How to Write a Follow Up Email
Writing follow up emails for the first time can be tricky. I first learned how important it is to follow up when I did sales to find sponsors for my newsletter back in 2017. Now I'll share some tips and sample templates on how to write simple follow up emails that work.
Case: Finding sponsors to your newsletter
As an example, let's look at the case of finding sponsors to your newsletter or podcast. In 2017 I started doing cold email outreach for my newsletter Pixels to find sponsors, and it worked suprisingly well. Note that I'm not a sales person, I'm a developer and had zero sales or marketing experience. Just keep things simple, and you can do this too!
A simple outreach email can look something like this:
Subject: Reach developers
Hi {{name}},
My name is Fredrik and I update a weekly newsletter called Pixels.
I think you are a great fit for my audience of 2619 designers and developers.
Who’s the best person at [company name] that I can discuss the chance of getting you on as next week’s exclusive sponsor with?
Best,
Fredrik
A simple follow up strategy
One pattern I think works nicely in follow up emails is to shorten your message a little bit for each follow up, focusing more and more on the single ask. Aim to make 1-5 follow ups. A simple follow up strategy can look something like this:
- First email
- Wait 3 days
- Second follow up
- Wait 4 days
- Goodbye email
Simple follow up email example
Keep things simple instead of trying 100 different templates for your follow ups. Shortening your message or refactoring a little bit is often enough. Let's look at an example.
Subject: Reaching developers?
Hi {{name}},
I update a newsletter called Pixels and I think you are a great fit for my audience of 2619 designers and developers.
Who’s the best person at [company name] that I can discuss the chance of getting you on as next week’s exclusive sponsor with?
Best,
Fredrik
Now we got two paragraphs instead of one and it's more to the point. Throwing things around is a simple and effective cold email strategy. Why? Beacuse each email is easier to read and more direct. It's also easy to craft.
Don't forget to say goodbye
The last email (goodbye email) is also called a break up email and it’s simply an email stating that you won’t contact them anymore and that they can always send you an email if they change their mind. It sounds subtle but it is often one of the most efficient emails.
Subject: Goodbye from Pixels
Hi {{name}},
Since you haven't replied I assume that you are happy with your current marketing performance and are not looking to reach more developers at this time.
I totally understand and want to thank you for reading.
Let me know if anything changes in the future!
Best,
Fredrik
Final note
Sending cold emails and follow ups doesn't have to be complex and requires no previous sales experience. Don't be afraid to get specific in your emails and try to be personal if possible. Good luck out there and happy sending!
Psst! I also wrote a guide specifically about finding and getting sponsors to your newsletter, including everything I've learnt from running my own newsletters.
Fredrik
