Cold email follow-up: when to send it and what to write
How many follow-ups to send, how many days apart and what to say in them. Ready-to-use first and second follow-ups, and the rules that keep you from annoying people.
Most replies to cold email come not from the first message but from a follow-up. People are busy, emails get buried, and a short reminder brings yours back to the top. Send one or two follow-ups in the same thread a few days apart, and stop as soon as the person replies.
How many follow-ups to send
One or two. The first reminds them of your email, the second gives them an easy way to say no. A third and beyond annoy more than they help, and raise the chance of being marked as spam.
When to send them
| When | |
|---|---|
| First email | day 0 |
| Follow-up 1 | three to four business days later |
| Follow-up 2 | four to seven days after that |
Send during the recipient's working hours: an email that arrives at 3 a.m. is at the bottom of the inbox by morning. Vibe Hunters has a send schedule in the country's time zone for this.
What to write in the first follow-up
Short, no guilt-tripping, no repeating the whole email. Remind them of the point and make replying easy.
Hi again,
I know emails get buried. In short: I can send an example for {company name}; it will take you a minute to look at.
Interested?
Avoid "You probably missed my email" or "Waiting for your reply". It reads like a complaint.
What to write in the second follow-up
Give them a way out. It sounds backwards, but that's often what gets a reply.
If now isn't the right time, just reply "no" and I won't bother you again.
And if you're curious, I can show you what this looks like for {niche} businesses in {city}.
New value instead of repetition
A good follow-up adds something new:
- a short case of a similar business;
- a specific observation: "I noticed you don't have online booking";
- a useful link or tip, with no pitch.
When to stop
Right away when the person:
- replied, even with a no;
- unsubscribed;
- the email bounced (the address doesn't exist).
Writing after someone replied is the fastest route to complaints. In Vibe Hunters follow-ups go only to people who haven't replied, from the same inbox and in the same thread, and a reply, an unsubscribe or a bounce stops them automatically. More on the cold email page.
Templates for the first email these follow-ups build on are in cold email templates.
FAQ
How many days should I wait before following up?
Send the first follow-up three to four business days after the first email and the second four to seven days later. Under two days feels pushy; after two weeks people have forgotten the first email.
Should I change the subject line in a follow-up?
No. Reply in the same thread with "Re: ..." so the person sees your previous email and the context.
What if someone replies "not interested"?
Thank them and stop. In Vibe Hunters any reply, including a no, stops the follow-ups automatically.