My first cold email campaign! Results ->

https://preview.redd.it/o66m3i3yabmh1.png?width=2276&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1df2ce637e3709f52f51d327fc226db8bc7d5d1

Hey everyone,

Just wrapped up my first cold email campaign and wanted to share the raw metrics and takeaways. I ran an A/B test on 1,034 contacts to see how a longer subject line compares to a shorter, friendlier one.

Here’s the high-level breakdown of the entire campaign:

• Sent: 1,034
• Opened: 209 (20%)
• Clicked: 56 (27% CTOR)
• Replied: 10 (1% overall reply rate)

A/B Test Breakdown

Variant A (Longer Subject Line):

• Sent: 516
• Opens: 106 (35.7%)
• Clicks: 33 (7.0% of total sent)
• Click-to-Open (CTOR): 19.6%
• Replies: 4 (0.8%)

Variant B (Shorter/Friendlier Subject Line) — Marked Winner on Replies:

• Sent: 518
• Opens: 103 (43.2%)
• Clicks: 23 (5.6% of total sent)
• Click-to-Open (CTOR): 12.9%
• Replies: 6 (1.2%)

Key Takeaways & Observations:

1. Opens vs. Engagement Conflict: Variant B generated higher open rates (43.2% vs 35.7%) and ultimately secured more replies (6 vs 4). However, Variant A drove significantly higher click engagement, achieving a 19.6% CTOR compared to Variant B’s 12.9%.
2. Sample Size: With only 10 total replies, the variance between 4 and 6 replies isn't statistically significant yet, but it gives a solid baseline for the next push.
3. Next Steps: I plan to refine the body copy to bridge the gap between getting the open (Variant B) and driving high-intent clicks/replies.
4. Biggest mistake: I rushed into sending without properly warming up the mailboxes. I paid the price in deliverability, which tanked my open rates and bruised my domain health for future campaigns. Lesson learned: never skip the warm-up, no matter how fast you want to launch.

Would love to hear your thoughts on these numbers! What open-to-reply ratios are you seeing in your niche, and would you lean into Variant A's higher click intent or Variant B's higher reply volume?