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SaaS / Creator Economy · United States Full Stack Build

Full Apollo + Clay + Instantly Stack Built from Zero for Agency Acquisition

SettleQuik, a SaaS platform for freelancers and creators, needed a complete outbound system for their first agency acquisition campaign. No infrastructure existed. No lead list. No sending setup. Everything built from scratch and live within 7 days.

1,250
Verified agency leads built for Month 1
7d
Kickoff to campaign live
100%
Inbox placement across Gmail and Outlook at launch
14d
Warmup ramp completed before first send
The Situation

What Was Happening

SettleQuik had built a SaaS platform that helps freelancers and creators eliminate payment friction using deep-link technology. They were ready to launch their first outbound agency acquisition campaign targeting OFM agencies, creator management companies, and adult content agencies in the US. They had a defined ICP, a clear offer, and email copy ready to go. What they did not have was any of the infrastructure to send it. No Apollo account configured. No Clay workspace. No sending domains. No warmup.

The Diagnosis

Root Cause

The Problem

Starting from zero on a niche campaign targeting adult content and creator management agencies carries specific deliverability risk. Domain filters flag this niche aggressively. A generic infrastructure build with standard warmup timing would not be sufficient. Everything needed to be built correctly from the start — domain acquisition, authentication, warmup, lead sourcing, enrichment, and deliverability validation — in the right sequence before any send went live.

The Fix

Full stack built in sequence: Apollo ICP filters, Clay enrichment with waterfall scoring, dedicated sending domains and mailboxes in Instantly, 14-day warmup ramp, deliverability validation across GlockApps, MXToolbox, and Mail-Tester, then campaign activation with A/B testing and reply detection only after inbox placement confirmed.

The Work

What Was Built

01
Apollo ICP Configuration

Search filters built for OFM agencies, creator management companies, and adult content agencies, US only. Filtered by company size, decision-maker role title, and activity signals. 1,250 leads identified matching criteria.

02
Clay Enrichment and Scoring

Leads run through Clay workspace for waterfall enrichment and intent scoring. Low-intent and incomplete records filtered out before passing to validation.

03
Email Validation

All 1,250 contacts validated through ZeroBounce. Invalid, catch-all, and high-risk addresses removed. Clean list segmented by tier for sequencing priority.

04
Infrastructure Build

Dedicated sending domains acquired. Instantly configured with mailboxes, rotation logic, daily send limits, and SPF, DKIM, DMARC verified on all domains before warmup began.

05
14-Day Warmup Ramp

All mailboxes enrolled in warmup. Ramp monitored daily. No cold sends until warmup was complete.

06
Deliverability Validation

GlockApps placement test run across Gmail and Outlook. MXToolbox authentication confirmed. Mail-Tester score reviewed. Campaign activated only after inbox placement passed threshold on all providers.

07
Campaign Activation

3-step sequence live in Instantly with A/B subject line testing, reply detection, and auto-pause on positive replies. Loom walkthrough recorded for client handoff.

Tools Used

Tech Stack

Apollo.ioClayInstantlyZeroBounceGlockAppsMXToolboxMail-TesterCloudflare
The Result

Outcome

1,250 verified, scored, and enriched agency leads ready for Month 1 outreach. Inbox placement confirmed at 100% across Gmail and Outlook at launch. Campaign live in 7 days from kickoff. Deliverability validated before a single cold send left the system.

Built from zero to a live, placement-verified campaign in 7 days.

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