Referral Program Design

Response:
# Customer Referral Program Design Specification

## Program Overview

This document outlines the complete design for our customer referral program—a scalable, trackable system to drive organic customer acquisition through existing customer advocacy. The program is structured to achieve a sustainable viral coefficient while maintaining brand integrity and controlling customer acquisition costs.

**Program Name:** [Company Name] Referral Program

**Program Type:** Double-sided reward referral program

**Target Market:** Australian SMB businesses (5-200 employees)

---

## 1. Incentive Structure

### Core Reward Framework

| Role | Reward | Reward Type | Timing |
|------|--------|-------------|---------|
| Referring Customer (You) | $50 credit | Account credit | After referred customer completes qualifying action |
| Referred Customer (Get) | $50 credit | Account credit | After completing qualifying action |

### Qualifying Actions for Reward Activation

To prevent reward abuse and ensure quality referrals, both parties must complete the following:

**For Referring Customer to Receive $50 Credit:**

- Referral must register via unique referral link or code
- Referred customer must create a verified account
- Referred customer must activate a paid subscription (minimum 30-day tenure)
- Referred customer must not be an existing customer or previously referred lead

**For Referred Customer to Receive $50 Credit:**

- Must be a new customer (no prior account history)
- Must complete account verification
- Must activate a paid subscription within 30 days of referral link use
- Must remain active for minimum 14 days

### Credit Application Rules

- Credits apply to future invoices only (no cash redemption)
- Credits expire after 12 months if unused
- Credits are non-transferable between accounts
- Credits cannot be combined with other promotional offers (unless otherwise specified)
- Credits apply to any product tier

### Partner Incentive Distinction

| Referrer Type | Reward | Notes |
|---------------|--------|-------|
| Standard Customer | $50 credit | As outlined above |
| Technology Partner | $75 credit | Higher value to incentivise partner ecosystem growth |
| Reseller Partner | $100 credit | Resellers have established client relationships |

Partner referrals require additional qualification:

- Partner must have signed partnership agreement
- Referred customer must become paying customer within partner's designated territory/segment
- Partner receives commission override after 90-day customer retention

---

## 2. Referral Tracking Mechanism

### Unique Referral Identifier System

Each customer receives a unique referral identifier composed of:

```
[Company Prefix]-[Customer ID]-[Random String]
Example: NPS-X7K2M-A1B2
```

This identifier appears in three formats:

1. **Referral Code:** Text code for manual entry (NPS-X7K2M-A1B2)
2. **Referral Link:** Dynamic URL (app.com/ref/NPS-X7K2M)
3. **QR Code:** scannable code for offline sharing

### Tracking Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   REFERRAL TRACKING FLOW                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐  │
│  │ Customer │───▶│ Referral Link │───▶│ Landing Page    │  │
│  │ Portal   │    │ Generated    │    │ with Cookie     │  │
│  └──────────┘    └──────────────┘    └─────────────────┘  │
│                                             │              │
│                                             ▼              │
│                                    ┌─────────────────┐    │
│                                    │ Attribution     │    │
│                                    │ Window: 90 days │    │
│                                    └─────────────────┘    │
│                                             │              │
│                                             ▼              │
│                                    ┌─────────────────┐    │
│                                    │ Customer        │    │
│                                    │ Conversion      │    │
│                                    └─────────────────┘    │
│                                             │              │
│                                             ▼              │
│                                    ┌─────────────────┐    │
│                                    │ Reward          │    │
│                                    │ Calculation     │    │
│                                    └─────────────────┘    │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Technical Implementation

**Cookie-Based Attribution:**

- First-touch cookie: Captures referral source on initial visit
- Last-touch cookie: Captures final referral interaction before conversion
- Attribution window: 90 days from initial referral link click to conversion

**Referral Link Parameters:**

```
app.com/signup?ref=[referrer_code]&source=referral&timestamp=[unix_time]
```

**Data Capture Points:**

| Stage | Data Captured |
|-------|----------------|
| Link Click | Referrer ID, timestamp, UTM parameters, IP address, geolocation |
| Account Creation | Referred customer email, referrer code entered, source attribution |
| Verification | Verified email domain, account age |
| Subscription | Plan tier, payment method, customer tenure start |
| Reward Trigger | Days since conversion, subscription status |

### Referral Dashboard (Customer-Facing)

Customers access a personal referral dashboard showing:

- Unique referral link and code
- Total referrals made
- Successful conversions
- Pending referrals (in attribution window)
- Total credits earned
- Referral history with status

---

## 3. Viral Coefficient Targets

### Understanding Viral Coefficient (K-Factor)

Viral coefficient measures the viral spread of your referral program using the formula:

```
K-Factor = Referrals sent by each new customer × Conversion rate of those referrals
```

**Example:** If each referring customer sends 2 referrals, and 25% of those convert, your K-factor is 0.5 (2 × 0.25 = 0.5).

### Target Benchmarks

| Metric | Month 1-3 Target | Month 4-6 Target | Month 7-12 Target |
|--------|------------------|------------------|-------------------|
| Referrals per customer | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Conversion rate | 15% | 20% | 25% |
| K-Factor | 0.12 | 0.24 | 0.375 |
| Referral-sourced customers | 8% of new customers | 15% of new customers | 25% of new customers |

### Achieving Viral Growth

To reach K-factor > 1.0 (true viral growth), we target:

**Stage 1: Foundation (K < 0.3)**

- Implement referral program with strong incentive
- Deploy in-app widget for easy sharing
- Launch email nurture sequence for referrers

**Stage 2: Acceleration (K 0.3-0.6)**

- Introduce referral contests with bonus rewards
- Add social sharing integration
- Implement automated referral follow-ups

**Stage 3: Viral Growth (K > 0.6)**

- Create premium rewards for top referrers
- Add tiered incentive structure
- Launch partner referral acceleration

### Viral Loop Optimisation

```
CURRENT STATE (Month 1-3):
Referrer sends 1.0 referral → 15% convert → K = 0.15
CAC Contribution: 15% of $X = $0.15X saved per customer

TARGET STATE (Month 7-12):
Referrer sends 1.5 referrals → 25% convert → K = 0.375
CAC Contribution: 37.5% of $X = $0.375X saved per customer
```

---

## 4. Referral Email Templates

### Template 1: Referral Program Launch

**Subject:** [Customer First Name], share the love and earn $50 credit

**Preview Text:** Your friends will thank you—and so will we

---

Dear [Customer First Name],

You've seen firsthand how [Product Name] helps [specific benefit: "streamline your team's workflow" / "cut administrative time in half" / "reduce operational costs"]. Now imagine what it could do for your network.

**Invite your connections to join [Product Name] and you'll both receive $50 in account credits.**

Here's your unique referral link:
[REFERRAL_LINK]

It only takes two minutes to share:
1. Copy your link above
2. Send it to colleagues, industry contacts, or anyone who could benefit
3. You'll both earn $50 credit when they become a paying customer

[CTA BUTTON: Share Your Referral Link]

That's it. No awkward sales pitch required—just share your link and let your connections discover why [X]% of our customers recommend us.

Questions? Simply reply to this email—we're happy to help.

Cheers,
[Account Manager Name]
[Company Name] Team

---

### Template 2: Referral Milestone Notification

**Subject:** 🎉 [Customer First Name], you've just earned $50 credit!

**Preview Text:** Your referral [Referred Customer Name] is now a customer

---

Hi [Customer First Name],

Great news—your referral paid off. [Referred Customer Name] just became a [Product Name] customer, and you've earned **$50 in account credit**.

**Your credit will be applied to your next invoice.**

Want to keep the momentum going? Share your referral link again:

[REFERRAL_LINK]

[REFERRAL_BUTTON: Share Again]

Here's how you're tracking:

- Referrals sent: [NUMBER]
- Successful conversions: [NUMBER]
- Total credits earned: $[AMOUNT]

Keep sharing—there's no limit on how many people you can refer.

Best,
[Account Manager Name]
[Company Name] Team

---

### Template 3: Referred Customer Welcome

**Subject:** Welcome! Your $50 credit is ready to use

**Preview Text:** [Referred By Name] thought you'd benefit from [Product Name]

---

Hi [Referred Customer First Name],

[Referred By Name] thought you'd benefit from [Product Name]—and we want to make it easy for you to see why.

**As our guest, you receive $50 in account credit when you sign up.**

[CTA BUTTON: Claim Your $50 Credit]

Here's what to do:
1. Click the button above to create your account
2. Apply your $50 credit to any plan
3. Start streamlining [specific benefit] today

[Referred By Name] is already seeing results—see for yourself what [Product Name] can do.

Questions? Reply anytime—we're here to help you get started.

Welcome aboard,
[Account Manager Name]
[Product Name] Team

---

### Template 4: Referral Reminder (Inactive Referrer)

**Subject:** Still thinking about referring [Colleague Name]?

**Preview Text:** You have $50 credit waiting to be claimed

---

Hi [Customer First Name],

We noticed you haven't shared your referral link lately. No pressure—but we wanted to remind you that for every colleague who joins through your link, you both earn $50 credit.

Your link: [REFERRAL_LINK]

It's a no-brainer:
- ✅ No sales required—just share your link
- ✅ Your contact gets $50 credit
- ✅ You earn $50 credit
- ✅ No limit on referrals

Ready to spread the word?

[CTA BUTTON: Share Your Link]

Just a heads up—your referral link never expires, so share whenever the timing feels right.

Cheers,
[Account Manager Name]
[Company Name] Team

---

## 5. In-App Referral Widget

### Widget Design Specifications

**Placement:** Fixed position, bottom-right corner of application interface

**Visual Design:**

- Collapsed state: Circular button (48px diameter) with brand icon
- Expanded state: Modal panel (380px × 480px)
- Brand colours: Primary (#brandColour) accent, neutral backgrounds
- Typography: Sans-serif, consistent with app design system

