Step by Step Guide to Creating Multi Channel Outreach Campaigns in Smartlead

If you're tired of sending cold emails into the void, or you’ve realized that a single channel just isn’t cutting it, you’re in the right place. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually reach prospects—salespeople, founders, marketers, or the unlucky intern who drew the outreach short straw. We'll cut through the fluff and show you, step by step, how to build a real multi channel outreach campaign using Smartlead. I’ll call out what matters and what doesn’t, so you don’t waste your time.

Why Multi Channel Outreach Matters (and When It Doesn’t)

Let’s be clear: multi channel outreach is not a magic bullet. It works best when:

  • Your prospects are hard to reach by email alone.
  • You want to avoid spam folders (and being ignored).
  • You have something genuinely useful to offer—no amount of channels will fix a bad pitch.

If your audience lives in their inbox, don’t over-complicate things. But if you’re seeing low reply rates, adding channels like LinkedIn or SMS can help you actually get noticed.

Step 1: Get Your Accounts in Order

Before you even open Smartlead, get your accounts set up:

  • Email accounts: Warm them up first. New domains or cold inboxes get flagged as spam. Don’t skip this, no matter how tempting.
  • LinkedIn accounts: Set up real profiles, not bots. If you’re using fake profiles, know it’s risky and could get you banned.
  • Phone numbers: For SMS, use a real number (or a legit virtual one). Don’t text from your personal phone.

Pro tip: Keep things as “human” as possible—real names, real photos. The more you look like a bot, the faster you’ll get ignored or blocked.

Step 2: Plan Your Outreach Channels

Decide which channels make sense for your audience. Smartlead supports:

  • Email: Still the bread and butter. Works for most B2B.
  • LinkedIn: Good for professionals, but don’t overdo it—people spot automation a mile away.
  • SMS: Use sparingly. Only if you have permission or a pre-existing relationship.
  • Custom steps: Calls, Twitter DMs, etc.—possible, but don’t try to do it all at once.

What to skip: Don’t bother with every channel just because you can. More isn’t always better. Focus on where your audience actually pays attention.

Step 3: Prepare Your Prospect List

Garbage in, garbage out. Here’s what to do:

  • Targeting: Get clear on who you’re reaching out to. Job titles, industries, and company size matter.
  • Data: Use a clean CSV. Double-check for missing emails, duplicate contacts, or mismatched names.
  • Personalization: Have columns for custom fields—first name, company, recent event, etc. The more relevant, the better.

Heads up: Don’t buy sketchy lead lists. They’re full of old data and spam traps. Build your own or use a reputable provider.

Step 4: Connect Your Channels to Smartlead

Now, in Smartlead:

  1. Add your email accounts: Go to Settings → Email Accounts. Connect using OAuth (for Gmail, Outlook, etc.) or SMTP/IMAP.
  2. Set up sending limits to avoid spam filters (e.g., 50–100 emails/day/account).
  3. Integrate LinkedIn: You’ll need to connect via a Chrome extension or API. Follow the instructions—Smartlead will walk you through.
  4. Connect SMS (optional): Use an integration like Twilio, if your plan includes it. You’ll need an API key and a phone number.

Watch out: Don’t connect too many accounts at once. Ramp up slowly to avoid getting flagged.

Step 5: Build Your Sequence Step by Step

This is where Smartlead stands out—multi channel sequencing. Here’s how to actually set it up:

  1. Create a new campaign (“Campaigns” → “New Campaign”).
  2. Choose multi channel as your campaign type.
  3. Upload your prospect list or select an existing one.
  4. Add steps: This is your sequence. For example:
    • Day 1: Email #1 (intro, short, personalized)
    • Day 3: LinkedIn connection request (mention something specific)
    • Day 6: LinkedIn message or follow-up email
    • Day 10: SMS (only if appropriate)
  5. Set delays between steps (Smartlead lets you control when each step goes out).
  6. Personalize each message: Use merge tags for names, companies, or custom fields.
  7. Set fallback rules: If a prospect replies or connects, you can pause the sequence for them.

Don’t do this: Avoid sending a LinkedIn message and an email on the same day. It feels desperate and triggers spam filters.

Step 6: Write Messages That Don’t Suck

Here’s where most campaigns fall apart. Keep it simple:

  • Short and to the point: No one reads long outreach emails or DMs.
  • Personalized, not creepy: Reference something relevant, but don’t overdo it.
  • Clear ask: What do you want? A call, a reply, a demo? Make it obvious.
  • Honest subject lines: Don’t bait and switch. People hate it.

Templates are fine as a starting point, but always tweak for your audience. Avoid sounding like a robot (“I came across your profile and was impressed by your experience…” is a dead giveaway).

Step 7: Set Up Tracking and Replies

Smartlead can track opens, clicks, replies, and even LinkedIn responses. Here’s what matters:

  • Open/click tracking: Useful, but don’t obsess. Focus on replies.
  • Reply handling: Route replies to your real inbox (or a shared one). Stay on top of them—speed matters.
  • Automatic stopping: Make sure your sequence pauses for anyone who replies, connects, or asks to be removed.

Ignore: Vanity metrics like open rates or connection requests. Replies are all that count.

Step 8: Test Your Campaign Before Going Live

Don’t just hit “Send” and hope for the best. Test everything:

  • Send to yourself or a colleague: Check for broken merge tags, weird formatting, or obvious typos.
  • Check timing: Make sure delays are set properly (not all on the same day).
  • Test each channel: Are LinkedIn steps actually being sent? Is SMS working?

Pro tip: Run a “mini campaign” with 10–20 prospects first. See what happens before ramping up.

Step 9: Launch and Monitor (But Don’t Panic)

Once you’re happy with your tests, launch the campaign. Here’s how to stay sane:

  • Monitor replies: Respond quickly. Outreach is pointless if you let leads go cold.
  • Watch for bounces or blocks: If you see lots of failures, pause the campaign and check your sending accounts.
  • Adjust as needed: If a step isn’t working (no replies, lots of ignores), tweak it. Don’t wait until you’ve burned through your whole list.

Don’t: Obsess over immediate results. Outreach takes time and a thick skin.

What Works (and What Doesn’t)

Some honest truths:

  • Multi channel works best for hard-to-reach prospects—not for everyone.
  • Quality beats quantity: Better to send 50 good messages than 500 generic ones.
  • LinkedIn fatigue is real: Too many automated messages and you’ll get ignored (or reported).
  • SMS can backfire: Only use it if it’s common in your industry or you’ve got consent. Otherwise, it’s just annoying.

And no tool—Smartlead included—can fix a bad message or a terrible offer.

Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It

The best outreach campaigns aren’t the flashiest—they’re the ones that actually get replies. Start small, keep your messages human, and add channels only as needed. If something isn’t working, change it. Don’t get bogged down in endless tweaking or chasing “best practices” from random LinkedIn gurus.

Remember: outreach is about starting conversations, not blasting noise into the void. Keep it real, keep it simple, and you’ll see better results.