Creative Twists for Cold Email Personalization

It's one thing to personalize your cold emails, but it's another to do it in a way that stands out and resonates with your audience.

Nowadays, every email marketer knows the basics of personalization. But for many, this means slapping recipients' names at key points throughout the email and hoping for the best.

That's simply not going to fly anymore. Think about the emails sitting in your inbox right now. Chances are, a good portion of them use your first name. Yet, that in itself does very little for personalization.

To connect with your audience, you need to approach personalization in a creative way. You need to understand your recipient's pain points inside and out. And you need to deliver a value-packed experience that's tailor-made for them and their goals.

This article will show you how.

Should You Add Personalization to Your Cold Emails?

The short answer is absolutely. Why? Because personalized cold emails resonate with your audience on a deeper level. It humanizes your brand. It's not just another faceless corporation but a real person who cares about solving specific problems.

Let’s paint a picture. Imagine you're at a crowded networking event, surrounded by strangers. A random person approaches you, calls you by name, and immediately launches into a generic sales pitch.

Chances are, you would feel:

• Annoyed

• Disinterested

• Intruded upon

That's exactly how your prospects feel when they receive a cold email without personalization.

Now, instead, imagine that person talks about a mutual interest, compliments your social post, or brings up a recent achievement of yours. That personal touch instantly builds rapport, right? The same logic applies to cold emails.

To further extend this point, let’s look at some examples of good and bad personalization in a subject line, and you can see for yourself what would work better in enticing you personally:

But personalization isn't just about making recipients feel warm and fuzzy – it's a strategic move with massive benefits for your cold email metrics:

• Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened

• 72% of consumers only engage with personalized messages

• Personalized email messages boost click-through rates by 14% and conversion rates by 10%

So, should you personalize your cold emails? The evidence speaks for itself. Take the time to craft messages that speak directly to your prospects' pain points. This increases your chances of capturing their attention and builds trust from the get-go.

So, the question isn't "Should you personalize?" Instead, it's "How can you personalize creatively?"  Let's explore some innovative ways to do just that.

Innovative Personalization Ideas for Cold Email Campaigns

True personalization goes beyond the generic "Dear [First Name]" approach. It’s about crafting messages that feel like they were written just for your prospect.

If done right, it’ll speak directly to all three of their:

1. Unique interests

2. Pain points

3. Aspirations

Here are eight creative ways to improve your cold email campaigns:

1. Including Recipients’ Latest Achievement or Event

People love to be celebrated. Did your prospect recently win an industry award, pass a significant milestone, or get promoted? Mentioning these details in your cold emails is sure to capture their attention and make a memorable first impression.

Here’s an example of how you can bring this up:

"Hi [Prospect’s Name], Congratulations on your recent award in [Industry Category]! It was well-deserved. Your insights on [Mutual Topic] were particularly thought-provoking. As a specialist in [Relevant Field], I couldn't help but reach out..."

A quick online search can uncover the specific achievements or events you want to reference. Bringing up your recipient's latest achievements or events shows that you're paying attention and genuinely interested in their success.

2. Leveraging User Segmentation for Customized Offers

One size rarely fits all in cold email outreach. That's why segmenting your email list is so important. We're talking about dividing your audience based on criteria like:

• Demographics

• Industry and job title

• Customer base

• Company size

• Buying behavior

• Purchase history

• Pain points and affiliations

Let's say you're segmenting based on company size. For small businesses, you could talk about features that simplify workflow and collaboration. For larger businesses, you could focus on scalability and integration capabilities.

Proper segmentation lets you tailor hyper-personalized messages and offers that resonate with each group's needs and interests. The outcome is higher engagement, conversion, and even recipient loyalty.

For the best results, consider engaging a cold email platform like Quickmail. With its advanced capabilities, you can segment your audience based on your specific circumstances effortlessly, etc.

3. Reference Their Location in the Email

Using location-based references is a subtle yet effective way to add a personal touch to your cold emails. For example, if your prospect is based in Boston, you could mention the Red Sox's recent winning streak or a famous local landmark.

This makes you relatable and shows that you've taken the time to understand your prospect. Do it right, and you could instantly spark a sense of connection.

If, for instance, your prospect is from Texas, you could say:

“Hey [Prospect’s Name], I Hope you're enjoying that famous Texas BBQ this weekend. Speaking of sizzling hot topics, I wanted to connect about…”

Free geolocation tools can identify the recipient's general location (city/state). However, avoid anything overly specific, like street addresses.

4. Include Social Media Activity (Without Going Overboard)

Social media can be a goldmine for personalized information, but striking the right balance is critical. Instead of super personal details, focus on:

1. Tasteful references

2. Professional interests or hobbies.

3. Accomplishments

To make sure you never go too deep, only get your information from professional, publicly available platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.

For example, if a prospect has shared a current article directly related to your industry, pick a point from that and start speaking about it in an email with an appropriate subject line. The whole idea is to build a connection, not to barge in.

A good example could be:

"I noticed you recently retweeted an article about the challenges of lead generation in [Specific Industry]. At [Your Company], we've helped companies like yours..."

There are lots of other creative ways to play around with this. Just be sure to keep it relevant and avoid coming across as creepy.

5. Personalize Send Times Based on the Recipient’s Location

Did you know that people are more likely to open emails during specific times of the day? Your timing can make or break your outreach efforts.

