Sofie warms people up

Cold DM templates for brand designers.

Five first messages to founders who have outgrown the logo they made on day one, written to get a reply rather than to pitch. Fill in the [brackets] from what they wrote.

Write one for a specific personMonty for designersFollow-up writer

What they care about

  • Looking as credible as they really are, especially before a raise or a big sale
  • A brand the team can actually use without calling you
  • Not losing the recognition they already have

What gets ignored

  • Calling their current logo bad
  • Leading with your process or your awards
  • Moodboards in the first message
1 · They raised or announced growth

Congrats on the [round/milestone]. Does the brand still feel like the company you are now, or the one you were at the start?

Big moments are when people notice their brand is behind.
124 characters
2 · They posted a redesign or new site

The new [site/deck] looks sharp. Was the brand part of it, or did you keep the original identity for now?

Starts from their work, with a genuine question.
105 characters
3 · They just followed you

Thanks for the follow. I work with [type of company] on their brand. Curious: who looks after how [company] looks and sounds right now?

Finds out if there’s a gap without pitching.
135 characters
4 · They mentioned a rebrand

Saw you’re thinking about a rebrand. What’s pushing it: a new audience, a new product, or just “it doesn’t feel like us any more”?

Helps them say the real reason, which is the brief.
130 characters
5 · A few days later, no reply

One thing that might help either way: a short checklist I use to tell whether a brand needs a refresh or a rebuild. Want it?

Gives something useful, even if they never hire you.
124 characters
Don’t send this

Your branding is a bit outdated. I specialise in modern, minimalist brand identities. Check out my portfolio: [link]

An insult, a pitch and a link, in that order.
Monty

Monty writes these for every good follower, every morning.

Templates are a start. Monty reads your new X followers, finds the founders among them, and writes a first message from what each one actually posted. You decide and send.

Start a 7-day trial for $0You decide and send every message yourself.

How to use these templates

  1. Pick the moment, not the template. Each one fits a situation: they followed you, posted about a problem, launched, are hiring, or haven’t answered yet. Use the one that matches what just happened.
  2. Fill every bracket with something true. The specific detail is what makes the message worth answering.
  3. Read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound like you, change the words until it does. Then send it yourself.

One specific detail, one easy question, and nothing to sell yet. The pitch comes after they reply.

Want more? What to say in a first DM on X has forty openers sorted by situation, from launches to hiring posts.

Questions

How do I write a cold DM as one of the brand designers?

Start from one specific thing the person wrote or did, ask one easy question, and leave your pitch for later. The templates on this page show five common moments to message founders who have outgrown the logo they made on day one, with the parts to fill in marked in brackets.

Can I send these templates as they are?

Fill in every bracket with something true about the person, then change a few words so it sounds like you. If a template could still go to 500 people after you’ve filled it in, it isn’t personal enough yet.

When should I follow up?

After a few days, with a new angle: something useful, or an easier question. Twice is plenty. The last template on this page is a follow-up.

Does Monty send these for me?

No. Monty finds the people worth messaging among your X followers and writes a first message for each, but you always decide and send it yourself.

More templates

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