Every business owner, founder, sales rep, and lead generation specialist dreams of mastering email outreach.
You, me, everyone.
But there’s a significant challenge that only a few manage to conquer.
It’s achieving effective and personalized cold email outreach.
Sure, you might be using different tools for email campaigns, but so does everyone around you.
So, how do you gain an edge?
If you're a founder, sales rep, agency, or lead generation specialist, you've likely heard the buzz around Lemlist.
Many professionals recommend it, but does it truly live up to the hype?
Or is it just another overhyped tool?
As an email outreach enthusiast, I understand the daily challenges we face:
- dealing with email deliverability issues,
- setting up email infrastructure,
- ensuring the tool is easy to use and effective.
In this Lemlist review, I’m sharing insights based on real experiences from numerous users who have used Lemlist extensively for cold email outreach.
We'll explore:
- What Lemlist is and how it works.
- Its core features and user insights on its effectiveness.
- Pricing, deals, and how it compares to other tools.
- Referral and affiliate programs that Lemlist offers.
- Top likes and dislikes from actual users.
By the end of this article, you'll know whether Lemlist is the right tool for your cold email outreach and lead generation strategies.
But if you're in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of Lemlist reviews.
So, let’s dive in and uncover the truth about Lemlist.
What is Lemlist?
Lemlist is an email outreach and automation tool designed to enhance email campaigns. Its core purpose is to make cold emailing more effective through personalization and automation.
Lemlist aims to personalize emails at scale, making each email appear unique and tailored. This is meant to boost engagement and reply rates.
However, while personalization can be powerful, it also requires significant setup and maintenance. If not done correctly, it can come off as insincere.
A key feature is Lemlist’s email warm-up tool, Lemwarm, which improves deliverability by gradually increasing sending volume. This process, while beneficial, can be slow and requires consistent monitoring.
Campaign management and tracking are straightforward with Lemlist's user-friendly dashboard. It allows for creating and managing multiple campaigns, but some users might find the interface lacking in advanced analytics compared to other tools.
Overall, Lemlist combines automation with personalization, making it a strong choice for businesses and lead generation agencies.
However, it’s not without its challenges, and potential users should be prepared for a learning curve and ongoing maintenance to get the most out of its features.
Now that you know what Lemlist is, let's break down how it works towards your email campaigns.
How does Lemlist Work?
Lemlist is an email outreach tool designed to help you reach inboxes and get replies. It’s aimed at building your lead list with verified emails and personalizing outreach at scale.
Lemlist simplifies cold emailing with its easy-to-use interface and powerful features.
Here’s how you can set-up cold emailing on Lemlist:
Step 1: Craft Your Campaign
- Log into Lemlist and head to "Campaigns" via the main menu
- Hit the "+" to birth your new campaign
Step 2: Build Your Audience
- Upload your leads via CSV, manual entry, or CRM integration
- For next-level targeting, tap into LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Step 3: Fine-tune Your Settings
- Navigate to "Settings" to customize your sequence
- Set up task creation based on lead engagement
Step 4: Design Your Sequence
- Choose from a variety of actions:
- Automated: Emails, LinkedIn interactions, API calls
- Manual (Pro plan): Calls, tasks, campaign transfers
- Tailor each step with precise conditions
Step 6: Set Your Rhythm
- Under "Settings," establish your campaign's pulse
- Define active days, hours, and lead processing delays
Step 7: Quality Check
- Give your campaign a final once-over
- Polish lead details and email content as needed
Step 8: Launch and Optimize
- Set your campaign free into the wild
- Keep a close eye on key metrics:
- Aim for 50%+ open rate
- Target 40%+ click rate or 8%+ reply rate
- Keep bounces under 5%
This Lemlist review highlights the simplicity and power of Lemlist in managing email outreach campaigns.
Lemlist Review: Is Lemlist Worth a Cold Email Tool? (A detailed user insights)
When evaluating Lemlist as an email outreach tool, it’s crucial to understand both its strengths and weaknesses.
Lemlist offers a decent platform for personalized email campaigns but has some notable limitations that might impact your decision.
Deliverability issues also plague Lemlist. Despite good scores on email testers, emails often end up in spam folders, affecting campaign success.
Email Deliverability:
- Spam Issues: Users reported high deliverability scores, yet emails still landed in spam.
- Technical Challenges: Ensuring emails reach inboxes requires more reliable solutions.
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: Proper setup is necessary for better email deliverability, but Lemlist doesn’t streamline this process.