### Widget Interaction Flow

```
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                          │
│  COLLAPSED (Default)           EXPANDED (On Click)       │
│                                                          │
│     ┌───────┐                    ┌──────────────────┐   │
│     │  🔗   │                    │  REFERRAL PROGRAM │   │
│     │ Share │                    ├──────────────────┤   │
│     └───────┘                    │                  │   │
│                                  │ Your Link:        │   │
│                                  │ [app.com/ref/XXX] │   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  │ [Copy Link]      │   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  ├──────────────────┤   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  │ Send Invites     │   │
│                                  │ [Email Input]    │   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  │ [Send Invite]    │   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  ├──────────────────┤   │
│                                  │ Social Share     │   │
│                                  │ [LinkedIn] [X]   │   │
│                                  │                  │   │
│                                  └──────────────────┘   │
│                                                          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Widget Content Sections

**1. Header Section**

- Program title: "Refer a Colleague"
- Subtitle: "Give $50, Get $50"
- Close button (×)

**2. Link Display Section**

- Unique referral link (truncated with full view on hover)
- Copy button with success confirmation
- QR code toggle for offline sharing

**3. Email Invite Section**

- Email input field with validation
- Personalised message field (pre-populated with template)
- Send button with sending indicator

**4. Social Sharing Section**

- LinkedIn share option
- Twitter/X share option
- Copy link for any platform

**5. Stats Summary**

- Referrals made count
- Credits earned total
- "View full dashboard" link

### Mobile Responsiveness

- Bottom sheet format on mobile (full width, 60% height)
- Swipe to dismiss
- Simplified single-column layout
- Native share sheet integration

### Implementation Requirements

| Element | Specification |
|---------|----------------|
| Widget framework | React component with Vue alternative |
| Load performance | Lazy load on interaction, not on page load |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, keyboard navigable |
| Offline support | Cache referral code, queue shares |
| Analytics | Track all interactions, widget open/close rates |

---

## 6. Partner vs Customer Referral Distinction

### Referral Source Categories

| Category | Definition | Verification Method |
|----------|------------|---------------------|
| **Customer Referral** | Referral from existing paying customer | Customer ID linked to referral code |
| **Partner Referral** | Referral from authorised technology or reseller partner | Partner ID verification via partnership agreement |
| **Employee Referral** | Referral from company staff | Employee ID required, HR system check |
| **Untracked Referral** | Referral without identifiable source | No code used, organic signup |

### Partner Referral Process

**Technology Partners:**

1. Partner registers in partner portal
2. Partner receives unique partner referral code
3. Partner shares code with prospective customers
4. Prospect enters code at signup
5. System verifies partner status via API
6. Partner receives enhanced reward after prospect conversion

**Reseller Partners:**

1. Reseller has assigned territory/segment
2. Prospect must be within assigned scope
3. Referral tracked via partner CRM integration
4. Partner receives commission + referral bonus
5. Commission paid quarterly, referral bonus monthly

### Reward Tiers by Source

| Source Type | Referrer Reward | Referee Reward | Qualification Period |
|-------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------------|
| Standard Customer | $50 credit | $50 credit | 30 days |
| Technology Partner | $75 credit | $50 credit | 30 days |
| Reseller Partner | $100 credit + commission | $50 credit | 60 days |
| Employee | $100 credit | $50 credit | 30 days |

### Fraud Prevention by Category

| Risk Area | Mitigation |
|-----------|-------------|
| Self-referral | Customer verification, device fingerprinting |
| Partner fraud | Territory verification, sales team confirmation |
| Employee abuse | HR approval required, manager sign-off |
| Coupon trading | Account activity monitoring, IP analysis |

---

## 7. Terms and Conditions

### Referral Program Terms and Conditions

**Effective Date:** [Date]

**1. Program Eligibility**

*Referring Customer:*

- Must be an active, paying customer in good standing
- Account must be in good financial standing (no overdue invoices)
- Must have completed account verification

*Referred Customer:*

- Must be a new customer (no prior account history with [Company Name])
- Must be a business entity or authorised business representative
- Must be located in Australia or an approved market

**2. Qualification Requirements**

To qualify for rewards:

- Referred customer must create a verified account within 30 days of receiving referral link
- Referred customer must activate a paid subscription within 30 days of account creation
- Referred customer must remain active for minimum 14 days after subscription activation
- Referral must not be self-referral or duplicate referral

**3. Reward Details**

- Reward value: $50 account credit for each qualifying referral
- Credits are applied to the referring customer's account within 14 days of referral qualification
- Credits apply to future invoices only; no cash redemption available
- Credits expire 12 months from issue date if unused
- Maximum referrals per customer: Unlimited (no cap)

**4. Prohibited Activities**

The following activities void eligibility:

- Self-referral (referring your own business, related entities, or alternate accounts)
- Creating fake accounts to generate fraudulent referrals
- Purchasing referral codes from third parties
- Spamming or unsolicited commercial email to distribute referral links
- Using deceptive marketing practices
- Attempting to manipulate the referral tracking system

**5. Program Modifications**

[Company Name] reserves the right to:

- Modify incentive structure with 30 days' notice to existing participants
- Discontinue program with 60 days' notice
- Update qualification requirements as needed
- Refuse referrals from prohibited sources or activities

**6. Disclaimers**

- [Company Name] makes no warranty regarding referral program availability
- Referral program participation does not guarantee reward receipt
- [Company Name] is not responsible for referral link delivery failures
- Taxes may apply to rewards; referrer is responsible for compliance

**7. Privacy**

- Personal information collected during referral program is handled per Privacy Policy
- Referral data may be used for program optimisation and marketing
- Referrers may opt out of referral communications at any time

**8. Dispute Resolution**

- Reward disputes must be submitted within 30 days of expected reward date
- Disputes reviewed within 14 business days
- Final decisions regarding program eligibility are at [Company Name]'s discretion

**9. Contact Information**

For program questions:
- Email: referrals@[company].com.au
- Phone: [Phone Number]
- Support portal: [URL]

---

## 8. Success Metrics and KPIs

### Primary KPIs

| Metric | Definition | Target | Measurement Frequency |
|--------|-------------|--------|----------------------|
| **Referral Conversion Rate** | % of referral link clicks that convert to paying customers | 20% by Month 6 | Weekly |
| **Viral Coefficient (K-Factor)** | Referrals generated per customer × conversion rate | 0.35 by Month 12 | Monthly |
| **Referral-Sourced CAC** | Cost per acquired customer via referral | 40% reduction vs. paid channels | Monthly |
| **Referral Revenue Contribution** | % of total new revenue from referral customers | 15% by Month 6 | Monthly |
| **Referrer Activation Rate** | % of customers who make at least one referral | 15% by Month 3 | Monthly |
| **Average Referrals per Customer** | Total referrals ÷ customers who referred | 1.2 by Month 6 | Monthly |

### Secondary Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Benchmark | Alert Threshold |
|--------|-------------|------------|------------------|
| **Referral Link Click-Through** | Clicks ÷ referral links distributed | 25% | < 15% |
| **Time to First Referral** | Days from account creation to first referral | < 30 days | > 45 days |
| **Referral Reward Claim Rate** | Rewards claimed ÷ rewards available | 80% | < 60% |
| **Referral Drop-off Rate** | Referrals started but not completed | 30% | > 50% |
| **Partner Referral Volume** | % of referrals from partners | 20% | < 10% |
| **Fraudulent Referral Rate** | Detected fraud ÷ total referrals | < 2% | > 5% |

### Dashboard Reporting

**Weekly Report Elements:**

- New referral registrations
- Referral link clicks
- Conversion pipeline (by stage)
- Top referrers leaderboard

**Monthly Report Elements:**

- K-factor calculation
- Referral-sourced revenue
- CAC comparison (referral vs. other channels)
- Program ROI analysis
- Incentive cost per referral

**Quarterly Review Elements:**

- Program performance vs. targets
- Incentive optimisation recommendations
- Competitive benchmarking
- Strategic adjustments

### ROI Calculation

```
Referral Program ROI:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Revenue from referral customers (Quarter): $XX,XXX
Program costs (incentives + operations):   $(X,XXX)
Net contribution:                         $XX,XXX

