IFAQ: Where I answer Infrequently Asked Questions about Cold Leads

I get asked periodically for tips and tricks, best practices for cold lead emails. The question came again just a few days ago. Thing is, I don't have anything like that, because cold lead emails just aren't a practice compatible with long term, solidly positive deliverability and good inbox placement.

Email deliverability experts, believe it or not, usually aren't also cold leads experts.

Without further ado, here's what little I know about cold lead emails.

How come not all cold emails go to the spam folder?

Because spam filters can be imperfect and time is a component of reputation. Meaning: Give it time and eventually the ones not going to the spam folder probably will go to the spam folder on future sends. In most cases, when cold lead email is going to the inbox, it is because the mailbox provider delivering the message there just hasn't seen enough data yet to decide that spam folder placement is merited.

How come my cold emails are going to the spam folder?

Because they're of low interest, have low engagement, and generate higher than average spam complaints. Send 1 personal email and it's no big deal, but employ automation to email a whole bunch of people you don't know, advertising your product or service, and you're leaving a big digital footprint that will get you noticed, and that notice, along with poor performance (compared to permission-based email) gets you into trouble.

But my cold lead emails are really interesting and important!

My judgment of your emails doesn't matter one bean. Nor does yours. I'm referring to how the users of the mailbox providers like Gmail, Microsoft, and so on, how they perceive your email. At Gmail in particular, spam folder placement is an indicator of low interest and low engagement. We know from years of data-driven history that recipient interest is lower when emails are sent to people who didn't expect them. Non opt-in performs more poorly in that it has a lower engagement rate, and a higher spam complaint rate. Meaning that there is a connection between lack of permission and increased chance of spam folder placement.

How do I make sure that my cold lead emails don't go to the spam folder?

The way I've observed others do it is that it's an arms race based on trying to trick the mailbox provider to not apply their filtering the way they and their users want to apply it. It's not something I test or can help with.

But everybody does it.

Lots of people do send cold emails, yes. Unfortunately, in this world, some people do things that are against the law, against rules, against ethics or against norms. Sometimes people disagree about what constitutes normal or regular activity. Sometimes people think other people can't tell them what to do. I long ago realized that I can't personally stop them, so I don't usually try to, beyond reporting most of the spam I myself receive.

But companies make money from helping people do it. I see people brag about it!

True! But I've been involved in email since (checks) more-or-less 1997 or 1998 and it is my experience that people with longer term careers in email tend to base that career on something other than cold lead emails. The challenge for long term success here is that whole arms race thing as mentioned above. If somebody "cracks the code" to get inbox delivery somehow today, then Gmail or Microsoft will close that loophole tomorrow. I don't think it's something to build a career around. 

I note that a fair number of people who have tried to argue with me about cold leads over the years seem to have moved on to something else. I theorize that for some of them, after a few years of being a cold lead expert they find a different, easier way to make more money. 

But companies have automation that promises to deal with the reputation and warming issues for you!

The way this seems to often work is these companies have email lists that you send to. The accounts are theirs; they mark your mail as "not spam" or feign engagement by following links, to help boost your sending reputation and get you good inbox placement. I know of one particular person who was sued by Microsoft for doing something that sounded exactly like this. I also know of one provider complaining that Google cut them off from email API access. It's not clear to me if this is legal or safe. YMMV, use at your own risk.

But other people have success with cold leads!

Sure, maybe. It's possible! But I also get contacted by folks engaging in cold lead sending who reach out to me because it's going poorly and begging me for help to get them to the inbox. So it is DEFINITELY not all sunshine and rainbows.

What is your darn problem with cold lead emails?

As somebody sworn to protect the email ecosystem from threats that make it unsafe or otherwise unusable, I find cold lead emails done in bulk to be effectively no different than spam, because they're unsolicited commercial emails done in bulk. If that's not spam when done en masse, then I don't know what is.

My concern here is with the overall ecosystem and its health. Keeping email usable. One person sending one email doesn't risk making email unusable. But if it were every company in the world, or in the US, or even just in Chicago, all thinking it's okay to fire up cold lead emails to every contact they choose to target, that's just too many bites at too many apples and yes, email starts to become unusable at that point. Thankfully, not everybody actually engages in this.

Why are you so mean? You must hate me, why are you so unkind?

This was real feedback I got recently on a survey; saying it's a shame that I was such a stick in the mud about cold leads and so mean about it. Let me clarify: I don't hate you and I am definitely not in any position to stop you from sending cold lead emails. I'm just sharing my personal experiences and observations on the topic.

Thus ends our rant session for today. Thank you for listening.