In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, email remains one of the most powerful tools for e-commerce brands. Sagar KC, an entrepreneur from Kathmandu, Nepal, and the founder of Emar Media has harnessed the potential of email marketing to help over 50 brands generate more than $10 million in revenue. Through his company, Sagar has become a go-to expert on retention strategies, specializing in platforms like Klaviyo to build targeted campaigns that drive real results.
In a recent interview, Sagar shared his valuable insights on the art of cold emailing, emphasizing the importance of personalization and careful strategy in outreach. As the demand for cold email strategies grows, particularly for agencies and e-commerce brands, Sagar’s approach offers a much-needed blueprint for success in a crowded digital marketplace.
The Power of Personalization in Cold Email Campaigns
Sagar’s philosophy is simple: quality over quantity. While many businesses make the mistake of blasting thousands of generic emails, Sagar advocates for highly targeted, low-volume campaigns that prioritize personal connections. He compares a personalized email to a handwritten envelope in a pile of junk mail, stressing how much more effective it is to directly address a potential client in a way that resonates with them personally.
For Sagar, the key to success lies in crafting the “first line” of an email. Instead of relying on automation that merely inserts a name or company title, he advises hiring freelancers to write genuinely engaging first lines. This small but powerful change can drastically increase open rates and responses.
Effective Cold Emailing: A Step-by-Step Guide
According to Sagar, cold emailing is a methodical process. The first step is to gather a high-quality list of potential clients. This can be achieved by using tools like BuiltWith, which allows businesses to filter websites by their installed technologies. From there, it’s essential to target the right decision-makers, not just general inboxes. Sagar recommends using an email finder tool to ensure emails reach the right person—the CEO, founder, or other key stakeholders within a company.
Once the list is prepared, it’s time to move on to writing the emails. Sagar advises focusing on creating a personalized, concise message with a clear value proposition. He suggests adding a case study or specific example to establish credibility. A simple structure might include a compliment about the recipient’s business, followed by a brief description of how your service helped a similar company, and a straightforward call to action to schedule a call.
Domain Safety and Avoiding Spam Filters
A key consideration when sending cold emails is domain safety. Sagar warns against sending emails from your primary domain, as high-volume cold emailing can lead to it being blacklisted. Instead, he recommends using a secondary domain that is similar to the main one. This way, if the domain gets flagged, it won’t affect your primary email reputation.
Additionally, Sagar advises against using links in cold emails, as they increase the chances of the email being sent to spam. Instead, the goal is to prompt a reply—focusing on creating a conversation rather than driving traffic to a website.
Scaling Cold Email Campaigns the Right Way
When it comes to scaling up cold email campaigns, Sagar is cautious about volume. While many people try to send hundreds or even thousands of emails a day, Sagar emphasizes that quality and engagement are more important. He suggests starting slowly—sending just a few emails per day and gradually increasing the volume. He also stresses the importance of warming up a new domain by using tools like Lemlist, which allows users to engage in an email exchange to help ensure deliverability.
Sagar’s approach is to maintain a consistent, quality-driven campaign rather than chasing high-volume, low-target outreach. He believes that businesses should aim to send between 30-70 emails per day once their domain is warmed up. Going beyond this number can risk damaging the sender’s reputation and lead to diminishing returns.
The Follow-Up Strategy
In addition to the initial email, follow-ups are a crucial part of Sagar’s strategy. He recommends sending a series of follow-ups spaced out over several days to keep the conversation alive. The follow-ups should be brief and continue the dialogue with additional client results or a simple “bump” to remind the recipient about the previous email.
The goal with follow-ups is to stay persistent without overwhelming the recipient. Sagar has seen success with just a few well-timed follow-ups, but he advises against going overboard, as too many follow-ups can increase the risk of being marked as spam or damaging your domain’s reputation.
Personalization and Ethical Cold Emailing
For Sagar, personalization isn’t just a tactic; it’s an ethical marketing approach. By avoiding spammy tactics and focusing on the needs and pain points of the target audience, businesses can build real, long-term relationships with their clients. He stresses that the most successful cold email strategies are rooted in genuine value and thoughtful communication.
By following these principles, businesses can not only generate leads but also create lasting partnerships that result in mutual growth. In an industry increasingly reliant on automated tools and impersonal outreach, Sagar’s methods stand out as a reminder of the importance of personal touch and strategy in email marketing.
At just 29 years old, Sagar KC continues to shape the future of cold email marketing, offering strategic insights and helping e-commerce businesses achieve long-term success through innovative retention strategies.
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