Another critical concern is customer support. Reviews frequently mention poor customer service, which can be a significant hurdle when issues arise.
Customer Support:
- Lack of Support: Users report terrible customer support and a lack of respect for customers.
- Problem Resolution: Delayed or ineffective responses hinder campaign progress.
Campaign Setup and Management:
- Manual Task Synchronization: Lack of HubSpot manual task synchronization can complicate campaign management.
- Reports and Analytics: Reports often include unnecessary emojis and lack detailed insights.
- Email Personalization: Customizing the first line of each email with Google Sheets can lead to formatting issues.
For those who require robust email deliverability, customer support and personalization features, alternatives like Salesforge might be a better choice.
Why Choose Salesforge:
- User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and feature use.
- Excellent Customer Support: Prompt and effective problem resolution.
- Superior Deliverability: Ensures emails reach the intended inboxes.
- Email Infrastructure: Streamlined setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for better deliverability.
- Advanced Personalization: Tools for writing hyper-personalized messages at scale.
In summary, while Lemlist has its strengths, its interface, customer support, and deliverability issues might limit its effectiveness.
Salesforge provides a more reliable and user-friendly alternative for successful email outreach campaigns.
Exploring alternatives like Salesforge can enhance your lead generation efforts and ensure better results in your email marketing campaigns.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Lemlist core features and see how this tool can help you in lead generation.
Lemlist Key Features Explained
Email Outreach and Automation
Lemlist shines in email outreach and automation, but it's not without flaws. Automating follow-ups is a breeze, enhancing productivity.
However, the automation can sometimes feel rigid, limiting customization options. Despite this, it's a significant time-saver.
Email Warm-Up: Lemwarm
Lemwarm aims to solve deliverability issues by gradually warming up your email accounts.
While effective, the process can be slow.
For those needing quick results, this might be frustrating. Nonetheless, it’s a unique feature that improves deliverability over time, setting Lemlist apart from competitors.
Cold Email Templates and Personalization
Lemlist offers a variety of cold email templates designed to simplify your outreach.
Personalization is easy, with dynamic variables and custom text. Yet, the templates sometimes feel generic, requiring tweaks to truly stand out. This feature still boosts engagement, but expect to put in some extra effort for optimal results.
Campaign Management and Sequences
Campaign management in Lemlist is generally intuitive, allowing you to set up automated follow-up sequences.
The ability to manage campaigns efficiently remains a strong point, ensuring you stay organized in your outreach efforts.
Video Prospecting and Personalized Images
Video prospecting and personalized images are standout features in Lemlist. They significantly boost engagement and response rates.
Lemlist offers powerful features that can enhance your email marketing strategy.
While there are some areas for improvement, these tools make connecting with prospects and managing campaigns more efficient.
Features are important, but so is the cost. Let's look at Lemlist's pricing to ensure it fits your budget.
Lemlist Pricing
Email Starter Plan
For $39 per month per user, this plan allows me to send unlimited campaigns from one email account. It includes:
- Customizable email campaigns
- Email finder and verifier with 250 credits
- Access to a 450 million+ leads database
- AI-generated sequences
- Custom text variable personalization
- In-app support via chat or email
Suitable for:
- Solo entrepreneurs or freelancers needing basic email outreach
Not suitable for:
- Small businesses needing multiple sending emails
- Startups looking for cost-effective solutions
Email Pro Plan
At $69 per month per user, this plan supports up to three sending emails. It includes:
- Everything in the Email Starter Plan
- 500 email finder and verifier credits
- Email warm-up and deliverability booster
- CRM integrations with Hubspot, Pipedrive, Salesforce
- Custom image personalization
- Campaign A/B testing
- Inbox rotation
- Custom liquid syntax personalization
- API access
- Zapier integration
Suitable for:
- Small businesses with moderate email outreach needs
- Teams needing integration with CRM systems
Not suitable for:
- Very small businesses or startups with tight budgets
- Users who may not utilize all advanced features
Multichannel Expert Plan
For $99 per month per user, this plan supports up to five sending emails. It includes:
- Everything in the Email Pro Plan
- 750 email finder and verifier credits
- LinkedIn prospection
- LinkedIn voice notes
- Cold calling prospecting with Aircall
- Advanced campaign conditions
- Custom landing pages
- Premium support chat
Suitable for:
- Medium-sized businesses with a robust outreach strategy
- Teams using multiple communication channels
Not suitable for:
- Small teams with limited budgets
- Businesses not needing extensive multi channel capabilities
Outreach Scale Plan
At $159 per month per user, this plan supports up to 15 sending emails. It includes:
- Everything in the Multichannel Expert Plan
- 1,000 email finder and verifier credits
- Dedicated account manager for teams with four or more seats
- Ability to reach 100k+ prospects every month
- Early access to new features
- Co-creation of content with Lemlist
Suitable for:
- Large businesses with extensive outreach needs
- Agencies managing multiple client campaigns
Not suitable for:
- Small and medium businesses due to high cost
- Teams that don’t require such extensive features
Lemlist has some good features, but the high costs and complexity make it tough to justify for small and medium businesses. There are more affordable and simpler options out there.
