In cold emailing, personalization is everything. A message that feels tailored to the recipient has a much higher chance of being opened and replied to. But when you need to send 50, 100, or even 500 emails, it becomes nearly impossible to manually personalize each one.
So how do smart marketers and sales reps make their cold emails feel personal—even at scale? This article reveals exactly how to do it in 2025.
🔹 Why Personalization Matters
People ignore generic emails. A personalized email:
Grabs attention
Builds trust
Feels more human
Boosts reply rates by up to 3x
You don’t need to write every email from scratch. You just need to add a few personalized elements the smart way.
🔹 Use Merge Tags (Custom Fields)
Most cold email tools let you use merge tags like:
{{first_name}}{{company}}{{job_title}}{{city}}
Example Email Snippet:
Hi {{first_name}}, I noticed that {{company}} recently launched a new feature. That’s impressive!
With a spreadsheet or CRM, you can fill in these tags for dozens of contacts automatically.
🔹 Create Multiple “Personalization Buckets”
Instead of fully unique messages, group your prospects into buckets based on industry, pain point, or job title.
Then write 2–3 versions of your cold email for each bucket.
Example Buckets:
SaaS founders
Ecommerce store owners
Agencies with less than 10 employees
This gives your email a targeted feel without manual work.
🔹 Add Personalized First Lines
Your first line should feel natural and refer to something specific.
Manual Example:
“I read your blog on pricing strategies—really insightful!”
Semi-Automated Tip:
Use AI tools like Instantly.ai or Smartwriter to generate personalized first lines from LinkedIn or website data.
🔹 Use Dynamic Images or Videos
Tools like Hyperise let you add the recipient’s name, logo, or website screenshot into an image or video thumbnail.
It grabs attention and feels like it was made just for them.
🔹 Reference Public Information
You can use publicly available info to personalize at scale:
LinkedIn job changes
Recent funding announcements
Blog posts or podcasts
Tweets or YouTube videos
Use tools like Clay or PhantomBuster to extract this data automatically.
🔹 Build Templates with Personal Hooks
Instead of writing one generic template, write:
A strong intro hook
2–3 value propositions
2–3 closing CTA options
Then mix-and-match using email software or spreadsheets. Each combination feels fresh and personalized.
🔹 Tools That Help You Personalize at Scale
Instantly.ai – Personalized first lines and sequences
Smartlead.ai – AI-enhanced cold outreach
Apollo.io – Contact enrichment
Wiza.co – LinkedIn contact scraping
Clay.run – Enrichment automation
✅ Bonus Tips
Use plain text, not overly designed templates
Keep your tone friendly and human
Always double-check the merge fields
A/B test your templates for best results
Conclusion:
You don’t need to spend hours personalizing every cold email. With the right strategy and tools, you can send 100+ emails that feel like they were written one by one. The result? More replies, better connections, and more leads in 2025.