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Cold Emailing
Apollo.io Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Ratings
lemlist team
July 25, 2024
|
7 min. read
lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
July 24, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.
Apollo is a big name in the lead generation and cold outreach space.
Boasting an extensive database and multichannel outreach capabilities, it’s an attractive solution for sales professionals.
But does it live up to the hype?
In this Apollo.io review, we use our sales and outreach knowledge to offer an in-depth insight into the features and use cases that Apollo offers.
We go over the strengths and weaknesses of this tool so you can decide if it’s the right sales and cold email platform for your business.
What is Apollo.io?
Apollo is a sales and engagement platform for B2B sales professionals.
Apollo can be used for lead generation, sales intelligence, and outreach.
It can help you:
Find potential customers
Find their contact data
And reach out to them using a multichannel approach (through email, cold calling, and LinkedIn).
Initial navigation
Apollo has a clean interface.
They lay out all of their features at the top, like so ⬇️
Under Home, you have two sections:
Control Center: This is where you get alerts, view your activity, and manage tasks.
Cockpit: Offers more detailed insights into calls, tasks, and emails.
With the Search functionality, Apollo.io holds its database (with over 270 million contacts).
You can search for leads using various filters like industry, job title, location, company size, etc.
Create buyer personas to target specific types of leads.
Apollo allows you to use AI for this or create them manually based on specific criteria.
Manage lists from here and include or exclude existing lists to avoid contacting the same leads.
In Engage we can connect our email accounts, send email campaigns, schedule calls, and tasks, organize templates, and so much more.
With Enrichment, Apollo focuses on enhancing your existing customer and prospect data by adding valuable information.
This can include details like contact information, company size, industry type, technological usage, and other relevant business intelligence.
Apollo has a small learning curve, so let's analyze its features together.
Apollo.io’s features analyzed
Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform primarily used for lead generation, data collection, and outreach.
Apollo has many features, so we’ll go over the most impressive and important features and use cases, dissect the most important elements about them, and who should use them to maximize Apollo’s potential as an all-around sales engagement platform.
Lead Database and Search
Apollo.io's Lead Database and Search feature is a powerhouse for anyone needing access to a vast repository of business contacts.
Here's a breakdown of what makes this feature stand out:
Extensive Database Access
Apollo.io offers 270+ million data points. This extensive database is a goldmine for businesses looking to expand their reach.
Advanced Search Filters
The platform allows users to filter through these data points with precision, ensuring highly targeted lead generation.
Filters include technologies used by companies, buying intent, and more.
Some filters you can use with these advanced search filters are:
List Management
Users can select thousands of people at once and add them to organized lists.
This feature is crucial for managing large-scale outreach campaigns efficiently.
Direct Outreach Integration
One of Apollo.io’s standout features is the ability to add leads directly to outreach sequences from the search interface.
This seamless integration between data search and outreach tools streamlines the entire lead generation process.
Enrichment Capabilities
While not used as extensively, the enrichment feature allows users to enhance their data, either within Apollo.io or via API, adding another layer of value to the lead database.
Outreach tools
With Apollo.io you can also manage and execute your outreach campaigns.
It provides comprehensive outreach solutions for email, LinkedIn, and cold calling channels.
Let’s explore these outreach tools and how to take advantage of them.
Email sequences:
Apollo.io allows users to create and manage email sequences, making it easier to automate and personalize outreach campaigns.
The platform's interface is super intuitive, allowing for easy setup and tracking of email campaigns.
Users can customize emails and conduct A/B testing to optimize campaign performance.
Cold Calling Integration
It has a built-in dialing system, streamlining the process of cold calling directly from the platform.
One unique feature is that the dialing system mimics the area code of the call recipient, potentially increasing answer rates.
Furthermore, you can track and manage calls within the platform, making it easy to follow up and maintain records.
Task Management
Apollo.io offers task management features, allowing sales teams to stay organized and on top of their outreach activities.
Tasks can be linked to specific outreach campaigns for better tracking and efficiency.
Multi-Mailbox Linking
Users can link multiple email accounts to Apollo, facilitating diverse outreach strategies.
The platform allows for easy management of different email accounts, streamlining the outreach process.
Outreach Analytics
The platform provides detailed analytics on outreach campaigns, offering insights into performance and areas for improvement.
You can access real-time data to make informed decisions about your outreach strategies.
Integration with CRM
Apollo can be integrated with various CRM platforms(including HubSpot and Salesforce), ensuring a seamless workflow between lead generation and outreach.
Data Enrichment
The platform offers data enrichment features that enhance the quality of CRM data.
Buying intent filter
Apollo.io's Buying Intent Filter aims to help you target potential clients who are actively seeking services or products in their industry.
This feature is not just about identifying leads; it's about finding leads that are already halfway through the buying process.
But what are the key aspects of the buying intent filter?
Intent Score Classification
Apollo.io categorizes leads into high, medium, or low buying intent based on their online activities, such as searches on Google or Bing, and engagement with relevant content.
