Can I use templates for cold email?

Templates are essential for efficiency but dangerous without customization.

Where templates help:

Consistent messaging across campaigns

Proven structure and flow

Time savings for high-volume outreach

A/B testing of different approaches

Where templates hurt:

Identical content sent to many recipients triggers spam detection

Generic language screams automation to recipients

Missing personalization tokens create embarrassing errors

Template fatigue when prospects receive similar messages from competitors

How to use templates effectively:

Use templates as frameworks, not final copy

Personalize the opening (first sentence or paragraph)

Create variations for different segments

Regularly refresh and rotate templates

Test templates before full deployment

Technical considerations:

Spintax or variations create uniqueness

Avoid widely shared template libraries (your competitors use them too)

Track performance to identify template fatigue

Templates are scaffolding. The structure supports the building, but no one lives in scaffolding.