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How Freelance B2B Copywriters Build ICP-targeted Prospect Lists with Apollo.io

A step-by-step guide to sourcing high-quality, verified B2B leads on Apollo’s free plan

Unkoa Marketing Team

Unkoa Marketing Team

— 5 min read
How Freelance B2B Copywriters Build ICP-targeted Prospect Lists with Apollo.io

You need steady client leads without a big team, big budget, or spare hours. The workflow below keeps things practical. Apollo.io has a large database and smart filters that surface ICP-matched leads, including on the free plan, if you set it up carefully.

At a glance: the 6-step process

  • Define your ICP: industry, company size, region, buyer titles, and triggers.
  • Plan your search: understand free-plan limits, choose People vs Company search.
  • Use People search and filters: titles, industry, size, location, Email Status = Verified.
  • Select one best contact per company.
  • Verify and clean: dedupe, flag risky emails, optionally run third-party verification.
  • Export or sequence: move the list into your outreach and track results.

Table of contents

Why Apollo.io works for freelancers

Apollo provides a large B2B contact database and built-in outreach. Public comparisons often cite hundreds of millions of contacts across tens of millions of companies. For most solo operators, the combination of coverage and cost is practical.

Free plan highlights

  • 50 verified contact credits per month to reveal emails, suitable for small, high-fit tests.
  • Up to 250 sends per day through Apollo’s basic sequencer, CSV exports, and core filters.

On paid tiers, Apollo adds advanced filters like Technologies Used, Funding, Department Size, and Seniority.

When Apollo might not fit
If you need extensive direct dials, detailed org charts, or strict data SLAs at enterprise scale, ZoomInfo-style tools may be a better match.

Tip: the free tier supports a steady, low-volume routine of 50 new verified leads per month, which pairs well with high-personalization outreach.

Step 1: Define your ICP

Before touching filters, write down your ideal customer profile. Apollo describes an ICP as a composite of your best-fit customers’ traits.

What to define

  • Industry or sub-industry
  • Company size ranges
  • Geography
  • Buyer titles, decision makers
  • Triggers: funding, stack, or hiring signals

Example ICP

Series A to C fintech SaaS, US and Canada, 50–500 employees. Targets: Head of Content, Content Marketing Manager, VP Marketing.

Common mistakes

  • Targeting too broadly
  • Skipping decision-maker titles
  • Ignoring urgency signals

Quick ICP builder (example)

ICP element Example for a SaaS writer
Industry Computer Software, Financial Services
Size 51–200 and 201–500 employees
Location United States, Canada
Buyer titles Head of Content, Content Marketing Manager, VP Marketing
Triggers Series A–C, uses HubSpot or Shopify, hiring for content

Create or log in to your Apollo account. Start on the free plan, upgrade only if your workflow requires it.

Free-plan notes

  • 50 contact credits per month for email and phone reveals
  • Up to 250 sends per day via the built-in sequencer
  • Basic filters and CSV export
Approach When to use it Why freelancers use it
People search Find contacts using person and company filters together Fast to build a list by title, industry, size, and region
Company-first Enforce one-contact-per-company Good for coverage across unique accounts before picking a role

Filter strategy

  • Pre-select values from your ICP.
  • Favor precision over volume.
  • If you are new to Apollo, test title keywords to gauge volume before revealing emails.
  • Save searches you plan to revisit monthly.

Step 3: Build your list with Apollo filters

Use People → Show Filters to stack criteria that reflect your ICP.

Core filters

  • Job title or keywords with OR logic
  • Industry categories that match your niche
  • Company size bands that match your ICP
  • Location aligned to your market
  • Email Status = Verified, to reduce bounces

Optional filters

Funding, Technologies, Seniority, Department size are available on paid plans.

Review and save

  • Sanity-check roles, exclude junior titles if needed.
  • Note duplicates from the same company.
  • Save contacts to a list, for example “Fintech SaaS Marketing Leads.”

