Social Selling On LinkedIn: A Step-By-Step Guide
February 6 2024
You, as email marketers or sales specialists, think about your customers all the time, but this is not mutual. To grab their attention and stay ahead of competition, you need to regularly remind them of you and do it right at the same time. This requires writing an effective follow-up email.
In this article, you will find tips on how to write an effective follow-up email and also useful templates for any purpose.
Outline:
It’s a simple fact: communication via email offers many advantages in both private and business areas. So, it’s not surprising that sooner or later, every company deals with email marketing, newsletter templates, and follow-up emails, in particular. If well written, they can significantly contribute to attracting a client’s attention, getting a job, or confirming decisions made with prospects.
A follow-up in the context of email marketing means sending one or more messages to your prospects after the first contact. These are often automated emails that are triggered based on fixed time intervals and a predefined action, event, or behavior related to or done by your client.
In B2B or B2C communication, a follow-up is also an action that follows the previous unanswered messages. Corresponding reminders can be set in your email client or another mailing software if there’s no reply from your prospects.
Sending an email before the weekend and following up on Monday, expecting some result, is a bit absurd. Even if recipients are interested, they can’t process the message that fast. Put yourself in a prospect’s shoes and imagine if it’s OK to get the follow-up a day or two later.
It doesn’t mean you should wait an entire month to send your follow-up. Every market has its rules. Still, it’s important to know the duration of pauses used in your niche. For example, 33.3% of marketers prefer sending emails on a weekly basis, while 26.67% recommend a frequency of multiple times per month.
Try to set up your mailout frequency with at least 4-5 days between the messages. Give readers time to process the first email and determine if it’s worth taking action before sending them another email. This requires time and patience, but make sure, there is no business where following up every day or two will get you the desired reaction.
The time you send your email matters. Because of bad timing, your clients might simply miss your email and leave it unread. Consider their time zone and avoid messaging them on the weekend – fewer people now dedicate their free time to emails.
The best day to send your emails is Tuesday, showing the highest click-through and open rates. As for the specific time, we recommend you send your messages around 10-11 AM recipient time when people are the most productive. Also, you can conduct an A/B test to find out what time works for you.
Don’t start directly with marketing. Your contacts are sure to get piles of similar follow-up emails every day, so they may not instantly recognize you from the crowd and might fail to read your email.
Remind them of the last connection in the first line, right after your greeting. But don’t make it a summary. The average human attention span is eight seconds, so use the most of this time to make readers recollect your last email. To get a reminder, they will open their mailbox and read your last message.
Just write a sentence or two to remind clients about the last conversation you had and then bring some arguments to show why the new email is important for them.
No matter the reason you are writing, try to avoid starting your follow-up email with phrases like “Just checking back.” On the one hand, they show you’re not selling or pushing readers into anything. But the disadvantage is that you’re decreasing the value of both your email and the reason you are reaching out.
There are four primary goals of writing a follow-up email:
Whatever your target, get to the point directly after your short intro. Don’t get lost in nice little talking. Keep in mind that contacts may be pressed for time — so emphasize why you deserve a bit of their attention.
To boost your email conversion, write a distinct call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your email. Common phrases like “Hope to hear from you soon” are considered weak, especially in the business sphere.
Alternatively, experiment with some precisely targeted CTAs like these: “Let us know how you liked the webinar/meeting/video,” “Start your free trial,” or “Yes! I want a free upgrade.” Such CTAs give your prospects something definite to do.
Use action words in your copy that create a sense of urgency. Phrases that express something that your contacts desire will excite them and raise the CTA’s chance of success.
Shorter emails consisting of 50-125 words result in quicker response time and show a higher response rate, leading to higher overall productivity. Our advice is to keep your emails below 200 words.
Besides, be considerate of your customers and use bulleted lists, numbers, and proper spacing to visually break up your email body. This way, it’ll be easier for them to digest your message and take action.
