How to send Cold Emails that Convert as a Newbie Freelancer?
Cold emails are like the Narnia of the online world. It’s a passage hiding in plain sight that opens you to a world of never-ending possibilities.
I’m romanticizing cold emails for nothing. There’s always a reason, and in this blog, you’ll find out exactly that, but also the correct way to do cold emails.
Starting your freelancing business or building a personal brand can be daunting. Primarily, because you want to get to a lot of people you don’t know. And you don’t know how to get to them. Cold email solves the answer to “how.”
What are Cold Emails?
These are quite literally emails that you send to people you don’t know, but with a motive.
Meaning that you have a purpose of sending that email. The receiver doesn’t know you exist but sending that email will tell them.
Why should I send emails to strangers?
The question should be, “Why shouldn’t you?”
As a newbie freelancer, you want to tell people that you exist and that your services can provide value to them.
Not only this. You can cold email anyone you want which is as close as it gets to choosing your clients. Although, I don’t really advise that and will explain why so.
Cold emails are basically done to create a demand for your services. You can close deals with complete strangers from any part of the world.
Who should I send cold emails to?
Most freelancers derail from their course here. When I said you can literally email anyone, I meant that, but it also means that most people aren’t likely to open them.
If you expect to convert big brands like Apple or Nike on your first day, you’d be disheartened. Because you have the wrong expectations with your dream companies.
Especially in the beginning when you only have sample projects or one or two real ones in your portfolio.
Does that mean I should never message my dream companies? Absolutely not.
There’s no tax on dreaming big, and one day you can surely get there and get a reply, maybe even secure a deal. Who knows?
But till that day, you should start with a strategy that ensures that your efforts don’t go waste. And that you get maximum replies that are ready to talk business with you.
What’s the best strategy for Cold Emailing?
Okay, this might sound weird. The best strategy for cold emailing is counterintuitive. I call it warm emails. Yes, I gave that name to it myself.
Thank you!
So what the hell are warm emails now?
It’s pretty much the same. Sending emails to strangers. But the only difference is that they’ll not be so cold. Duh!
It’s basically sending emails to people who might be expecting someone like you but don’t know you.
You just know they have a need, and you’re here to fulfill it with your services.
“What do you even mean?”
I mean finding people that are looking for people like you and then emailing them cold. Since they’re already looking for someone similar, the response received will be warmer. In short, you’ll have better chances of hearing back.
Warm Emails
Warm email is the strategy where you message someone who is already looking for you. They might not have expressed it through a proper channel, but they have communicated a need.
Just like a social media post saying we need content writers for our upcoming project. It’s out in the open and yours to take. You just need to take the first step, and that starts with a warm email.
Here’s how you should approach it:
Look for your niche or services keywords with prefixes like “hiring.” Like “Hiring remote copywriters,” or something else in your case. Do this on primarily two platforms. Linkedin & Twitter.
This will expose you to social media posts that communicate the need of hiring a person. (You’re that person!)
The important thing to note is that these are not really listed as job openings on portals sometimes. These can literally just be social media posts from team members of the company.
This is your chance to go in what that charm of a warm email. You know that they have a requirement, and you know that you can match it with your required skills.
There’s no more a need to be pushy as a newbie freelancer where you have to make them buy your services. It works well as an established contractor but not a new one.
So this becomes your golden opportunity to strike while the iron is hot. To make things simpler, here’s a checklist of everything you must include in your warm email:
1. A two or three line introduction where you tie in how you got to know about this role opening.
2. One-two lines about the company which show that you’ve done your research.
3. Links to your work if published and portfolio.
4. And finally, a line or two about how you’re looking forward to hearing from them.
Why Warm Emails will be your Lucky Charm?
When I discovered the concept of warm emails, I was shocked to see one thing. The fact that how many people don’t follow simple fu*king instructions.
People will literally comment interested below a post. When it’s clearly mentioned that you need to send your details via email.
It goes on to show that people have a hard time following instructions. And if you want to be ahead of the curve, you’ll trump half of your competition by following instructions. For the next half, warm emails are at your service.
So do Warm Emails work for just Freelancers or Job seekers too?
I’d advise warm emails to everyone. Not just freelancers. They’ll help you stand out.
If you’re a job seeker who’s applying through a portal like everyone else, it’s great. But do you know how you can improve your chances?
With a warm email.
You can personalize your application one step further with a warm email. An HR in this case. And then send a personalized message including everything I’ve listed above.
It’s not rocket science, but it’s surreal to see that a little extra effort can increase your chances. By a long shot!
Looking Ahead…
While starting out as a freelancer, these warm email tips will come in handy. Once you become a high-ticket business owner, your dream companies won’t be a dream anymore.
I’ll still say that you should maintain a healthy ratio of messaging as a freelancer.
For every ten emails, you send as outreach,
70% should be targeted warm emails, while the rest 30% can be for your dream companies. Because Hey! You should never stop believing.
Every dream company is different, and if you won’t even try, you’ll definitely not convert,
But even if you try with 30% capacity, you might.
With that, here’s a question for you
