Do you want to improve your cold email? This short guide gives you ideas on how to write emails that turn leads into deals. You will learn the best length for cold emails and find out how to increase your success.
This question leads to others. “Does email length affect conversion rates?” (The quick answer is yes.) Or “Is there a certain word count that can help my response rates?”
These questions matter to anyone who wants to make their cold outreach better. We made this guide using data from over 10,000 campaigns and research from other email platforms.
Find out here what should be the best cold email design should be. Our step-by-step guide will enable you to write a perfect email to increase engagement.
You will learn:
Are you ready? Let us begin!
Research from Lemlist shows that the best length for cold emails is between 75-125 words. Emails near 120 words had a 52% booking rate, but emails with over 300 words only had a 20% booking rate.
Emails with less than 50 words had a 40% booking rate, which is better than 200 words (37%) and 250 words (25%).
| Word Count | Success Rate (Bookings) |
| 50 words | 40% |
| 120 words | 52% |
| 200 words | 37% |
| 250 words | 25% |
| 300+ words | 19% |
So, it is important to keep your emails clear and to the point. A study from Constant Contact showed that emails with 20 lines of text had better click-through rates (0.16%) than emails with fewer or more lines.
| Number of Lines | Click Rate Efficiency |
| 10 lines | 0.08% |
| 20 lines | 0.16% |
| 30 lines | 0.11% |
| 40 lines | 0.10% |
| 50 lines | 0.10% |
To make your emails easier to read, use short paragraphs and many line breaks. Do not use too much formatting, and make your emails simple to scan. This helps your message be interesting without confusing your reader.
Different industries may respond better to different email lengths. You should always test to find what works best for your audience. Have you ever wondered how to improve your writing skills? Today, people are using AI tools to improve their writing skills. They correct the grammatical mistakes and give your emails a professional touch.
Short, cold emails work very well. In cold outreach, being concise gives a strategic advantage. Research shows that cold emails between 75 and 125 words get the highest response rates. Brief emails are effective for five key reasons.
Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, said, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Writing a short email can be challenging. But the rewards are significant. Do you want to increase the revenue? Check out in what ways you can use cold email to boost your ROI here.
Remember, focused cold emails with few distractions can improve click-through and response rates. You should take the time to refine your message. Your readers and campaign metrics will appreciate it.
Cold email specialists often suggest concise subject lines. What is the ideal length for a cold email subject line? Personal tests with subjects like “Urgent,” “Important,” and “Quick questions” show strong results. Open rates can exceed 50%. These subjects create curiosity.
Short subject lines make people curious. This compels the recipient to open the email. However, this approach is not always the best.
Backlinko says that subject lines with 36 to 50 characters get the best response rates.
| Subject Line Length | Average Response Rate |
| 1-15 characters | 16.8% |
| 16-35 characters | 19.6% |
| 36-50 characters | 22.3% |
| 51-70 characters | 22.1% |
| 70+ characters | 20.5% |
These subject lines receive 32.7% more responses than subject lines with 1 to 15 characters. The reason is that longer subject lines are often more detailed. For example, “Quick question regarding your recent blog post.”
You should keep it balanced. Subject lines over 70 characters can lose power. They may get cut off on mobile screens.
Keeping your cold email brief is very important. You must include the parts that make it work well. Each part has a big role in getting attention and sparking interest. What should be the best cold email structure? Read our guide to find the best template for your business.
Here is what you should include:
An attractive subject line: Your subject line is the first impression that you make. It must be engaging and clear. It should address the recipient’s needs. A good subject line can help your open rates a lot.
A personal touch in greeting: Start with a greeting that feels personal. Including the recipient’s name is a good start. Adding something about their business or role shows real interest. This shows that you are not just sending mass emails.
A brief introduction: Introduce yourself quickly. Establish your credibility. Keep it short with just a couple of sentences that explain why you contacted them. Focus on what makes your experience important for them.
A clear value offer: This is the main message. Explain clearly what you can offer the recipient. Address their problems. Present your solution in a specific way. Make it impactful. Adding proof can make it stronger. Use case studies or testimonials.
Include a clear call-to-action (CTA): Without a clear step, the email does not have direction. Tell the recipient what to do next. This can be scheduling a meeting or replying with more information. Keep the CTA simple and easy to follow.
Close your email professionally: End with a signature that has your name, role, and contact details. A good signature shows professionalism. It helps them to reach you easily.
Each section should be short and focused. Your goal is to engage them. Encourage a conversation, not to close a deal right away. Offer value and create a connection.
Email marketing is at its best when you have the best tools at hand. Here are the best cold email software that can significantly boost your productivity.
Do you look for new ideas to create a good cold email? Here are three simple templates you can use. These templates can help you start your outreach efforts. You can change them to improve your open, click, and response rates.
Subject: Quick inquiry about [Company] and [specific issue]
Hi [Name],
I hope you have a great day. I read about [Company]’s [project or accomplishment] in [area]. This is very impressive!
I thought you might be interested in how we help businesses like [Customer]. We helped them with addressing [specific issue].
Does this align with your priorities?
Kind regards,
[Your Signature]
Subject: Greetings from [Mutual connection]
Hi [Name],
I hope you do not mind me contacting you. [Mutual connection] said great things about you and told me to reach out.
I am reaching out because at [Your Company], we are experts in [Expertise]. Recently, we helped [Customer]. They achieved [Result].
I see your work at [Company]. I think our [Product] helps you achieve your goals in [Specific Area].
Can you have a quick talk with me to see if it can work?
Best regard,
[Your Signature]
Subject: [Name], does [Specific Issue] still matter to you?
Hi [Name],
I hope you are okay. I want to check in on my last email about your [Specific Issue].
I think we can help you to reach [Goal]. We can avoid [Pain Point]. We helped [Happy Customer] not long ago.
Is this a priority for you still?
Best,
[Your Signature]
Always make use of good AI tools to write emails. Tools can automate tasks to save time and increase profit ratios.
In cold emails and sales messages, longer notes do not always give better results. This short guide shares tips based on data. It helps you make cold emails that get more open, click, and reply rates.
For best results, cold emails should have 75-125 words or about 20 lines. For subject lines, try to have 36-50 characters. This can help with reply rates.
Remember, these numbers may not work for every field. Results can change a lot based on what you offer or what your audience likes. That is why testing is very important.
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