Although your email is a marketing follow-up, it unquestionably must bring some value. You can’t simply ask for something throughout the whole email. Be certain you’re helping the contact in some way, too, especially in the B2B sphere.
Moreover, if you plan to send your follow-up email to a long contact list, make sure to segment the audience. Know your buyer personas and come up with relevant content that will prove contacts that you’re focused on them — not just on the demands of your business.
Valuable lead magnets can work excellent for this goal. You can offer your prospects to download or watch:
When it comes to making decisions, people want to see or read about others using and enjoying a product or service before committing to it themselves. This is why you should use social proof to its full potential.
For example, prove the authority you’ve earned with numbers, be it the number of clients you have, your sales numbers, the percentage of repeat customers, and so on. Impressive social proof increases your credibility and appeals to people’s sense of wanting to belong.
You can also include:
Using these simple rules, you won’t have to send too many follow-up emails because the emails you write will have much higher chances of getting the conversion you want.
Even after generating an inbound lead, you have to nurture it. When someone entrusts you with their personal information and email address, whether it’s in return for a cheat sheet PDF, a product demo, or another lead magnet, it’s a symbol of trust. Do not abuse this trust but, on the contrary, use it to convert your leads into customers.
| Hi [First Name], I noticed that you checked out some of our content, namely the piece [Title of content]. I hope you found it useful! Most likely, you’re looking for a way to [Pain point], right? If so, I would love to share a set of best practices we’ve developed based on our clients’ experiences that can [Explain how your solution can benefit or help the lead]. [First Name], could you spare me [Amount of time] so that we could discuss it? Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
| Hi [First Name], I noticed you signed up for the free trial. That is why I decided to send you some resources that can help you get started with [Company name]:
Please don’t hesitate to contact me in case you have any questions. I’d be happy to give the necessary assistance. Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
If you had a meeting or a call with a client, it’s always useful to follow-up on the next actions you’re taking together. As a result, both participants keep in mind what page they’re on, which helps avoid sending a bunch of useless emails later on.
| Hey [First Name], It was a wonderful meeting today. Just a quick summary of what’s happening next:
Please inform me if you need additional info. In all cases, I’ll see you and the whole team at the final meeting on [Date]! Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
You might also share documents or any materials that were involved during the meeting or remind clients about the things that you need from them.
| Hey [First Name], It was a wonderful meeting today. Here are the materials and notes that I promised to share:
There are still a few things that I will need from you before we start:
Thank you in advance, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
After you leave a voicemail for your contact, you often ask yourself, “How long should I wait before I send them a follow-up email?” It’s better not to overwhelm your prospects. If they see your voicemail, and after a couple of minutes, they get an email, it might look miserable.
Give them some time to respond. Some clients don’t reply to emails or voicemails immediately. Try to give them a call in the morning and email them later on in the afternoon if they don’t reply. Save your lead’s time.
| Hey [First Name], I left you a voicemail for you earlier today but decided to contact you by email if this is more convenient for you. I’m reaching out because [Explain your purpose]. [Make a pitch with high value to the recipient and include stats]. [First Name], I’d love to discuss your specific needs and give suggestions about how you can [Achieve the desired result]. Please feel free to reply to this email, or, if convenient, give me a call back at [Phone number]. Thanks! Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
| Hey [First Name], I left you a voicemail for you earlier today but decided to drop a line by email. I was calling because [Explain your purpose]. In my voice message, I said I would call you again on [Date and time], but you can always reach me before at [Phone number] or reply to this email. Cheers, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
If your email gets no answer, try to win your recipients’ awareness back and motivate them to respond with a chaser email.
