Why We Don’t Recommend Bulk Cold Email, and What to Do Instead
- Andrea Gross
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 21
Cold email can seem like a quick way to get new leads and boost your customer acquisition efforts. You purchase a list, send a message, and wait for replies, right?
Not exactly. Sending bulk emails to people who did not clearly indicate their desire to hear from you is a cold email and goes against email marketing best practices.
At Little Nudge Marketing, we don’t support bulk cold email outreach. While it may feel like a shortcut, it has serious legal, ethical, and strategic drawbacks. Instead, we help businesses focus on permission-based strategies that not only comply with regulations but also build long-term trust with potential customers.
What Is Cold Email, and Why Is It Risky?
A cold email is any message sent to someone who hasn’t opted in to communications or given you permission to contact them. This includes contacts on purchased lists or email addresses scraped from sites like LinkedIn. Unlike a newsletter or welcome sequence sent to your subscribers, cold email targets people who haven’t interacted with your business before.
And while some marketing firms still offer cold email services, the reality is that it’s risky legally and for your brand’s reputation.
“But I Get Cold Email All The Time.”
Yes, many companies, especially in the B2B space, will send unsolicited email messages. Highly personalized one-to-one emails, when personalized and not part of a bulk campaign, are less likely to trigger spam filters or be flagged by providers like Gmail and Yahoo.
However, companies must still comply with data privacy laws if personal data is used. Under GDPR, even using someone’s business email address could be considered using personal data.
Legal Compliance: GDPR, CASL, and CAN-SPAM
Here’s a breakdown of three major email laws and what could happen if you violate them:
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation – European Union)
Requires explicit consent to send marketing emails to individuals in the EU.
Consent must be given freely. It must be specific and very clear to the end user how their data will be used.
Violations can cost up to €20 million or 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is higher.
CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation)
Requires either express or implied consent before sending commercial emails.
Implied consent includes scenarios like recent purchases, but it’s time-limited.
Fines can reach up to CAD 10 million per violation.
CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2023 – United States)
The least strict of the three, but still requires:
A straightforward way to opt out
Accurate sender information
A valid physical address
Penalties can be up to USD 51,744 per violation.
A Little Nudge: If your email reaches someone in another country, you’re subject to their laws even if your business is based elsewhere.
Cold Email Also Has Strategic Downsides
Even if you stay within the legal boundaries, cold email campaigns (or bulk campaigns) often struggle to deliver results. Here’s why:
Potentially low open and response rates: Recipients don’t recognize your name, so they’re less likely to engage.
Spam filters: Cold emails are more likely to be flagged as spam, especially if sent in bulk or without proper technical setup (like domain authentication, DKIM, SPF, and DMARC).
Reputation damage: Being labelled as a spammer can hurt your domain reputation, reducing the deliverability of all your future emails.
Lack of trust: You haven’t earned the recipient’s attention or interest. That makes it harder to convert, even if they do open your message.
What Works Better: Permission-Based Email Marketing
The most successful email strategies today are built around consent, value, and trust. These permission-based approaches generate better long-term results and keep you compliant with international laws.
Here’s what we recommend instead:
Build Your List the Right Way: Attract qualified leads and let them opt in. Use sign-up forms, gated downloads, or special offers.
Engage New Subscribers: Once someone signs up, send a short welcome series to build trust before you start selling.
Segment and Personalize: Not everyone on your list has the exact same needs. Use tags or groups to send the right message to the right audience.
Stay Transparent and Respectful: Make it easy to unsubscribe, honour opt-out requests quickly, and be clear about what your subscribers can expect.
These tactics don’t just keep you compliant; they also help you create more effective campaigns that people actually want to receive.
“But How Do I Generate Leads?”
There are many ways to attract new leads that will help you stay legal and begin building relationships. A proven lead generation approach is to offer something of value in exchange for contact information.
Some common tactics include offering:
Valuable Resources: Offer gated content (content that is only accessible after a lead completes a contact form) like free checklists, guides, or eBooks that require an email sign-up.
Website Opt-Ins: Use simple, clear sign-up forms on your website for blog updates or newsletters.
Social Media: Run contests, polls, or giveaways on social platforms that include an email opt-in to enter. Platforms like LinkedIn even allow you to create lead capture forms within the application.
Online Events: Host free webinars or online workshops that require registration and a valid email address.
Exclusive Offers: Offer a discount, a free shipping code, or early access to sales in exchange for an email sign-up.
With these lead generation strategies, you get an email address from people who actually want to hear from you and learn about what you have to offer.
Conclusion
Cold email may seem to be a great way to generate new leads, but the risks often outweigh the rewards. Legal exposure, low engagement, and potential damage to your sender reputation can cost far more than you gain.
Permission-based email marketing is safer, smarter, and ultimately more profitable.
Ready for a Little Nudge?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss permission-based lead generation strategies.
