How To Structure A Cold Email Sequence
Keep it short: three or four emails over about two weeks. Most replies come from the first or second email, so that’s where your best material goes.
The days of 18 touchpoints over three weeks are gone, and nobody misses them.
What goes in each email, and when?
| Day | What it does | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day 1 | One specific problem you think they’re facing |
| 2 | Day 3 or 4 | Follows email 1 with social proof, or a question to prompt a reply |
| 3 | Day 8 or 9 | Introduces a different problem |
| 4 | Day 12 or 13 | Refers back to the second problem and leaves a useful asset, guide or resource |
The gaps get longer as you go. Two or three days after the first email, then four or five between each of the others.
Why change the problem halfway through?
Because if the first problem didn’t land in two emails, a third email about it won’t change anyone’s mind.
Think of the sequence as two pairs. Emails 1 and 2 cover one problem. Emails 3 and 4 cover another.
Say you’re writing to an ecommerce brand. The first pair might be about customers who buy once and never come back. The second pair might be about the cost of acquiring new ones. It’s the same offer with a different way in.
Rotating the angle gives the reader a second chance to recognise themselves. It also tells you which problem they care about, which is worth knowing whatever happens. There’s more on that in what to test in cold email.
Should you put links in the emails?
The general advice is to avoid them, because links can trigger spam filters.
Email 4 is the exception. By then it’s a bit of a Hail Mary anyway, so include the resource. If someone has ignored three emails, a useful guide is the best thing you have left to offer.
If you have an asset good enough to lead with, see how to use a lead magnet in cold outreach.
Where should you spend your effort?
On the first two emails. That’s where the replies come from.
Get those right and the rest is a bonus. I see people polish email 4 for an hour while email 1 opens with a paragraph about their own company.
What to do next
- Pick two different problems your buyer has.
- Write emails 1 and 2 about the first, and put most of your time into them.
- Write emails 3 and 4 about the second, with a resource in the last one.
- Set the gaps: day 1, day 3 or 4, day 8 or 9, day 12 or 13.
If the sequence runs and the replies don’t come, don’t rewrite all of it. Start with why your cold email campaign isn’t working.
Frequently asked questions
- How many emails should be in a cold email sequence?
- Three or four. Long sequences with many touchpoints no longer work, and most replies come from the first or second email.
- How many days should I leave between cold emails?
- Send email one on day 1, email two on day 3 or 4, email three on day 8 or 9 and email four on day 12 or 13.
- Should every email in a sequence make the same point?
- No. Use the first two emails for one problem, then introduce a different problem in email three so you are not hammering the same point.
- Should I include links in cold emails?
- Generally no, because links can trigger spam filters. The exception is the last email in the sequence, where sharing a useful guide or resource is worth the risk.