Setup Guide

Reply.io for Founders: Set Up Multichannel Outreach (Email + LinkedIn) in 2 Hours

2 hour setup
Email + LinkedIn

Complete Reply.io setup guide for founders. Build your first multichannel sequence (email + LinkedIn) in under 2 hours. Includes templates and common mistakes to avoid.

Ready to get started? Pick up your free trial and follow this guide step-by-step.

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Most founders waste weeks figuring out Reply.io. They sign up, get overwhelmed by the interface, build a broken sequence, and either abandon it or send emails that land in spam.

This guide gets you live in 2 hours. You'll have a working multichannel sequence (email + LinkedIn) sending by the end of this tutorial.

I've set this up for 15+ clients. Here's exactly how I do it, minus the trial and error.

Why Founders Choose Reply.io for Multichannel

Before we jump into setup, let's be clear about what Reply.io actually does and when it makes sense.

Reply.io is for multichannel outreach. Email + LinkedIn in one sequence. If you only care about email, Instantly is cheaper and simpler. But if you want to send a LinkedIn connection request, follow up via email, then message them on LinkedIn if they connect - that's Reply.io territory.

Why multichannel works:

From my experience running outbound at scale:

  • •Email-only campaigns: 2-5% reply rate
  • •Email + LinkedIn: 8-12% reply rate
  • •The difference? LinkedIn feels more personal, even when automated

The catch:

Reply.io costs more ($89/mo vs Instantly's $37/mo) and has a steeper learning curve. If you're sending under 500 emails/month, stick with Instantly. If you need LinkedIn or you're scaling past 1,000 emails/month, Reply.io is worth it.

What You'll Build in This Tutorial

By the end of 2 hours, you'll have:

  • Reply.io account configured (mailbox connected, daily limits set)
  • Your first prospect list imported (we'll keep it small - 50 people)

  • A 7-step multichannel sequence live:

    1. Step 1: Email intro
    2. Step 2: LinkedIn connection request
    3. Step 3: Email follow-up (if no reply)
    4. Step 4: LinkedIn message (if they connect)
    5. Step 5: Email follow-up #2
    6. Step 6: Break-up email
    7. Step 7: Final LinkedIn message
  • Sending limits configured (so you don't burn your domain)

We're keeping this simple. No A/B tests, no fancy AI features, no webhooks. Just a working sequence you can launch today.

Part 1: Initial Setup

30 minutes

Create Your Account

Go to Reply.io and sign up for the 14-day trial. Pick the "Multichannel" plan - it's the only one with LinkedIn automation.

Don't pick the email-only plan. You'd be paying $99/mo for something Instantly does for $37/mo. The only reason to use Reply.io is multichannel.

Connect Your Mailbox

Critical rule: Never use your main company email for cold outreach.

You need a secondary domain. If your company is yourcompany.com, buy getyourcompany.com or tryyourcompany.com.

Why?

If your cold email gets flagged as spam, it only affects the secondary domain. Your main domain (where customer support and sales emails live) stays clean.

Once you have your secondary domain:

  1. In Reply.io, click "Settings" → "Email accounts" → "Connect mailbox"
  2. Choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 (avoid free Gmail/Outlook)
  3. Follow the OAuth flow to connect

Important:

Reply.io will ask you to authenticate with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. If you haven't done this yet, follow this guide from Reply.io. Takes 15 minutes. Non-negotiable - without these, your emails go to spam.

Set Sending Limits

This is where most founders screw up. They connect their mailbox and immediately try to send 200 emails/day. Their domain gets flagged in 48 hours.

Here's what to do instead:

  1. Go to "Settings" → "Email accounts" → Click your connected mailbox
  2. Set daily sending limit to 30 emails per day
  3. Set email warmup to ON (Reply.io includes this free)
  4. Let warmup run for 2 weeks before launching campaigns

Why 30/day?

New domains need to build reputation. Start low, ramp up slowly. After 2 weeks at 30/day, you can increase to 50/day. After another 2 weeks, 80/day. Max out at 100/day per mailbox.

If you need more volume, add more mailboxes. Don't push limits on a single mailbox - that's how you get blacklisted.

Install the Chrome Extension

Reply.io has a Chrome extension for LinkedIn automation. You'll need it.

  1. Go to Chrome Web Store and search "Reply.io"
  2. Install the extension
  3. Log in with your Reply.io credentials

The extension runs LinkedIn actions (connection requests, messages) from your browser.

Pro tip: Set the extension to "pause" when you're using LinkedIn personally. Otherwise it'll try to run automation while you're scrolling your feed, which looks weird.

Part 2: Your First Email Sequence

45 minutes

Import Your Prospect List

Keep your first campaign small. 50 people. You want to test, learn, and iterate - not blast 1,000 people with a broken sequence.

Create a CSV with these columns:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email
  • Company
  • LinkedIn URL (optional but recommended)

Upload it: "Campaigns" → "New Campaign" → "Import from CSV"

Where to get these 50 people?

  • Export from Apollo.io (free plan gives you 50 contacts/month)
  • Use Clay for enrichment if you have a list of companies but need contact info
  • Manually build the list from LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Build Your Email Sequence

Click "New Campaign" → "Email" → "Create Sequence"

Here's the 3-email sequence I start every client with:

Email 1 (Day 1) - The Intro

Subject: quick question about {{company}}

{{firstName}},

I noticed {{company}} is [specific observation about their business].

We help [your ICP] [specific outcome] without [common pain point].

Worth a quick chat?

