Twitter (X) outbound for founders: 7-day plan

last updated: Sep 3, 2025
Hero — twitter outbound for founders plan, pseudo‑UI dashboard

TL;DR

Twitter outbound for founders works when you treat X like a small CRM. Build a focused list. Warm‑up with replies. Then send short DMs with one clear ask. Use the 7-day schedule to stay safe and book first calls.

How to:
  • Build a 5$1-$250 lead list with smart filters.
  • Warm‑up $1-$2 days with replies before DMs.
  • DM 1$1-$25/day with context and a soft ask.

Glossary

  • Warm‑up: A few days of low‑risk actions to avoid limits.
  • Saved search: A query you pin to scan daily.
  • List: Curated accounts you monitor in one feed.
  • Open DMs: Setting that lets anyone message you.
  • Follow‑back: Share of follows that follow you back.
  • Reply cadence: Daily rhythm of public responses.

How to run converting Twitter outbound

Build a tight list and warm with replies, then send short DMs. Follow the steps below.

  1. Set the goal. One booked call this week is success.
  2. Choose one wedge. Pick one ICP and one pain. Write it in 12 words.
  3. Build the list. Use keywords, follows‑of, and recent activity. Save searches. Add 100 high‑fit accounts to a private List.
  4. Warm‑up the account. Day $1-$2: 2$1-$20 follows, $1-$20 replies, $1-$20 likes. No DMs yet. Post one useful comment per day. Stay manual. No autofollow/auto-DM tools; they violate policy.
  5. Prime context in public. Reply to target posts with one useful line and a proof point. Aim to be bookmarked.
  6. Send first DMs. Day $1-$2: 1$1-$25 DMs daily. Personal line (your post on X) → problem line (the pain) → one proof line → soft ask (1$1-$25 min?). Two follow-up DMs max.
  7. Run the cadence. Morning: scan saved searches. Mid‑day: 10 replies. Afternoon: DMs. Evening: log outcomes. Use UTM tags on calendar links (e.g., utm_source=x&utm_medium=dm&utm_campaign=wk1).
  8. Track and compound. Tag leads by stage: cold, replied, DM sent, booked. Pin threads that earned replies.
  9. Review on Day 7. Keep top filters. Kill noisy ones. Double down where replies happened.

7-day schedule

  • Day 1. Setup. Save 3 searches. Build a 100‑lead List. Light follows and replies.
  • Day 2. Warm‑up. Repeat. Post one useful comment. No DMs.
  • Day 3. Start DMs. 1$1-$25 DMs. Keep replies flowing.
  • Day 4. Iterate. Kill weak filters. Keep DMs at 1$1-$25.
  • Day 5. Double down. 1$1-$25 DMs if no friction. Pin your best reply.
  • Day 6. Nurture. Fewer DMs. More public replies to warm leads.
  • Day 7. Review. Book follow‑ups. Prep week‑2 scale.

Pro tip. Treat X like a live event. Most replies land within 30 minutes of a post.

Benchmarks

Action
Safe daily range (week 1)
Directional outcomes
Source
Follow new accounts
20-60
10-25% follow-back on tight ICP
[X follow rules] https://help.x.com/en/using-x/x-follow-limit [X limits] https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits
Public replies
10-30
1-5% reply-to-your-reply
[Hootsuite social benchmarks] https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-benchmarks/
DMs
10-25 personalized
4-8% reply, <1-3% meeting
[X DM limits] https://help.x.com/en/using-x/direct-message-faqs [X automation rules] https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-automation [agency data] https://www.cleverly.co/blog/twitter-vs-linkedin-for-cold-outreach-b2b
Likes/bookmarks
10-30
Indirect lift in reply rate
[Hootsuite ER guide] https://blog.hootsuite.com/calculate-engagement-rate/
Signal
Practical range
How to read it
Follow-back rate
10-25%
Warm replies lift this fast; bad filters sink it.
Public reply rate
2-6%
Signals your wedge is resonating.
DM reply rate
4-8%
Under 3% → shorten and add one proof point.
What this means
  • Stay conservative on new accounts. Consistency beats spikes.
  • Replies warm the path. DMs without prior context underperform.
  • ICP fit drives variance. A tight wedge pushes rates up.
Sample math. You DM 15/day on Days $1-$2. That is 75 DMs. At 6% reply, ≈5 replies. If 40% accept a call, ≈2 calls in week 1.

Use the platform rules for limits and safety: X automation rules, account behavior best practices.
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X vs LinkedIn comparison

Rule of thumb. If you can name three active keywords your ICP posts about daily, start on X. If you can only name titles and industries, start on LinkedIn. For a full LinkedIn play, see LinkedIn outbound for founders

Templates

DM: after a useful reply
Hey {Name}. Saw your point on {topic}. I help {ICP} fix {pain} in {timeframe}. One‑line proof: {result}. Worth a 15‑minute skim call next week?

DM: zero prior contact, open DMs
Quick one, {Name}. Noticed {trigger}. I’m a founder working on {pain} for {ICP}. Proof: {result}. If relevant, I can share a 3‑step checklist. Up for a 10‑minute swap?

DM: bump at 72 hours
Circling back in case this got buried. Happy to drop the 3‑step checklist here if easier.

Reply: add value under their post
You mentioned {pain}. Here is one thing I would try today: {tactic}. If useful, I can share a 3‑line teardown by DM.

List‑building filter sheet (copy‑paste)
Columns: Keyword | Follows‑of (handle) | Last tweet date | Followers | Following | Open DMs (Y/N) | Notes | Priority.

Saved searches to pin
  • ("looking for" OR "recommend" OR "how do you") AND {your keyword}
  • from:{influencer_handle}
  • (filter:follows_you OR filter:verified) {your keyword}

Risks

  • Platform. Hitting limits or looking automated. Fix: manual actions, slow ramp, no autofollow tools.
  • Content. Generic, long, or proof‑less messages. Fix: one proof point and one ask.
  • Process. Switching ICP every day. Fix: one wedge per 7 days.
FAQ
  • You:
    How many DMs per day are safe?
    Guide:
    Start with 1$1-$25 personalized DMs. The published platform limit is 500/day, but stay far below it.
  • You:
    How to write a DM that isn’t spam?
    Guide:
    Personal line. Pain line. Proof line. One ask.
  • You:
    What if DMs are closed?
    Guide:
    Warm with replies. Ask “DM ok?” or route to email.
  • You:
    How long to warm up?
    Guide:
    Two days is enough for most. Keep replying after you start DMs.
  • You:
    When to pitch vs ask for context?
    Guide:
    Earn it with a reply first. Pitch once you have a micro‑agreement.
  • You:
    Do I need X Premium?
    Guide:
    It helps with search and longer posts. Not required.
  • You:
    Should I automate follow/unfollow?
    Guide:
    No. Proactive automated following is against policy.
  • You:
    What if no replies after 3 days?
    Guide:
    Tighten ICP. Shorten messages. Add a proof point. Change time of day.
  • You:
    Should I move hot threads to email?
    Guide:
    Yes. Ask "email ok?" and send a calendar link with UTMs.
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