CAC Comparison:
Traditional paid acquisition:            $XXX/customer
Referral acquisition:                   $XXX/customer
Savings per customer:                   $XX/customer
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
```

---

## Implementation Checklist

### Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-2)

- [ ] Configure referral tracking system
- [ ] Generate unique referral identifiers for all customers
- [ ] Build in-app referral widget
- [ ] Create referral dashboard
- [ ] Draft email templates

### Phase 2: Launch (Weeks 3-4)

- [ ] Deploy referral program to 10% customer base (pilot)
- [ ] Send launch email to pilot participants
- [ ] Monitor tracking accuracy
- [ ] Gather initial feedback
- [ ] Document issues and refinements

### Phase 3: Scale (Weeks 5-8)

- [ ] Full rollout to all customers
- [ ] Enable partner referral tracking
- [ ] Launch email nurture sequence
- [ ] Activate social sharing
- [ ] Begin weekly reporting

### Phase 4: Optimise (Ongoing)

- [ ] A/B test incentive variations
- [ ] Refine targeting and messaging
- [ ] Implement referral contests
- [ ] Expand partner program
- [ ] Quarterly strategy review

---

## Document Control

| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---------|------|--------|---------|
| 1.0 | [Date] | [Author] | Initial release |

**Next Review:** [Date + 90 days]

---

*This document provides the complete specification for the referral program. All elements should be implemented according to these guidelines, with deviations approved through the product and marketing leadership.*


Vertical-Specific Sales Sheet - Trades

Response:
# Never Miss Another Job Again

---

## The Problem Costing You Thousands

You're on a job. Your phone rings. You can't answer. It's a potential customer looking for a quote—or a regular client needing you *now*.

By the time you call back? They've already moved on to your competitor.

**The math is brutal:** The average Australian tradie misses **5+ calls per day**. That's 25+ missed opportunities every single week. At an average job value of $300–$500, you're potentially losing **$3,900–$6,500 per month** in revenue you never even see.

---

## Your New 24/7 Sales Team

We answer your phone, book your jobs, and capture every quote request—**so you never miss a call while you're on the tools**.

That's it. You keep working. We keep your pipeline full.

---

## What We Handle For You

✅ **24/7 Live Answering** — Real Australians, never a voicemail. We answer every call like it's your business.

✅ **Job Booking** — We take the details, confirm availability, and lock in the job in your calendar.

✅ **Quote Requests** — We capture the scope, take photos if needed, and send you everything ready to quote—usually within the hour.

✅ **After-Hours & Weekends** — The calls that come in when you're off? We handle them. Every lead gets followed up.

---

## The Investment

Most tradies spend $497/month on a receptionist who only works 9–5.

**You get 24/7 coverage for less.**

### $197/month

~~$497/month~~

*That's less than the cost of one missed job per week.*

---

## Our Guarantee

**Not happy in the first 30 days? We'll refund every cent. No questions asked.**

We earn our keep by delivering results. If we're not making your phone pay for itself, you don't pay.

---

## See It In Action

Scan to watch a live demo of how we handle calls for tradies like you.

[ QR CODE PLACEHOLDER ]

---

## Ready To Stop Missing Calls?

**Book your free 15-minute strategy call today.**

**www.yourwebsite.com.au** | **1300 XXX XXX**

*Tradies across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Perth are already catching every lead. Don't let tomorrow's jobs go to your competitor.*


Vertical-Specific Sales Sheet - Professional Services

Response:
# Stop Losing Clients While You're Closed

## The hidden cost of missed calls in professional services

---

### The Problem

Your phone rings at 5:47 PM on a Friday. A potential client with a $15,000 matter. You don't answer.

**This happens 37% of the time.** That's not just a missed call—it's a missed client.

### The Real Cost to Your Practice

| Issue | Impact |
|-------|--------|
| **Missed after-hours inquiries** | 1 in 3 potential clients never call back |
| **Front desk overload** | Staff spend 60% of time on routine inquiries |
| **Unqualified walk-ins** | Up to 25% of consultations wasted on unsuitable clients |
| **Manual intake errors** | 18% of paper forms contain incomplete or illegible information |

**The average professional services firm loses $34,000 annually** in unconverted leads simply because they couldn't answer the phone or respond quickly enough.

---

### The Solution

**ServiceFlow** handles your front desk 24/7—before hours, after hours, weekends, and holidays. Every inquiry gets a professional response. Every lead gets captured. Every intake gets completed.

No staff burnout. No missed opportunities. No compromise on confidentiality.

---

### What It Does

**Smart Appointment Booking**

- Clients book directly into your calendar—real-time availability, no back-and-forth
- Automatic reminders reduce no-shows by 40%
- Syncs with Practice Management, LegalWise, Xero, and major medical software

**Confidential Screening**

- Customised qualification questions filter unsuitable inquiries
- Urgent matters escalate immediately via SMS or phone
- Maintains professional boundaries without your team on the phone

**Digital Intake Forms**

- Secure, branded forms completed before the first appointment
- Eliminates paperwork and receptionist data entry
- Pre-populates your practice management system

---

### Pricing

**Designed for practices with 1-10 professionals**

| Plan | Monthly | What's Included |
|------|---------|-----------------|
| **Starter** | $299/mo | 50 inquiries/month, appointment booking, basic screening |
| **Professional** | $499/mo | Unlimited inquiries, full intake forms, multi-location |
| **Enterprise** | Custom | Dedicated account manager, API access, custom integrations |

**ROI Example:** A 3-partner accounting firm with 2 reception staff replaced 15 hours/week of phone handling with ServiceFlow. **Monthly savings: $3,200.** Payback period: under 3 months.

---

### Compliance & Security

We know you operate under strict obligations. So do we.

- **Privacy Act 1988 Compliant** — Full compliance with Australian Privacy Principles
- **Notifiable Data Breaches Ready** — Incident response protocols in place
- **ISO 27001 Certified** — International standard for information security management
- **AES-256 Encryption** — Bank-grade protection for all data at rest and in transit
- **Australian Data Hosting** — Your client information stays on shore

We can provide a Data Processing Agreement and assist with your privacy compliance documentation.

---

### Ready to capture every opportunity?

**Book a 15-minute demo** — No pushy sales pitch. We'll show you exactly how it works and answer your questions.

📞 **1800 123 456** | 📧 **demo@serviceflow.com.au** | 🌐 **serviceflow.com.au**

*Trusted by 200+ Australian accounting, legal, and medical practices*


Annual Plan Pitch

Response:
# Annual Plan Conversion Package

## Strategic Framework

**Conversion Goal:** Move monthly subscribers to annual billing
**Value Proposition:** 20% discount = 2 months free
**Primary Audience:** Australian SMB decision-makers who want to reduce costs and simplify billing
**Tone:** Direct, value-focused, low-friction

---

## 1. Email Pitch

**Subject Line Options:**

- Save $117.60 per year — here's how
- One payment. 12 months of value. 2 months free.
- [First name], your annual plan saves you nearly $120 this year

---

**Email Body:**

Hi [Name],

Here's a number worth your attention: **$117.60**.

That's what you'd save annually by switching from monthly to annual billing on your [Product Name] subscription.

Here's the math:

- **Monthly plan:** $49/month × 12 = **$588/year**
- **Annual plan:** $470/year (you save **$117.60**)

You get the same features, the same support, and two months absolutely free — just for paying once a year.

**Why Australian businesses choose annual:**

- 20% savings, reinvested in your business
- One invoice. One payment. No surprises.
- Priority support availability
- Lock in your rate, even if we adjust pricing

No lock-in contracts. Cancel anytime — we'll refund the unused portion, no questions asked.

**[Switch to Annual →]**

Questions? Just reply to this email. I'm here to help.

Cheers,
[Your Name]
[Title]
[Company Name]

---

**Post-Script:** This offer is available for the next 14 days. After that, we return to standard pricing.

---

## 2. In-App Banner Copy

**Variant A — Top-of-page banner (persistent):**

> 🔥 **Save $117.60/year** when you switch to annual billing. Get 2 months free. **[Switch Now →]**

**Variant B — Smart trigger (shown to monthly users after Day 7):**

> 💡 You're on the monthly plan. Switch to annual and save **$117.60 every year** — that's 2 months free. **[See Savings →]**

**Variant C — Contextual (near billing/settings):**

> **Annual Billing Special**
> Pay yearly. Save 20%. Get 2 months free.
>
> **Your savings:** $117.60/year
> **[Upgrade to Annual →]**

---

## 3. Checkout Page Upsell

**Placement:** Directly below the current plan selection, before final payment

---

### Upsell Component Copy:

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🎯 BETTER VALUE: Switch to Annual & Save $117.60              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│   Monthly Plan            →   Annual Plan (Save 20%)           │
│   $49/month               →   $39.17/month                     │
│   $588/year               →   $470/year                        │
│                           →   [YOU SAVE $117.60]               │
│                                                                 │
│   ─────────────────       ─────────────────────                │
│                                                                 │
│   ✓ All features included                                       │
│   ✓ Same support level                                          │
│   ✓ Cancel anytime (pro-rated refund)                          │
│   ✓ 2 months FREE                                               │
│                                                                 │
│   [ Switch to Annual — Save $117.60 ]    [ Stay on Monthly ]   │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

**Alternative compact version (mobile):**

> **Save $117.60/year**
>
> Switch to annual: $39.17/month (billed $470 yearly)
>
> Same features. 2 months free. Cancel anytime.
>
> **[Upgrade Now]** · Maybe later

---

## 4. Renewal Reminder Sequence

### Email 1 — 30 Days Before Renewal (The Nudge)

**Subject:** Your [Product Name] renewal is coming up

Hi [Name],

Your [Product Name] subscription renews in 30 days — on [Renewal Date].

Here's a quick question: **Are you getting the most out of your subscription?**

While you're thinking about it, here's a tip that saves Australian businesses an average of **$117.60/year**:

**Switch to annual billing.** Same features. One payment. Two months free.

**[View Annual Options →]**

No pressure. But this window only stays open until your renewal date.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

---

### Email 2 — 14 Days Before Renewal (Value Reminder)

**Subject:** [First name], you're 2 weeks from renewal — save $117.60?

Hi [Name],

Fourteen days until your next monthly payment of $49 processes.

Quick reality check: If you switched to annual billing today, you'd pay **$470 for the next 12 months** instead of $588. That's **$117.60 back in your business**.

Two months free. One invoice. Same great product.

**[Lock in Your Savings →]**

This offer stays open until renewal. After that, it's back to regular pricing.

Let me know if you have questions.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

---

### Email 3 — 7 Days Before Renewal (Urgency + Risk Reversal)

**Subject:** Final reminder: Save $117.60 before your renewal on [Date]

Hi [Name],

One week until your $49 monthly payment processes.

**Here's what changes if you upgrade to annual today:**

- **Pay $470 yearly** (instead of $588)
- **Save $117.60** — that's a full 2 months free
- **One payment** — set and forget
- **Full refund** if you cancel within 30 days

This is the easiest way to cut your software costs this year. No catches.

**[Upgrade Now →]**

After [Renewal Date], this offer expires. You'll go back to monthly billing at the regular rate.

Questions? I'm one reply away.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

---

### Email 4 — 3 Days After Renewal (Recovery + Second Chance)

**Subject:** [First name], you just paid $49 — you could have saved $117.60

Hi [Name],

I noticed your monthly payment of $49 just processed.

Here's something to consider for next year: If you'd been on the annual plan, you'd have paid $470 for 12 months — **saving $117.60**.

You're locked in for this month, but here's an offer:

**Switch to annual within the next 7 days** and we'll credit the $49 you just paid toward your annual plan. You'll still get the full 2 months free, just starting from today instead of next year.

**[Claim This Offer →]**

This is a one-time courtesy. Let me know if you want in.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

---

## 5. Comparison Table (Monthly vs Annual)

### Primary Comparison Table

| | **Monthly Plan** | **Annual Plan** | **Your Savings** |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Price per month** | $49.00 | $39.17 | **$9.83/month** |
| **Billed** | Monthly | Yearly ($470) | — |
| **Total yearly cost** | $588 | $470 | **$117.60** |
| **Free months** | 0 | **2 months** | — |
| **Features** | ✓ All features | ✓ All features | Same |
| **Support** | Standard | Priority | Upgraded |
| **Rate lock** | No | Yes | Protection |
| **Cancellation** | Anytime | Anytime | Same |
| **Refund on cancel** | Pro-rated | Pro-rated | Same |

---

### Simplified Visual Version (For In-App/Banner)

```
┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────┬────────────────────┐
│                      │    MONTHLY       │      ANNUAL        │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Cost per month       │     $49.00       │      $39.17*       │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Billed               │   Monthly        │      Yearly        │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Total per year       │     $588         │      $470          │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ YOU SAVE             │       —          │   $117.60 🏆       │
│                      │                  │   (2 months free)  │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────┴────────────────────┘
         * $470 ÷ 12 months
```

---

### ROI-Focused One-Liner (For Sales Calls/Demos)

> "Annual billing gives you two months free — that's $117.60 back in your pocket. Same product, same support, one less invoice to manage."

---

## Implementation Notes

### Friction-Reduction Elements Included:

- **No contract** — cancel anytime with pro-rated refund
- **Risk reversal** — 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans
- **Clear math** — specific dollar amounts, not vague "save 20%"
- **Easy exit** — "Stay on Monthly" button always visible
- **Urgency without pressure** — time-bound offer, not artificial scarcity

### Conversion Triggers to Test:

1. **Personalisation** — Use their name and current spend in subject lines
2. **Timing** — Send renewal emails at 9am AEST on Tuesdays/Wednesdays
3. **Placement** — Test banner above vs. below the fold in-app
4. **CTA copy** — "Switch to Annual" vs. "Save $117.60 Now" vs. "Get 2 Months Free"

---

## Pricing Assumption Note

*This package assumes a $49/month base price. Adjust all dollar figures proportionally if your actual pricing differs:*

| Monthly Price | Annual Price (20% off) | Annual/Month | Total Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| $29/mo | $278/yr | $23.17/mo | $69.60/yr |
| $49/mo | $470/yr | $39.17/mo | $117.60/yr |
| $79/mo | $758/yr | $63.17/mo | $190.80/yr |
| $99/mo | $950/yr | $79.17/mo | $238.80/yr |

---

*Need me to adjust the tone for a specific industry vertical (e.g., accounting software, HR platforms, marketing tools)? Or adapt for different price points?*


Instantly.ai Campaign - Tradies Wave 1

Response:
# Instantly.ai Campaign Configuration Guide
## Targeting 1000 Australian Tradies

---

## Phase 1: Account Setup & Infrastructure

### Step 1.1: Connect Email Accounts

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Inboxes to connect** | 15 Gmail or Microsoft 365 accounts |
| **Connection method** | OAuth (not IMAP) |
| **Alias domains** | Use 1-2 custom domains max per inbox group |
| **SPF/DKIM/DMARC** | Fully configured before campaign launch |

### Step 1.2: Inbox Group Configuration

Navigate to: **Settings → Inbox Groups → Create New Group**

```
Inbox Group Name: "Tradies_AU_Group_1"
Inboxes Included: [Select your 15 connected inboxes]
Rotation Type: Sequential
```

---

## Phase 2: Campaign Creation

### Step 2.1: Basic Campaign Settings

Navigate to: **Campaigns → Create Campaign**

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Campaign Name** | `Tradies_AU_Outreach_001_[DATE]` |
| **Campaign Type** | Cold Email |
| **Objective** | Book Demos / Appointments |
| **Reply-to Address** | Use a real monitored inbox |

### Step 2.2: Sending Schedule (AEST Business Hours)

Navigate to: **Campaign Settings → Sending Schedule**

```
Time Zone: Australia/Brisbane (AEST)

Active Days: Monday - Friday

Slot Configuration:
├── Monday:    8:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEST
├──            1:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEST
├── Tuesday:   8:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEST
├──            1:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEST
├── Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEST
├──            1:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEST
├── Thursday:  8:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEST
├──            1:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEST
└── Friday:    8:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEST
              1:00 PM - 4:00 PM AEST

Send Distribution: Evenly distributed
Randomize Start Time: Enabled (adds 0-15 min variance)
```

### Step 2.3: Daily Sending Limits

Navigate to: **Campaign Settings → Sending Limits**

```
Per Inbox Limits:
├── Emails per day: 25
├── Emails per week: 125
└── Reply threshold: 3 (pause after 3 replies/day)

Total Campaign Limits:
├── Daily cap: 375 (25 × 15 inboxes)
├── Weekly cap: 1,875
└── Total sequence emails: 4,000 (accounting for follow-ups)

Ramping Schedule (First 14 Days):
├── Day 1-3:    5 emails/inbox/day  (75/day)
├── Day 4-7:    10 emails/inbox/day (150/day)
├── Day 8-10:   15 emails/inbox/day (225/day)
├── Day 11-14:  20 emails/inbox/day (300/day)
└── Day 15+:    25 emails/inbox/day (375/day)
```

---

## Phase 3: Warm-Up Configuration

### Step 3.1: Built-in Smart Warm-Up

Navigate to: **Settings → Email Warm-Up**

```
Enable Smart Warm-Up: YES

Warm-Up Pattern (per inbox):
├── Days 1-7:    3-5 emails/day (manual warm-up)
├── Days 8-14:   10-15 emails/day
├── Days 15-21:  20 emails/day
└── Day 22+:     Full capacity (25/day)

Warm-Up Activities:
├── Open rate target: 40-60%
├── Reply rate target: 5-10%
├── Mark as important: 20% of emails
├── Add to contacts: Random (5%)
└── Move to folders: Random (5%)
```

### Step 3.2: Pre-Campaign Warm-Up Checklist

Before launching, ensure each inbox has:
- [ ] Sent 50+ warm-up emails
- [ ] Received 20+ replies (positive engagement)
- [ ] Added 10+ contacts to address book
- [ ] Zero spam complaints
- [ ] Positive sender reputation (check Google Postmaster)

---

## Phase 4: Lead List Configuration

### Step 4.1: Import & Segmentation

Navigate to: **Leads → Import**

```
File Format: CSV

Required Columns:
├── email
├── first_name
├── last_name
├── company_name
├── phone (optional)
├── website (optional)
├── trade_type (e.g., electrician, plumber, carpenter)
├── state (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT)
└── custom_fields...

