So, you’ve picked Proof for your B2B go-to-market (GTM) work—probably because you’re tired of duct-taping spreadsheets and random tools together. This guide is for marketers who want to get a campaign out the door without getting lost in endless options or marketing jargon. You’ll get the steps, some real talk about what matters, and just enough detail to avoid rookie mistakes.
Step 1: Get Your Account Set Up
First things first—log into Proof. If your company hasn’t set up an account, you’ll need someone with admin rights to invite you. Proof’s onboarding isn’t rocket science, but here are a few things to check:
- Make sure you’re added to the right workspace or team.
- Double-check your permissions; you’ll need campaign creation rights.
- Set up your profile. No, you don’t have to upload a headshot, but fill out your contact info—people will need it.
Pro tip: Skip the bells and whistles on your first login. Focus on the basics. You can poke around later.
Step 2: Define Your Campaign Goals (Don’t Skip This)
Proof will ask you what you want to achieve. Resist the urge to click through just to “see what happens.” Sloppy goal-setting leads to messy campaigns and wasted time. Here’s what actually matters:
- What’s the point? Are you booking meetings, getting demo requests, or warming up cold leads?
- Who’s your target? Get specific. “Mid-market SaaS companies in the US” beats “anyone with a pulse.”
- How will you measure success? Pick a metric you can control—like scheduled calls, not just “awareness.”
Enter your campaign goal in Proof’s setup screen. Don’t get lured by vanity metrics (like “impressions”); they’re easy to inflate and hard to act on.
Common mistake: Trying to do too much in one campaign. Stick to one goal and one audience segment for your first run.
Step 3: Build Your Audience
Proof’s B2B targeting is only as good as your input. Here’s what to do:
- Import a list: If you’ve got one, great. Scrub it first—bad emails will trip you up fast.
- Use Proof’s filters: If you’re starting from zero, use their company/role/industry filters. Don’t get too granular at first; you can always narrow it down later.
- Connect your CRM: If you’re daring, link Salesforce or HubSpot. Just double-check you’re not pulling in ancient or irrelevant contacts.
What to ignore: Over-segmenting. If your audience is fewer than 100 people, your campaign will be dead on arrival.
Pro tip: Always preview your audience before hitting “next.” Proof makes it easy to see who you’re about to target. Fix weird data now, not after you’ve launched.
Step 4: Craft Your Messaging
No software can fix bad messaging. Proof gives you templates, but don’t just copy-paste. Here’s how to approach it:
- Keep it short. Nobody reads long emails from strangers.
- Make it about them. Lead with their problem, not your product.
- One call to action. Want a meeting? Ask for it, clearly.
Proof lets you A/B test different messages, but don’t get carried away. One or two versions is enough for your first campaign.
What works: Casual, conversational tones usually get more replies than stiff, formal intros.
What doesn’t: Generic “checking in” or “just following up” messages. If you sound like a robot, you’ll be ignored.
Step 5: Choose Your Channels
Proof supports multiple channels—usually email, LinkedIn, and sometimes phone steps. For your first campaign, stick to email or LinkedIn, not both.
- Email: Fast, easy to automate, but crowded inboxes mean you need a reason to stand out.
- LinkedIn: Good for higher response rates, but easy to get flagged if you go too hard, too fast.
What to ignore: Multichannel “blitz” campaigns right out of the gate. Get one channel working before layering on complexity.
Pro tip: If you’re unsure where to start, pick email. It’s more forgiving and easier to measure.
Step 6: Set Up Your Sequence
Now you’ll build out the actual steps—what Proof calls the campaign “sequence.” A basic sequence looks like:
- Day 1: Initial outreach (email or LinkedIn message)
- Day 3: Follow-up (shorter, reply to the same thread)
- Day 6: Final nudge (be direct, ask if it’s a no)
Proof has drag-and-drop tools for this. Don’t overcomplicate it—three to four steps is enough to start. You’re not writing War and Peace.
What works: Spacing steps out by a few days. No one likes getting bombarded.
What doesn’t: Sending five emails in a week. That’s how you get spam complaints.
Step 7: Personalize (But Don’t Waste Hours)
Proof has merge fields for names, companies, etc. Use them, but don’t believe the hype about “hyper-personalization.” A first name and company mention is plenty.
- Avoid creepy, overfamiliar intros (“Saw you went to Ohio State in 2006—go Buckeyes!”).
- Don’t hand-write every message. It’s not scalable and rarely worth the time.
Pro tip: Double-check your merge fields before launching. There’s nothing dumber than “Hi [FirstName],” in a real email.
Step 8: Set Sending Rules and Timing
Proof lets you control when and how messages go out. Pay attention here:
- Send times: Avoid weekends and late evenings. Weekday mornings usually work best.
- Cadence: Proof defaults are usually fine, but you can tweak them if needed.
- Volume: Don’t blast your entire list at once. Start with a small batch (say, 20-50 contacts). See what happens.
What to ignore: “Best time to send” myths. Your mileage will vary. What works for one company may flop for another.
Step 9: Preview and Test Everything
This is where most avoidable mistakes happen. Proof has a preview and test feature—use it.
- Send a test email to yourself. Check for typos, weird formatting, and broken links.
- Click every link. Make sure tracking works.
- Double-check the audience again. Make sure you’re not sending to the wrong people or lists.
Pro tip: If you have a teammate, ask them to review the sequence and test messages. Fresh eyes catch what you’ll miss.
Step 10: Launch (But Don’t Walk Away)
Ready? Hit launch. But stay close by—don’t just “set it and forget it.”
- Monitor early sends for bounces, replies, and weird issues.
- Be ready to pause the campaign if something goes sideways (wrong audience, angry replies, etc.).
- Respond to replies quickly. The faster you engage, the better your results.
What to ignore: The urge to obsess over analytics in the first hour. Let some data come in before making tweaks.
Step 11: Review Results and Iterate
After a few days or a week, start reviewing your results in Proof. Here’s what actually matters:
- Reply rates: Are people responding at all?
- Positive outcomes: Are you booking meetings, getting the right kind of replies?
- Bounce rates: High bounces mean your list needs work.
Ignore vanity metrics like “opens”—they’re unreliable, especially with email privacy changes.
If something flopped: Don’t panic. Tweak your subject line, try a different audience, or rework your messaging. Campaigns almost never go perfectly the first time.
Step 12: Tidy Up and Move On
- Update your CRM: Log meetings or replies so sales has the right info.
- Pause or finish the campaign: Don’t leave old campaigns running forever. Clean up so you don’t annoy prospects.
- Make notes: Record what worked and what didn’t. Future-you will thank you.
Pro tip: Keep things simple for campaign #1. Complexity is easy to add later.
That’s it. The hardest part is getting your first campaign live. Don’t aim for perfect—get it out, see what happens, and use what you learn for next time. The best campaigns are the ones that actually run, not the ones stuck in draft forever. Keep it practical, keep iterating, and you’ll get better results with less stress.