Lemlist Referral and Affiliate Programs Review
Lemlist’s referral program aims to reward users for sharing links, offering extra revenue and incentives.
While it seems simple and beneficial, my experience reveals some significant issues.
The program's transparency is a mixed bag. Users frequently report delays in receiving rewards and poor support responses.
Lemlist needs to improve its customer service.
Here's what you need to know about becoming a Lemlist affiliate:
The process to become an affiliate is simple: sign up, recommend Lemlist, and track progress.
Affiliates can earn between 18-22% commission for 12 months based on the referral plan:
- 18% on a monthly basis
- 20% on a quarterly basis
- 22% on a yearly basis
This tiered structure rewards affiliates based on the commitment of their referrals, encouraging long-term partnerships.
How to Apply Joining the Lemlist Affiliate Program is straightforward:
- Apply: Visit Lemlist Partnerstack to complete the application. You'll need to provide information about yourself, your audience, and why you think Lemlist is a valuable addition to your offerings.
- Approval and Onboarding: Once approved, you'll receive a comprehensive onboarding kit. You'll also get access to PartnerStack, Lemlist's robust affiliation platform, making it easy to manage your partnership.
However, some users find the program lacks clarity and sufficient support.
Affiliates often struggle with tracking progress and ensuring timely payments.
The Affiliate Partner Media Kit is useful, providing necessary information and visuals for promotion.
However, affiliates frequently experience inconsistent updates and unclear earning statements, leading to frustration.
The program is open to anyone capable of promoting Lemlist. Content creators, agencies, consultants, and technology reviewers are particularly well-suited.
In conclusion, Lemlist’s referral and affiliate programs have potential but are marred by significant drawbacks.
Despite the benefits, frequent complaints about delays, support, and technical issues suggest a need for substantial improvements.
Integration capabilities are vital for a seamless workflow. Let’s explore how Lemlist integrates with other tools and its API features.
Lemist Integration, Chrome Extension & API
Lemlist is known for its powerful integrations. These integrations enhance the Lemlist experience.
Lemlist integrates seamlessly with various platforms. This allows for streamlined workflows.
CRM Connections (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive): Syncing leads and campaign data with your CRM saves you time and keeps everything in one place.
Prospecting (Phantombuster, Bouncer): Integrating with these tools can be helpful, but remember they're separate services with their own costs.
Marketing (Mailchimp): This could be handy if you use Mailchimp for nurturing leads. Just remember, Lemlist is for outreach, while Mailchimp is more for general email marketing campaigns.
Communication Hub (Slack): Getting pinged in Slack when a lead reply sounds nice, but some reviewers mention occasional delays in notifications.
Automation (Zapier, Integromat): This could be a real time-saver. Building automated workflows with tools like Zapier can save you a ton of time, but there's a bit of a learning curve to get started.
Basics (Typeform, BCC, any CRM): These integrations offer some flexibility, but their usefulness might depend on what you actually do.
Lemlist Chrome Extension:
Adding LinkedIn to your outreach strategy can be powerful. But, how well it works might depend on your industry and who you're trying to reach.
How to Connect Your LinkedIn Profile to Lemlist: A Step-by-Step Guide:
➡️ Install the extension from the Google Chrome Store. The installation is quick and straightforward.
➡️ Ensure you're logged into the correct Lemlist and LinkedIn accounts before proceeding.
➡️ Open LinkedIn, hover over the extension, and click on Settings. This brings up the configuration menu.
➡️ Verify that the accounts displayed are the ones you want to link. If correct, click "Link this account."
💡 Note: The email address used on Lemlist doesn’t need to match the one on LinkedIn.
How to Use the Extension for Lead Import: A Step-by-Step Guide
➡️ Navigate to a specific LinkedIn profile or perform a LinkedIn search with your desired filters to target a group of prospects.
