Execution in Action A Real AI Outreach Campaign

Campaign Context

Date: February 2026 (test campaign)
Target: Solo founders in B2B services
Objective: Test a minimal outbound flow
Stack: Apollo → ChatGPT → Smartlead (Instantly as an alternative)

Step 1 — Lead Sourcing with Apollo

I built a small test list of 25 leads in Apollo using basic role and industry filters.

Apollo lead list (25 prospects) — anonymized for privacy

• Filters used: role + industry
• Leads selected: 25
• Exported as CSV for campaign setup

Once the list was ready, I moved on to message drafting.

Step 2 — Message Drafting with ChatGPT

I generated a first draft using ChatGPT, then manually refined it for clarity and tone.

Prompt used:

I used ChatGPT to generate an initial cold email draft based on my target profile and campaign objective.

Raw output from ChatGPT

[ChatGPT raw output — placeholder]

Final edited version

[Final edited email — placeholder]

The initial draft was usable but too generic.
I shortened it and made the opening line more specific.

Step 3 — Campaign Setup in Smartlead

I imported 25 hand-picked leads into Smartlead and launched a controlled micro-test campaign (5 emails/day, 1 follow-up).

If you decide to test Smartlead, note that it includes 6000 free email verification credits when subscribing through a partner link.

Step 4 — Alternative Setup in Instantly (optional)

I imported the lead list into Instantly and configured a basic outbound campaign.

Instantly campaign setup (25 leads imported) — anonymized for privacy

Campaign configuration:

• Warmup enabled on sending inbox
• Daily sending limit: 25 emails
• Minimum delay between emails: 60 seconds