Company Overview
Outbound1 is an innovative agency that delivers cutting-edge go-to-market (GTM) execution strategies. Founded by Stephen Karaolis, Outbound1 leverages AI-powered automation and strategic human insights to provide high-impact solutions for businesses looking to optimize their go-to-market strategies.
The agency specializes in automating content creation, capturing key data, and seamlessly integrating intelligent workflows to enhance client outreach and maximize impact.
Outbound1 is designed specifically for companies lacking a dedicated marketing department, providing them with tools that allow for a streamlined, efficient, and scalable GTM strategy.
The platform amplifies outbound strategies by automating execution, refining distribution, and driving measurable results.
Stephen Karaolis has over 14 years of experience in public relations and a deep background in sales and GTM engineering. After successfully leading an HR Tech company’s marketing and sales, he decided to dive deeper into GTM engineering and founded Outbound1 in November 2024.
As the lead strategist at Outbound1, Stephen oversees all workloads and strategic approaches across different projects.
The Challenge
Before discovering Smartlead, Stephen and his team at Outbound1 were using various cold email platforms to drive outreach campaigns for their clients. However, they faced challenges with these tools, including:
Limited Customization
The tools didn’t offer the level of configurability required for Outbound1’s specific needs.
Lack of Scalability
The existing platforms lacked advanced automation capabilities and integrations that could help scale campaigns effectively.
Inefficient Results
The tools often failed to deliver the desired response rates and led to wasted time and effort on campaigns that didn’t yield results.
For an agency that prides itself on maximizing the impact of its outreach campaigns, these were a few hiccups. Outbound1 needed a platform that offered better flexibility, automation, and higher deliverability.
Why Smartlead?
After hearing positive feedback about Smartlead and experiencing frustration with previous platforms, Stephen decided to give Smartlead a try. According to Stephen, Smartlead felt more adaptable and suited to his agency’s evolving needs.
He mentions, “Smartlead felt more configurable for my business and something I can continue to grow into.”
After using Smartlead for over 3 months, Stephen and his team began to experience impressive results.
Key Reasons for Choosing Smartlead
Configurability and Flexibility
Smartlead provided the tools and customization needed to create highly-targeted campaigns, which were essential for Outbound1’s operations.
Advanced Automation
The platform’s advanced automation features allowed the team to streamline and scale their email campaigns without increasing workload.
Enhanced Deliverability
Smartlead’s powerful features, like domain spinning, mailbox rotation, and SmartDelivery, ensured that emails reached the primary inbox, improving response rates.
The Results
The results from switching to Smartlead were immediate and transformative for Outbound1 and their clients. A standout campaign for one of their podcast clients showcased the power of Smartlead in driving positive outcomes with minimal effort.
Podcast Campaign Success
For this campaign, Stephen’s team utilized Clay for lead enrichment, particularly using YouTube enrichment, to match the client’s podcast show themes and episodes. The team then integrated this customized data into Smartlead, automating the campaign from day one. The campaign was a massive success, generating:
- 50 lead opportunities within just one week, far exceeding expectations for the client.
- The campaign was overwhelmingly positive, generating 48.62% positive responses and 25.47% unique responses.
Stephen emphasizes, “Outbound doesn’t have to be spray and paint, you just have to get as close to a possible mutual value exchange. Clay and Smartlead get you closer to the mutual value exchange, and that’s where positive replies keep kicking in. You just have to keep showing up and pushing till you get the desired results.”
This success demonstrated how Smartlead’s powerful automation, AI-powered insights, and customizable workflows could deliver tangible, impressive results even in a short time.
Smartlead’s Best Features According to Outbound1
1. Domain Spinning and Mailbox Rotation
Stephen highlights Smartlead’s mailbox rotation and domain spinning as one of the most valuable features for his agency. This enables Outbound1 to scale its campaigns without worrying about email deliverability issues and helps to avoid spam filters.
“I have a single domain with 3 mailboxes, which is crushing with Smartlead. This shows you don’t always need a ton of infrastructure. Just a great offer is enough.”
2. Smartlead’s API Capabilities
Another standout feature for Outbound1 is the API integration provided by Smartlead. The API allows them to connect Smartlead with other tools, such as Slack, for seamless communication and automation.
