How to Run a LinkedIn Outreach Campaign for CMO and CEO Contacts at Agencies Under 100 Employees (2026)

Origami has a built-in LinkedIn sequencer, so once you've built a list of CMOs and CEOs at agencies under 100 employees using Origami's AI, you can launch automated, personalized outreach without leaving the platform. This guide walks you through refining your list, creating a sequence with copy-and-paste messages, and sending it — all from Origami.

If you haven't built your list yet, start with our guide on how to build a list of CMO and CEO Contacts at Agencies Under 100 Employees. That post covers how to use Origami to generate a clean, enriched list in minutes. Then come back here to turn that list into meetings.

Step 1: Build the list (if you haven't already)

Even though you're here for outreach, a quick recap of building the list ensures we're working with the right foundation.

In Origami, you'd type a prompt like:

"Find CMOs and CEOs at marketing, creative, and digital agencies with under 100 employees in the United States. Include LinkedIn profiles, verified email addresses, direct phone numbers, company size, and tech stack."

Origami's AI agent searches the live web, chains public data sources, enriches contacts, and qualifies leads – all from that one prompt. In minutes you'll have a list of prospects with:

• Full name and title (CMO, CEO, Founder, Managing Director)
• Company name, size, and industry tags (e.g., 'creative agency', 'digital marketing firm')
• Verified email and, where available, direct phone
• LinkedIn profile URL
• Tech stack indicators (CRMs, martech tools they use)
• Firmographic details like location and estimated revenue range

Origami gives you 1,000 credits on the free plan (no credit card), so you can build this list without paying a dime. If you already built your list from the parent guide, skip straight to refining it.

Step 2: Refine and qualify your list

A raw list of 300 agency CMOs/CEOs isn't a campaign; it's a pile of names. You need to segment and qualify so your sequence feels hyper-relevant.

In Origami, you can filter and tag contacts easily. Here's how I do it for agencies under 100 employees:

Segment by role and agency type

• CEO/Founder – Small agency owners wear every hat. Their pain is "I can't find enough time to do outbound myself" and "hiring a BDR is too expensive".
• CMO/Marketing Director – Often the one leading the agency's own lead gen. Their pain is "our pipeline runs dry between big retainer clients" and "LinkedIn outreach feels spammy when we try it".
• Agency service lines – Tag by digital, creative, PR, performance marketing, web dev, etc. Your message will land harder if you acknowledge their niche. A creative agency CEO cares about winning more pitch work; a performance agency CEO cares about measurable ROI.

Qualify before you sequence

Not every contact belongs in a sequence. Look for:

• Active LinkedIn presence – Have they posted in the last 30 days? If not, they may not check LinkedIn frequently enough to respond.
• Clear decision-maker signal – Owner, founder, managing director titles. At agencies under 100 employees, the CEO and CMO make buying calls without layers of approval.
• Tech stack hints – If Origami's enrichment shows they use HubSpot or Salesforce, they're already investing in sales/marketing tech. That's a good signal.
• Email validity – Origami verifies emails, but I still skim bounces history in the dashboard. If an email bounces, the contact stays in the list but gets skipped when the sequencer runs.

Remove agencies that serve completely different verticals than your offering (e.g., you sell to creative agencies, but they're a healthcare PR shop that never buys marketing tools). I usually aim for 50-150 highly qualified leads before I launch.

Step 3: Create your 3-touch LinkedIn sequence

Now the core of the post: building a sequence that doesn't sound like every other template. You have two options inside Origami:

1. Paste your own templates – Write a 3-touch sequence (connection request, Day 3 follow-up, Day 7 close). Set custom delays between each touch and launch.
2. Let the AI agent write it – Origami's AI can generate a personalized 3-day LinkedIn sequence for all your leads automatically. It tailors each message using the lead's profile data – title, company, industry – so no two messages feel copy-pasted.

Here I'll give you a full sequence you can copy, paste, and tweak. These messages are written for the agency leader persona (works equally well for CEOs and CMOs at small shops). They're 50-100 words each, no fluff, and based on real pain points I've used to book meetings in this space.

