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One of the biggest obstacles freelancers face is securing a steady stream of clients to keep the bills paid. There are traditional methods that can be taken advantage of, like online marketplaces and word of mouth referrals, but they aren’t always consistent.
Cold email remains one of the most effective ways of reaching new people in a position to make hiring decisions. When it’s done right, cold email campaigns can lead to long-term contracts with recurring clients and ultimately higher earnings.
The question is: How do you execute a campaign in a way that’s going to guarantee success? For that, you need to find a good platform that will deliver consistent results.
The 7 Best Cold Email Tools for Freelancers
To get the biggest advantage you can over the competition, you need to find the right cold email software for you. These platforms can do everything from help you save time with automation to reinforce what works through analytics. Consider your budget, your workflow, and your long-term goals to decide what features are most important to you.
Here are seven of the highest-rated tools that freelancers can use to improve cold email outreach campaigns.
1. Instantly
Instantly is one of the go-to choices for freelancers who want a nuanced, multi-level outreach campaign.
While most platforms have a tendency to feel like they were designed for a large team, Instantly has the flexibility to be accessible to individual professionals as well. It has the powerful automation features you need without being overly complex, which lets you scale efficiently.
The main selling point of Instantly lies in its ability to drive and maintain high deliverability rates. Cold emails can’t win you any clients if they don’t end up in anyone’s inbox. Instantly helps to avoid spam folders and gives you a built-in system for warm-up and reputation management.
Key Features:
- Advanced inbox rotation for better deliverability
- Built-in email warmup tools
- Simple campaign setup with automation options
- Analytics for open, reply, and bounce rates
- Scales easily for freelancers as their client base grows
2. Apollo.io
Apollo is not only an outreach platform; it’s also a formidable B2B database. This is perfect for freelancers who struggle with lead generation and prospecting. Whether you’re limited by time or resources, you can use this tool to determine everything from the size of a company to the role an individual has within it.
The email sequencing features are also robust. As a freelancer, follow-up is vital, and this allows you to automate follow-ups and track engagement within your campaign.
Key Features:
- Large database of verified contacts
- Advanced search filters for precise targeting
- Automated sequences with follow-ups
- CRM-style dashboard for managing leads
- Engagement tracking with real-time data
3. Close
While Close is primarily a CRM, it also has very useful cold email tools. If you’re a freelancer with multiple projects on the go, having a platform that can offer an all-in-one can still be useful.
You’re able to send bulk emails, track the responses, and manage conversations all on one platform. Freelancers will also appreciate the built-in features for calling and SMS sending!
Key Features:
- All-in-one CRM with cold email capabilities
- Bulk email sending with tracking
- Integrated calling and SMS outreach
- Conversation history for better client management
- Customizable workflows
4. Mixmax
For freelancers who work exclusively with Gmail, Mixmax can be a good option. It has seamless Gmail integration, which essentially turns your inbox into an outreach tool. You can schedule emails, set reminders, and track engagement all from a platform you’re already familiar with. Mixmax also supports templates and automation, which means you can scale your outreach as you need to.
Key Features:
- Full Gmail integration
- Email scheduling and reminders
- Tracking for opens and clicks
- Template creation for faster outreach
- Simple automation options
5. Reply.io
If you want to focus equally on sales engagement as you do prospecting and generating leads, Reply.io has a strong emphasis on automation and personalization. It comes with an AI feature that can help you write messages and make sure that follow-ups happen in a timely manner.
Reply.io also has LinkedIn integration that can be key for finding high-value prospects. You can search across multiple channels while also keeping your communication with your prospects in one central location.
Key Features:
- AI-powered message assistance
- Multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, calls)
- Automated follow-ups with personalization options
- Analytics dashboard for campaign performance
- Integrates with popular CRMs
6. Yesware
Yesware puts its focus on sales tracking and reporting. If you’re a freelancer who has a data-driven approach to outreach, this is fantastic. You can integrate Yesware with Gmail or Outlook, and it will give you detailed reports on how the outreach recipients interact with the emails you’re sending them.
This includes who opened the email, who clicked on a link, and who ignored the attempt at connecting altogether. This kind of information is great to help you refine your approach and garner more success as you go.
Key Features:
- Works within Gmail and Outlook
- Real-time tracking for opens and clicks
- Email templates with personalization options
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Integration with Salesforce
7. Mailshake
If you’re new to the freelancing scene, you might find some of the fully kitted-out options on this list to be intimidating. Mailshake is one of the platforms that can be a good starting place. It’s simple and straightforward, with an easy learning curve to get your campaign set up.
You can send personalized messages at scale in an effective way. Even the analytics are done in such a way to maximize the information you’re given but minimize the overcomplicated aspects.
Key Features:
- Easy campaign setup for beginners
- Automated follow-ups
- Simple reporting dashboard
- Personalization tools
- Affordable pricing for freelancers
Final Thoughts
Cold emailing is a proven method for a freelancer to attract new clients, but it depends heavily on the tool that you decide to use.
While each platform on this list has benefits, Instantly stands out to us as the best freelancer-friendly choice. It offers deliverability, automation, and scalability without being bogged down by irrelevant or filler features.