Chaser email is another kind of follow-up email which you send to remind the recipient about the initial message. Your email chaser should be concise and straightforward, but not pushy. You should get directly to the point, clarifying next steps.
| Hey [First Name], I’m not sure what our next action is. Please let me know about the direction of our next steps. Thanks for your answer. [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
You might start feeling frustrated if you get no response again. But don’t give up – here’s another chaser email sample that can wake your prospect up.
| Hi [First Name], This is [Your name]. I am sorry we haven’t been able to get in touch. When we talked last time, you were very concerned about [Objective discussed before]. I understand how busy things can get with work and family these days. I just want to say that I don’t mind planning a new call before or after business hours if that would make it more convenient to connect. Let me know what works for you. Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
If this doesn’t help, try sending another email in 1-2 weeks. Alternatively, you may find prospects on social media. Sometimes people don’t answer via email because your email mistakenly goes to a spam box, so they might be more likely to respond on LinkedIn.
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If your client’s invoice is past due payment for several days, send them an email that’s a bit stricter but still sounds helpful and professional. Make this inconvenient situation easier with the following tested email template. Keep your tone polite but forceful.
| Hi [First Name], I hope this message finds you well. I am following up on an invoice I sent you by email on [Date]. I didn’t receive the payment from you, so I decided to ensure the email wasn’t lost in your spam box. Please make sure the accounting department received it. I will resend it with pleasure if required. In all cases, I look forward to obtaining the payment during the next week. I am immensely thankful for your help! [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
After attending a conference, networking event, or trade show, your prospects will probably be showered with follow-up emails and will also be swamped with the follow-up work of their own. That is why it’s better to wait 2 or 3 days before sending your first follow-up email.
| Hi [Name], It was nice talking to you at [Conference/trade show/networking event]. I hope you learned more about the solutions to [Pain points]. I’m sure [Recipient’s objective] is one of your company’s top priorities. That is why I decided to contact you and send you [Resources] that might be helpful to you, so please find them attached below. If you need any additional details, let me know, and I’d be happy to schedule a quick phone call so we can chat more about your needs. I’m available [Date/time options] – which would work better for you? Sincerely, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
An appointment confirmation email will help remind your clients about the appointment and inform one more time when and where it’s supposed to take place. Besides, it also shows your prospects that they can expect professionalism and great customer service from you.
| Hi [Name], I am writing to confirm our meeting at [Location and time], where I’ll be sharing information about [product/service] that can help you with your [Goals, pain points, or needs]. Please feel free to contact me via email or call if you have any questions. I would be ready to help you. Looking forward to meeting with you. Best regards, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
Pitching investors can be tricky, and you should expect to follow-up multiple times since they are busy people, and there are a lot of other companies vying for their time. After meeting investors, you’ll need to convince them to spend more time researching your business, and your pitch needs to stand out.
| Hi [First Name], My startup [Startup name] is still looking for a VC. I’m attaching our pitch deck [Attach a pitch deck] in case you want to go through the numbers before replying. Would appreciate any feedback you have. How about a call next week? Would Tuesday work for you? Best regards, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
Knowing how to write an effective business partnership email is one of the most important skills for any marketer. Such emails can help create partnerships with new but influential people and grow your business or brand faster.
| Hi [First Name], A quick follow-up regarding our potential partnership. It would be an honor to have you on board. We’d love to schedule a call with you to discuss all the details, numbers, and concerns. Are you free on Tuesday? Thanks, [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
With the help of email outreach and link-building methods, you can build relationships with other people in your industry, which can then lead to interviews, partnerships, guest blogging, and more opportunities.
| Hi [First Name], We’d love to be featured in [Article/post name with a link to it]. Our [Product/service] might be useful for your audience. We can discuss the conditions of this collaboration via email or phone – whichever works best for you. Let me know what you think. [Your name], [Your position] at [Company name] |
To make the most of your leads database, it’s vital to have an effective email strategy to nurture them to conversion. As you can see, short and precise emails that spotlight benefits give the best result.
Apply these follow-up email writing guidelines, adapt and use the templates provided now with Snov.io’s powerful tool Email Drip Campaigns, and be happy with your conversions.
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Thank you for sharing a useful article. I’m sure this would help marketers craft follow-up emails and send them to the subscribers at the right time.
Thanks for the well-structured and well-presented post!