Out of the three forms of client outreach, email is probably the most common and preferred method — but even though it feels easier than a phone call or an in-person meeting, it isn’t always the most effective.

Here are six tips from student media pros on the Flytedesk team to help you level up your email outreach game. 

Make the subject line count

Your subject line is your first chance at catching the client’s eye. It should be short, relevant, and curiosity-piquing. It should make them wonder what is in the actual email, so they take the action of opening it.

A best practice is to keep your subject line under 90 characters. 

Some examples of good subject lines are: 

• “You’re exactly who they’re looking for.” — Your business is who our audience wants to see or hear from. 
• “How local favorites stay top of mind” — What has worked for other clients.
• “New ways to reach [campus] students this semester” — Promoting new ad opportunities for loyal and returning clients. 

Personalize your intro

The first couple of sentences of your email should mention something relevant and personalized to the client, rather than an introduction to you or your student media organization. This could be a recent product they have introduced, a sale that they ran, or something about their company. 

This shows the client that you are paying attention to their business and that you have put in the effort to research before sending the email.

Highlight what’s in it for them

The goal of the email is to clearly communicate the benefit of working with your organization and what they can gain from working with you. This should be concise and consistent with each email that you send. 

Data is key here — prove that you are the right partner for them. 

You should highlight: 

• Your audience — how many people do you reach on campus?
• What’s unique about your audience  — “Most of them live, shop, and eat right near your store.” 
• Performance analytics — how many people land on your site or read your paper?

Keep it short and sweet

No one wants to read a long email. 

Your email should be around three to five sentences max, use line breaks, and steer clear of fluff. You should be able to skim the email and still understand what is being communicated. 

Clearly outline next steps 

At the end of the email, the next steps should be clear and understandable. The client should know when they should expect to hear from you again and how they can get in touch with you. 

Make sure you have: 

• A link to schedule a meeting (use Calendly or Google Calendar) or some times you’re available
• Your contact details in your signature (name, phone number, and email)

Follow up

Like almost everything in sales, following up is crucial to the cold emailing process. If they didn’t answer the email the first time, they might have just not seen it, or your email might be hanging out in their spam folder. 

Follow up two to three days later. Make sure that your value and purpose of emailing them is clear, and try different angles each time. Try to avoid saying generic phrases such as “bumping this to the top of your inbox”. 

If they don’t answer the follow-up email, try calling them. If the client does not answer within two weeks, try to find a new contact at the business. 

What’s next

Now that you know the best practices that we recommend for cold emailing, it’s time to practice. Take a look at your outreach list and try sending 2-3 cold emails using these tips. 

For more support or questions, reach out to your account manager.