The more you tighten your intent score, the more your lead pool is going to shrink and narrow.
Industry-Specific Targeting
The filter allows up to six intent topics, making it possible to tailor the search to specific industries or parallel sectors.
Customizable Time Frame
Users can adjust the time frame to capture leads showing recent interest, ensuring the data is always fresh and relevant.
How does it enhance lead generation?
Focused Outreach
By targeting leads with a demonstrated interest in your industry, the chances of conversion are significantly higher compared to cold outreach.
Dynamic Data
The filter continuously updates, adding new potential leads who have recently shown interest, keeping your outreach efforts timely and relevant.
Integration with Marketing Campaigns
The data from the Buying Intent Filter can be integrated into various marketing platforms, enhancing both digital and email marketing strategies.
This feature is great for businesses with high online search volumes, such as marketing agencies, consultants, and software companies.
It's less effective for very niche markets or industries where online research is not a common part of the buying process.
Apollo Chrome extension
Apollo provides a Chrome extension that brings some of its functionality to the Chrome browser.
This means that you can:
Find prospects’ contact data straight from within LinkedIn (emails, mobile numbers)
Send prospects from LinkedIn to an Apollo campaign
Track emails and receive real-time notifications in Gmail
Get insights on most company websites
Use Gmail, Google Calendar, Salesforce, and Hubspot integrations.
Apollo.io pricing and plans
If you want to pay for a monthly subscription, this is what Apollo.io will cost you:
Apollo’s free plan offers 10,000 credits per month.
They have three paid tiers: basic, professional, and organizational.
Basic ($59/month when billed monthly)
This plan is great for small businesses looking to do a high volume of sequences and outreach campaigns.
It has enough export credits next to unlimited email credits.
If you are looking to do cold calling, this plan might not be for you as it only accesses 25 contacts from Apollo to call them.
Here is the rundown of the most important features of this plan:
Unlimited email credits (min. 10,000/month)
Send as many emails as you want to your prospects without any limit.
75 mobile credits per month
Access the phone numbers of 75 contacts from the Apollo.io database and call them directly from the platform.
1,000 export credits per month
Export up to 1,000 records from the Apollo.io database to a CSV file or another tool.
Select 10,000 records at a time
Save and export up to 10,000 contacts from the Apollo.io database in one click.
No sequence limit
Create and run as many email campaigns as you want with different templates and settings.
A/B testing
Test different versions of your email subject lines, body, and calls to action and see which one performs better.
Buying intent (6 intent topics limit)
Target prospects who are actively searching for solutions related to your product or service based on their online behavior and keywords.
Advanced filters
Use more criteria to narrow down your search and find the most relevant prospects for your business.
AI-assisted email writing (5K words/month
Generate subject lines, email messages, and openers tailored to your leads.
Integration with all email providers
Link any email account to send email campaigns from Apollo.io, not just Gmail or Microsoft.
Custom fields
Create and use your own fields to store and display additional information about your prospects.
Opportunities
Manage your sales pipeline and track the progress of your deals within Apollo.io.
Email open and click tracking
See when and how often your prospects open and click on your emails, and follow up accordingly.
Greenhouse integration
Pull and push data between Apollo.io and Greenhouse, a popular applicant tracking system.
500 Plays limit
Create and execute multichannel campaigns that combine email, phone, social media, and manual tasks.
Professional ($99/month when billed monthly)
For smaller sales teams or those conducting limited cold email campaigns, Apollo.io offers plans starting at $99 per month per user.
This plan is affordable and allows for a decent amount of cold emailing and other functionalities.
Aside from everything in the basic plan, these are the standout features of this plan:
Unlimited email credits (min. 10,000/month)
Send as many emails as you want to your prospects without any limit.
100 mobile credits
Access 100 contacts' phone numbers from the Apollo.io database and call them directly from the platform.
2,000 export credits
Export up to 2,000 records from the Apollo.io database to a CSV file or another tool.
Uncapped sending limits with SendGrid
Use SendGrid as your email provider and send as many emails as you need without any restrictions
Conversations (4000 minutes recording limit)
Apollo analyzes your video calls/meetings to give you new insights on how to improve your interactions.
Buying intent (9 intent topics limit)
Target prospects who are actively searching for solutions related to your product or service based on their online behavior and keywords.
Advanced reports and dashboards
Access pre-built reports and dashboards that show you the performance of your campaigns, sequences, and sales activities.
Integration with all email providers
Link any email account to send email campaigns from Apollo.io, not just Gmail or Microsoft.
AI-assisted email writing (300K words/month
Generate subject lines, email messages, and openers tailored to your leads.
Organization ($149/month when billed monthly)
Perfect for large sales teams and massive lead-generation campaigns.
These plans are more suitable for users who need to export thousands of data points for large-scale cold emailing campaigns.
These are the most important features:
Unlimited email credits (min. 10,000/month)
Send as many emails as you want to your prospects without any limit.