List Segmentation:
├── Segment 1: Electricians (QLD, NSW)
├── Segment 2: Plumbers (VIC, NSW)
├── Segment 3: Carpenters (QLD, WA)
├── Segment 4: General Tradies (All States)
└── Segment 5: Air Conditioning Techs (All States)
```

### Step 4.2: Lead Filtering

```
Exclude:
├── Emails with "noreply" or "no-reply"
├── Role-based emails (info@, support@, admin@)
├── Disposable email domains
├── Government entities (.gov.au)
└── Competitors (define competitor domains)

Minimum Data Requirements:
├── Valid email format
├── Company name present
└── At least one custom field populated
```

---

## Phase 5: Email Sequence Configuration

### Step 5.1: Sequence Structure

Navigate to: **Campaign → Sequence**

```
Sequence Name: "Tradies_5_Step_Sequence"

Step 1: Initial Outreach (Day 0)
├── Subject: [A/B Test]
├── Delay: Send immediately
├── Template: See Section 5.2
└── Variables: {{first_name}}, {{company_name}}, {{trade_type}}

Step 2: Follow-Up #1 (Day 3)
├── Subject: Re: {{first_name}} - Quick question
├── Delay: 3 days after Step 1
├── Template: Value-add follow-up
└── Include: Relevant statistic or tip

Step 3: Follow-Up #2 (Day 7)
├── Subject: Re: {{first_name}} - One more thing
├── Delay: 4 days after Step 2
├── Template: Case study or testimonial
└── Include: Brief social proof

Step 4: Final Touch (Day 14)
├── Subject: Last try, {{first_name}}
├── Delay: 7 days after Step 3
├── Template: Soft close + offer
└── Include: Calendar link

Step 5: Break-Up Email (Day 21)
├── Subject: No worries, {{first_name}}
├── Delay: 7 days after Step 4
├── Template: Re-engagement attempt
└── Include: "Let me know if anything changes"
```

### Step 5.2: Email Templates

**Template 1 - Initial Outreach:**

```
Subject Line: {{first_name}}, helping [{{company_name}}] win more work?

Hi {{first_name}},

Quick question - are you currently booking out 2-3 weeks in advance, or is there room to fill gaps in your schedule?

I work with [X] tradies in {{state}} who are consistently filling their calendars with quality leads - without chasing or relying solely on word-of-mouth.

One of them, a licensed electrician in Brisbane, went from "quiet weeks" to booking solid 6-day weeks within 90 days.

Happy to share what's working if you're open to a quick 5-minute chat?

Either way, best of luck with the busy season.

Cheers,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
P.S. - If you're not the right person to speak with about growing [{{company_name}}], who's should I reach out to?
```

---

## Phase 6: A/B Test Configuration

### Step 6.1: Subject Line A/B Test Setup

Navigate to: **Campaign → A/B Testing**

```
Test Type: Subject Line Split
Allocation: 50/50 split
Statistical Significance: 80% confidence required
Test Duration: 72 hours per variation
Auto-Select Winner: YES (after significance reached)

Variations to Test:

VARIATION A (Control):
├── Subject: {{first_name}}, helping {{company_name}} win more work?
├── Preview Text: Quick question about your schedule
└── Expected Open Rate: Baseline

VARIATION B (Test 1 - Curiosity):
├── Subject: The [trade_type] in [suburb] doing this...
├── Preview Text: You might be missing out
└── Expected Open Rate: +5-15%

VARIATION C (Test 2 - Benefit):
├── Subject: How {{company_name}} can book 6-day weeks
├── Preview Text: A practical approach
└── Expected Open Rate: +10-20%

VARIATION D (Test 3 - Personal):
├── Subject: {{first_name}} from {{company_name}} - quick question
├── Preview Text: Following up on our chat
└── Expected Open Rate: +15-25%
```

### Step 6.2: Secondary A/B Tests (After Initial Test)

Once you have baseline data, test these elements:

| Test Element | Variation A | Variation B |
|--------------|-------------|-------------|
| **Email Length** | Short (80-100 words) | Medium (150-200 words) |
| **P.S. Inclusion** | No P.S. | With P.S. |
| **CTA** | "Happy to chat?" | "Book a time here:" |
| **Personalization** | Name only | Name + company + trade type |
| **Send Time** | 9:00 AM AEST | 2:00 PM AEST |

---

## Phase 7: Tracking & Analytics

### Step 7.1: Tracking Configuration

Navigate to: **Campaign → Settings → Tracking**

```
Email Tracking:
├── Open Tracking: YES
├── Click Tracking: YES
├── Reply Tracking: YES (auto-detect)
├── Bounce Tracking: YES
└── Unsubscribe Tracking: YES

UTM Parameters (for Google Analytics integration):
├── Campaign: tradies_au_outreach_001
├── Source: instantly
├── Medium: email
└── Content: {{variation_id}}

Pixel Tracking:
├── Enable Retargeting Pixel: YES (if using ads)
└── Pixel ID: [Your Facebook/LinkedIn Pixel]
```

### Step 7.2: Key Metrics to Monitor

Create a custom dashboard with these KPIs:

```
Daily Metrics:
├── Emails Sent: Target 375
├── Deliverability Rate: Target >95%
├── Open Rate: Target >45%
├── Click Rate: Target >5%
├── Reply Rate: Target >8%
└── Opt-Out Rate: Target <0.5%

Weekly Metrics:
├── Positive Replies: Target 30+ (8% of 375)
├── Meetings Booked: Target 5-10
├── Cost Per Reply: Target <$5
└── Revenue Generated: Track attributed deals

Health Metrics:
├── Spam Complaint Rate: <0.1%
├── Hard Bounce Rate: <2%
├── Email Reputation: Green/Healthy
└── Inbox Placement Rate: >90%
```

---

## Phase 8: Deliverability Optimization

### Step 8.1: Technical Checklist

```
Pre-Launch Verification:
├── [ ] SPF record includes all sending domains
├── [ ] DKIM signature enabled for custom domains
├── [ ] DMARC policy set to "quarantine" or "reject"
├── [ ] Domain warm-up completed (22+ days)
├── [ ] MX records properly configured
├── [ ] rDNS/PTR records point to sending domain

Ongoing Maintenance:
├── [ ] Monitor Google Postmaster Tools daily (first 30 days)
├── [ ] Check mail-tester.com weekly
├── [ ] Remove hard bounces within 48 hours
├── [ ] Process unsubscribe requests within 24 hours
└── [ ] Rotate inboxes if reputation degrades
```

### Step 8.2: Content Best Practices

```
✅ DO:
- Use 60-70% text, 30-40% HTML
- Keep subject lines under 50 characters
- Include 1-2 sentence paragraphs
- Add plain-text version of every email
- Use genuine personalization tokens
- Include physical address (required by CAN-SPAM)
- Clear unsubscribe link in every email

❌ DON'T:
- Use excessive punctuation (!!!, ???)
- ALL CAPS in subject or body
- Excessive links (max 2 per email)
- Attachments in first email
- "Free" or "$$$" in subject lines
- Deceptive subject lines
- Large images without alt text
```

---

## Phase 9: Campaign Launch Checklist

### Pre-Launch (Day -7 to Day 0)

| Task | Status |
|------|--------|
| Connect and verify 15 email accounts | ☐ |
| Complete inbox warm-up (22+ days) | ☐ |
| Import and clean lead list (1000 contacts) | ☐ |
| Set up email templates and personalization | ☐ |
| Configure A/B test parameters | ☐ |
| Verify tracking and analytics | ☐ |
| Test all email variations | ☐ |
| Configure sending schedule | ☐ |
| Set daily sending limits | ☐ |
| Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC records | ☐ |
| Add physical address to email templates | ☐ |
| Set up auto-responder for replies | ☐ |

### Launch (Day 1)

| Task | Status |
|------|--------|
| Start with ramping schedule (75/day) | ☐ |
| Monitor deliverability closely | ☐ |
| Check first 24-hour metrics | ☐ |
| Watch for spam folder placement | ☐ |
| Prepare to adjust if needed | ☐ |

---

## Phase 10: Optimization Playbook

### Week 1 Adjustments

```
If Open Rate < 35%:
├── Review subject lines (test new variations)
├── Check spam folder placement
├── Reduce sending volume by 20%
└── Verify sender reputation

If Reply Rate < 5%:
├── A/B test email body content
├── Add more personalization
├── Strengthen CTAs
└── Test different offer angles

If Bounce Rate > 3%:
├── Pause campaign immediately
├── Re-verify lead list
├── Remove invalid emails
└── Resume at 50% volume
```

### Week 2+ Optimization

```
Scaling Strategy:
├── Increase volume by 10-15% weekly
├── Add new inboxes if hitting capacity
├── Test new subject line variations monthly
├── Rotate best-performing inboxes
└── Pause underperforming inboxes

