Apollo.io Sequences: The Ultimate Guide to Automated Outreach for B2B Sales

Following up manually is slow, inconsistent, and easy to mess up. Missed follow-ups mean missed revenue.

Apollo.io’s Sequences fix that. They automate your outreach across email, LinkedIn, and calls—so leads never fall through the cracks again.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how Apollo.io Sequences work, how to build your own step-by-step, and the best practices top sales teams use to boost open and reply rates.

By the end, you’ll have everything you need to launch your first sequence—and the link to start a free Apollo.io trial and get it live today.

What Are Apollo.io Sequences?

Apollo.io sequences are automated outreach campaigns that send a series of scheduled actions—like emails, calls, and LinkedIn touches—to prospects over time.

They let you create a repeatable system for engaging leads, without manually writing or sending every follow-up.

Each sequence can include:

• Emails (manual or automatic)
• Phone calls
• LinkedIn tasks (view profile, connect, message)
• Manual tasks or to-dos

You choose the order, timing, and content of each touchpoint—and Apollo.io runs it for you, pausing automatically when someone replies or books a meeting.

Sequences = consistency + scale. They’re how top teams stay on top of leads without burning out or letting deals slip.

Why Sales Pros Rely on Sequences

1. You Save Hours Every Week

No more manual follow-ups or bouncing between tools. Set it once and let Apollo.io handle the delivery.

2. You Stay Top-of-Mind Automatically

A well-timed sequence keeps you in front of prospects until they’re ready to reply. No one falls through the cracks.

3. Multi-Channel Gets More Replies

You can combine emails with LinkedIn and calls in one flow. That’s more touches, more visibility, and higher conversion rates.

4. Data Helps You Improve

Track open and reply rates, A/B test subject lines and body text, and optimize your steps based on real results.

One Apollo.io user reported an average 77% open rate across their top-performing sequences. When it works, it really works.

How to Build a Sequence in Apollo.io (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Plan Your Campaign

Decide:

• Who you’re targeting
• What action you want (demo booked? reply?)
• What value your message offers

Start with one persona and one goal.

Step 2: Create a New Sequence

1. Go to Sequences in Apollo.io
2. Click New Sequence
3. Name your sequence and set schedule preferences (days, time zone, business hours)

Step 3: Add Your Steps

Each sequence step is one action. For example:

• Email 1: "Quick intro"
• Day 3: LinkedIn connection
• Day 5: Manual email or call

You can mix and match channels to build a full outreach cadence.

Apollo.io supports:

• Auto emails
• Manual emails
• Phone calls
• LinkedIn connect / message / view
• Manual tasks

Step 4: Write Your Content

Use Apollo.io’s built-in dynamic fields like {{first_name}} or {{company}} to personalize.

You can also use Apollo.io’s AI email writer to draft messages—then tweak for tone and accuracy.

To start, write 4–5 completely different email versions with different hooks and angles:

• Pain-point focused
• Value-first intro
• Question-based subject lines
• Data-driven credibility opener

Use these in your A/B testing and quickly see what gets traction.

Step 5: Enroll Prospects

Add leads manually or bulk-enroll from a saved list or Apollo.io’s database.

Each prospect will go through your sequence one step at a time.

Step 6: Launch and Monitor

Click Start Sequence. Apollo.io will begin sending actions on your schedule.

You can:

• See who’s in each step
• Pause/resume contacts
• Track replies, opens, and bounces

Want to try this live? Start your Apollo.io trial here

Best Practices to Improve Performance

1. Start with 5–7 Steps

Don’t overwhelm. A good sequence often looks like:

• Email #1 (Day 1)
• LinkedIn connect (Day 2)
• Email #2 (Day 4)
• Call (Day 6)
• Breakup email (Day 10)

Example: 5-Step Cold Outreach Sequence

2. Personalize, Always

Use more than just {{first_name}}. Mention recent funding, mutual contacts, or specifics from their site.

Generic = ignored.

For deeper tactics on human-first flows, check out our Cold Email That Doesn’t Feel Like Cold Email: A 2025 Playbook for Agencies & B2B Service Firms.

3. Use Multiple Channels

Don’t rely on email alone. LinkedIn touches warm things up, and calls stand out. Even a LinkedIn view increases open rates.

4. A/B Test Thoughtfully

Apollo.io lets you test multiple versions of each email.

Start by testing:

• Subject lines
• Opening sentence
• CTA placement (top, middle, bottom)
• Email tone (casual vs direct)

Begin with 2–3 versions per email, then narrow down winners. As you learn what works, create new variants based on top performers.

5. Warm Up Your Domain

Don’t go from 0 to 500 emails overnight. Start small:

• Begin with 20–30 emails per day
• Gradually increase over 1–2 weeks
• Monitor bounce rate and reply rate closely

Apollo.io includes bounce detection to help protect your sender reputation. If too many emails bounce, Apollo.io will pause sends automatically. Take that seriously.

For a side-by-side look at other sales engagement tools, see our Amplemarket vs Apollo.io: Which Sales Engagement Tool Should You Choose?

Who Should Use Apollo.io Sequences?

SDRs:

Automate your outreach so you can focus on conversations, not copy-paste emails.

Startup Founders:

Don’t have time to follow up? Sequences let you do outreach while running the rest of your business.

Agency Owners:

Run cold outreach campaigns for clients in bulk. Monitor results and tweak sequences across accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What happens if someone replies during a sequence?

Apollo.io automatically pauses or removes them based on your rules. You won’t keep emailing someone who already responded.

Can I use sequences on the free plan?

Only 2 basic sequences are available for free. To run unlimited sequences with multichannel steps, you need a paid plan.

Does Apollo.io send emails on weekends?

You choose the sending days. We recommend weekdays only for best results.

Can I A/B test emails in a sequence?

Yes. Test subject lines and body content directly in the Apollo.io sequence editor. Try different CTAs, tone, and formatting.

What’s the ideal number of touches?

5 to 7 steps is a proven range. Apollo.io recommends at least 5 to give prospects time to respond.

Conclusion: Start Booking More Meetings with Less Effort

Sequences are the most powerful part of Apollo.io—and one of the fastest ways to scale your outreach without scaling your workload.

You can:

• Automate personalized follow-ups
• Use multichannel outreach
• Track and improve results