.

CTA and Sales

Remember, your ultimate business goal is to guide your prospect through the buying process, and your CTA plays a central role in that journey. Whether it’s to schedule a call, visit your website, or even directly purchase a product or service, your CTA needs to be clear, compelling, and aligned with your business and revenue goals.

In the final part, we will discuss CTA best practices, talk about common CTA mistakes to avoid, and address how Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, can aid in optimizing your CTAs for better conversion rates.

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CTA Best Practices and Common Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve now explored what a CTA is, the different types, and how to integrate them effectively into your cold emails. Now, let’s look at some best practices for creating effective CTAs and common mistakes to avoid.

CTA Best Practices

  • Clear and Concise: An effective call to action is clear, concise, and direct. Your prospects should immediately understand what you want them to do. “Book a demo,” “Download our free guide,” or “Schedule a call” are all good CTA examples.
  • Action-Oriented: A good CTA is action-oriented. It should inspire your prospects to take immediate action. This could be anything from scheduling a call, to visiting your website, or making a purchase.
  • Value-Oriented: Always highlight the benefits or value the prospects will get by taking the action. This can make the call to action more enticing. A CTA like “Join our free webinar to increase your sales” does a good job at this.
  • Use a CTA Button: If possible, include your CTA as a button. This makes it stand out visually and encourages more clicks. Make sure it’s in a color that stands out, like a green button.
  • Limited Choices: While we mentioned the use of multiple CTAs, be sure to limit your options. Too many choices can lead to analysis paralysis for your prospects.

Common CTA Mistakes to Avoid

  • Vague CTAs: Avoid vague language. Phrases like “Learn more” or “Click here” don’t communicate what the prospect should expect upon clicking.
  • Hidden CTAs: Your CTA should be easy to find. Don’t bury it in a paragraph of text.
  • Asking Too Much Too Soon: Be wary of asking too much from your prospects in your first interaction. Remember, building trust is a high priority.
  • Generic CTAs: If your CTA is too generic and not customized to your target audience or the recipient, it’s less likely to resonate with them.

By avoiding these common pitfalls and employing the best practices, your cold email call to action can become a powerful tool in your outbound lead generation efforts.

Finally, it’s essential to remember that an effective cold email campaign doesn’t stop at the email itself. With Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, you can track your CTAs’ performance, enabling you to continually refine and optimize your CTAs for the best results.

FAQs

What is an example of a call to action in a cold email?

An example of a call to action in a cold email could be “Schedule a demo of our software by clicking the green button below” or “Download our free guide to increasing your conversion rates here.” The goal is to encourage the recipient to take a specific action, which moves them further along the buying process.

How do you write a call to action in an email?

Writing a call to action in an email involves several steps:

  1. Identify the desired action you want the recipient to take.
  2. Make the CTA clear and concise, using action-oriented language.
  3. Highlight the value or benefit the recipient will receive by taking the action.
  4. Include the CTA towards the end of the email, but make sure it stands out.
  5. Finally, test and optimize your CTAs over time based on the response you receive.

Is cold call email illegal?

No, cold emailing is not illegal. However, certain countries have regulations that businesses need to follow when sending cold emails. For example, in the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act provides rules for commercial email messages, while in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has specific requirements for email marketing.

Serge Shlykov is the founder of Mailarrow. Rotterdam Business School graduate and a long-time software engineer he has been running his own agency and SaaS business before realizing how many people are struggling with cold email outreach. This made him create Mailarrow, the cold email outreach software that helps you build great relationships at scale. Find him on Twitter and LinkedIn