➡️ Ensure you are on the People page. This is crucial for the extension to work correctly.
➡️ Select the leads you want to add to your campaign. You can do this one by one or specify the number of leads to add, then click "Push leads to Lemlist."
➡️ A new window will appear, allowing you to choose the type of enrichment, select the campaign, and push the leads into the campaign seamlessly.
Information Available from Profiles:
- First name
- Last Name
- Photo
- LinkedIn profile URL
- Occupation
- Company name
- Company domain
- Company industry
- Company founded
- Company profile URL
- Company size
If you opt for LinkedIn enrichment, it scrapes all available information from the leads' profiles, which costs 2 credits per lead.
Managing Duplicates:
The extension intelligently checks the email address and LinkedIn member ID to avoid importing duplicate leads. If a lead has been previously imported, their profile is simply updated rather than duplicated.
Campaign Import Limitations:
If you can't find your campaign in the list, it's likely because you’ve previously imported leads from a CRM. Mixing these two types of imports in the same campaign is not allowed.
Filtering Imported Leads:
For more precision in filtering leads, Lemlist offers comprehensive guides and video tutorials. This ensures you can effectively target and manage your prospects.
Lemlist API Capabilities
The Lemlist API significantly enhances the platform’s functionality, offering extensive integration options. It allows seamless connection with various CRM tools and applications, automating workflows and managing campaigns efficiently.
Key API Features:
- Access to campaign data
- Comprehensive lead management
- Integration with third-party tools
- Custom tracking domains
- Real-time updates via webhooks
Getting Started with Lemlist API:
- Sign up for a Lemlist account.
- Generate your API key from the settings.
- Follow the detailed API documentation.
- Start integrating Lemlist with your existing tools.
In conclusion, from importing leads directly from LinkedIn to leveraging API integrations, Lemlist offers comprehensive solutions for effective email marketing.
Lemlist Customer Service Review Analysis on G2, GetApp, Capterra and more
When considering a tool like Lemlist, customer service reviews on platforms like G2, GetApp, and Capterra provide valuable insights.
Let's delve into what customers appreciate about Lemlist and where they think it falls short
5 Key Lemlist Features Users liked the Most
Email Warm-up: Lemwarm
Lemwarm is pretty useful because it gradually increases my email sending volume. This helps my emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders.
However, it can be a bit slow, and I need to keep an eye on it constantly to make sure it’s working right. While it’s essential, the process can test my patience at times.
Cold Email Templates and Personalization
Lemlist offers a lot of cold email templates that I can customize. I like that I can add personal touches, making each email feel unique. This really helps boost engagement.
Campaign Management and Sequences
The tools let me track performance and adjust strategies easily. However, the interface can be a bit clunky at times. It doesn’t offer the advanced analytics that some other tools have, which can be a drawback if I need detailed insights.
But for basic campaign management, it does the job well enough.
Dashboard and Workflow Management
The dashboard is really helpful for monitoring progress and making data-driven decisions.
The simplicity is decent, if you’re just starting out, but if you’re an advanced user, you might want more features.
Video Prospecting and Personalized Images
I love adding videos and personalized images to my emails because it makes them stand out. Lemlist allows me to do this, and it significantly boosts engagement.
However, these features can be tricky to implement. There’s a steep learning curve, and if you’re not tech-savvy, you might find it challenging to use these effectively.
Just be prepared for some setup time and occasional frustrations with the interface.
5 Key Features Users Disliked the Most
Terrible Customer Support
The process is slow and overly complicated, making it hard to resolve issues quickly. This is really demoralizing, especially when I need help fast. I have to go through multiple steps just to get a simple problem addressed
Other users have also reported similar issues, describing the support process as intentionally convoluted and unhelpful.
Buggy Software
It seems like every week there's a new issue to deal with. For an expensive tool, this is unacceptable and really disrupts anyone’s workflow.
Users have complained about the frequent bugs, saying it significantly impacts their ability to use the tool effectively.
Look what Alex B. has to say about Lemlist in his review:
Refund Policy
Their refund policy is terrible. I once tried to cancel and was shocked to know that I couldn't get a refund for the unused portion of my subscription, leaving me and other users stuck with a service we no longer want.
Sketchy Billing Practices
It's very frustrating for users to deal with unexpected charges and unhelpful responses from their billing department, making them feel like they don’t care about their users.
