If you’re in sales, partnerships, or any modern GTM (go-to-market) role, you already know outbound email isn’t dead—it’s just gotten a lot more complicated. Your CRM is bloated, your inbox is a mess, and “keeping track” means juggling spreadsheets or sticky notes. This guide is for folks who want to actually run and track outbound campaigns, not just talk about them. And we’re doing it using Folk—a CRM that’s lightweight enough to not get in your way, but flexible enough to actually help.
Let’s cut the fluff and get into how to use Folk for real outbound work.
Why Folk (and why not just use your regular CRM)?
First, let’s set expectations. Folk is not Salesforce. That’s actually the point. Most GTM teams don’t need—or want—the overhead of traditional CRMs for outbound emails. Here’s when Folk makes sense:
- You want to track outreach, not just log calls. Folk is built for relationship tracking, not just pipeline management.
- You’re tired of context switching. Folk centralizes contacts, conversations, and campaigns without feeling like a second job.
- You care more about action than dashboards. Folk isn’t about endless reporting. It’s about knowing who to email next.
When not to use Folk? If you’re at a giant company with strict compliance needs, or you’re obsessed with deep pipeline analytics, you’ll hit limits fast. For everyone else: it’s refreshingly simple.
Step 1: Get Your Contacts Into Folk
You can’t run an outbound campaign without contacts. The good news: Folk makes import painless.
Options: - CSV Import: Export leads from LinkedIn, Apollo, or wherever, then upload them into Folk. It’ll try to deduplicate and map fields—usually pretty well, but double-check. - Gmail/Gsuite Sync: Folk can pull in your Google contacts automatically. Just be careful: you might end up with your dentist and your mom in there if you’re not careful about your Google account. - Browser Extension: Folk’s Chrome extension lets you add contacts directly from LinkedIn or Gmail. Handy for one-offs or small lists.
Pro tip: Tag contacts as you import—“Q2 Outbound,” “Partner Leads,” etc. It’ll save you a headache later.
Step 2: Organize Contacts for Campaigns
Dumping everyone into one list is a rookie move. Folk lets you slice contacts up with tags and groups.
- Tags: Quick, flexible labels. Use for campaign names, lead sources, or status (“Warmed Up,” “No Reply,” “Interested”).
- Groups: Think of these as saved filters or segments. For example, “VPs at SaaS companies” or “NYC event attendees.”
What works: - Combining tags and groups to target precisely. Want to email “NYC SaaS VPs from LinkedIn”? Filter by all three. - Keeping tags simple and consistent. Don’t overthink it—“2024-Q2-ABM” beats “Q2 Account-Based Marketing Campaign for 2024.”
What doesn’t: - Using too many tags. If you’re the only one who understands your system, you’re doing it wrong. - Ignoring cleanup. Make time to merge duplicates and kill old tags every month.
Step 3: Build and Send Your Outbound Email Campaign
Folk isn’t a full-blown email marketing platform, but that’s by design. Here’s how to run actual outbound campaigns (not newsletters) that feel personal.
1. Select Your Campaign List - Use the filters, tags, or groups you set up earlier. - Double-check recipients—especially when using bulk send. (No “Hi {{FirstName}}” fails.)
2. Craft Your Email - Folk lets you use merge fields for names, companies, and custom data. - Keep it short and personal. You’re not sending a whitepaper. You’re starting a conversation.
3. Send Options - Folk sends emails from your actual Gmail/Outlook account. This means better deliverability than most “mail merge” tools, but you’re also bound by your provider’s sending limits (usually a few hundred a day). - You can schedule sends or spread them out to avoid tripping spam filters.
What works: - Personalization. Even a little (“Saw your company just…” or “Noticed you’re hiring…”) goes a long way. - Short, plain-text emails. Fancy templates trigger spam. - Following up. Folk can help you track who hasn’t replied—don’t let hot leads go cold.
What doesn’t: - Blasting thousands of emails. You’ll hit limits fast and burn your domain. - Over-automating. Folk is great for semi-manual, high-quality outreach—not for spray-and-pray.
Step 4: Track Replies and Progress
This is where most CRMs fall down. Folk actually makes it easy to know who’s replied, who’s interested, and who needs a nudge.
How to do it: - Sync your email: Folk can pull in reply data automatically if you connect your Gmail or Outlook. - Manual updates: Mark leads as “Replied,” “Interested,” or whatever fits your workflow. It’s a couple of clicks. - Notes and comments: Add context to each contact—“Chatted at SaaStr,” “Asked for a demo in May,” etc.
Pro tip: Don’t chase “open rates.” Outbound is about replies and conversations, not vanity metrics.
Step 5: Set Reminders and Automate Follow-ups
Most deals die because someone forgets to follow up. Folk handles this better than most lightweight CRMs.
- Reminders: Set reminders for specific contacts or groups. Folk will nudge you so nothing slips through.
- Follow-up templates: Save your best follow-up emails for reuse.
- Task lists: You can attach tasks to contacts or campaigns—handy if you work as a team.
What’s worth your time: - Following up 2-3 times—politely—before moving on. - Setting “cool off” periods so you don’t annoy people.
What’s not: - Building endless follow-up sequences. If you’re not getting a reply after 3-4 tries, move on.
Step 6: Review, Adjust, and Keep It Simple
Every campaign is a chance to learn. Folk isn’t a reporting powerhouse, but you can see enough to know what’s working.
- Check your reply and win rates. Are you getting conversations, or just crickets?
- Tweak subject lines and opening lines. A/B testing is overkill here—just try new ideas and see what happens.
- Archive or retag dead leads. Don’t let your system get cluttered.
Honest take: Don’t obsess over analytics. Outbound is a volume and consistency game. Learn from replies, not from dashboards.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
Every tool promises “automation” and “AI-driven insights.” Here’s what’s actually useful in Folk for outbound, and what you can skip:
- Useful: Contact management, simple mail merges, reply tracking, reminders.
- Skip: Overcomplicated workflows, too many custom fields, chasing every new integration.
- Watch out for: Hitting Gmail/Outlook sending limits, messy imports, and accidental mass emails.
Bottom line: Folk is great as a “command center” for outbound—just don’t try to make it do your marketing automation or your pipeline forecasting.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Outbound is about momentum. Folk gives you just enough structure to stay organized and consistent, without drowning you in process. Set up a campaign, hit send, learn, and tweak. Don’t overthink it.
The best GTM teams aren’t the ones with the fanciest tools—they’re the ones who actually follow up. Folk just makes it a little easier.