[Your name]

Email 2 (Day 4) - The Follow-Up

Subject: re: quick question about {{company}}

{{firstName}},

Following up on my email from Tuesday.

Most [their role] we work with struggle with [pain point]. We typically help them [solution] in under [timeframe].

If this is relevant, I can share a few examples. If not, no worries - I'll stop bothering you.

[Your name]

Email 3 (Day 7) - The Break-Up

Subject: closing the loop

{{firstName}},

Haven't heard back, so I'm assuming this isn't a priority right now.

If anything changes, feel free to reach out. Otherwise, I'll leave you alone.

[Your name]

Why this structure works:

  • •Email 1: Short, specific, low commitment ask
  • •Email 2: Adds value, gives them an out
  • •Email 3: Break-up emails get 30% of replies (people respond when you say goodbye)

Set Email Timing

For each email, configure the wait time:

  • •Email 1: Send immediately when prospect enters sequence
  • •Email 2: Wait 3 days
  • •Email 3: Wait 3 days

Don't send on weekends. Reply.io lets you set this: "Settings" → "Sending schedule" → Uncheck Saturday/Sunday.

Best sending times: 6-9 AM or 2-4 PM in your prospect's timezone. Reply.io can detect timezone from their domain - use it.

Part 3: Adding LinkedIn Steps

30 minutes

Now for the part that makes Reply.io worth it.

Configure LinkedIn Settings

Before adding LinkedIn steps, set your limits:

  1. Go to "Settings" → "LinkedIn"
  2. Set daily connection requests to 20
  3. Set daily messages to 20

Why 20?

LinkedIn has soft limits around 100-150 actions per day. Stay well below that to avoid restrictions. 20/day is safe.

Add LinkedIn Steps to Your Sequence

Go back to your sequence and add LinkedIn steps between emails:

Updated 7-Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 (Day 1)
  2. LinkedIn Connection Request (Day 2)

    Include a note: "Hi {{firstName}}, came across {{company}} and wanted to connect."

  3. Email 2 (Day 4) - only if no email reply
  4. Conditional: If they accept LinkedIn connection → LinkedIn Message (Day 5)

    "Thanks for connecting, {{firstName}}. Did my email about [pain point] land with you?"

  5. Email 3 (Day 7) - only if no email reply
  6. LinkedIn Message #2 (Day 10) - only if connected but no response

    "{{firstName}}, I know you're busy. Is this worth exploring or should I stop reaching out?"

Set Up Conditional Logic

This is where Reply.io shines. You can create branches based on actions.

Example:

  • If prospect replies to ANY email → stop sequence
  • If prospect accepts LinkedIn connection → trigger LinkedIn message
  • If prospect doesn't reply after 7 days → move to break-up email

To set this up:

  1. Click on any step in your sequence
  2. Select "Add condition"
  3. Choose: "If prospect replied to email" → "Stop sequence"
  4. Or: "If prospect connected on LinkedIn" → "Send LinkedIn message"

This prevents you from spamming people who've already engaged.

Part 4: Launch Checklist

15 minutes

Before you hit "Start Campaign", run through this checklist:

Email Verification

  • Run your prospect list through an email verifier (Hunter.io or ZeroBounce)
  • Remove any role-based emails (info@, support@, hello@)
  • Aim for <3% bounce rate

Domain Health

  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC configured
  • Email warmup running for at least 2 weeks
  • Sending limits set to 30/day max

Sequence Review

  • All emails use variables ({{firstName}}, {{company}})
  • No spam trigger words (free, guarantee, click here, act now)
  • Clear unsubscribe link in footer
  • Professional email signature

LinkedIn Setup

  • Chrome extension installed and logged in
  • LinkedIn limits set to 20/day
  • Connection note is personalized

Test Run

  • Add yourself to the sequence with a test email
  • Verify emails arrive in primary inbox (not spam)
  • Check that variables populate correctly
  • Confirm LinkedIn steps execute

Once everything checks out: Launch to 50 people, monitor for 1 week, then scale.

Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Starting too aggressive

  • • Don't send 100 emails/day from a new domain
  • • Don't connect 50 people/day on LinkedIn
  • • Slow ramp is boring but it works

Mistake 2: Forgetting the Chrome extension

  • • LinkedIn steps won't run without it
  • • Set a reminder to check it daily

Mistake 3: No conditional logic

  • • You'll message people who already replied
  • • Set up "stop sequence if replied" conditions
  • • Use LinkedIn connection status to branch sequences

Mistake 4: Generic messaging

  • • Variables aren't personalization
  • • Add specific observations about their company
  • • Reference their LinkedIn activity, blog posts, or recent news

Mistake 5: Ignoring deliverability

  • • Monitor your bounce rate weekly
  • • Check spam folder placement (send test emails to Gmail, Outlook)
  • • If open rate <20%, your deliverability is broken

Next Steps

You've got a working multichannel sequence. Here's how to scale it:

Week 1-2:

  • Monitor metrics (open rate, reply rate, connection accept rate)
  • Respond to replies manually (don't automate this)
  • Note which email gets most responses

Week 3-4:

  • Adjust messaging based on data
  • Increase daily sending limit to 50/day
  • Add 50-100 more prospects to test larger volume

Month 2:

  • Build 2-3 different sequences for different ICPs
  • Add more mailboxes if hitting volume limits
  • Consider enriching lists with Clay for better personalization

Ready to get started?

Try Reply.io free for 14 days and build your first sequence today.

Start Free Trial

Got questions? Email me at david@saleshousestack.com or message me on LinkedIn.

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