If you’re sending a lot of cold emails, doing manual follow-ups, or just tired of your inbox looking like a to-do list, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through setting up automated email sequences in Apollo — not just pushing buttons, but making sure you don’t end up spamming the void or getting ignored by your best prospects.
You’ll get honest advice, step-by-steps, and a few pointers on what to actually pay attention to (and what to skip).
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Goal and Your List
Before you even open Apollo, stop and think for a second:
- Who are you emailing? (Be specific—job titles, company size, industry.)
- What do you want them to do? (Book a meeting? Download something? Just reply?)
If your targets are all over the place, your sequence won’t work. Apollo gives you tons of options, but it can’t fix a bad list or a fuzzy goal.
Pro tip: Don’t stress about “personalization” yet. First, make sure your list is made up of actual, real people who’d care about your offer.
Step 2: Set Up Your Email Sending Account in Apollo
You can’t send emails without connecting your mailbox. Apollo supports Gmail, Outlook, and most IMAP/SMTP email providers.
How to do it:
- Go to Settings in Apollo’s left sidebar.
- Click Mailboxes.
- Hit Add Mailbox and follow the prompts.
- For Gmail and Outlook, it’s a simple OAuth connect.
- For others, you’ll need your IMAP/SMTP settings (just Google “[Your email provider] IMAP/SMTP settings” if you’re not sure).
A couple honest notes: - Don’t use your main personal/work email. If you’re doing cold outreach, use a dedicated domain or alias. You will get some bounces, and you don’t want your real inbox flagged as spam. - Warm up your sending account. If it’s a brand new email address, send a few manual emails first. Apollo offers some “warm-up” tools, but they’re not magic. It’s just safer to start slow.
Step 3: Build or Import Your Contact List
You can pull contacts right from Apollo’s database, import a CSV, or add them manually.
Using Apollo’s database: - Click Search > People. - Filter by job title, location, industry, etc. - Select the contacts you want and add them to a List.
Importing your own list: - Go to Contacts > Import. - Upload your CSV. - Map your columns (Apollo’s pretty good at guessing, but double-check).
What matters here: - Don’t add everyone and their dog. Start small—maybe 50-100 people for your first run. - Make sure you have first name, last name, company, and a real email. Missing fields = harder to personalize.
Step 4: Create a New Sequence
This is where the real work starts.
- Click Sequences in the sidebar.
- Hit Create Sequence.
- Give it a name you’ll actually remember (not “Sequence 1”).
- Choose the type: Outbound (cold), Inbound, or Nurture. If you’re doing cold outreach, pick Outbound.
What to ignore: Don’t get lost in the “fancy” settings just yet: no need to mess with A/B testing, advanced triggers, or branching logic on your first try.
Step 5: Write Your Emails (But Don’t Overthink It)
You’ll add steps to your sequence—each step is an email or a task (like a LinkedIn connect or phone call).
For each step:
- Click Add Step and choose Email (automated or manual).
- Write your email. Use Apollo’s merge fields like {firstName} or {companyName} for basic personalization.
- Set up the delay: e.g., “Send 2 days after previous email.”
A few honest pointers: - Keep it short. No one reads long cold emails. Three sentences is fine. - Don’t fake personalization. “I saw you went to Harvard” when they didn’t? That’s just lazy. - Don’t apologize. “Sorry to bother you” makes you sound unconfident.
Example first email:
Subject: Quick question, {firstName}
Hi {firstName},
Saw you’re leading {jobTitle} at {companyName}. I help similar companies with [your offer]. Worth a quick chat this week?
Best, [Your Name]
Follow-ups: Keep them simple. “Just bumping this up” is fine. Don’t write a novel.
Step 6: Add Contacts to Your Sequence
Now that your sequence is built, it’s time to add people.
- Go to your Sequence.
- Click Add People.
- Choose from your Apollo lists or import contacts directly.
Things to watch: - Double-check your merge fields. “Hi {firstName}” is way better than “Hi ,” - Make sure no one is already in another live sequence (Apollo warns you, but still…) - Don’t blast huge lists. Start with a handful, check results, then scale up.
Step 7: Schedule and Launch
Apollo lets you control sending windows, time zones, and daily limits.
- Set your sending window (e.g., 9am–5pm in your recipient’s time zone).
- Limit sends per day (start with 25–50, especially if your domain is new).
- Review your steps and preview your emails.
Pro tip: Avoid Mondays and Fridays if you can. Tuesday–Thursday mornings usually get the best open rates.
When you’re ready, hit Start Sequence.
Step 8: Monitor, Pause, and Tweak
The real work is after you hit Send.
- Go to Sequences > [Your Sequence] > Analytics.
- Track open rates, reply rates, bounces, and unsubscribes.
- If you see a lot of bounces, pause and check your list or your sending domain. High bounce rates will tank your sender reputation.
- If no one’s replying, revisit your subject lines and first sentences.
What to ignore: Open rates are less reliable these days (thanks, Apple Mail privacy). Focus on replies and meetings booked.
Step 9: Handle Replies (Don’t Be a Robot)
Automated sequences are great, but don’t forget the human side.
- When someone replies, Apollo can automatically pause them in the sequence.
- Reply quickly—don’t just copy-paste a script.
- Remove people who ask to unsubscribe (Apollo can automate this, but check for weird edge cases).
Pro tip: If you get a lot of “not interested” replies, that’s actually a win. You’re getting real feedback. Use it to refine your pitch.
Step 10: Iterate—But Don’t Chase Every Trend
Once you’ve run a sequence or two, take stock.
- What got replies? What got ignored?
- Which subject lines worked?
- Did your call to action make sense?
It’s tempting to try every new feature Apollo rolls out, but honestly, none of them matter if your message is off or your list is bad. Keep it simple, tweak one thing at a time, and don’t expect magic overnight.
A Few Final, Honest Tips
- Deliverability beats design. Fancy graphics and HTML will land you in spam. Keep it plain text.
- Don’t be a pest. Three to five emails is enough per sequence. More than that and you’re just annoying.
- Unsubscribe link: Always include one. Apollo can handle this—use it.
- Compliance: Know your laws (GDPR, CAN-SPAM)—Apollo helps, but you’re on the hook.
If you’re new to Apollo, or just want to get results without drowning in options, start small. Use the basics, get data, and adjust. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done. Most people fail at email sequences because they overcomplicate things. Focus on good lists, clear messages, and real follow-up. The rest is just software.