If you’re sending cold emails or running nurture campaigns, you know that “just use the default template” is a recipe for getting ignored. This guide is for sales and marketing folks who want to build their own B2B email templates in Humanlinker—without wasting time on guesswork or falling for shiny features that don’t move the needle.
Below, you’ll learn how to actually create custom templates, what to watch out for, and how to keep things practical (so your campaigns don’t end up in the spam bin).
Why Custom Templates Matter (and When They Don’t)
Let’s be blunt: most B2B buyers get a mountain of emails every day. If your message looks or sounds generic, it’s getting archived—or worse, marked as spam. Custom templates help you:
- Reflect your unique value prop, not just “Hi {first name}, I’d love to connect...”
- Align with your brand voice, so you don’t sound like a robot.
- Test and tweak what works, instead of firing off the same old thing.
But don’t overthink it. If you’re sending a handful of one-off messages, templates are overkill. They shine when you’re doing repeatable outreach—think SDRs, customer success, newsletters, or onboarding flows.
Step 1: Mapping Out Your Email Flow Before Touching Humanlinker
Before you even log in, do yourself a favor: sketch out what you want your emails to actually do. This isn’t busywork—it saves you from endless edits later.
Ask yourself:
- Who am I emailing? (Be specific: titles, industries, pain points.)
- What’s the goal? (Book a call? Demo? Reply? Just awareness?)
- How many touchpoints? (Is this a single intro or a 4-step sequence?)
- What info do I need to personalize? (Names, company, recent funding, etc.)
Pro tip: Write your templates in a plain text editor first. It’s easier to spot awkward lines, and you won’t get distracted by formatting options.
Step 2: Setting Up Your Template in Humanlinker
Alright, let’s get into Humanlinker. Here’s how you actually build a template:
1. Head to the Templates Section
- Log in and find the “Templates” or “Sequences” menu. (The exact label might change, but it’s usually in the main nav.)
- Click “Create New Template” or the plus (+) button.
2. Name Your Template Clearly
- Don’t call it “Template 1.” Use something like “Outbound – SaaS CEOs – Q2 2024.”
- If you’re making variants (for A/B testing), add a note: “V1 – Short,” “V2 – With Case Study,” etc.
3. Draft Your Subject Line
- Keep it short and honest. No fake “Re:” or clickbait. People see through that fast.
- Good: “Quick question about {company}’s sales process”
- Bad: “Increase Revenue 10x in 2 Weeks!!!”
4. Write the Body—Keep It Human
- Use merge tags for personalization, like
{first_name},{company}, etc. Humanlinker usually lists these in a sidebar or dropdown. - Keep sentences short. One idea per paragraph.
- Don’t overdo the variables. If your email has more than 3-4 merge fields, it starts to look robotic.
- End with a clear, low-friction CTA (call to action). “Would you be open to a 15-min call next week?” works way better than “Let me know your availability for a comprehensive discussion.”
Example:
Subject: Quick question about {company}
Hi {first_name},
I noticed {company} is expanding in {industry}. We help teams like yours streamline {pain_point}—happy to share a quick idea if you’re open.
Would you be up for a short call next week?
Best,
{your_name}
5. Format Sparingly
- Bold or italics can help, but don’t go wild. Too much formatting = spammy vibes.
- Avoid images or logos in cold outreach. They often trigger spam filters and rarely add value.
6. Save and Preview
- Always use the “Preview” or “Test” feature. Send a test to yourself (and a teammate if possible). Check for:
- Merge tags working right
- No weird spacing or broken links
- The email looks OK on desktop and mobile
Step 3: Adding Personalization That Doesn’t Suck
Personalization is the holy grail—and the number one way to get ignored if you do it badly.
What works: - Referencing a specific detail (recent funding, a product launch, a LinkedIn post) - Mentioning a mutual connection (if it’s real—don’t fake it) - Relating to a pain point unique to their industry or role
What doesn’t: - Just repeating “Hi {first_name}” and calling it personalized - Generic compliments (“Saw your company is doing great things!”) - Cramming in irrelevant data (“I see your company has 47 employees and was founded in 2009”)
How to do this in Humanlinker: - Use custom fields. If the default merge tags aren’t enough, set up custom fields for things like “recent news” or “mutual connection.” - You may need to bulk-upload data or use integrations—don’t try to hand-edit 500 contacts.
Step 4: Testing and Iterating (Don’t Skip This)
This is where most people fall down. They write a “perfect” template, blast it out, and never look back. Don’t do that.
How to actually test:
- A/B test subject lines and CTAs. Humanlinker usually lets you set up variants within a sequence.
- Send in small batches first. 20-50 emails is enough to spot glaring issues.
- Track real metrics. Open rate is OK, but replies and booked meetings are what matter. Ignore “vanity metrics” like click-through rate unless you’re linking to something crucial.
- Watch for deliverability issues. If your open rates nosedive, your emails might be hitting spam. Don’t ignore this—try simplifying your template, removing images, or warming up your sending domain.
Pro tip: Keep a doc or spreadsheet of what you test and what happens. Otherwise, you’ll forget which version worked.
Step 5: Organizing and Managing Your Templates
After a month or two, you’ll have a graveyard of old templates. Stay organized:
- Archive old versions, but don’t delete them—you’ll want to revisit what worked (and what flopped).
- Tag or label templates by use case: “Cold Outbound,” “Post-Demo Follow-Up,” “Newsletter,” etc.
- Clean up unused merge tags. Nothing says “I don’t care” like “Hi {first_name},” when it should be “Hi Sarah,”.
What to Ignore (Save Yourself Some Headaches)
- Overly fancy templates. Stick to plain text or simple formatting. HTML-heavy emails get filtered or look weird in Outlook (yes, some people still use it).
- Trying to automate everything. Personalization at scale is great, but if you’re emailing your top 20 dream clients, do it by hand.
- Chasing every new feature. Humanlinker adds bells and whistles all the time, but most of them don’t matter if your basic message isn’t landing.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
You don’t need a PhD in copywriting or a 15-step automation chain to get results. The best B2B email templates in Humanlinker are clear, honest, and easy to tweak. Start with a solid base, personalize what matters, and test small changes instead of reinventing the wheel every week.
If your open rates are tanking or replies dry up, don’t panic—just tweak, test, and move on. Keep it simple, keep it personal, and don’t fall for shiny new features until your basics are nailed. Good luck.