3. The Community and Constant Updates
Stephen also appreciates Smartlead’s strong community and ongoing improvements. The Slack community channel has provided insights from other industry experts, helping Outbound1 stay ahead of the curve.
Stephen says, “The Smartlead community has been an immense help for us, as we have a relatively smaller team.”
He adds, “The constant new updates like SmartServers show how Smartlead is cutting-edge and always stays ahead, listening to their users.”
Future Outlook with Smartlead
Looking ahead, Stephen is excited about the continued potential of Smartlead to drive success for his agency and clients. He believes that the combination of advanced automation, customizable workflows, and AI-powered insights will continue to be essential in scaling their operations.
Why Smartlead is Perfect for Agencies Like Outbound1
Smartlead has proven to be a game-changer for agencies that rely on precision-targeted campaigns and efficient lead generation.
Whether it’s the ability to automate workflows, ensure deliverability, or integrate with other tools, Smartlead provides a flexible, scalable solution for businesses looking to scale their outreach efforts and achieve high-quality results.
By combining AI-powered features, email deliverability features, advanced automation, and seamless integrations, Smartlead has proven to be more than just a tool—it’s an indispensable asset for agencies that want to stay competitive in the fast-evolving world of outbound marketing.
Conclusion
Outbound1’s experience with Smartlead underscores the power of combining cutting-edge technology with strategic insights to drive success. As Stephen Karaolis and Outbound1 continue to leverage Smartlead’s capabilities, they can confidently tackle even the most challenging outreach campaigns and drive significant results.
If you’re looking for an email campaign software that can help you achieve the same results, Smartlead is worth considering. Ready to supercharge your email campaigns and generate more leads? Give Smartlead a try today.
Author’s Details
Wajahat Ali
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Frequently asked questions
What is Smartlead's cold email outreach software?
Smartlead's cold email outreach tool helps businesses scale their outreach efforts seamlessly. With unlimited mailboxes, fully automated email warmup functionality, a multi-channel infrastructure, and a user-friendly unibox, it empowers users to manage their entire revenue cycle in one place. Whether you're looking to streamline cold email campaigns with automated email warmups, personalization fields, automated mailbox rotation, easy integrations, and spintax, improve productivity, or enhance scalability with subsequences based on lead’s intentions, automated replies, and full white-label experience, our cold email tool implifies it in a single solution.
What is Smartlead, and how can it enhance my cold email campaigns?
Smartlead is a robust cold emailing software designed to transform cold emails into reliable revenue streams. Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, Smartlead excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach. A unified master inbox streamlines communication management, while built-in email verification reduces bounce rates.
Additionally, Smartlead offers essential tools such as CNAME, SPF Checker, DMARC Checker, Email Verifier, Blacklist Check Tool, and Email Bounce Rate Calculator for optimizing email performance.
How does the "unlimited mailboxes" feature benefit me?
Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.
How does Smartlead as a cold emailing tool can automate the cold email process?
Smartlead’s robust cold email API and automation infrastructure streamline outbound communication by transforming the campaign creation and management processes. It seamlessly integrates data across software systems using APIs and webhooks, adjusts settings, and leverages AI for personalised content.
The cold emailing tool categorises lead intent, offers comprehensive email management with automated notifications, and integrates smoothly with CRMs like Zapier, Make, N8N, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Smartlead supports scalable outreach by rapidly adding mailboxes and drip-feeding leads into active campaigns Sign Up Now!
What do you mean by "unibox to handle your entire revenue cycle"?
The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.
With the "unibox," you gain the ability to:
1. Focus on closing deals: You can now say goodbye to the hassle of logging into multiple mailboxes to search for replies. The "unibox" streamlines your sales communication, allowing you to focus on what matters most—closing deals.
2. Centralized lead management: All your leads are managed from one central location, simplifying lead tracking and response management. This ensures you take advantage of every opportunity and efficiently engage with your prospects.
3. Maintain context: The "unibox" provides a 360-degree view of all your customer messages, allowing you to maintain context and deliver more personalized and effective responses.
How does Smartlead ensure my emails don't land in the spam folder?
Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder.
Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.
2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign.
