Writing great cold emails doesn’t have to be complicated. Using a structure or template can help you organize your thoughts and simplify your writing.

You have seven seconds or less to make a first impression. Don’t waste them on boring, passive email copy!

3 Templates To Test 

01 – Before-After-Bridge (BAB)

This template was originally shared by Buffer as a social media writing formula, but it makes for a great cold email. It guides prospects through envisioning exactly how your solution will improve their lives.

Let’s break down the three steps:

• Before: What is the reader’s life like without your solution
• After: How will their life change once they implement your solution
• Bridge: How will you take them from before to after?

02 – Star-Story-Solution (SSS)

This structure doesn’t necessarily need to be linear, but it’s most effective when your prospect is the center of attention! In our example below see how we position the reader as the hero of the story.

Here are the three pillars of this structure:

• Star: The hero or the main character of the story
• Story: What happens
• Solution: How the star wins in the end

03 – Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA)

This classic structure has four steps and creates (ideally) a four-sentence email. This is a great template to try if your prospects haven’t heard of your solution before.

• Attention: Quickly get your reader’s attention
• Interest: Explain why you think they should be interested in your solution
• Desire: Make your solution enticing
• Action: Show them how to get your solution

We’ve given you three templates to try, but there are many more! If you aren’t seeing the results you need, come back to the drawing board and try a different structure.

If you need help writing and running cold email outreach, get in touch! We’re always happy to help.