Chapter 1: Getting Started with Cold Email
Understanding Cold Email Fundamentals
Cold email remains one of the most effective B2B outreach channels when done correctly. Unlike spam, cold email is targeted, personalized, and provides value to the recipient. The key is understanding the difference between spam and legitimate business outreach.
Important Definition
Cold Email: A personalized, one-to-one business email sent to a recipient without prior contact, aimed at starting a business conversation or relationship.
Legal Compliance and Regulations
Before sending your first cold email, it's crucial to understand the legal landscape:
- CAN-SPAM Act (US): Requires accurate sender info, subject lines, and easy unsubscribe
- GDPR (EU): Requires legitimate interest and data protection measures
- CASL (Canada): One of the strictest, requiring explicit or implied consent
- Industry-specific regulations: Healthcare (HIPAA), Finance (SOX), etc.
Best Practice
Always include: Clear sender identification, honest subject lines, physical address, and one-click unsubscribe. When in doubt, consult with legal counsel.
Setting Up Your Email Infrastructure
A solid technical foundation is essential for deliverability. Here's what you need:
1. Dedicated Domain
Use a separate domain for cold outreach to protect your main domain's reputation. Example: If your main domain is company.com, use getcompany.com for outreach.
2. Email Warming
New domains and IPs need warming. Start with 10-20 emails/day and gradually increase over 4-6 weeks. Use warming services or manual warm-up with real conversations.
3. Authentication Records
Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These prove you're a legitimate sender and dramatically improve deliverability. Most ESPs provide guides for setup.
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