SMMA Prospecting Workflow (With Templates That Actually Convert)

You're Prospecting Like a Freelancer, Not an Agency

Most SMMAs send cold emails one at a time. They hope someone replies. They follow up once. Maybe twice. Then they move on.

That's not a workflow. That's random outreach with no system.

Real SMMAs run sequences. They identify prospects with specific signals. They hit them from multiple angles (email, LinkedIn, phone). They follow up systematically. They close predictably.

This section is the three-part workflow that separates amateurs from people who actually scale SMMAs.

The Three Parts of the Workflow

Part 1 is prospecting and qualification. Who are we calling? Part 2 is initial contact. How do we introduce ourselves? Part 3 is follow-up and nurture. How do we stay on their radar until they're ready?

Each part has templates. Use them exactly as written first. Then modify. Most SMMAs modify immediately and break what works. Run the templates as-is for 30 days. Then optimize.

Part 1: Prospecting and Qualification

The Target Profile

Before you send a single email, know who you're targeting. Most SMMAs say "we help local businesses with social media." That's too broad.

Here's a better target profile for an SMMA:

• Local service businesses (plumbers, electricians, contractors, salons, gyms)


• OR local e-commerce (boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops)


• OR professional services (dentists, lawyers, real estate agents)


• 20 to 100 employees (or solo/small team for service businesses)


• In business for at least 2 years (established, not startups)


• Have a website or Google Business Profile


• Social media present but weak (low post frequency, outdated content, minimal engagement)


• In your geographic area (within 50 miles if you're location-specific)

Pick one of these verticals. Master it before adding another.

How to Find Them

Use Google Maps. Search "plumbers near me" or "dentists in [your city]." Click each one. Write down their name, phone, website. Check their social media. Is it weak? Are they posting less than once per week? Do they have fewer than 100 followers despite being in business for 5 years?

That's a prospect.

Alternative: use LinkedIn. Search by job title ("owner," "founder," "manager") and company industry. Filter by location and company size. LinkedIn Sales Navigator makes this easier, but free LinkedIn works too.

Alternative: use Apollo.io, Dight.pro, or Hunter.io. Search for your target vertical in your geography. Filter for weakness signals. These tools do the work faster than manual research.

The Qualification Check (60 seconds)

Before you email anyone, spend 60 seconds checking three things:

• Do they have a website? (If no, skip them. They're not ready.)


• Are they on social media? (If no, skip them. Different conversation.)


• Is their social media weak? (If it's already strong, they might have a competitor or in-house person. Still worth calling, but lower priority.)

If they pass all three, they're worth one email.

Part 2: Initial Contact (The Email)

Email 1: The Introduction (Day 1)

This email does one job: get a reply. Not a sale. Not a demo. A reply. If they don't reply, you follow up.

Here's the template:

---

Subject Line: Quick question about [Business Name]'s Instagram

Body:

Hey [First Name],

I was looking at [Business Name]'s Instagram and noticed you've got great products/services but not much going on with social content.

We work with [similar businesses in your area] to build their social presence and get consistent bookings through Instagram and Facebook.

Would a quick call make sense to see if it's something worth exploring?

Best,

[Your Name]

---

That's it. Four sentences. Specific (you looked at their Instagram). Conversational (no corporate speak). Clear ask (a call). No sales pitch.

Why this works: You're not selling social media management. You're saying "I noticed a specific gap in your business." That's credible. That gets a reply.

Subject line matters. "Quick question about [Business Name]'s Instagram" is personalized and specific. It's not "Social Media Growth Opportunity" or "Excited to Connect." People reply to specificity.

Part 3: The Follow-Up System

If They Don't Reply (Email 2: Day 5)

---

Subject Line: [First Name], just following up

Body:

Hey [First Name],

Not sure if my last email got buried, but wanted to loop back quick.

I work with [business type] owners in [your area] who want to get more bookings through social media without having to do the content work themselves.

If you're interested in what that looks like, let me know. If not, no worries.

Best,

[Your Name]

---

Why this works: You're not being pushy. You're acknowledging they might have missed it. You're reminding them what you do without over-explaining. You're giving them an out ("if not, no worries"). That feels human.

If They Still Don't Reply (Phone Call: Day 8)

Call them. Not email. Phone.

Script:

"Hey [First Name], this is [Your Name]. I sent you a couple emails about your social media strategy. Do you have 30 seconds?"

If yes:

"I work with businesses like yours that want to grow on Instagram and Facebook without doing the work themselves. A lot of owners I talk to get bookings through social, but they're too busy running the business to post consistently. Do you have that problem?"

If yes:

"Great. What if I sent you a short video showing exactly what we'd do for you? Then we could hop on a quick call if it looks interesting."

If no:

"No problem. Not a fit right now. If that changes, just reply to my email. Good luck."

Why this works: Phone calls are rare. Most prospects won't get a phone call from a cold outreach. Just the fact that you called stands out. It shows you're real.

If They Still Don't Reply (Email 3: Day 12)

---

Subject Line: One more thing

Body:

Hey [First Name],

I'll keep this short. I tried calling but didn't reach you.

Most [business type] owners I work with say the same thing: "I don't have time for social media." That's exactly why I reach out.

