In email marketing, outreach refers to the practice of sending targeted, personalised emails to individuals or organisations you don’t have an existing relationship with, typically to establish a connection, build a partnership, or generate leads. Unlike promotional emails sent to subscribers who’ve opted in, outreach emails are often cold or warm introductions aimed at starting a conversation.
For example, a marketing agency might send outreach emails to potential clients introducing their services, a content creator might reach out to brands for collaboration opportunities, or a sales team might contact prospects to schedule a discovery call.
Outreach is commonly used in contexts like sales prospecting, influencer marketing, link building, partnership development, and business development. When done well, outreach builds genuine relationships and opens doors to new opportunities.
Why outreach matters
Outreach allows businesses to proactively connect with people who might not find them otherwise. Instead of waiting for leads to come to you, outreach puts your message directly in front of decision-makers, potential partners, or influencers.
Key benefits include:
Direct access to decision-makers – Outreach lets you bypass gatekeepers and reach the people who matter most to your goals.
Relationship building – Thoughtful outreach starts conversations that can lead to partnerships, collaborations, or long-term business relationships.
Lead generation – For B2B businesses, outreach is often the primary way to generate qualified leads and book sales meetings.
Brand visibility – Even if someone doesn’t respond immediately, a well-crafted outreach email can introduce your brand and plant a seed for future engagement.
Scalability – With the right tools and processes, outreach can be scaled to reach hundreds or thousands of prospects while still feeling personalised.
Types of outreach
Outreach takes different forms depending on your goals and audience.
Cold outreach
Cold outreach is sent to people with whom you have no prior relationship or interaction. The recipient hasn’t opted in to hear from you, so the message must quickly establish relevance and value.
Example: A software company emails a prospect they identified through LinkedIn, introducing their product and offering a demo.
Cold outreach requires careful compliance with regulations like CASL in Canada, which generally prohibits unsolicited commercial emails unless you have implied consent (such as a business relationship or publicly available contact information in certain contexts).
Warm outreach
Warm outreach targets people you have some connection to—perhaps they’ve interacted with your content, attended an event you hosted, or were referred by a mutual contact. Warm outreach has a higher response rate because there’s already a thread of familiarity.
Example: A marketer reaches out to someone who downloaded a whitepaper, offering a follow-up consultation.
Partnership and collaboration outreach
This type of outreach seeks to establish mutually beneficial relationships, such as co-marketing partnerships, guest blogging opportunities, or affiliate arrangements.
Example: A podcast host emails a potential guest to invite them to appear on an episode.
Link-building outreach
Content creators and SEO professionals use outreach to request backlinks, promote content, or suggest guest post opportunities to website owners and bloggers.
Example: A blogger reaches out to a website that mentioned a related topic, suggesting their article as an additional resource.
Influencer outreach
Brands reach out to influencers, content creators, or industry experts to propose collaborations, sponsorships, or product reviews.
Example: A skincare brand emails a beauty YouTuber to offer free products in exchange for an honest review.
Sales outreach
Sales teams use outreach to identify and contact prospects, qualify leads, and book meetings or demos.
Example: A B2B sales rep emails a potential client to introduce their solution and schedule a discovery call.
Outreach and CASL compliance in Canada
In Canada, outreach emails are subject to CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation), which governs commercial electronic messages. CASL is strict, and non-compliance can result in significant penalties.
Key CASL considerations for outreach
Express or implied consent is required – You generally cannot send commercial emails to someone without their consent. However, CASL does allow for implied consent in certain limited situations, such as:
- An existing business relationship (e.g., the recipient is a current or recent customer)
- The recipient has publicly shared their contact information (such as on a website or business directory) and the message is relevant to their business or role
- A conspicuous publication exception, where the email address is publicly available and the message relates to the recipient’s business, role, or functions
Commercial intent matters – If your outreach email encourages participation in commercial activity (such as selling a product or service), it’s considered a commercial electronic message (CEM) under CASL and must comply with consent requirements.
Transactional or relationship messages may be exempt – If your outreach is purely informational or relationship-focused (such as a genuine partnership inquiry with no promotional intent), it may not be considered a CEM. However, the line can be grey, so err on the side of caution.
Include required identification – All emails must clearly identify your business, include contact information, and provide an easy way to unsubscribe or decline future messages.
Respect opt-outs immediately – If someone asks not to be contacted again, you must honour that request and remove them from future outreach.
Because CASL is complex and penalties are severe, Canadian businesses should consult legal guidance or work within the bounds of implied consent provisions when conducting outreach.
Best practices for effective outreach
Outreach is more art than science. The goal is to start a genuine conversation, not blast people with generic sales pitches.
