<b>The 2nd follow-up converts at 1.7x the first reply — yet 71% of campaigns stop after one nudge</b>

<b>The 2nd follow-up converts at 1.7x the first reply — yet 71% of campaigns stop after one nudge</b>

Across 940 outreach sequences (n=940, 18-month window), reply rate by touch:

— Touch 1: 8.2%
— Touch 2: 5.1% (incremental)
— Touch 3: 2.4%
— Touch 4+: under 0.9%

The cumulative reply rate roughly doubles from 8.2% to ~15.7% by touch 3, then flattens. Most teams quit after touch 1 because touch 2-3 feel like spam — but the placements they win are not lower DR or worse anchors. Median DR of links won on touch 2-3 was 41 vs 43 on touch 1. Directionally identical quality.

The drop-off isn't quality, it's patience.

<b>Build a 3-touch floor before counting a prospect dead.</b>