The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)

B2B Outbound Best Practices: What’s Working Now with Cold Email and Paid Ads (with Alex Fine)

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May 12, 2025

Alex Fine, co-founder of Understory, shares his expertise in B2B outbound marketing, focusing on the innovative 'Allbound' approach that blends cold emailing, paid ads, and LinkedIn strategies. He discusses why traditional methods often fail and reveals effective tactics to enhance email deliverability. Listeners will discover how to craft hyper-personalized outreach that resonates with high-value prospects and learn about tools like Instantly and Clay. Fine also emphasizes keeping messaging consistent across channels for optimal engagement and conversion.

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INSIGHT

Allbound Integrates Outbound Channels

Allbound integrates outbound email, paid ads, and LinkedIn for a seamless buyer journey.
Tracking interactions helps understand what influences conversions and optimizes campaigns.

ADVICE

Improve Cold Email Deliverability

Avoid links, images, and tracking pixels in cold emails to improve inbox deliverability.
Diversify email inboxes and domains to reduce spam risk and improve campaign reach.

ADVICE

Targeted Personalization Beats Volume

Use advanced tools like Clay to hyper-target and personalize cold emails based on triggers and social signals.
Avoid spray-and-pray tactics; focus on targeted, relevant messaging for better engagement.

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#245: Cold Email | Danielle Messler sits down with Alex Fine, co-founder of Understory, the agency behind some of the most effective outbound and paid strategies in B2B right now. Alex is leading the charge on a smarter approach to outbound called “Allbound”, a tightly integrated blend of outbound, paid media, and LinkedIn tactics that actually convert.

If you’re tired of cold emails that go nowhere or ad campaigns that burn cash without ROI, this one’s for you.

Danielle and Alex cover:

Why most B2B outbound strategies fail and how Allbound fixes the disconnect between ads, email, and LinkedIn
The cold email deliverability tactics that actually work in 2025 (including tools like Instantly, Smartlead, and Clay)
Real-world examples of hyper-personalized, AI-powered outreach that book meetings with high-ACV prospects

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Intro
(03:08) - – What Is “Allbound”?
(05:08) - – Cold Email Isn’t Dead (But It’s Evolved)
(07:38) - – Tools to Improve Deliverability
(09:53) - – Personalization That Actually Works
(11:23) - – Real Example: Fraud Detection SaaS Cold Email Strategy
(13:08) - – How to Keep Messaging Consistent Across Channels
(15:08) - – Treating Each Channel Differently
(18:19) - – Ads as a “Cheat Code” in B2B
(20:49) - – Building Genuinely Personalized Emails at Scale
(23:49) - – From Swiffer to SaaS
(27:19) - – What Sales Teaches Marketers
(36:04) - – Where to Find Alex + Upcoming Exit Five Event Plug

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