{"id":29316,"date":"2024-10-25T15:19:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T12:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snov.io\/knowledgebase\/?p=29316"},"modified":"2025-02-23T14:23:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T11:23:47","slug":"set-up-a-converting-sequence-with-engaging-follow-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snov.io\/knowledgebase\/set-up-a-converting-sequence-with-engaging-follow-ups\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get positive replies and book more meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve completed the essential preparation before starting your campaigns: sender accounts<\/a><\/span>,<\/span> prospect lists<\/a><\/span>, and <\/span>a compelling email copy ready<\/a><\/span> \u2014 fantastic work!<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, we'll guide you on how to bring it all together and launch a campaign to contact your leads.<\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Create a new campaign<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 2. <\/b>Set up a sequence<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 3. <\/b>Add personalized content<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 4:<\/strong> Run deliverability check<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 5. <\/b>Set recipient parameters<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 6. <\/b>Set sending parameters<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 7. <\/b>Review and start campaign<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 8.<\/b> Monitor statistics and review reports<\/a><\/p>\n

The most effective way to engage your leads is through a multichannel outreach<\/a>. Snov.io Campaigns <\/strong>is a tool that can automate and personalize your outreach via email and LinkedIn channels.<\/p>\n

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Why use multichannel outreach:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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1. Higher chances to get in contact with your leads. If one channel doesn't work, you'll have another as a backup.<\/p>\n

2. The email channel is overcrowded. Using LinkedIn to support it gives you an advantage over other cold emails.<\/p>\n

3. Using email and LinkedIn for communication will bring you more replies. In Snov.io, both can be personalized.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Let's proceed to creating your multichannel campaign. At each step, we\u2019ll give you tips for higher KPIs and provide explanations of the campaign settings.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Create a new campaign<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

To start creating your campaign, log in to your Snov.io account<\/a> and go to the Campaigns<\/a> page. Select + New Campaign<\/strong> from the left menu. Each time you create a campaign, it will be saved automatically as a draft that you can return to later.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Build a sequence<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Build a sequence with multiple steps that will execute your engagement strategy. To give you flexibility, the sequence can contain either a single channel (email only or LinkedIn only) or a combination of emails and LinkedIn activities.<\/p>\n

Sequence elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To add a step, drag or click the element from the right side. To add the next step, hover over the black arrow and select the next element. The sequence can include emails, LinkedIn actions, delays, behavioral triggers, and goals.<\/p>\n

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1) Email: <\/strong>This is where you add your email content. Each email step can have A\/B variants to test different versions. The sequence can contain multiple email steps for follow-ups.<\/p>\n

The optimal sequence length to get an \"interested\" reply is 4 emails<\/strong> (the initial email and 2-3 follow-ups). The first follow-up usually has the best chance for a reply, so make sure it has personalization and value on par with the initial email.<\/p>\n

Longer sequences with more than 4 follow-ups will likely show a gradual drop in engagement and responses.<\/p>\n

2) LinkedIn: <\/strong>This element includes LinkedIn actions: viewing and following prospects' profiles, liking posts, sending connection requests and messages. Read more about LinkedIn actions.<\/a><\/p>\n

You can use LinkedIn as a standalone channel for a campaign, as a companion to email to boost engagement, or as a backup to connect if your prospect hasn\u2019t replied to email.<\/p>\n

3) Trigger:\u00a0<\/strong>This element lets you create personalized flows to continue the sequence based on the recipient's actions in the previous step. Read how triggers work.<\/a><\/p>\n

4) Delay: <\/strong>This element allows you to set waiting times between campaign steps.<\/p>\n

The optimal pause before following up by email or LinkedIn message is 2-3 days. Following up sooner can come across as pushy and may lower your chances of getting a response. The waiting time between additional LinkedIn actions, like liking posts or following profiles, can be shorter\u2014around 1 to 2 days.<\/p>\n

5) Goal: <\/strong>Place this element at the end of your sequence. It helps you segment leads based on their engagement levels throughout the sequence and prioritize those who are most interested.<\/p>\n

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To help you get started, see examples of pre-built sequence templates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Once you've placed the elements in the order you want, click on each step to open its settings and configure it.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Add content for email and LinkedIn messages<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Click on the Email<\/strong> element to open the email editor. Besides adding email text, the email editor has options to enrich content for greater impact: AI writing assistant, adding media (images or videos), variables, and a Calendly link.<\/p>\n

You can use the built-in Email AI<\/strong> tool to refine your email template, adjust its tone, or quickly draft a follow-up based on your previous message. Read more about it.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Email content recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Make the subject line 3 to 8 words long\u2014provide a clear context for your email to capture attention.<\/p>\n