3. The ‘Warmup’ feature replicates humanized email sending patterns, spintax, and smart replies.
4. By establishing a positive sender reputation and gradually increasing the number of sent emails, Smartlead minimizes the risk of your emails being flagged as spam. This way, you can be confident that your messages will consistently land in the primary inbox, increasing the likelihood of engagement and successful communication with your recipients.
Can Smartlead help improve my email deliverability rates?
Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.
What features does Smartlead offer for cold email personalisation?
Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.
Moreover, Smartlead employs humanised, natural email interactions and smart replies to boost engagement and response rates. Additionally, the SmartAI Bot creates persona-specific, high-converting sales copy. Also you can create persona-specific, high-converting sales copy using SmartAI Bot. You can train the AI bot to achieve 100% categorisation accuracy, optimising engagement and conversion rates.
Can I integrate Smartlead with other tools I'm using?
Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!
Is Smartlead suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises?
Smartlead accommodates both small businesses and large enterprises with flexible pricing and comprehensive features. The Basic Plan at $39/month suits small businesses and solopreneurs, offering 2000 active leads and 6000 monthly emails, alongside essential tools like unlimited email warm-up and detailed analytics.
Marketers and growing businesses benefit from the Pro Plan ($94/month), with 30000 active leads and 150000 monthly emails, plus a custom CRM and active support. Lead generation agencies and large enterprises can opt for the Custom Plan ($174/month), providing up to 12 million active lead credits and 60 million emails, with advanced CRM integration and customisation options.
What type of businesses sees the most success with Smartlead?
No, there are no limitations on the number of channels you can utilize with Smartlead. Our cold email tool offers a multi-channel infrastructure designed to be limitless, allowing you to reach potential customers through multiple avenues without constraints.
This flexibility empowers you to diversify your cold email outreach efforts, connect with your audience through various communication channels, and increase your chances of conversion. Whether email, social media, SMS, or other communication methods, Smartlead's multi-channel capabilities ensure you can choose the channels that best align with your outreach strategy and business goals. This way, you can engage with your prospects effectively and maximize the impact of your email outreach.
How can Smartlead integrate with my existing CRM and other tools?
Smartlead is the cold emailing tool that facilitates seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other tools through robust webhook and API infrastructure. This setup ensures real-time data synchronisation and automated processes without manual intervention. Integration platforms like Zapier, Make, and N8N enable effortless data exchange between Smartlead and various applications, supporting tasks such as lead information syncing and campaign status updates. Additionally, it offers native integrations with major CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, enhancing overall lead management capabilities and workflow efficiency. Try Now!
Do you provide me with lead sources?
No. Smartlead distinguishes itself from other cold email outreach software by focusing on limitless scalability and seamless integration. While many similar tools restrict your outreach capabilities, Smartlead offers a different approach.
Here's what makes us uniquely the best cold email software:
1. Unlimited Mailboxes: In contrast to platforms that limit mailbox usage, Smartlead provides unlimited mailboxes. This means you can expand your outreach without any arbitrary constraints.
2. Unique IP Servers: Smartlead offers unique IP servers for every campaign it sends out.
3. Sender Reputation Protection: Smartlead protects your sender reputation by auto-moving emails from spam folders to the primary inbox. This tool uses unique identifiers to cloak all warmup emails from being recognized by automation parsers.
4. Automated Warmup: Smartlead’s warmup functionality enhances your sender reputation and improves email deliverability by maintaining humanised email sending patterns and ramping up the sending volume.
How secure is my data with Smartlead?
Ensuring the security of your data is Smartlead's utmost priority. We implement robust encryption methods and stringent security measures to guarantee the continuous protection of your information. Your data's safety is paramount to us, and we are always dedicated to upholding the highest standards of security.
How can I get started with Smartlead?
Getting started with Smartlead is straightforward! Just head over to our sign-up page and follow our easy step-by-step guide. If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our round-the-clock support team is ready to help, standing by to provide you with any assistance you may require. Sign Up Now!
How can I reach the Smartlead team?
We're here to assist you! You can easily get in touch with our dedicated support team on chat. We strive to provide a response within 24 hours to address any inquiries or concerns you may have. You can also reach out to us at support@smartlead.ai
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