List Expansion:
├── Add new segments (different trades)
├── Test new industries adjacent to trades
├── Build lookalike audiences from responders
└── Re-engage cold leads after 60 days
```

---

## Summary: Key Configuration Values

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Campaign Name** | `Tradies_AU_Outreach_001_[DATE]` |
| **Inboxes** | 15 |
| **Daily Send Volume** | 375 (after ramp-up) |
| **Emails per Inbox** | 25/day max |
| **Time Zone** | AEST (Australia/Brisbane) |
| **Active Hours** | 8 AM - 5 PM weekdays |
| **Sequence Length** | 5 steps over 21 days |
| **A/B Test** | Subject lines (50/50 split) |
| **Warm-Up Period** | 22 days minimum |
| **Target Metrics** | 45% open, 8% reply, <0.1% spam |

---

**Need help with:**
- Lead list sourcing for Australian tradies?
- Template customization for specific trades?
- Advanced automation rules?
- Integration with CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)?


Instantly.ai Campaign - Agencies Wave 1

Response:
# Instantly.ai Campaign Configuration: Australian Website Agency Partnerships

## Campaign Overview

**Campaign Name:** AU-WebAgency-Partnership-Outreach-001

**Campaign Type:** B2B Partnership cold outreach

**List Size:** 500 Australian website agencies

**Goal:** Secure partnership agreements with Australian web development agencies for referral/white-label work

---

## 1. Email Account Configuration

### Account Setup Requirements

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Account Type** | Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 |
| **Sending Method** | SMTP (not API) |
| **Reply-To** | Same as sending address |
| **SPF** | Pre-authenticated via domain |
| **DKIM** | Enabled and verified |
| **DMARC** | Policy set to `p=quarantine` |

### Recommended Account Ratios

- **1 email account per 80-100 leads** → Use 5-6 email accounts for 500 leads
- **Warm-up duration:** Minimum 14 days before campaign launch
- **Daily send volume per account:** 15-20 emails maximum

---

## 2. Sending Schedule Configuration

### Global Settings

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Campaign Duration** | 45 days |
| **Emails Per Day (total)** | 75-100 |
| **Emails Per Account** | 15-20 |
| **Send Window** | 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM AEST |
| **Randomization** | ±15 minutes between sends |
| **Weekend Pausing** | Enabled (Saturday/Sunday off) |

### Time Zone Distribution

| Time Slot | Percentage | Accounts Active |
|-----------|------------|-----------------|
| 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | 30% | 2 accounts |
| 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | 40% | 2 accounts |
| 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | 20% | 1 account |
| 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | 10% | 1 account |

---

## 3. Custom Tracking Domain Setup

### Domain Configuration (Required for Deliverability)

**Primary Domain:** `track.yourcompany.com`

**Sub-domain Setup:**
```
CNAME Record:    track.yourcompany.com → tracking.instantly.ai
MX Record:       mail.yourcompany.com → (your mail server)
```

### Instantly.ai Dashboard Settings

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Custom Tracking Domain** | track.yourcompany.com |
| **Click Tracking** | Enabled |
| **Open Tracking** | Enabled (uses 1x1 pixel) |
| **Unsubscribe Header** | Enabled |
| **List-Unsubscribe** | Enabled |

### Verification Steps

1. Add CNAME record in domain registrar
2. Wait 24-48 hours for propagation
3. Verify in Instantly.ai → Settings → Tracking Domains
4. Test with seed email before campaign launch

---

## 4. Sequence Configuration: Partnership-Focused

### Email 1: Initial Outreach (Day 0)

**Subject Line Options:**
- `Partnership opportunity for {{company_name}}`
- `Question for {{first_name}} at {{company_name}}`
- `Want to help {{company_name}} win more clients?`

**Recommended Subject Line:**
```
Partnership opportunity for {{company_name}}
```

**Email Body:**
```
Hi {{first_name}},

I'm reaching out because we help web agencies like yours generate more qualified leads without adding to your workload.

We're looking to partner with 2-3 established website agencies in Australia who can handle enterprise-level projects. In return, we provide a consistent stream of warm leads that convert at 15-20%.

A few questions:

1. Are you currently working with any lead generation partners?
2. What's your average project value?
3. Do you have capacity for new clients right now?

Happy to jump on a 10-minute call if this sounds interesting.

Cheers,
{{your_name}}
{{your_title}}
{{your_company}}
```

**Variables to Personalize:**
- `{{first_name}}` - Contact first name
- `{{company_name}}` - Agency name
- `{{website}}` - For dynamic content insertion
- `{{city}}` - Agency location (optional)

---

### Email 2: Follow-Up (Day 3)

**Subject Line:**
```
Re: Partnership opportunity for {{company_name}}
```

**Email Body:**
```
Hi {{first_name}},

Just following up on my previous email about our lead generation partnership.

We've helped similar agencies in Sydney and Melbourne add 3-5 qualified leads per month without spending a dollar on ads.

Quick question: What's your current biggest challenge with client acquisition?

Happy to share some specifics on how we'd tailor our leads to match your ideal client profile.

Best,
{{your_name}}
```

---

### Email 3: Case Study Social Proof (Day 7)

**Subject Line:**
```
Quick question about {{company_name}}'s growth
```

**Email Body:**
```
Hi {{first_name}},

One more quick note.

We recently helped [Similar Agency Name], a web agency in Brisbane, increase their qualified leads by 40% in 90 days—all from warm inbound inquiries.

I thought this might be relevant given your position in the Australian market.

Would a similar result move the needle for {{company_name}}?

If you're curious, I'm happy to share the case study.

Cheers,
{{your_name}}
```

---

### Email 4: Final Touch / Break Pattern (Day 14)

**Subject Line:**
```
Last attempt - partnership for {{company_name}}
```

**Email Body:**
```
Hi {{first_name}},

I understand you're busy. This is my final outreach on this topic.

If partnership isn't a fit right now, no worries at all. But if you ever want to chat about generating more leads, my door is always open.

For what it's worth, we're offering priority onboarding for agencies who sign up this month.

All the best with {{company_name}}.

Cheers,
{{your_name}}
```

---

## 5. Lead Scoring Criteria

### Scoring Framework (0-100 points)

| Criterion | Points | Threshold |
|-----------|--------|-----------|
| **Company Size** | | |
| - 2-10 employees | +10 | Required |
| - 11-50 employees | +15 | Required |
| - 50+ employees | +20 | Bonus |
| **Years in Business** | | |
| - 2-5 years | +10 | Required |
| - 5+ years | +15 | Bonus |
| **Service Offerings** | | |
| - Custom web development | +15 | Required |
| - E-commerce | +10 | Bonus |
| - SEO/Marketing services | +10 | Bonus |
| **Location** | | |
| - Major city (Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth) | +10 | Required |
| - Regional | +5 | Optional |
| **Online Presence** | | |
| - Professional website | +10 | Required |
| - Active blog/case studies | +10 | Bonus |
| - LinkedIn company page | +5 | Bonus |
| **Tech Stack** | | |
| - WordPress/Squarespace/Wix | +5 | Neutral |
| - Custom stack (React/Node/Python) | +15 | Bonus |
| **Agency Directories** | | |
| - Listed on Clutch/GoodFirms | +10 | Bonus |

### Lead Qualification Thresholds

| Score | Classification | Action |
|-------|----------------|--------|
| **70-100** | Hot Lead | Priority send, personalized opening line |
| **50-69** | Warm Lead | Standard sequence |
| **30-49** | Cold Lead | Reduced sequence (3 emails only) |
| **Below 30** | Excluded | Remove from campaign |

---

## 6. Reply Handling Instructions

### Auto-Response Rules

| Reply Type | Action |
|------------|--------|
| **Out of Office** | Add to "OOO" tag, resume sequence after return date +1 day |
| **Unsubscribe** | Instantly remove from all campaigns, suppress email |
| **Bounce (Hard)** | Remove from campaign, flag email as invalid |
| **Bounce (Soft)** | Reduce send volume, retry in 7 days |
| **Auto-reply (Not interested)** | Move to "Not Interested" tag, end sequence |
| **Auto-reply (Want more info)** | Pause sequence, trigger "Interested" workflow |

### Human Reply Actions

| Response Type | SLA | Action |
|---------------|-----|--------|
| **Interested** | < 2 hours | Personal reply, schedule discovery call |
| **Questions** | < 4 hours | Personalized response with relevant info |
| **Not Right Now** | < 24 hours | Add to nurture sequence, 90-day cooldown |
| **Request to Remove** | < 1 hour | Immediate removal, apology response |

### Reply Email Template (Interested)

```
Hi {{first_name}},

Thanks so much for getting back to me! I'd love to chat.

Here's my calendar link: [INSERT CALENDLY/BOOKING LINK]

I typically recommend a 15-minute call where we can:
1. Discuss your current lead flow
2. Look at 2-3 relevant case studies
3. See if there's a natural fit

Let me know what works for you.

Cheers,
{{your_name}}
```

---

## 7. Follow-Up Rules

### Sequence Flow Logic

```
Day 0: Email 1 sent
    ↓
Day 3: Check for reply
    ├── If replied → Pause sequence, human reply
    └── If not replied → Send Email 2
    ↓
Day 7: Check for reply
    ├── If replied → Pause sequence, human reply
    └── If not replied → Send Email 3
    ↓
Day 14: Check for reply
    ├── If replied → Pause sequence, human reply
    └── If not replied → Send Email 4
    ↓
Day 21: End of sequence
    ├── If replied → Human follow-up
    └── If not replied → Move to "Cold" tag, 90-day re-engagement
```

### Daily Limits & Throttling

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max emails per day (per account)** | 20 |
| **Max emails per day (total)** | 100 |
| **Pause if reply rate < 5%** | Check after 50 sends |
| **Pause if bounce rate > 3%** | Immediate review |
| **Pause if unsubscribe > 0.5%** | Immediate review |

### Intelligent Throttling Rules

- **If open rate < 20%:** Reduce daily volume by 30%, review subject lines
- **If reply rate < 2%:** Pause campaign, A/B test subject line
- **If spam complaints > 0.1%:** Pause immediately, review list quality

---

## 8. Technical Configuration Checklist

### Instantly.ai Dashboard Settings

| Setting | Configuration |
|---------|---------------|
| **Campaign Status** | Draft → Warm-up → Active |
| **Sending Speed** | 15-20 emails/account/hour |
| **Random Delay** | Enabled (30-90 seconds between sends) |
| **Spintax** | Disabled for first campaign |
| **AB Testing** | Enabled for subject lines only |
| **Remove Duplicates** | Enabled |
| **Skip Invalid Emails** | Enabled |
| **Warm-up Mode** | First 7 days: 5 emails/day per account |

### Deliverability Settings

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Warm-up Algorithm** | Enabled (Instantly auto-warm) |
| **Email Rotation** | Round-robin across accounts |
| **Reply Routing** | Route to account owner |
| **Snippet Variables** | Use consistently across all emails |

---

## 9. Launch Timeline

### Pre-Launch (Days -14 to -1)

| Day | Task |
|-----|------|
| -14 | Purchase/verify tracking domain |
| -14 | Set up email accounts |
| -14 | Configure tracking domain in Instantly |
| -13 | Upload lead list (500 contacts) |
| -13 | Apply lead scoring, filter to qualified leads |
| -12 | Create email templates |
| -12 | Set up personalizations |
| -10 | Start warm-up mode (5 emails/day/account) |
| -7 | Increase to 10 emails/day/account |
| -3 | Full volume test (send to 20 internal emails) |
| -1 | Final review of all settings |

### Campaign Active (Days 0-45)

| Day | Action |
|-----|--------|
| 0 | Launch campaign |
| 3 | Review open rates, adjust subject lines if needed |
| 7 | Review reply rates, pause underperforming accounts |
| 14 | Send Email 4 to non-responders |
| 21 | End sequence, analyze results |
| 30 | Follow up with "Interested" leads |
| 45 | Close campaign, export final report |

---

## 10. Success Metrics Targets

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| **Deliverability Rate** | > 95% |
| **Open Rate** | > 25% |
| **Reply Rate** | > 8% |
| **Click Rate** | > 3% |
| **Unsubscribe Rate** | < 0.3% |
| **Spam Complaint Rate** | < 0.1% |
| **Meetings Booked** | > 15 |

---

## Quick-Start Action Items

1. **Today:** Set up custom tracking domain
2. **This Week:** Create 5 email accounts, start warm-up
3. **Week 2:** Upload and score lead list
4. **Week 3:** Configure templates in Instantly
5. **Week 4:** Launch campaign

This configuration provides a complete framework for targeting 500 Australian web agencies with partnership-focused outreach. Adjust lead scoring weights based on your specific ideal client profile.


Instantly.ai Lead List Segmentation

Response:
# Instantly.ai Campaign Segmentation Guide for Australian Leads

## 1. CSV Import Schema

### Tradie Leads (3,452 records)

Create a CSV with this exact column structure:

```
email,first_name,last_name,company_name,industry,sub_industry,state,city,business_size,employee_count,phone,website,source,lead_score
```

**Column definitions:**

| Column | Required | Format | Example |
|--------|----------|--------|---------|
| email | YES | lowercase | john@tradelink.com.au |
| first_name | YES | proper case | Michael |
| last_name | YES | proper case | O'Brien |
| company_name | YES | full name | Tradelink Plumbing Pty Ltd |
| industry | YES | standardized | Construction/Trades |
| sub_industry | NO | specific trade | Plumbing |
| state | YES | 2-letter code | NSW |
| city | YES | city name | Sydney |
| business_size | NO | small/medium/large | small |
| employee_count | NO | numeric | 5 |
| phone | NO | +61 format | +61412345678 |
| website | NO | full URL | https://tradelink.com.au |
| source | NO | origin | Google Maps / LinkedIn |
| lead_score | NO | 1-100 | 75 |

### Influencer Gold List (329 records)

```
email,first_name,last_name,handle,platform,followers,niche,location,engagement_rate,email_domain,contact_type,verified,lead_score
```

| Column | Required | Format | Example |
|--------|----------|--------|---------|
| email | YES | lowercase | sarah@brand.com |
| first_name | YES | proper case | Sarah |
| last_name | YES | proper case | Mitchell |
| handle | NO | @username | @sarahfitness |
| platform | YES | Instagram/TikTok/YouTube | Instagram |
| followers | NO | numeric with K/M | 150K |
| niche | NO | category | Fitness |
| location | NO | city, state | Melbourne, VIC |
| engagement_rate | NO | percentage | 4.2% |
| email_domain | NO | domain only | brand.com |
| contact_type | NO | influencer/creator/athlete | influencer |
| verified | NO | yes/no | yes |
| lead_score | NO | 1-100 | 85 |

---

## 2. Deduplication Rules

### Implementation in Instantly.ai

**Step 1: Pre-import deduplication (before uploading)**

Run this in Excel/Google Sheets or use a tool like Remove Duplicates:

```
Rule: Exact match on email column (case-insensitive)
```

**Step 2: Configure Instantly.ai settings**

In your Instantly workspace:

1. Go to **Settings → List Settings**
2. Enable these options:
   - ✅ Remove duplicates: **Exact email match**
   - ✅ Case insensitive matching: **ON**
   - ✅ Skip header row: **ON**

### Expected deduplication results

| List | Raw Count | Expected Duplicates | Post-Dedup |
|------|-----------|---------------------|------------|
| Tradie | 3,452 | ~3-5% (104-173) | ~3,280 |
| Influencer | 329 | ~1-2% (3-7) | ~322 |

### Advanced deduplication rules

**For tradies, add domain-level deduplication:**

```
Rule: Keep 1 email per company domain
Logic: If multiple contacts from @tradelink.com.au, keep highest lead_score
```

This prevents sending to multiple people at the same company (reduces spam complaints).

**Implementation script (Google Sheets):**
```javascript
=UNIQUE(FILTER(A:A, COUNTIF(A:A, A:A)=1))
```

---

## 3. Suppression List Management

### Create three suppression lists in Instantly

**List 1: Hard bounces (permanent failures)**
- Import immediately after first campaign
- Update weekly
- Source: Instantly bounce reports

**List 2: Unsubscribes (opt-outs)**
- Import immediately after campaign
- Update within 24 hours
- Source: Instantly unsubscribe reports + manual imports

**List 3: Do-not-contact (business rules)**
- Competitors
- Current customers
- Internal staff
- Leads older than 12 months with no response

### Suppression import format

```
email,reason,date_added
john@competitor.com,competitor,2024-01-15
mike@currentclient.com,existing_customer,2024-01-10
```

### Suppression rules configuration

In Instantly.ai: **Settings → Suppression Lists**

```
✅ Auto-suppress hard bounces: YES
✅ Auto-suppress unsubscribes: YES
✅ Suppression list priority: Highest
✅ Apply to all campaigns: YES
```

---

## 4. Segmentation Strategy

### Segment 1: By Industry

**Tradie segments (3,452 → ~6 segments):**

| Segment Name | Sub-industry Filter | Est. Count | Priority |
|--------------|---------------------|------------|----------|
| Plumbing | sub_industry = Plumbing | ~520 | High |
| Electrical | sub_industry = Electrical | ~480 | High |
| Carpentry | sub_industry = Carpentry | ~420 | Medium |
| HVAC/AC | sub_industry = HVAC OR Air Conditioning | ~380 | Medium |
| Roofing | sub_industry = Roofing | ~290 | Medium |
| General/Other | sub_industry = NOT IN ABOVE | ~1,362 | Low |

**Influencer segments (329 → ~5 segments):**

| Segment Name | Niche Filter | Est. Count | Priority |
|--------------|--------------|------------|----------|
| Fitness | niche contains Fitness/Gym/Workout | ~85 | High |
| Lifestyle | niche contains Lifestyle/Home/Beauty | ~72 | Medium |
| Food | niche contains Food/Cooking/Restaurant | ~58 | Medium |
| Tech | niche contains Tech/Gaming/Software | ~45 | Low |
| Business | niche contains Business/Entrepreneur | ~69 | High |

### Segment 2: By State/City

**Australian state distribution (tradies):**

| State | Code | Est. Tradie % | Est. Count |
|-------|------|---------------|------------|
| New South Wales | NSW | 32% | ~1,105 |
| Victoria | VIC | 26% | ~898 |
| Queensland | QLD | 22% | ~760 |
| Western Australia | WA | 10% | ~345 |
| South Australia | SA | 6% | ~207 |
| Tasmania | TAS | 2% | ~69 |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT | 2% | ~69 |

**Major city segments:**

| City | State | Est. Count | Campaign Strategy |
|------|-------|------------|-------------------|
| Sydney | NSW | ~620 | Premium pricing, full suite |
| Melbourne | VIC | ~510 | Premium pricing, full suite |
| Brisbane | QLD | ~340 | Mid-tier, seasonal |
| Perth | WA | ~280 | Regional pricing |
| Adelaide | SA | ~150 | Budget-friendly |
| Gold Coast | QLD | ~180 | Trade-specific |

**Instantly.ai setup:**

Create smart lists using filters:
```
Filter: state = NSW AND city = Sydney
Filter: state = VIC AND city = Melbourne
Filter: state = QLD AND city = Brisbane
```

### Segment 3: By Business Size

**Tradie segmentation:**

| Size | Definition | Employee Count | Est. % | Count |
|------|------------|----------------|--------|-------|
| Small | Sole trader / Micro | 1-4 | 55% | ~1,900 |
| Medium | Small business | 5-19 | 30% | ~1,036 |
| Large | Commercial | 20+ | 15% | ~516 |

**Email targeting by size:**

| Size | Subject Line Angle | Offer Type |
|------|-------------------|------------|
| Small | "Save time on invoicing" | Free trial, DIY tools |
| Medium | "Scale your team" | Team management, bulk ordering |
| Large | "Enterprise solutions" | Custom quotes, dedicated support |

### Segment 4: By Email Domain Quality

**Domain scoring criteria:**

| Quality | Domain Type | Action |
|---------|-------------|--------|
| **Premium** | Corporate domains (@company.com.au) | Highest priority, personalized |
| **Good** | Corporate domains (.com, .net) | Standard campaigns |
| **Risky** | Free domains (gmail, yahoo, hotmail) | Lower priority, generic messaging |
| **Avoid** | Catch-all, role-based (info@, admin@) | Suppress or manual review |

**Domain classification script:**

```python
def classify_domain(email):
    domain = email.split('@')[1].lower()

    # Premium: Australian corporate
    if domain.endswith('.com.au') or domain.endswith('.net.au'):
        return 'premium'

    # Good: International corporate
    corporate_tlds = ['.com', '.net', '.org', '.io']
    if any(domain.endswith(tld) for tld in corporate_tlds):
        if not any(x in domain for x in ['gmail', 'yahoo', 'hotmail', 'outlook', 'aol']):
            return 'good'

    # Risky: Free email providers
    free_providers = ['gmail.com', 'yahoo.com', 'hotmail.com', 'outlook.com', 'aol.com']
    if domain in free_providers:
        return 'risky'

    # Avoid: Catch-all or role-based
    return 'avoid'
```

**Expected distribution (tradies):**

| Quality | Domain Type | Est. % | Count | Campaign Approach |
|---------|-------------|--------|-------|-------------------|
| Premium | .com.au | 45% | ~1,554 | Personal, detailed |
| Good | .com/.net | 25% | ~863 | Standard personalization |
| Risky | Free email | 25% | ~863 | Light personalization, test |
| Avoid | Catch-all | 5% | ~173 | Suppress or manual |

**Influencer domain distribution:**

| Quality | Est. % | Count | Notes |
|---------|--------|-------|-------|
| Premium | 60% | ~197 | Branded domains common |
| Good | 25% | ~82 | Standard domains |
| Risky | 15% | ~49 | Personal accounts |

---

## 5. List Hygiene Best Practices

### Pre-campaign hygiene checklist

**Step 1: Email validation sequence**

Run through Instantly's built-in verifier or external tool:

```
1. Instantly Email Verifier (recommended)
   - Settings: Verify all new imports
   - Acceptance threshold: 85%+

2. Or external: ZeroBounce / Kickbox
   - Syntax check: YES
   - Domain check: YES
   - MX check: YES
   - Catch-all detection: YES
```

**Step 2: Expected validation results**

| List | Valid Emails | Risky | Invalid | Action |
|------|--------------|-------|---------|--------|
| Tradie | ~2,953 (85%) | ~276 (8%) | ~243 (7%) | Remove invalid, manually review risky |
| Influencer | ~289 (88%) | ~26 (8%) | ~14 (4%) | Remove invalid |

**Step 3: Additional hygiene rules**