2. Send short emails (50-120 words)\u2014this length tends to perform better than longer emails.<\/p>\n

3. Only add graphic materials if they carry value in the email.<\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t add attachments to the first email; include them only in follow-ups if the prospect agrees.<\/p>\n

5. Use plain text\u2014don't add unnecessary HTML code.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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LinkedIn message recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Make it shorter than emails for easier readability (30 to 70 words).<\/p>\n

2. The first sentence in the message preview should carry enough value to encourage an open.<\/p>\n

3. Maintain the level of personalization for better chances of a reply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The LinkedIn message editor also includes a Variable<\/strong> menu, which means you can use the same set of variables as in emails. You can also include Calendly links to LinkedIn messages.<\/p>\n

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Insert variables into email and LinkedIn text<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Personalized communication will bring you more replies and conversions.<\/p>\n

Variables in Snov.io will help personalize the email or message for each recipient automatically. You can add variables anywhere in the email\/message body or a subject line. The placeholders will be replaced with the information from prospect profile.<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides adding basic variables like {{first_name}}<\/strong> or {{company_name}}<\/strong>, use custom variables and dynamic content as much as possible (more about it below).<\/p>\n

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How to use variables?<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Use variables to add information unique for your recipients.<\/p>\n

2. Make sure it's something relevant to the context of your offer or message.<\/p>\n

3. Personalizing a mention of the weather in their city or something general won\u2019t improve engagement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

To add a variable, choose the Variable<\/strong> menu on the toolbar. This menu has corresponding variables for all the default and custom prospect fields.\u00a0After adding variables, you can check how the email appears for recipients using the Preview and test<\/strong> option at the bottom.<\/p>\n

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What if a prospect's profile is missing data for personalization?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snov.io automatically moves such prospects to the To Check list<\/a>, where you can review profiles with missing variables. For variables to work, the corresponding fields in the profile should contain data. Remember, you can upload data to custom fields in bulk via import.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A missing variable means that a required prospect field is empty. To handle such cases, add fallbacks to variables\u2014default text to be used when the information is missing. Learn more about fallbacks.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Spintax<\/b><\/h3>\n

Spintax helps add uniqueness to each email or message for better deliverability. It automatically randomizes certain parts of the text by choosing a new variation each time.<\/p>\n

You can use spintax in both emails and LinkedIn messages to create unique text variations. This helps reduce the chances of being flagged by spam filters. Learn more about using Spintax.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Dynamic content<\/b><\/h3>\n

Dynamic content makes your email or message better personalized for different lead segments. These variables change the final text based on conditions you set. The condition could be the recipient's position or any other data field from their profile.<\/p>\n

This means you can add information relevant to recipients who share certain characteristics, such as a job title.<\/p>\n

To make it work, set the \"If\" condition and add unique text for each of the \"Then\" variations. You can use dynamic content with both channels\u2014in emails and LinkedIn messages.<\/p>\n

Learn how to personalize emails with dynamic content.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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What else to add to email content<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Don't forget to include these additional elements in your email content:<\/p>\n

Add a signature<\/h4>\n

Your email signature is just as important as any other element of your email\u2014and it can actually increase your reply rates. Add your name, position, and company so recipients know who\u2019s reaching out, and include contact info like your phone number, email, and social media links. It's better if you give them multiple contact options.<\/p>\n

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Email signature recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. For better impact, add custom elements based on the recipients. For example, add a tagline to highlight your specialty or a key benefit for that lead segment.<\/p>\n

2. Include a call-to-action: a link to a resource, product page, or your calendar, so interested recipients can take the next step on their own.<\/p>\n

3. Keep its design simple and easy to read to ensure it doesn\u2019t distract from your message.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read how to add signature to email account.<\/a><\/p>\n

Add a Calendly link<\/h4>\n

You can add Calendly meeting links directly to your emails and LinkedIn messages sent via automations. This allows you to customize your sequences to automatically send follow-ups to those who book a meeting through link in your campaign. Read how to enable Calendly integration.<\/a><\/p>\n

Add the unsubscribe link<\/h4>\n

Always provide recipients with the option to opt out if they're not interested. <\/span>You can <\/span>add an unsubscribe link<\/span><\/a> to your email content or to a signature so it is included automatically with every email sent. <\/span>If there's no option to stop emails, people are more likely to mark you as spam, which is bad for your sender reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Snov.io also supports adding a one-click unsubscribe option for bulk senders to comply with Google's sender requirements. You can enable this feature in the campaign settings under One-click unsubscribe.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Test your setup<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

