Cold outreach can feel like sending messages into the void. You want your emails to stand out, but you also need to send a lot of them to get good results. If you’re trying to reach local businesses or directories, it can be tricky to balance personalization with volume. That’s where tools like Outscraper and GPT for Sheets come in handy. They help you gather contact lists and create unique emails without spending hours writing each one.
In this article, we’ll share how to use Outscraper’s contact lists combined with GPT tools to improve your cold email outreach. We’ll also talk about when to use custom opening statements versus spin-tax emails, and why sometimes simple is better when you’re sending a lot of messages. This approach comes straight from our experience running outreach campaigns at Semantic Mastery.
Table of Contents
What is Outscraper and How Does it Help?
Outscraper is a tool that helps you collect contact information from various places online, like business directories or Google Maps. Instead of manually searching for emails and phone numbers, Outscraper automates the process and gives you a clean list of contacts to reach out to.
This saves a ton of time. For example, if you want to reach out to local businesses for SEO services or directory listings, Outscraper can pull together hundreds or thousands of contacts in minutes. Once you have the list, you can start crafting your outreach emails.
Using GPT for Sheets to Personalize Emails
One way to make your cold emails stand out is to add a personal touch. GPT for Sheets is a tool that connects Google Sheets with AI-generated text. It can help you write custom opening statements or introductions for each recipient based on the contact data.
For example, if you have a list of business names and locations, GPT for Sheets can create unique sentences like “I noticed your bakery in downtown Chicago has great reviews,” or “Your landscaping services in Austin caught my eye.” This makes emails feel less generic and more tailored.
We’ve experimented with this approach and even offered training on how to use GPT for Sheets during our Black Friday weekend giveaways. However, it’s important to know that while this customization can improve engagement, it also takes more time and effort to set up and manage.
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SpinTax: A Quick Way to Vary Your Emails
If you want to send a lot of emails fast, spin-tax is a popular technique. It lets you create variations of a single email by swapping out certain words or phrases. For example, you might write:
Hello {friend|partner|team}, I’m reaching out to talk about {your business|your company|your services}.
When you send the email, the spin-tax tool randomly picks one option from each set of brackets to create slightly different versions. This helps avoid spam filters and makes your emails look less copy-pasted.
At Semantic Mastery, we use spin-tax in our outreach emails because it allows us to send high volumes while still sounding natural. We don’t typically add custom opening statements for each company because it would slow down our process too much.
When to Use Custom Openings vs. SpinTax
One common question we get is whether you should add a custom opening statement about the company in the first email, or just use the same email with spin-tax variations. The short answer: it depends on your goals and volume.
If you’re doing outreach at scale and need to send thousands of emails, using spin-tax versions of a well-crafted email usually works fine. We still get plenty of replies without customizing every opening line.
But if you’re targeting a smaller, more selective list, or want to build stronger connections right away, personalizing your emails with custom intros can help. GPT for Sheets is a great tool for that because it can generate those lines automatically based on your contact data.
Our Approach
We mostly stick to spin-tax emails for our large campaigns because it’s efficient and effective. We might test custom openings in the future, but for now, the volume and responses we get are good enough with spin-tax.
Remember, the goal of the first email is to get a reply or some kind of engagement. If your email is clear, polite, and shows some relevance, you don’t always need fancy personalization to get results.
How to Get Started with Your Own Cold Outreach
If you want to try this method yourself, here’s a simple step-by-step guide:
- Gather Contacts: Use Outscraper to scrape emails and contact info from directories or Google Maps for your target niche.
- Prepare Your Email Template: Write a clear, short cold email that explains who you are and what you offer. Include spin-tax variations for key phrases to keep it fresh.
- Optional – Personalize: Use GPT for Sheets to generate unique opening lines based on the contact data if you want to try personalization.
- Send Emails: Use an email outreach tool to send your messages in batches, making sure to follow anti-spam best practices.
- Track Replies: Monitor responses and adjust your email content or approach based on what works best.
Tips for Successful Cold Email Outreach
- Keep it Simple: Your email should be easy to read and get to the point quickly.
- Be Relevant: Show that you understand the recipient’s business or needs, even if it’s just a small detail.
- Test and Adjust: Try different subject lines, email bodies, and timings to see what gets the best response.
- Don’t Overdo Personalization: Personalizing every email is great but can slow you down. Use spin-tax for volume and personalization where it counts.
- Respect Privacy and Laws: Make sure to comply with spam laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR when sending outreach emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to add a custom opening statement in every cold email?
Not necessarily. If you’re sending a high volume of emails, using spin-tax variations of a well-crafted email is usually enough to get good engagement. Custom openings can help if you’re targeting a smaller list or want to build stronger relationships early on.
What is spin-tax and how does it help?
Spin-tax is a way to create multiple variations of an email by swapping out certain words or phrases. This helps your emails look less repetitive and reduces the chance of being flagged as spam.
Can GPT for Sheets write my entire outreach email?
GPT for Sheets can help generate parts of your email, especially personalized opening lines based on your contact list. However, it’s best to write the main body yourself to keep your message clear and on brand.
Is Outscraper free to use?
Outscraper offers some free options but generally operates on a paid model depending on how much data you need to scrape. Always check their pricing and terms before starting.
How many emails should I send in a cold outreach campaign?
There’s no one-size-fits-all number. It depends on your goals, resources, and the quality of your contact list. Start with smaller batches, measure your response rates, and scale up as you learn what works.
Final Thoughts
Cold outreach doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. By combining Outscraper’s contact scraping with tools like GPT for Sheets and spin-tax emails, you can create campaigns that reach many people while still feeling personal and relevant.
At Semantic Mastery, we focus on volume and efficiency but keep an eye on quality. Sometimes simple spin-tax emails get more replies than highly personalized ones because they’re clear and easy to respond to. Testing and adjusting your approach is key to finding what works for your business.
If you want to grow your local SEO or directory listings through cold outreach, these tools and tips can help you get there faster without burning out.