Unreliable Functionality
The tool often doesn't work as promised. For example, my campaigns don’t send the scheduled number of emails, and the explanations for these issues don't make any sense.
Lemlist Review Summary
In summary, while Lemlist offers a range of features designed to enhance email outreach and automation, it has notable limitations, particularly for those heavily dependent on multichannel campaigns.
Key issues include inconsistent integration performance, occasional data inaccuracies, and a steep learning curve for new users. These challenges can hinder the overall effectiveness of your outreach initiatives.
A significant drawback is the platform's limited functionality in handling complex campaign workflows and lead management.
Additionally, the cost structure of Lemlist can be prohibitive for small businesses and startups. The higher tiers required for advanced features may not offer sufficient value for the price, making it less accessible for budget-conscious users.
For those seeking a more reliable and cost-effective solution for email outreach, Salesforge.ai presents a compelling alternative.
Salesforge.ai delivers strong email infrastructure and advanced personalization tools, ensuring your emails effectively reach your prospects' inboxes.
Salesforge.ai excels in providing seamless integration with various CRM tools, accurate data, and responsive customer support, addressing the key shortcomings of Lemlist.
Its user-friendly interface and simple affordable plans make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
In the next section, we'll explore how Salesforge.ai outperforms Lemlist in enhancing your cold email outreach.
We'll examine its features, benefits, and why it might be the right tool for your business. Let's dive in and see how Salesforge.ai can elevate your email marketing efforts.
Salesforge.ai: Best Lemlist Alternative for Cold Email Outreach
Salesforge.ai is designed to revolutionize cold email outreach. It helps sales organizations, agencies, and entrepreneurs drive personalized outreach at scale, significantly boosting pipeline numbers.
The platform promises to be the last sales execution tool you'll ever need, enhancing performance and efficiency per sales rep.
Setting Up and Using Salesforge.ai
Here’s a quick 7 min demo video on how to set up Salesforge.ai:
- Easy Setup: Once you’ve connected your Gmail or Outlook mailboxes and gone through a brief warm-up phase, you’re ready to start.
- Contact Personalization: Load your contacts with essential personalization inputs like LinkedIn URLs and company data profiles.
- Email Validation: Validate email addresses within the platform to ensure your messages reach the right inboxes.
- Crafting Unique Emails: Whether reviewing emails one by one or sending them at scale, Salesforge.ai makes the process seamless.
- Primebox for Replies: Sit back and watch as replies come into your Primebox, across all connected mailboxes.
Key Features of Salesforge.ai
- Scalable Personalization: Salesforge.ai excels in programmatic personalization, making each email feel uniquely crafted for higher engagement rates.
- AI and Machine Learning: The platform is continually improving, with plans to incorporate more AI and machine learning capabilities to enhance personalization and outreach.
- Comprehensive Email Infrastructure: Salesforge.ai offers complete email setup, including domain setup, mailbox connections, and warm-up phases, ensuring high deliverability rates.
B2B Contact Database: An upcoming feature will streamline lead generation by providing a robust B2B contact database.
Why Choose Salesforge.ai Over Lemlist?
- Superior Personalization: While Lemlist offers basic personalization, Salesforge.ai provides advanced, customizable options that enhance engagement.
- Enhanced Email Infrastructure: Salesforge.ai simplifies the complex process of domain and email account setup, leading to better email deliverability.
- Advanced AI Tools: Salesforge.ai leverages sophisticated AI and machine learning to create more effective outreach strategies.
What’s Next for Salesforge.ai?
Continuous Feature Enhancements: Look forward to new features, including a comprehensive B2B contact database and advanced AI capabilities.
Seamless Integrations: Salesforge.ai plans to offer integrations with various third-party tools to streamline your sales workflow.
Salesforge.ai aims to equip every sales rep with the tools needed to maximize their targets. It’s designed to revolutionize cold email outreach with robust features that significantly boost your sales efforts.
In the next section, we will dive deeper into how Salesforge.ai stacks up against Lemlist and why it might be the better choice for your cold email outreach needs.
Salesforge vs Lemlist
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Lemlist offers a variety of useful features for email outreach, its limitations may hinder your ability to achieve optimal results.
Salesforge.ai presents a more advanced and efficient alternative, especially for those aiming to elevate their cold email campaigns with enhanced personalization and deliverability.
If you're seeking to improve your email outreach efforts and maximize your engagement rates, Salesforge.ai is the tool you need.
Try Salesforge.ai for free and experience the difference firsthand.