At this stage, it would be smart to do another test\u2014this time using real email content and a \"real campaign simulation\" to measure your deliverability.<\/p>\n

Open Deliverability check<\/a> in a new page\u00a0and click New test<\/strong> to set it up. In the settings, select Send emails one by one<\/strong> and Custom email<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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With this sending strategy, we will send test emails with a longer delay between each email, simulating the real campaign. In the email content, add every part of the email exactly as you plan to send it in a campaign, including text, images, links.<\/p>\n

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What's the point of Deliverability check:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. We send test emails to different mailboxes to ensure good performance across various providers.<\/p>\n

2. The test result will show you the email placement, indicating the percentage of emails that reached the inbox during the test. This means you can expect similar results in a campaign.<\/p>\n

3. The test will also detect any potential issues with your email domain or the email content and provide personalized recommendations on how to fix them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 5: Add campaign recipients\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In this step, choose the prospect list you want to add to this campaign. The campaign will start for all prospects from the selected list. If you add new prospects to the same list later, they will be added to the start of the sequence automatically.<\/p>\n

To start with, select smaller lists of around 100-200 leads. This makes it easier to respond to their engagement and manage responses.<\/p>\n

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How to improve the contact rate?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the \"Do not send to\" parameter, exclude prospects with unverified or risky email addresses from the recipient list. If you choose both options, only valid email addresses will be included in your recipient list.<\/p>\n

This will lower deliverability risks and protect your sender reputation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Keep in mind that this setting determines the total number of recipients, and you won't be able to change it once the campaign has started. Check the total number at the bottom.<\/p>\n

If there are unverified emails in your list, verify them using the inbuilt verifier tool on the Leads<\/a> page. After verification, valid prospects will be added to the campaign.<\/p>\n

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In multichannel sequences (email + LinkedIn), this parameter will not work.<\/p>\n

The emails will only be sent to valid addresses by default. If a prospect has multiple valid addresses, the campaign will be sent to their primary email address.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How can you ensure your campaign is compliant?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \"Do-not-contact list\" is a required parameter for all campaigns. Upload a list of contacts or domains that should not receive your communications. We'll exclude them from the recipient list even if they're added by accident.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Step 6: Set campaign parameters<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the Sending options<\/strong> step, you\u2019ll select the sender accounts, enable tracking for opens and clicks, and set the schedule for when the campaign will be active.<\/p>\n

Choose email accounts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Remember, you can connect multiple email accounts to Snov.io without any extra fees. To take advantage of this, add email accounts for mailbox rotation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For example, if you want to send 200 emails each day, use four accounts with a limit of 50 emails each. This approach is better for your account's reputation compared to sending all 200 emails from just one account.<\/p>\n

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Daily email limit recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

On day one, start with a lower daily limit (around 10-20 emails), even if you\u2019ve finished the warm-up period. Increase this by 5-10 emails every day until you reach the recommended limit.<\/p>\n

Always check your email account settings before launching a campaign to confirm the limits are set correctly. You can edit the daily limit for each connected email account.<\/a><\/p>\n

Remember, the safe daily limit is 50-100 emails. Sending more during the early outreach days can lead to a ban from your email provider, so be cautious with higher limits.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Choose LinkedIn account<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Add a LinkedIn account that will perform the LinkedIn actions included in the sequence.<\/span><\/div>\n

Remember, LinkedIn accounts also have daily limits for the number of actions they can perform each day.<\/p>\n

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Daily LinkedIn action limit recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The safe limit is 20-30 actions per day. Only set higher limits when your SSI score reaches 50-75 points or when you have a LinkedIn Premium account. Use the maximum limit (50) carefully, as LinkedIn may restrict your account, especially if you set this limit from day one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Snov.io tracks your SSI score to help you choose a safe limit for actions based on your account's reputation. Go to\u00a0the LinkedIn account settings<\/a>\u00a0to view your SSI score and adjust your\u00a0daily\u00a0limits. Make sure the warm-up mode<\/a> is also enabled to safely increase the daily\u00a0limit for connection requests.<\/p>\n

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Tracking<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You can enable tracking for clicks and opens in sequences with email steps.<\/p>\n

Reply tracking is enabled by default\u2014the sequence will stop for prospects who have replied or auto-replied to any email or LinkedIn message. You can disable this if necessary under the \"Campaign duration\" section.<\/p>\n

If your campaign only includes LinkedIn steps, email tracking will be turned off. However, LinkedIn activities like accepted requests and replies will still be tracked automatically, and you'll see these stats in your campaign overview.<\/p>\n

Turning on tracking helps you:<\/p>\n