Day 1: Connection request + note

When you send a connection request, you have 300 characters. Provide value or curiosity — not a pitch. Here's the exact note:

"Hi — impressed by the case studies on 's site. I'm collecting insights on how sub-100 person agency owners are cutting prospecting time. Happy to share what I'm seeing if you're open, no strings."

Why it works: It's not about you. It references their work (quickly), implies a topic they care about (time), and offers value without asking for anything. No "we help agencies".

Day 3: Follow-up message

This goes out 2 days after they accept (or if they accepted but didn't reply). It bridges curiosity to a relevant pain point.

", I know running an agency under 100 people means you're spinning plates — client delivery, new biz, hiring. Most agency owners I talk to spend 10+ hours a week on manual outreach that doesn’t scale. We built Origami so agency leaders can generate qualified leads and automatically send LinkedIn sequences – without hiring an extra BDR. Worth a 5-minute look?"

Why it works: It names their specific reality (agency under 100 people), quantifies the pain (10+ hours a week), introduces the solution naturally, and ends with a low-commitment ask.

Day 7: Final message (soft close)

This lands a week after the connection. By now they've seen you twice. You're not chasing – you're wrapping up.

"Last note, . Totally get you're busy. But if cutting your prospecting time in half sounds worth exploring, happy to share a few anonymized results from agency owners we've worked with. No pressure if timing's off — just wanted to flag it. Either way, admire what you and the team are doing."

Why it works: It respects their time, offers social proof (anonymized), and has a genuine compliment. It's a soft close that leaves the door open if they come back later.

Pro tip: If you're targeting CMOs specifically, add one line about how their team struggles with pipeline consistency. For performance agency CEOs, mention CPA metrics. Small tweaks like "I know your client work depends on a steady flow of qualified opps" go a long way.

Step 4: Send the sequence directly from Origami

This is where Origami shines. You built the list, refined it, and now launch the sequence without exporting a single CSV or syncing another tool.

Inside Origami, navigate to the Sequencer tab. Select the contact list you just built and add your 3-touch sequence. You'll configure:

• Touch 1: Connection request with note (send immediately or at a scheduled time)
• Touch 2: Follow-up message (scheduled for Day 3 after connection accepted)
• Touch 3: Final message (scheduled for Day 7 after connection accepted)

The sequencer sends connection requests and follow‑up messages automatically, respecting the delays you set. You decide the cadence – Day 1/3/7, Day 1/5/10, whatever feels right for your audience. I find Day 3 and Day 7 work best for agency decision-makers who check LinkedIn 3-5 times a week.

What you see as it runs

Everything happens inside the same Origami dashboard where you built the list. You'll track:

• Sending status – When each touch was sent and whether it was delivered
• Opens & clicks – If you included a link, you'll see click data
• Replies – Every reply appears in the activity feed next to the contact's profile

And here's the crucial part: automatic un‑enrollment. The moment a lead replies – even if it's "Not interested" – Origami pulls them from the sequence. You'll never send a Day 7 breakup message to someone who already agreed to a call on Day 4. While looking at that reply, you still see their enriched profile (title, company, tools used), so you instantly remember the context – you're not hunting through a CRM.

Pricing note

Origami's sequencer is included on all paid plans. You pay only for the credits used to enrich leads – sending sequences is free. Even on the free plan (1,000 credits) you can test the full workflow. Paid plans start at $29/month.

What to expect for response rates

For a well-refined list of 100 agency CMOs/CEOs:

• Connection acceptance: 25–40% (higher if you personalize the note with a nod to their work)
• Reply rate on accepted connections: 8–15%
• Meetings booked: 3–7 meetings per 100 contacts

These aren't magic; they're the result of tight targeting and messaging that reflects their reality. If you're below these numbers, don't blame the list. First change your messages – test alternative pain points, shorter copy, different day spacing. If after 50 contacts messaging tweaks still don't move the needle, then go back and rebuild a tighter list with clearer qualifying criteria.