Personalize the send times using a human-like cadence with Quickmail. Time ranges and the days sent can be arranged on the Quickmail platform.

Additionally, with Quickmail, you can see email engagement patterns because of the send-day attribution within the analytics, which can help you cater to your specific audience.

By taking time zone and work timing differences into account, you could schedule your emails to arrive in the inboxes of your recipients during the time when there is the highest chance of it being read and acted upon.

6. Mention Their Specific Pain Points

One of the most effective ways to personalize cold emails is by addressing your prospect's specific pain points. By researching and understanding their unique challenges, you can position your product or service as the solution they've been seeking.

For instance, you could say something like, "I noticed you've been struggling with [pain point]. Here's how our product/service can help relieve that stress."

This approach shows that you understand their situation and are invested in helping them succeed.

7. Discuss Current Events or Trends in Their Industry

Staying current with industry news is a fantastic way to demonstrate your awareness and prompt deeper conversations with your prospects.

How can you do this? Subscribe to industry publications and blogs on current trends and news. Then, creatively reference what you’ve learned in your cold emails.

Whether it's mentioning a recent conference or hot topic, showing that you're up-to-date with what's happening in your prospects’ world helps establish credibility and rapport.

8. Add Humor Personalized to Recipient’s Taste

Who says cold emails have to be boring? Professionalism is important, no doubt. But a well-timed and tasteful joke can breathe life into your cold emails, making them more memorable and enjoyable.

Try telling a witty joke on readers’ interests or using a clever pun based on their industry. A healthy dose of humor can lighten the mood and leave a lasting, positive impression on your readers.

Take this example, for instance:

“Hi Max, I can't decide what's cuter – your office dog or the outdated marketing strategy on your company website…”

Now, this joke goes hard. First, the dog’s picture needs to have been seen on a professional platform like LinkedIn, not a personal social media account. Second, the joke only works if the prospect has shown a great sense of humor in his previous posts.

The bottom line here is to tread lightly. If there’s even the slightest chance that your joke can come off as offensive or inappropriate to readers, don’t take the risk.

Tools That Can Help You Improve Personalization in Your Cold Emails

To get started on improving your cold emails with creative personalization, consider these tools for effective results in different parts of your process:

What Should You Avoid When Personalizing Cold Emails?

Personalization is a powerful way to elevate your cold email campaigns. But it's crucial to approach it with caution and avoid common pitfalls that could undermine your efforts.

As with any marketing strategy, there's a fine line between effective personalization and crossing boundaries that could damage your reputation.

Here are the most important things to steer clear of when personalizing your cold emails:

1. Invasive or creepy references

2. Irrelevant or tone-deaf humor

3. Oversharing personal information

4. Unsolicited phone calls or meetings

5. Heavy formatting and visual elements

Let's dive a little deeper into that last point: heavy formatting and visual elements.

While images, videos, and fancy HTML designs may seem like an appealing way to grab attention, they can actually decrease your cold email's deliverability and hinder personalization.

Heavy formatting can trigger spam filters. Large media files may not load properly across different email clients and devices. Plus, if your prospects read emails on mobiles in a low-bandwidth environment, it can actually turn some types of email UX into something that is virtually unusable.

What should your alternative look like, then? Focus on plain-text emails that prioritize clarity and readability. This way, your messages shine through without distractions.

You don’t have to abandon all visual elements entirely. You can still create tailored experiences with custom links and personalized copy without compromising performance. For instance, you could include a link to a relevant case study that aligns with your prospect's specific interests or pain points.

The key is to strike the right balance between relevance, authenticity, and respect for your prospects' boundaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I implement personalization in my emails effectively?

The key is to focus on quality over quantity. To do this, first lay out targeted emails with genuine personalization in the message rather than just blasting generic messages. From there, track your results and A/B test in order to see which personalization tactics actually work best. 

What are some common mistakes to avoid in cold email personalizations?

You should not crowd it with too much personal information to the point where you put invasive references. More importantly, do not bombard your recipient with excessive tracking links, formatting, and media files that can derail the deliverability of your message.

How can I gather the necessary data for effective personalization in cold email campaigns?

The data can be sourced from the publicly available website or social media profile of a company (e.g., LinkedIn, X). Databases and tools make building a prospect list simple and compliant.

Should I personalize every aspect of my cold email campaigns?

You should personalize most aspects of your email, like the subject line, opening sentences, and specific references to pain points. Creating a completely unique email for each and every recipient is oftentimes overkill.

How can I measure the ROI of personalized cold email campaigns?

You can measure the ROI by comparing the open rate, response rates, and conversion metrics of personalized cold email campaigns to the less or non-personalized cold email campaigns. If the metrics are higher and you end up getting more conversions, for example, that would mean that you have a positive return on investment.

Ready to Skyrocket Your Cold Email Outreach With Creative Personalization?

Successful cold email personalization can be highly rewarding. But we know it's not easy. It takes time, dedication, and drive to see exceptional results.

To help you accelerate the process, consider using Quickmail, your all-in-one cold email powerhouse. Our tools, resources, and software are designed to help you scale through the entire process effortlessly.

We've got you covered every step of the way, from personalization to A/B testing to advanced analytics.

So go ahead, get creative, and watch your engagement soar with Quickmail. Start your free QuickMail trial today!