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Overview

Good follow-ups keep conversations alive. Bad follow-ups get your number blocked. The difference comes down to frequency, timing, and tone. These guidelines help you stay persistent without crossing the line.

How often to follow up

  • Maximum 2 follow-up messages per week to any single recipient
  • If there’s no response after your follow-ups, reduce frequency or stop
  • Pushing harder when someone isn’t responding only makes things worse
Excessive follow-ups lead to:
  • Recipients reporting you as junk
  • Apple blocking your number
  • Lower delivery rates across all your messages

Know when to stop

If someone hasn’t responded after a few attempts, take the hint. Sending 10 messages over two days to someone who hasn’t replied is the fastest way to get flagged. Limit yourself to 2 additional messages after your initial outreach. If there’s still no response, move on and try again later with a fresh angle.

Re-engagement messages

When you need to restart a stalled conversation, use simple, low-pressure messages that make it easy to respond:
  • “This is Sarah, right?”
  • “Did you get the info I sent over?”
  • “Still thinking it over or have you moved on?”
These feel natural and invite a quick reply without being pushy.

Watch your total message count

Keep track of the total number of messages a contact is receiving from you. No contact should receive more than 5 unanswered messages total. After that, back off and revisit later.