Now before we get into the technical setup of this let’s talk costs.
All of this is going to cost you money every month. Plus the time to do the work.
Domain – $14 a year
Google Workspace – $30 a month for 5 basic seats
Instantly – $37 a month, with a plan to upgrade at $97 a month
Total First Month – $81 Each Month until upgrade $67
Let’s go over the 8 steps to get started sending cold email.
1) Buy a similar domain. Since I use https://nickberry.co I would buy nick-berry.co
2) Sign up for Google Workspace and setup DNS, DKIM, and DMARC
3) Create 5 ancillary email addresses at that new workspace
4) Sign up Instantly.AI (you can start with the $37 plan to start since you need to spend a couple of weeks doing the next step and before you’re really adding a lot of contacts). Connect all your email addresses to instantly
5) Connect all 5 ancillary emails to Instantly
6) Turn on warm-up for all addresses and wait a week
7) Load your first list
8) Send your first campaign.
Now this might seem like a lot of work, and you’d be right. It can be, especially if you’ve got 93 other things you need to get done today, before lunch.
If you understand all of this, and you’re ready to grasp the bull by the horns (or whatever part you’d like), you’ve got all the steps laid out.
But if you’re this far into the page, want to send cold email, and NEED the a step by step guide of how to do this check this out – I created a course to teach you exactly all these steps.
Now if you’re looking all these steps, and just want it done FOR you, I have an option for you too just click this link and let’s talk: https://nickberry.co/upgrade-your-cold-email/
Cold email is like knocking on a stranger’s door with a business proposal. It’s sending an email to potential clients or customers you haven’t met before, hoping to strike a conversation or make a sale. Think of it as a digital cold call, but less intrusive. It’s a way to reach out, introduce yourself or your product, and see if there’s interest. Just like any first meeting, it’s about making a good impression and starting a meaningful conversation.
Yes, cold emailing is legal, but it’s not a free-for-all. In the U.S., you’ve got the CAN-SPAM Act, which sets rules for commercial emails. And in Europe, GDPR has its own set of guidelines. The bottom line is respect and transparency. You need to be clear about who you are, why you’re emailing, and how they can opt out if they’re not interested. Stick to these rules, and you’re on the right side of the law.
Using a separate domain and email addresses for cold emailing is like wearing a different hat for a new job. It protects your main domain’s reputation. If your cold emails get marked as spam too often, it can hurt your main domain’s credibility, and you don’t want your regular emails ending up in the spam folder. Plus, it keeps things organized. You don’t want your cold email campaigns getting mixed up with your day-to-day business emails.
Warming up an email address is like stretching before a run. You’re getting it ready for the heavy lifting of sending lots of emails. When you warm up an email address, you start by sending a few emails and gradually increase the number. This shows email providers that you’re a legitimate sender, not a spammer. It’s about building a good sending reputation so that your emails reach the inbox, not the spam folder.
If your emails are landing in spam, don’t panic. It’s a fixable problem. First, check your email content. Are you sounding too salesy? Are you including too many links? Make your emails more conversational and less like an ad. Also, review your contact list. Are you emailing the right people? Sometimes, it’s about quality, not quantity. Lastly, look at your technical setup, if you didn’t setup your spf, dkim or dmarc that’s going to cause big problems. Take a step back, make adjustments, and you should see better results.