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Instantly + Canva — Cold email sequences enhanced with branded visual assets. Case study PDFs, data snapshots, and personalised one-pagers attached at strategic points in the sequence to differentiate your outreach.
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Plain-text cold emails get replies. But at the follow-up stage — Email 2 and beyond — visual assets can be the differentiator that converts an "interesting" into a "let's meet."
This playbook keeps Email 1 clean (plain text, no attachments — best for deliverability) and introduces branded visuals in later emails: a case study PDF, a data snapshot, or a one-pager attached to Email 2 or 3. The visual says "this person is serious and professional" in a way text alone can't.
| Use This Playbook When | Use a Different Playbook When |
|---|---|
| You have case studies, data, or visual proof points worth sharing | You're doing pure volume outreach — plain text is faster and simpler |
| Your ICP responds to professional, branded communication | You need enrichment — add Clay for data-driven personalisation |
| You want follow-ups that feel consultative, not spammy | You want LinkedIn too — add HeyReach for multi-channel |
| You have Instantly running and want to increase follow-up conversion | You want pipeline tracking — add Notion |
| Tool | Role | What You're Using It For |
|---|---|---|
| Instantly | Email Delivery | Multi-account sending, warmup, sequences, A/B testing, deliverability monitoring. Hosts the email sequence with strategic asset insertion points. |
| Canva | Asset Creation | Case study PDFs, data snapshots, branded one-pagers, infographic summaries. Brand kit enforcement. Templates for repeatable asset production. Export to PDF/PNG for email attachment or hosted link. |
| Email Step | Asset Strategy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email 1 | NO assets, NO links, NO images. Plain text only. | Deliverability. First cold email with attachments = spam folder. |
| Email 2 | Optional: Mention an asset — "I put together a quick [case study/data breakdown]. Want me to send it over?" | Creates curiosity without attachment risk. If they reply "yes," you send it personally. |
| Email 3 | Include asset. Attach a PDF or link to a hosted page. Case study, data snapshot, or one-pager. | By Email 3, the thread exists. Attachment is in a reply chain, not a cold first touch. Deliverability impact minimal. |
| Email 4 (Breakup) | No asset. Clean close. | Simplicity. Don't overwhelm at the end. |