Personalise every message
Generic, templated outreach gets ignored or deleted. Reference something specific about the recipient—their work, recent content, company news, or shared interests. Show that you’ve done your research and that the message is tailored to them.
Example: Instead of “I’d love to collaborate,” try “I saw your recent article on email deliverability and thought your insights on DMARC were spot-on. I’d love to explore a guest post on segmentation strategies for your audience.”
Keep it short and focused
Busy people don’t have time to read long emails from strangers. Get to the point quickly: who you are, why you’re reaching out, and what you’re asking for. Aim for 3–5 sentences.
Lead with value
Don’t start with what you want. Start with what you can offer or why the recipient should care. Frame your outreach around their needs, not yours.
Example: Instead of “We offer marketing services,” try “I noticed your website isn’t ranking for [keyword]. I have a few quick ideas that could help.”
Use a compelling subject line
Your subject line determines whether your email gets opened. Make it specific, relevant, and intriguing—avoid generic phrases like “Quick question” or “Collaboration opportunity.”
Example: “Loved your piece on [topic]—quick idea” or “Mutual connection suggested I reach out.”
Include a clear call to action
Tell the recipient exactly what you’d like them to do next. Whether it’s scheduling a call, replying with feedback, or reviewing a proposal, make the next step obvious and easy.
Example: “Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week? Let me know a time that works.”
Follow up thoughtfully
Most people don’t respond to the first outreach email—not because they’re uninterested, but because they’re busy. A polite follow-up a few days later can significantly increase response rates. Keep it brief and add value in the follow-up rather than simply repeating your ask.
Example: “Hi [Name], following up on my email from last week. I also came across this [resource] that might be helpful for your [project]. Let me know if you’d like to chat.”
Avoid being pushy or salesy
Outreach should feel like the start of a relationship, not a hard sales pitch. Be respectful, conversational, and genuine. If someone isn’t interested, accept it gracefully and move on.
Test and refine
Track your outreach performance—open rates, response rates, and conversion rates. Experiment with different subject lines, messaging angles, and calls to action to see what resonates.
Common outreach mistakes
Even experienced marketers make mistakes that hurt outreach effectiveness.
Sending generic, copy-paste emails
Recipients can tell when you’ve sent the same message to hundreds of people. Personalisation matters.
Focusing on yourself instead of the recipient
Outreach that’s all about you—your product, your needs, your goals—feels self-serving. Focus on the recipient’s interests and challenges.
Asking for too much too soon
Don’t open with a huge ask. Start small—suggest a quick call, ask a question, or offer something valuable before requesting a big commitment.
Ignoring compliance
Sending outreach emails without understanding CASL or other regulations can lead to legal trouble, spam complaints, and damage to your sender reputation.
Giving up after one email
Most successful outreach requires follow-up. One email rarely gets a response, especially from busy people.
Using misleading subject lines
Clickbait or deceptive subject lines might get opens, but they destroy trust and damage your reputation.
Tools for managing outreach
Outreach at scale requires the right tools to manage contacts, track emails, and automate follow-ups without losing the personal touch.
Common outreach tools include:
- Email outreach platforms – Tools like Mailshake, Lemlist, or Woodpecker help automate personalised outreach campaigns, track opens and replies, and manage follow-ups.
- CRM systems – Customer relationship management tools like HubSpot or Salesforce help organise prospects, track interactions, and manage outreach pipelines.
- Email finders – Tools like Hunter.io or Apollo help find verified email addresses for prospects.
- Personalisation tools – Platforms that allow dynamic personalisation at scale, inserting custom fields like names, companies, or recent content into templates.
Choose tools that balance automation with personalisation—outreach should never feel robotic.
Outreach vs. email marketing
While both involve sending emails, outreach and email marketing serve different purposes and follow different rules.
Email marketing is sent to subscribers who’ve opted in to receive your messages. It’s typically promotional, educational, or transactional, and sent to lists at scale.
Outreach is sent to individuals who haven’t opted in, often one-to-one or in small, highly targeted batches. It’s about starting conversations and building relationships, not broadcasting to a list.
The two can complement each other. For example, successful outreach might lead someone to subscribe to your email list, or email marketing might nurture leads initially generated through outreach.
Key takeaway
Outreach is the practice of sending targeted, personalised emails to people you don’t yet have a relationship with, with the goal of starting a conversation, building a partnership, or generating leads. Effective outreach requires personalisation, value, and respect for the recipient’s time. In Canada, outreach must comply with CASL, which requires consent for commercial messages except in specific implied consent situations. When done thoughtfully, outreach is a powerful way to build relationships, open doors, and grow your business.