Example filter set (SaaS copywriter)

Filter Example values
Title “Head of Content” OR “Content Marketing Manager” OR “VP Marketing”
Industry Computer Software, Financial Services
Company size 51–200, 201–500
Location United States, Canada
Email status Verified

Choosing one contact per company

Pick a decision maker close to the work. In mid-market SaaS, Head of Content or Content Marketing Manager is typical. In smaller firms, VP Marketing or the founder may be appropriate. If you cannot filter by Seniority, include “manager,” “head,” or “director,” and exclude “intern,” “assistant,” and “coordinator.”

Step 4: Refine and verify your list

Clean data improves delivery and reply rates.

  • Deduplicate by company and keep one contact.
  • Remove borderline-fit companies.
  • Treat catch-all domains as higher risk.
  • Consider third-party verification. Apollo reports high accuracy on Verified emails, but real-world results vary. Aiming for under 10 percent bounces is a practical benchmark.
  • Enrich with domain and LinkedIn URL, and enable job-change alerts on saved contacts.

If you see a few large catch-all domains, send a small test batch first. If clean, continue.

Step 5: Save, export, or integrate for outreach

Three common paths.

  • Keep it in Apollo: add contacts to a sequence, connect your inbox, and stay within free-plan sending limits.
  • Export to CSV: import to your preferred sender or CRM. Free accounts can export, though limits may apply.
  • Use integrations: Apollo connects with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Outreach, Salesloft, and Zapier.

If you prefer a separate email platform, a simple tool like Brevo works for basic list management. Keep process notes and templates in Notion or a similar workspace.

Step 6: Launch your outreach (and maximize replies)

  • Personalize with a specific reference, for example a product launch or recent post.
  • Use 2–3 touches rather than single sends. Apollo’s sequencer can automate follow-ups.
  • Track replies, opens, and bounces, and suppress hard bounces promptly.
  • Pair with LinkedIn profile views or light connection attempts.
  • Maintain one-contact-per-company to avoid internal spam perception.
  • If bounce rate exceeds 10 percent, pause and re-verify before continuing.

FAQs

Is Apollo.io free and what is included?
Yes. The free plan typically includes 50 contact credits per month, basic filters, CSV export, and up to 250 sends per day via the sequencer. Paid plans add more credits and features.

How accurate are Apollo’s “Verified” emails?
Apollo reports high accuracy on Verified records, though users often see varied results. Keep bounces down by filtering to Verified and using a third-party verifier for critical sends.

People vs Company search: which should I use?
People search is fastest for combining person and firmographic filters. Company-first is better if you want one contact per account and prefer to hand-pick roles.

How do I avoid emailing multiple people at one company?
Select one decision maker during list building. On paid plans, Seniority filters help you stay at Manager, Director, or VP level.

Can Apollo find recently funded companies?
Yes, with Funding filters on paid plans. On the free plan, you can source funding lists elsewhere and cross-check in Apollo.

Can I get phone numbers?
Free accounts have limited access. More direct dials appear at higher tiers or as add-ons.

Is Apollo better than ZoomInfo for one-person businesses?
Often, yes on cost and tooling simplicity. If you require enterprise-level coverage, direct dials, and SLAs, evaluate ZoomInfo-style options.

Next steps

If you decide to use Apollo, start with a narrow ICP, apply People-search filters, set Email Status to Verified, select one contact per company, and send a short, personalized sequence. Re-run saved searches monthly and refine based on reply quality and bounce rate.

One-page checklist

  • ICP defined: industry, size, region, titles, triggers
  • Apollo account set up, credits noted, search saved
  • People search used with core filters
  • One contact per company selected
  • List cleaned and verified
  • Exported to CSV or added to an Apollo sequence
  • 2–3 concise, personalized emails drafted
  • Metrics monitored, bounces removed, search rerun monthly
  • DNC honored and opt-outs respected

Sources

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