The good news for companies on this side of the digital revolution is that cold outreach is easier than ever to develop and deploy. The bad news is that consumers no longer respond to it.
Cold outreach is fading, with several factors fueling the decline. Companies must embrace and adapt to new approaches that align with emerging consumer trends to continue getting prospective customers into the sales funnel.
The following explores some of the key reasons cold outreach is no longer viable and presents the alternative sales strategy companies should be shifting to.
Cold outreach can’t overcome consumer trust issues
Trust issues are a key reason why cold outreach is fading. Today’s companies are doing business in what marketing experts like Gary Vee and Neil Patel call the “post-trust” digital environment, where prospective buyers have lost confidence in the validity of digital marketing. Consumer skepticism has grown along with the volume of offers flooding their feeds and inboxes.
The evolution of consumer expectations has also had a negative impact on the effectiveness of cold outreach. The rise of online scams and clever marketing that doesn’t deliver on value has changed consumer behavior, inspiring buyers to take longer to evaluate potential purchases. Cold outreach is failing because cold prospects don’t know or trust the brand, and often can’t assess the value the offer provides them.
The audiences marketers are engaging with today want connection first and propositions second. They expect to receive free value before being asked to buy something. Winning the sale means adopting an approach that allows the company to connect with its audience on a personal level.
The trust issues impacting cold outreach have an even greater impact on small companies. To understand why, consider Tony Robbins as an example. He isn’t affected by the problems associated with cold audiences because he doesn’t have any; he is universally known.
However, most small businesses, unlike Tony Robbins, are unknown entities. When buyers get a message from a brand they don’t know, they default to skepticism. So when a cold email sent by a small company from an AI platform shows up in the promotions tab of a consumer’s Gmail inbox, it goes straight into the trash.
Content provides the connections consumers want
As consumers have turned away from cold outreach, they’ve turned toward content. A recent study shows that 78 percent of consumers point to short-form content as the media they turn to when they want to learn about a product or service. Another 87 percent say they have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.
Content works primarily because it can build trust at scale. People are no longer inspired to buy based on logos or the last ad they saw on TV; they buy from trust. Content is the fastest way to build trust for business owners in a post-trust digital economy because it shows the face, voice, and values of a company in a way that static images or cold emails never could.
When delivered as social media content, short-form video drives better results by leveraging massive organic reach. The algorithms on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts are interest-based, not follower-based, which means even accounts with zero followers can rack up thousands of views (and leads) with the right format and message.
Companies that use short-form video on social media also scale trust through the compounding value of organic reach. Unlike paid ads, which die the second a company stops paying for them, social media content keeps working long after it’s posted. One 60-second video that resonates with viewers can drive sales for months.
Overall, strategically executed content moves people down the sales funnel in a reliable way. It attracts attention, builds trust, and drives conversions, all within a brand’s pages and through content that is free to post.
How to unleash short-form video on social media for your company
Effective social media channels that drive revenue are built around a well-resourced content system that produces high-quality video. Posting more videos won’t necessarily drive more sales. Instead, the way to make money is to post better content.
Companies that succeed at short-form invest in the tools required to make content at scale while still having the time to run their business. They use AI tools, hire skilled employees, and utilize a creative and competent editor.
Successful companies also prioritize strategy over aesthetics. A pretty AI-generated image in Canva does nothing by itself if your goal is driving revenue. Focus on the message you want to convey before obsessing over looks or production value.
The best videos communicate clearly, conveying emotion, and offer the right message/market fit. A good hook is essential for grabbing attention and earning the opportunity to deliver the entire message. Rooting the story in personal experience, observations, or transformations is also important.
The right social media content strategy will also cater to the characteristics needed to move people through the sales funnel. Hook-heavy, curiosity-driven videos are ideal for top-of-funnel content. Mid-funnel should involve personal stories, case studies, and behind-the-scenes content. The best videos for consumers at the bottom of the funnel will be those with a soft call to action, a clear direction, problem/solution content, and social proof.
Finally, companies can’t treat content production like a side project, posting once a week or only when they have a few minutes. A social media content strategy focused on volume and consistency leads to viral content and impactful connections. To deliver, social media must be taken seriously and treated like any other marketing channel.
Buyers today are skeptical. They Google a business, scroll through reviews, and look at socials before even considering whether a brand is trustworthy. If all they see is a cold email and a LinkedIn bio, they move on. But companies that provide consumers with hundreds of high-quality pieces of social media content that speak directly to them or a problem they face win the trust and the profit.
