Emails we use at Cognism

What’s better than theory and tips for email marketing? 

Real-life examples! So we’re revealing a whole bunch of the emails we use at Cognism.

Demand creation email metrics One-off ‘promo’ emails

The diary of a first-time CMO launch

This email was to launch our CMO’s new book and its early bird waiting list - The diary of a first-time CMO.

We got some pretty healthy results from this, with a 40% open rate and 5% CTR.

Here are some reasons why we think this email was successful:

• Curiosity-led subject line to entice opens “sneak a peek into my diary.”
• Combined social proof in first lines of copy with “spilling CMO secrets” to stimulate desire.
• Used GIF of excited social media comments for authentic social proof.
• Spelled out 3 clear learnings from the book relevant to persona.
• Injected scarcity with only 100 copies available.

Loop Live Webinar Promo Email

This was the first of two emails promoting a live webinar on paid ads.

We got a 38% open rate and even better click-through rate at 8.7%.

This email worked because:

• We knew this topic resonated strongly with the persona - so the subject line was simple and clear, which led to a solid open rate (no need to risk confusing them here).
• Opening lines are packed with social proof to increase the perceived value of webinar.
• Laundry list of very specific learnings to make it crystal clear what attendees will get

SDR Zone launch teaser

We sent this email to launch an online sales education hub.

We got a whopping 46% open rate on this email! As there were no links to click, we didn’t have any CTR to track.

We think this email did well because:

• We used a curiosity-led subject line which reaches out to the reader directly (Pssst) to entice open.
• ‘Ripping’ reveal graphic increases curiosity and desire to see full the SDR Zone.
• Choppy copy teases SDR Zone launch and ratchets up desire for the reader.
• Funny meme GIF ends the email on a humorous note and makes the message memorable.

Loop Live webinar series launch

We sent out this email to launch a new webinar series - The Loop Live - and the first webinar.

It received a 41% open rate and a 5% CTR. And we think this email was so well received because:

• It had a curiosity-led subject line which reaches out to the reader directly (you’re invited to something new) to entice them to open.
• The opening lines mention the time spent on the project and two influencers known to the persona; this increased the perceived value of the event and series.

Automated nurture email examples

Content sign up nurture

This is the first email in a nurture sequence triggered by someone signing up for content on the Cognism website, for example, a webinar. 

The goal of this nurture is to engage the reader and funnel them into Cognism’s value loops - e.g. the other places where we regularly deliver value through content, such as our newsletter or podcast. 

This email got an amazing 74.2% open rate and 62.74% CTR! Why did this email work so well?

• It subverts expectations and uses humorous imagery and copy to engage the reader and combat objections of another boring email nurture.
• Short, choppy, copy. Keeps the reader hooked and gets to value quickly without the reader having to strain themselves.
• Value-led offer, giving away useful resources relevant to the persona without asking for anything.

Closed lost opps nurture

This email nurture was designed for closed lost opportunities. The goal of this email is to re-engage contacts and rekindle the opportunity back into a conversation.

We averaged a 57% open rate and a 15% CTR. The main reasons we believe this email got these results are:

• It subverts expectations and uses humorous images and copy to engage the reader and combat objections - it’s not just another boring email nurture.
• This email nurture is built on an entertaining concept - the ‘jealous ex’. Which gives the email personality and makes it memorable.

Inbound demo nurture

This was the first email in a nurture sequence triggered by an inbound demo request. 

The goal is to engage the reader during the sales process, encouraging them to join our value loops. Hopefully increasing the chances of a positive sales conversation.

This email had some pretty solid results, with a 57% open rate and 15% CTR. Why do we think this email worked well?

• It has a relatable and unusual subject line - it sticks out in inboxes and entices an open.
• Again, it subverts expectations. It uses humorous images and copy to engage the reader and combat objections.
• This email nurture is built on the concept of that ‘needy friend’ (everyone has one of these people in their lives!) This gives the email personality and makes it memorable.

Inbound content nurture

This email is the second in a nurture sequence triggered by someone signing up for content on the Cognism website.

This nurture is designed to encourage the reader towards one of Cognism’s value loops where they can subscribe to receive more content. Idea being if we can deliver them more value on another channel, we have more chances of them engaging with us on a regular basis. And ultimately a better chance of us staying front of mind. 

It received a 67% open rate and 45.6% CTR, which is great! 

We think this email did so well because:

• It does our favourite thing - subverts expectations. 
• It also uses a humorous concept, image and copy to engage the reader.
• It’s value-led and the offer is relevant to the persona without asking for anything in return.

Bonus emails - Promotional content

LinkedIn promo email

This email was created to promote our company’s LinkedIn page in a unique way.

It received a 64.5% open rate and 57% CTR. Why?

• It uses an attention-grabbing headline relating to the content.
• It subverts expectations and uses a humorous image - B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boring!
• It lays out clearly what to expect - no fluff, trends and a humorous offer of a car *not actually permitted by our CMO!
• Calls out bogus LinkedIn requests in a funny way, begging the reader to think differently about it.

ROI forecast

This email was to promote Cognism’s ROI calculator, directed to our automate audience (our term to describe companies with two or less sales headcount!)

What were the results? We got a 59.8% open rate and 50% CTR. 

We believe this worked so well because:

• It’s relatable! Plus it stands out in your inbox because the subject line is unusual. 
• The meme used is very recognisable.
• It subverts expectations - no one expects B2B marketers to use these memes and entertaining concepts!

End of nurture

We use this email to round off the nurture and give the audience a chance to reach out in future. This email got a 63.5% open rate and 55.2% CTR.

Why did it work?

• Keeps up the ‘needy ex’ theme from the entire nurture series.
• Offers a simple point of contact in case the audience wants to reach out.

Email marketing do’s and don’ts: a checklist

Before we end this masterclass in email marketing, here’s a quick recap.

A handy checklist to reference the next time you’re working on a campaign.

Word to the wise - we’ve included some extra tips not discussed above!