If you ever want to talk about getting more bookings through Instagram, you know where to find me.

Best,

[Your Name]

---

Why this works: This is your last email before you move them to the "nurture list." You're acknowledging the common objection (no time). You're not being aggressive. You're closing the door gracefully so they know they can reach out later.

After Email 3: Move to Nurture

Don't email them again for 60 days. Put them on a "nurture list" and send them something valuable every two weeks. Not sales pitches. Value.

Send them:

• A case study of another business in their vertical that grew through social media


• A video tip on Instagram strategy


• A before-and-after of a client's Instagram account


• A link to an article about social media ROI

Every 14 days. Nothing salesy. Just useful stuff.

After 60 days, reach out again with a fresh email. Timing might be different. Their situation might have changed. Now they're ready.

The Complete Workflow Timeline

Day 1: Send Email 1 (Introduction)

Day 3: If no reply, send LinkedIn message (optional, but it helps)

Day 5: Send Email 2 (Follow-up)

Day 8: Call them

Day 12: Send Email 3 (Final email before nurture)

Day 14, 28, 42, 56: Send nurture content (every 14 days)

Day 60: Send new outreach email (fresh introduction)

That's the full cycle. One prospect. 60 days. Three emails, one call, four nurture touches.

Running This at Scale

You can't manually do this for one prospect at a time. You need a system.

The Tools:

• Prospecting: Google Maps (free) or Apollo.io ($49-99/month)


• Email sequences: Brevo ($20/month) or Lemlist ($49-99/month)


• CRM/Tracking: HubSpot Free or Airtable (free)


• LinkedIn outreach: LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($65/month, optional)


• Phone: Google Voice (free) or Calendly (free for scheduling)

The Process:

Step 1: Find 50 prospects this week. Put them in a spreadsheet with name, email, phone, company.

Step 2: Load them into your email tool (Lemlist or Brevo). Set up the three-email sequence with the templates above. Schedule emails to send on Days 1, 5, and 12.

Step 3: Add calendar blocks for calls on Day 8 for each prospect. Pick a time that works (e.g., Tuesday and Thursday 10 AM).

Step 4: Create a nurture email sequence (every 14 days) with valuable content. Schedule it to send automatically after Email 3.

Step 5: Every week, find 20 more prospects and add them to the system. You want a steady flow, not a one-time blast.

Step 6: Track replies and calls. Note: who replied? Who scheduled a call? Who became a client? Learn from the data.

What to Expect (Real Numbers)

Email open rate: 35-45% for cold email (depends on your subject line)

Reply rate: 5-10% if your email is good and specific

Call conversion: 30-50% of people who get called will take a brief conversation

Demo/consultation booking: 30-50% of people you call will agree to a call with you

Sales conversion: 10-30% of demos convert to clients (depends on your pitch and pricing)

Real example: 50 prospects. 35 open your email. 3-5 reply. You call those 3-5 immediately. Of the ones you call, maybe 1-2 agree to a demo. Of those demos, maybe you close 1 client.

That's one client from 50 emails. If your client LTV is $10,000, that's $10,000 from 50 cold emails. That's $200 per email in value.

Do that every week for three months, and you've got 12 clients. That's 12 months of recurring revenue.

Common Mistakes SMMAs Make

Mistake 1: They customize every email. They spend 30 minutes on each email making it "perfectly personalized." That's insane. Use the template. It works because it's specific but generalizable. Customization doesn't increase conversion enough to justify the time.

Mistake 2: They follow up three times then give up. Three touches (two emails, one call) isn't enough. You need five to seven touches before someone's ready. Most people ignore you until you've shown up multiple times.

Mistake 3: They pitch too early. Email 1 is not a pitch. Email 2 is not a pitch. The pitch comes on the call, if they book it. Too many SMMAs try to sell in the email. That's why they don't get replies.

Mistake 4: They don't track results. They send 100 emails and can't tell you if 2 people replied or 20. Track everything. You need data to know what's working.

Mistake 5: They give up if someone doesn't reply after two touches. Move them to nurture. Recontact in 60 days. Lots of "no" today becomes "maybe" in two months when their business situation changes.

How to Actually Implement This

Week 1: Build your prospect list. Find 50 prospects. Write them down.

Week 2: Set up your email sequences. Load prospects into your email tool. Turn on automation.

Week 3: Block time for calls. Tuesday and Thursday 10 AM. Stick to it.

Week 4: Review results. How many opened emails? How many replied? How many booked calls? How many became clients? Document it.

Ongoing: Find 20 new prospects every week. Keep the machine running. Don't stop because you got four clients. Scale it.

The Reality Check

This workflow is not fancy. It's not AI-powered. It's not some proprietary secret.

It's email, phone calls, and persistence. It works because most SMMAs don't do it. They send one email and hope. You're different. You run a system.

This workflow will get you 10-15 clients in 90 days if you do it right. Not hundreds. Not thousands. 10-15.

Most SMMAs fail because they expect viral growth. You won't get it from cold email. You get steady, predictable growth. That's worth more.

Start this week. Pick your vertical. Find 50 prospects. Send Email 1 to all of them. See what happens.

Then do it again next week with 50 more prospects. And again. And again. Six months from now, you'll have more clients than you know what to do with.