200 Mobile credits
Access 200 contacts' phone numbers from the Apollo.io database and call them directly from the platform.
4,000 export credits
Export up to 4,000 records from the Apollo.io database to a CSV file or another tool.
API Access
Advanced integrations with other systems and platforms.
Unlimited plans
Unlimited plans are governed by a fair use policy that limits the number of credits per account per month or year, depending on the payment status. Additional credits can be requested from the team.
Buying intent (12 intent topics limit)
Target prospects who are actively searching for solutions related to your product or service based on their online behavior and keywords.
AI-assisted email writing (1M words/month
AI-assisted email writing (300K words/month
Advanced security configurations
Keep your account secure with built-in safety measures. Set strong password rules, control access by allowing only specific IP addresses, and manage active sessions with login restrictions.
Record selection limit
Unlimited plans do not have a record selection limit, which means users can save and export a large number of leads from the database with one click.
Custom plans
Large enterprises can contact sales to get custom plans that suit their complex needs, such as integrations, security, and governance.
Comparing Apollo’s pricing to other competing platforms like ZoomInfo makes it that much more affordable.
Apollo.io's pricing varies based on the scale of use and the specific needs of the business, with options ranging from relatively affordable standard plans to more comprehensive and customizable Enterprise solutions.
Apollo.io reviews
Apollo has many favorable reviews.
One customer called Apollo an excellent solution for lead prospecting:
Another customer praised Apollo for its networking capabilities when looking to make a career change:
Apollo.io has also received some negative reviews.
One verified customer complained about Apollo’s customer service:
While another customer found that Apollo actually created more work for their sales team:
Even though Apollo has negative reviews, it’s important to note that most are positive.
Apollo.io Ratings
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
G2 - 4.8/5 (7,036 reviews)
Capterra - 4.6/5 (344 reviews)
TrustRadius - 8.3/10 (212 reviews)
Pros and cons
✅ Pros
With access to over 250 million data points, the possibilities for lead generation are nearly limitless
The advanced search filters allow for highly targeted lead selection, increasing the efficiency of outreach campaigns
The ability to directly add leads to outreach sequences from the search interface is a significant time-saver
Highly targeted lead generation
Continuous data refresh for up-to-date leads
Customizable to specific industry needs
❌ Cons
For users looking to export a large volume of data for external use, Apollo.io presents some limitations, which can be a drawback for some users
Accessing personal phone numbers for contacts requires extra payment, which can add up, especially for businesses focusing on cold calling
Some contacts’ phone numbers are not accurate
Not as effective for niches with low online search volume
Learning curve: takes some time to get used to the app
Requires regular monitoring and updating for best results
Apollo alternative
While Apollo.io is a robust platform for lead generation and outreach, it's not the only player in town.
lemlist
lemlist is known for its innovative approach to email outreach, offering features that are distinct from Apollo.io.
lemlist excels in personalizing email campaigns. Unlike Apollo.io, which focuses more on data and outreach tools, lemlist allows users to add personalized images and videos to emails, making each outreach effort more engaging and unique.
Users often praise lemlist for its intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which can be a significant advantage over Apollo.io's more data-heavy layout.
We compared lemlist vs. Apollo and put both tools to the test. Here are the most important findings:
Advanced personalization features
lemlist's ability to include dynamic content like personalized images and videos in emails is something that Apollo doesn't offer. This feature can significantly increase engagement rates in email campaigns.
Simpler user experience
For users who prioritize ease of use and a straightforward interface, lemlist is often considered more user-friendly than Apollo.
Focused on email outreach
While Apollo.io offers a broader range of tools, including lead generation and CRM integration, lemlist focuses specifically on email outreach, making it a more specialized tool in this area.
Cost-Effectiveness
In terms of pricing, lemlist can be more affordable, especially for small businesses or individual users who need advanced email outreach capabilities without the extensive lead generation features of Apollo.io.
Apollo is comprehensive in its lead generation and outreach tools, lemlist offers a more focused and innovative approach to email campaigns, making it an attractive option for those who prioritize engagement and personalization in their outreach efforts.
For users weighing their options, considering the specific needs of their email outreach strategies is key in choosing between these two powerful tools.
So, is Apollo.io good?
Yes, Apollo is a solid platform.
It’s especially beneficial for companies requiring data points on business contacts as it provides access to a lead database with millions of contacts.
What’s more, on the same platform you are also able to reach out to your leads through multiple channels.
Apollo offers plans for larger teams with multiple users but also provides cheaper plans that can work for smaller prospecting teams.
All of these features make Apollo a great option.
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We've made a mistake with cold emailing! Luckily we've also found a solution: Warm outreach! Learn how to implement a warm outreach strategy in this guide.
Did you know that networking is an underrated way of getting new clients and growing your business? In this article, you’ll get our secret networking campaign framework that helped us generate $100k in revenue.
How you end your cold emails creates an impression about you and your products. Sign-offs can push prospects to take action and reply. This sign-off list will help you increase reply chances and book more meetings.
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