When it comes to guest posting, an outreach email is your best friend. This is because the first message for a guest post outreach request is what will determine whether or not your pitch gets accepted.
And the best way to create an impression in your pitch is email personalization.
What is Email Personalization?
Email personalization is the process of making your email messages more relevant to the recipients. And, it can be done in a number of ways, but the most common method is to use recipient data (such as their Name, Website, and Niche) to make the email more relevant to them.
It shows that you’ve taken the time to research the recipient and that you’re not just sending out a generic email.
A study by Adestra found that using the recipient’s name in the subject line can increase open rates by as much as 26%.
In other words, when you personalize an email, you’re more likely to get the recipient’s attention.
Why Personalization is Critical for Guest Post Outreach
If your email contains no relevant information and looks like it was sent to a thousand other people, the recipient is likely to delete it without reading. A personalized email shows that you have learnt about the recipient. And it can go a long way in getting your pitch accepted.
Think about it from your own perspective. Which email would you be more likely to read:
Subject: A Guest Post for Your Blog
Hi (First Name),
I was hoping I could write a guest post for your blog. I think I could write something that your readers would find valuable.
Best,
(Your Name)
Subject: Hi [first name], A Guest Post for Your Blog
Hi (First Name),
I read your blog post about (Topic) and I think I could write a guest post around (topic) that would be of value to your readers.
Best,
(Your Name)
The second email is more likely to get opened and read because it’s relevant to the recipient. The first email could have been sent to anyone with a blog. But the second email was specific to the recipient and their interests.
How to Personalize Outreach Emails?
Now that we’ve talked about why it is important personalize outreach emails, let’s talk about how to do it. There are a few different ways you can go about it.
Use the Person’s Name
Addressing the recipient by their name is the most basic form of personalization. And it’s also one of the most effective.
Studies have shown that when we see our own name, it triggers a positive response in the brain. This is because our brains are wired to pay attention to things that are relevant to us.
Personalize Around the Blog Owner’s Personas
Another way to effective email personalization is to segment your list by persona. A persona is a semi-fictional character that represents your ideal reader.
For example, if you’re reaching out to a mom blog, you might want to focus on guest posts that would be relevant to their persona and needs.
Try and figure out, what are they struggling with? What kind of content would they find valuable?
If you can answer these questions, you’ll be able to write a guest post that appeals to their needs – and that’s the best way to get your pitch accepted.
Personalize around the blog’s audience’s interest
You can also personalize your email by focusing on the interests of their audience. What are they struggling with? What kind of questions do they ask?
For example, while connecting with a food blog, you might want to write on subjects such as healthy recipes, cooking tips, etc.
Personalize around the recipient’s Interests
You can also personalize outreach email is to segment your list by interests. This is similar to persona segmentation, but it’s more focused on the content the recipient is interested in.
How to Write a Compliment to Personalize?
Compliments go a long way when it comes to connecting with your email prospects. You can appreciate their recent blog post and mention how that has helped you or your business.
For example, you might say something like
Subject: A Guest Post for Your Blog
Hi (First Name),
I really enjoyed your blog post about (Topic). It solved one of our pressing problems of [describe problem]. So, I really appreciate you addressing that in your blog post.
Best,
(Your Name)
It’s also a great way to strike a conversation and get the recipient to respond to your email.
Personalize with a Relevant Visual Representation
If you want to take your personalization to the next level, you can add a relevant visual representation. This could be something as simple as their company logo or a picture of them.
For instance, if you’re reaching out to a blog about travel, you might want to include a picture of yourself in front of a famous landmark.
Or you might want to talk about how their recent post about a city helped you understand it better. Or how you used their post to navigate through that new city.
Find a Mutual Connection
If you have a mutual connection, you can use that to your advantage. You just need to learn about their friends from their social media. And if you have somebody known in their friend’s circle, you can start talking about them.
For example, you might say something like:
Subject: A Guest Post for Your Blog
Hi (First Name),
I was recently introduced to you by (Mutual Connection). They told me that you’re a big fan of (Topic) and I think I could write a guest post that would be of value to your readers.
Best,
(Your Name)
Hyper-Personalize with Specific Pain Points
Guest post pitches are more likely to be successful if they’re hyper-personalized and address specific pain points that the recipient is struggling with.
For instance, you read their social media profiles where they talked about facing problems onboarding a new client. You can suggest a topic with ways to improve user onboarding process. Something that they could connect with instantly.
Problems With Cold Email Personalization Practices
Cold email personalization can sometimes come across as creepy. If you’re not careful, your email might sound like you’ve been stalking the recipient.
It can also be time-consuming.
And lastly, cold email personalization can be hit or miss. Even if you do everything right, there’s no guarantee that the recipient will respond to your email.
Tools that help to personalize
SimilarWeb Chrome Extension:
With this extension, you can see the website’s traffic data, including the number of visitors, page views, and bounce rate.
This extension also allows you to see the website’s global rank, country rank, and category rank. This is helpful information to have when you’re trying to personalize your outreach email.
BuzzStream:
BuzzStream is a tool that allows you to find and manage your relationships with influencers.
It also allows you to track your interactions, so you can see when you last contacted the person and what the outcome was.
Hunter.io:
The Hunter.io tool allows you to find email addresses for a given website, allowing you to segment your list and take action accordingly.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Gmail:
LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Gmail tool allows you to see the LinkedIn profile of who you’re emailing right from your Gmail inbox.
Introducing RangeFlow
Automate your email Guest Post outreach from Google Sheets and Gmail! It is a lightweight sales CRM to manage email outreach campaigns.
FAQs
1) What is the best day to send a cold email?
The best day to send a cold email is Tuesday. This is because people are more likely to check their email on Tuesdays after they’ve had a chance to catch up from the weekend.
2) How do I personalize my cold email signature?
Use an auto-signature tool like WiseStamp. Another way is to manually create a signature that includes your name, title, and contact information.
3) What is the best time to send a cold email?
The best time to send a cold email is between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Most people are likely to check their email first thing in the morning.
4) How do I personalize my cold email template?
There are a few ways to personalize your cold email template. One way is to use a tool like RangeFlow. Another way is to manually customize the template for each recipient.
6) How do I follow up with a cold email?
When you’re following up with a cold email, it’s necessary to be polite and persistent. Send a follow-up email 1-2 days after your initial email. If you don’t hear back, send another follow-up email a week later. Follow Ups can also be automated using RangeFlow.
In conclusion, cold email personalization can be a great way to improve your response rate. However, it’s important to use it sparingly and only when it makes sense. If you overdo it, you run the risk of failing at the campaign.