```
✅ Remove: emails with typos (@gamil.com, @yaho.com)
✅ Remove: role-based addresses (info@, admin@, sales@)
✅ Remove: duplicate entries (run dedup)
✅ Remove: test entries (test@, demo@, fake@)
✅ Flag: non-Australian domains for review
```

### Ongoing maintenance

**Weekly tasks:**
1. Export hard bounces → add to suppression list
2. Export unsubscribes → add to suppression list
3. Review spam complaints → investigate source

**Monthly tasks:**
1. Re-verify full list (remove degraded emails)
2. Remove leads with 3+ unopened campaigns
3. Update business size based on website/LinkedIn data

**Quarterly tasks:**
1. Full list audit
2. Remove leads inactive >12 months
3. Refresh with new data sources

---

## 6. Campaign Mapping Summary

### Recommended campaign structure

| Campaign | List Segment | Est. Size | Warm-up Required |
|----------|--------------|-----------|------------------|
| Tradie - NSW/Metro | Tradie, state=NSW/VIC/QLD, city=Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane | ~1,470 | Yes (500 warm-up first) |
| Tradie - Regional | Tradie, state=WA/SA/TAS/ACT | ~620 | Yes |
| Tradie - By Trade | Tradie, sub_industry=Plumbing/Electrical | ~1,000 | Yes |
| Influencer - Premium | Influencer, followers>100K, verified=yes | ~165 | Yes (smaller list) |
| Influencer - Niche | Influencer, niche=Fitness/Business | ~150 | Yes |

### Send volume recommendations

**For new Instantly account:**

| Week | Daily Send Limit | Tradie | Influencer |
|------|------------------|--------|------------|
| 1 | 30 | 150 | 30 |
| 2 | 50 | 250 | 50 |
| 3 | 100 | 500 | 100 |
| 4 | 200 | 1,000 | 100 |
| 5+ | 300+ | Full list | Full list |

---

## Quick Reference: Import Checklist

Before uploading to Instantly.ai:

- [ ] All emails lowercase
- [ ] No duplicate emails
- [ ] Removed role-based addresses
- [ ] State codes standardized (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT)
- [ ] Phone numbers in +61 format
- [ ] URLs include https://
- [ ] CSV saved as UTF-8
- [ ] No blank rows
- [ ] Header row included
- [ ] Suppression list updated

This gives you clean, segmented lists ready for high-converting Instantly.ai campaigns with optimal deliverability.


Instantly.ai Domain Warm-Up Schedule

Response:
# Domain & Inbox Warm-Up Schedule: 15 Inboxes Across 3 Domains

## Warm-Up Timeline Overview

| Week | Daily Send/Inbox | Total Daily (15 inboxes) | Focus |
|------|------------------|--------------------------|-------|
| 1 | 5-10 | 75-150 | Seed engagement, low volume |
| 2 | 15-20 | 225-300 | Reply engagement, moderate volume |
| 3 | 25-35 | 375-525 | Consistent engagement patterns |
| 4 | 40-50 | 600-750 | Full capacity testing, campaign prep |

---

## Week 1: Foundation (Days 1-7)

### Daily Volume Ramp

| Day | Emails/Inbox/Day | Total | Warm-Up Type |
|-----|------------------|-------|--------------|
| 1 | 2 | 30 | Warm-up seed emails only |
| 2 | 3 | 45 | Seed emails |
| 3 | 4 | 60 | Seed emails |
| 4 | 5 | 75 | Seed + 1 warm-up prospect |
| 5 | 6 | 90 | Seed + 2 warm-up prospects |
| 6 | 7 | 105 | Seed + 3 warm-up prospects |
| 7 | 10 | 150 | Seed + 5 warm-up prospects |

### Warm-Up Seed Email Strategy

**Send TO these domains (not from your domains):**
- @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @outlook.com, @hotmail.com
- Mix: 60% consumer, 40% business domains

**Warm-Up Seed Sequence (per inbox):**
1. **Day 1-3:** Send to 2-3 seed contacts per day (use free tools: Mail-Tester, GMass seed list)
2. **Day 4-7:** Add 1-5 "warm-up prospects" - real people at real companies who typically reply

**Seed Email Template (Light, Natural):**
```
Subject: Quick question about [their company]

Hi [Name],

Not sure if you're the right person, but I'm researching [industry] companies in Australia and came across [their company].

Do you handle [relevant function] there? Happy to jump on a quick call if 10 minutes makes sense.

Best,
[Your name]
```

### Engagement Requirements (Week 1)

- **Reply target:** 10-15% reply rate on warm-up emails
- **Open rate target:** 40-50% (opens on your sent emails)
- **Click rate target:** 5-8%
- **Mark as important:** Have seed contacts mark your emails as "Important" in Gmail/Outlook
- **Add to contacts:** Seed contacts should add your email to their contacts

---

## Week 2: Building Reputation (Days 8-14)

### Daily Volume Ramp

| Day | Emails/Inbox/Day | Total | Notes |
|-----|------------------|-------|-------|
| 8 | 12 | 180 | Adding more warm-up prospects |
| 9 | 14 | 210 | |
| 10 | 15 | 225 | Begin varying send times |
| 11 | 16 | 240 | |
| 12 | 18 | 270 | |
| 13 | 20 | 300 | |
| 14 | 20 | 300 | Mid-point health check |

### Send Time Distribution (Week 2)

Split daily volume across windows:
- 30% sent 7:00-9:00 AM recipient time (AEST)
- 40% sent 11:00 AM-1:00 PM recipient time
- 30% sent 3:00-5:00 PM recipient time

### Engagement Strategy (Week 2)

**Reply-First Sequence (warm-up prospects):**
```
Email 1: Value-based question (Day 1)
Email 2: Follow-up with additional insight (Day 4)
Email 3: Break-the-ice personal note (Day 7)
```

**Engagement Mix:**
- 70% replies from warm-up prospects
- 20% forwards (send to colleague)
- 10% "Out of office" responses (still count as engagement)

### Health Metrics to Track

| Metric | Week 2 Target | Red Flag |
|--------|---------------|----------|
| Delivery rate | >97% | <95% |
| Open rate | 45-55% | <35% |
| Reply rate | 15-20% | <10% |
| Spam complaint rate | <0.1% | >0.3% |
| Hard bounce rate | <2% | >3% |

---

## Week 3: Consistency Phase (Days 15-21)

### Daily Volume Ramp

| Day | Emails/Inbox/Day | Total | Focus |
|-----|------------------|-------|-------|
| 15 | 22 | 330 | Variable content testing |
| 16 | 24 | 360 | |
| 17 | 26 | 390 | |
| 18 | 28 | 420 | |
| 19 | 30 | 450 | |
| 20 | 32 | 480 | |
| 21 | 35 | 525 | Full warm-up simulation |

### Content Variation Strategy

**Mix email types:**
- 40% Cold outreach (simulated)
- 30% Follow-ups to replies
- 20% New connection requests
- 10% Content/value-add emails

**Subject Line Variety:**
- Questions (40%)
- Statements with numbers (30%)
- Personal observations (20%)
- Direct requests (10%)

### Engagement Patterns to Establish

**Natural behavioral signals:**
- Reply within 1-2 hours of receiving reply
- Vary email length (50-150 words)
- Include 1-2 sentence paragraphs
- Use natural language patterns

**Avoid patterns that trigger filters:**
- Same send time daily
- Identical subject lines
- Exact same email content
- Consistent email length

---

## Week 4: Full Capacity & Campaign Prep (Days 22-28)

### Daily Volume Ramp

| Day | Emails/Inbox/Day | Total | Status |
|-----|------------------|-------|--------|
| 22 | 38 | 570 | |
| 23 | 40 | 600 | |
| 24 | 42 | 630 | |
| 25 | 44 | 660 | |
| 26 | 46 | 690 | |
| 27 | 48 | 720 | |
| 28 | 50 | 750 | Campaign-ready capacity |

### Pre-Campaign Health Check (Day 25-27)

Complete these checks before launching real campaigns:

**Domain-Level Verification:**
```
consultsense.org:        [ ] SPF  [ ] DKIM  [ ] DMARC
streamlinechart.com:    [ ] SPF  [ ] DKIM  [ ] DMARC
fusiive.com:            [ ] SPF  [ ] DKIM  [ ] DMARC
```

**Inbox-Level Testing:**
- Send test to mail-tester.com (score must be 9/10 or higher)
- Check Google Postmaster Tools for each domain
- Verify inbox placement in Gmail (not spam)

### Campaign Launch Criteria

**Minimum thresholds to start real campaigns:**

| Metric | Required | Preferred |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| Domain age | 30+ days | 60+ days |
| Warm-up replies | 100+ total | 200+ total |
| Spam complaint rate | <0.1% | <0.05% |
| Open rate (warm-up) | >40% | >50% |
| Deliverability | >97% | >99% |
| Google Postmaster | No spam flags | Clean across all |

---

## SPF/DKIM/DMARC Verification Checklist

### DNS Configuration (Complete for Each Domain)

#### 1. SPF Record

**Publish for each sending domain:**

```
Type: TXT
Host: @
Value: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.google.com ~all
```

**If using Instantly.ai:**
```
v=spf1 include:spf.inboxally.com ~all
```

**For multiple providers (recommended):**
```
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:spf.inboxally.com include:_spf.google.com ~all
```

#### 2. DKIM Record

**Generate via Instantly.ai:**
1. Go to Sending Domains → Select domain
2. Click "Generate DKIM"
3. Copy the CNAME record provided

**Expected CNAME format:**
```
Host: k1._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: dkim.inboxally.com
```

#### 3. DMARC Record

**Initial policy (monitoring):**
```
Type: TXT
Host: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com
```

**After 30 days (strict):**
```
Type: TXT
Host: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensics@yourdomain.com
```

### Verification Commands

```bash
# Check SPF
nslookup -type=TXT consultsense.org

# Check DKIM
nslookup -type=CNAME k1._domainkey.consultsense.org

# Check DMARC
nslookup -type=TXT _dmarc.consultsense.org
```

### Verification Checklist Template

| Domain | SPF | DKIM | DMARC | Verified Date | Tested Score |
|--------|-----|------|-------|---------------|--------------|
| consultsense.org | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | ___/___/___ | ___/10 |
| streamlinechart.com | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | ___/___/___ | ___/10 |
| fusiive.com | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | ___/___/___ | ___/10 |

---

## Inbox Health Monitoring Metrics

### Daily Metrics to Track (Use Instantly.ai Dashboard)

**Primary Metrics:**
- Sent count
- Delivered count
- Opened count
- Clicked count
- Replied count
- Bounced count
- Marked as spam count

**Secondary Metrics:**
- Unsubscribe requests
- Out of office replies
- Forwarded count

### Weekly Health Score Calculation

```
Health Score = (Delivery Rate × 0.25) + (Open Rate × 0.25) + (Reply Rate × 0.25) + ((1 - Spam Rate) × 0.25)
```

**Score Interpretation:**
- 90-100: Excellent - Ready for campaign scale
- 80-89: Good - Proceed with monitoring
- 70-79: Fair - Pause and investigate
- <70: Poor - Stop and troubleshoot

### Monitoring Tools

| Tool | Purpose | Check Frequency |
|------|---------|-----------------|
| Google Postmaster Tools | Domain reputation | Daily |
| Mail-Tester.com | Individual email score | Weekly |
| Instantly.ai Dashboard | Campaign metrics | Daily |
| MXToolbox | DNS health | Weekly |
| GlockData | Email deliverability | Bi-weekly |

### Inbox Placement Testing

**Test procedure (do this weekly):**
1. Create test inbox at each major provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Hotmail)
2. Send test email from each warm-up inbox
3. Check: Primary inbox, Promotions, Spam
4. Record placement rates

**Target placement:**
- Gmail Primary: >85%
- Outlook Primary: >90%
- Yahoo Primary: >80%

---

## Inbox Rotation Strategy

### 15-Inbox Allocation (Per Domain)

For each domain (consultsense.org, streamlinechart.com, fusiive.com):

| Inbox | Role | Daily Volume (Week 4) | Primary Metric |
|-------|------|----------------------|----------------|
| inbox1@domain.com | Primary outreach | 50 | Replies |
| inbox2@domain.com | Primary outreach | 50 | Replies |
| inbox3@domain.com | Follow-up sequences | 40 | Engagement |
| inbox4@domain.com | Follow-up sequences | 40 | Engagement |
| inbox5@domain.com | Nurture/content | 20 | Opens/clicks |

### Rotation Best Practices

1. **Never exceed 50 emails/inbox/day** during warm-up
2. **Rotate subject lines** across inboxes
3. **Vary email copy** between inboxes
4. **Stagger send times** by 15-30 minutes between inboxes
5. **Pause each inbox** for 1 day per week (simulate natural rest)

---

## When to Start Real Campaigns

### Decision Matrix

| Condition | Wait | Proceed |
|-----------|------|---------|
| Warm-up period < 28 days | ✓ | |
| Open rate < 40% | ✓ | |
| Spam complaints > 0.1% | ✓ | |
| Any inbox in spam trap | ✓ | |
| Google Postmaster shows "high" or "medium" risk | ✓ | |
| All health metrics green for 7+ days | | ✓ |
| Test campaign (50 emails) achieves >35% open rate | | ✓ |

### Recommended Launch Sequence

**Day 28: Test Campaign**
- Send 50 emails per domain (150 total)
- Target warm-up prospects who didn't reply
- Goal: Validate deliverability at scale

**Day 30: Soft Launch**
- Begin with 30-40 emails/inbox/day
- Focus on warmest prospects (website visitors, engaged leads)
- Monitor metrics hourly

**Day 35: Full Campaign**
- Scale to 45-50 emails/inbox/day
- Add cold prospects
- Maintain engagement sequences

---

## Quick Reference: Daily Warm-Up Routine

**Morning (8:00 AM AEST):**
- [ ] Check Instantly.ai dashboard for overnight metrics
- [ ] Review Google Postmaster Tools
- [ ] Send first batch (40% of daily volume)

**Midday (12:00 PM AEST):**
- [ ] Send second batch (35% of daily volume)
- [ ] Reply to any warm-up responses
- [ ] Move engaged prospects to follow-up sequences

**Afternoon (4:00 PM AEST):**
- [ ] Send final batch (25% of daily volume)
- [ ] Log daily metrics in tracking spreadsheet
- [ ] Review spam complaints

**Weekly:**
- [ ] Run Mail-Tester.com check for each domain
- [ ] Update DNS health check
- [ ] Adjust volumes based on performance
- [ ] Rotate email content/variations

---

This warm-up schedule is designed for Australian business hours (AEST). Adjust send times accordingly if targeting different time zones or if Instantly.ai recommends different settings for your specific deliverability situation.


Instantly.ai Analytics and Optimization Guide

Response:
# Instantly.ai Campaign Performance Analysis & Optimization Guide

This guide provides specific thresholds, benchmarks, and decision frameworks for optimizing B2B cold email campaigns on Instantly.ai.

---

## Key Metrics & Definitions

### Primary Metrics to Track

| Metric | Definition | Instantly.ai Location |
|--------|------------|----------------------|
| **Open Rate** | Unique opens ÷ Delivered | Campaign → Analytics tab |
| **Reply Rate** | Positive replies ÷ Delivered | Campaign → Replies tab |
| **Bounce Rate** | Bounced ÷ Sent | Campaign → Overview |
| **Unsubscribe Rate** | Unsubscribes ÷ Delivered | Campaign → Overview |
| **Positive Reply Rate** | Replies marked positive ÷ Delivered | Campaign → Replies tab |

### Secondary Metrics

- **Click Rate**: Unique clicks ÷ Delivered (indicates email content quality)
- **Lead-to-Opportunity Rate**: Replies that become qualified opportunities
- **Meeting Booked Rate**: Replies that result in scheduled calls

### Calculating Your True Metrics

Always use **delivered** emails as your denominator, not sent:

```
Open Rate = Unique Opens / (Sent - Hard Bounces)
Reply Rate = Total Replies / Delivered
```

---

## B2B Cold Email Benchmarks

### Standard B2B Benchmarks

| Metric | Poor | Average | Good | Excellent |
|--------|------|---------|------|-----------|
| **Open Rate** | < 40% | 40-55% | 55-70% | > 70% |
| **Reply Rate** | < 2% | 2-5% | 5-10% | > 10% |
| **Positive Reply Rate** | < 1% | 1-3% | 3-6% | > 6% |
| **Bounce Rate** | > 8% | 3-8% | 1-3% | < 1% |
| **Unsubscribe Rate** | > 0.5% | 0.2-0.5% | 0.1-0.2% | < 0.1% |

### Australian Market Considerations

- **Time Zone Impact**: Send times should target 8-10 AM AEST for optimal open rates
- **Domain Reputation**: Australian .com.au domains generally have stronger sender reputation with Australian ESPs
- **Response Patterns**: Australian B2B prospects respond at higher rates to personalized outreach (2-3% above US benchmarks)

### Benchmark by Sequence Position

| Email Position | Expected Open Rate | Expected Reply Rate |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| Email 1 | 45-65% | 3-8% |
| Email 2 | 25-40% | 1-3% |
| Email 3 | 15-25% | 0.5-1.5% |
| Email 4+ | 10-20% | < 0.5% |

---

## A/B Testing Methodology

### What to Test (Priority Order)

1. **Subject Lines** (highest impact on open rate)
   - Test one variable per experiment
   - Sample size: Minimum 200 emails per variant
   - Duration: Run for 7-14 days minimum

2. **Email Body Copy** (impacts reply rate)
   - Hook/angle testing
   - Length optimization
   - Personalization insertion points

3. **Call-to-Action** (impacts meeting bookings)
   - Specific vs. generic CTAs
   - Single vs. multiple CTAs

4. **Send Time** (impacts open rate)
   - Test day of week
   - Test time of day (within AEST business hours)

### A/B Test Configuration in Instantly.ai

```
Test Setup:
├── Create campaign with single email
├── Enable A/B test in campaign settings
├── Set traffic split: 50/50
├── Minimum sample size: 200 per variant
├── Test duration: 7-14 days
└── Declare winner when: 95% confidence interval
```

### Statistical Significance Calculator

Use this framework to determine when a test is conclusive:

| Sample Size Per Variant | Minimum Detectable Effect | Required Reply Rate Difference |
|------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 100 | ± 8% | 4% absolute |
| 200 | ± 5.5% | 2.8% absolute |
| 500 | ± 3.5% | 1.8% absolute |
| 1000 | ± 2.5% | 1.2% absolute |

### Test Documentation Template

For each test, record:

- **Hypothesis**: What you expect to happen and why
- **Variables**: Exact changes tested
- **Sample Size**: Emails per variant
- **Duration**: Start and end dates
- **Results**: Open rate, reply rate for each variant
- **Winner**: Which variant performed better
- **Confidence**: Statistical significance level
- **Action**: What you'll do with results

---

## Sequence Optimization

### When to Add Another Email to a Sequence

Add Email 4 or 5 when:

- Email 3 reply rate > 0.3%
- Total sequence reply rate is > 5%
- You have > 500 contacts in the sequence
- Your average deal value supports the additional touch points
- Email 3 is still generating replies after day 21

**Recommended Maximum**: 5 emails per sequence (diminishing returns beyond this)

### When to Remove an Email from a Sequence

Remove an email when:

| Condition | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| Reply rate < 0.1% | Remove immediately |
| Open rate < 15% | Remove or rewrite |
| Unsubscribe rate > 0.3% | Review content, consider removal |
| Negative reply rate > 5% | Rewrite or remove |

### Sequence Timing Optimization

**Default Timing (Australian Business Hours)**:

| Email | Delay After Previous | Optimal Send Time |
|-------|---------------------|-------------------|
| Email 1 | — | Tuesday or Wednesday, 8-9 AM AEST |
| Email 2 | 3 days | Thursday or Friday, 9-10 AM AEST |
| Email 3 | 4 days | Monday or Tuesday, 8-9 AM AEST |
| Email 4 | 5 days | Wednesday or Thursday, 9-10 AM AEST |
| Email 5 | 7 days | Friday, 8-9 AM AEST |

### Sequence Performance Review Cadence

| Phase | Review Frequency | Actions |
|-------|-----------------|---------|
| New campaign (0-30 days) | Weekly | Adjust subject lines, rewrite low performers |
| Established (30-90 days) | Bi-weekly | Optimize send times, test new angles |
| Mature (90+ days) | Monthly | Evaluate retirement, plan refresh |

---

## When to Retire a Sequence

### Retirement Criteria

**Retire immediately if**:

- Bounce rate > 10% (sender reputation damage risk)
- Unsubscribe rate > 0.8%
- Reply rate < 1% for 30+ days
- Domain/email account receives spam complaints

**Consider retirement if**:

- Open rate < 25% for Email 1
- Reply rate < 2% for entire sequence
- You've cycled through 3+ versions without improvement
- Total replies < 10 over 60 days with > 1000 contacts

### Retirement Checklist

Before retiring a sequence:

1. ✅ Export all reply data for analysis
2. ✅ Document what worked (for future campaigns)
3. ✅ Identify patterns in positive replies
4. ✅ Check if audience targeting needs adjustment
5. ✅ Archive (don't delete) the campaign in Instantly.ai
6. ✅ Update your CRM with campaign outcomes

### Sequence Refresh vs. Retirement

| Situation | Recommended Action |
|-----------|-------------------|
| Low open rates, good reply rate on opens | Refresh subject lines only |
| Low open rates, low reply rates | Full sequence rewrite |
| Good open rates, declining reply rates | Test new hooks/angles |
| Audience exhausted | Retire and create new audience segment |

---

## Scaling Rules

### When to Scale

**Safe scaling triggers** (all must be met):

| Metric | Threshold |
|--------|-----------|
| Bounce rate | < 3% |
| Unsubscribe rate | < 0.3% |
| Reply rate | > 3% |
| Open rate | > 50% |
| Account age | > 30 days |
| Domain reputation | Established (no blocks) |

### Scaling Methodology

**Volume Scaling Steps**:

1. **Initial Scale**: Increase from 100 to 200 emails/day
   - Monitor bounce rate for 48 hours
   - If bounce rate stays < 3%, proceed

2. **Second Scale**: Increase to 400 emails/day
   - Monitor for 72 hours
   - Check sender reputation scores

3. **Maximum Safe Volume**: 500-750 emails/day per account
   - Exceeding this requires additional sending accounts

**Account-Based Scaling**:

| Number of Sending Accounts | Maximum Daily Volume | Recommended Warm-up |
|---------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
| 1 | 200-300 | 4-6 weeks |
| 3 | 600-900 | 3-4 weeks each |
| 5 | 1000-1500 | 2-3 weeks each |

### Scaling Without Reputation Damage

**Critical Rules**:

1. **Never scale immediately after a campaign launch** — wait for baseline metrics
2. **Scale gradually** — maximum 2x increase per week
3. **Monitor deliverability** — check inbox placement weekly
4. **Warm up new accounts** — use Instantly.ai's warm-up feature for 2+ weeks
5. **Rotate sending domains** — if volume exceeds 500/day, use multiple domains

### Scaling Indicators Dashboard

Create a monitoring dashboard with these alerts:

```
🚨 Red Alert (Stop scaling immediately):
   - Bounce rate > 5%
   - Spam complaints > 2
   - Open rate drop > 20%

🟡 Yellow Alert (Pause and monitor):
   - Bounce rate 3-5%
   - Unsubscribe rate > 0.3%
   - Open rate drop 10-20%

🟢 Green (Safe to scale):
   - All metrics within thresholds
   - Consistent performance over 14+ days
```

---

## Quick Reference: Optimization Decision Tree

```
Campaign Performance Review
│
├─ Is bounce rate > 8%?
│   ├─ YES → Fix list quality immediately, pause campaign
│   └─ NO → Continue
│
├─ Is open rate < 40%?
│   ├─ YES → Test new subject lines (A/B test)
│   └─ NO → Continue
│
├─ Is reply rate < 2%?
│   ├─ YES → Test new hooks/angles in Email 1
│   └─ NO → Continue
│
├─ Is unsubscribe rate > 0.5%?
│   ├─ YES → Review email content, reduce frequency
│   └─ NO → Continue
│
└─ Are all metrics good?
    ├─ YES → Consider scaling
    └─ NO → Identify worst performer, optimize
```

---

## Summary: Key Action Thresholds

| Metric | Investigate Below | Optimize Below | Acceptable |
|--------|------------------|----------------|------------|
| Open Rate | 40% | 50% | 55%+ |
| Reply Rate | 2% | 3% | 5%+ |
| Bounce Rate | 5% | 3% | < 2% |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.3% | 0.2% | < 0.1% |

Run performance reviews weekly for new campaigns, bi-weekly for established campaigns, and monthly for mature campaigns. Document all changes and their impact to build institutional knowledge about what works for your specific audience.