The best-performing outbound teams in 2026 don't pick between LinkedIn and email. They run both, in the same sequence, with logic that adapts based on what the prospect engages with. That's not a stack - it's a single workflow. Mailgent is built for it.
Why multichannel wins
Across the outbound teams we work with, LinkedIn + email sequences hit reply rates 2–3x higher than email-only. The reason is simple: most B2B buyers now triage cold email in 2 seconds, but they'll read a thoughtful LinkedIn connection note. A LinkedIn touch warms the inbox; the email closes the loop.
What "real" multichannel looks like
Bolting a Zapier from your email tool to a LinkedIn automation is not multichannel. It's a fragile script with two bills. Real multichannel means:
- One sequence builder with LinkedIn + email steps side-by-side
- Conditional branches: skip the email if they replied on LinkedIn
- One unified inbox showing both channels of conversation
- Per-prospect AI personalization that uses the same LinkedIn data both channels need
How Mailgent does it
You drop in your ICP. Mailgent finds and enriches contacts with verified email + LinkedIn URL. You build one sequence - connection request → LinkedIn DM → email → follow-up email - with branches based on engagement. The AI writes the opener for each channel using the same prospect context, so the messages feel like one conversation, not two cold pitches.
Replies on either channel land in one inbox. You answer once. Your reply rate compounds because the prospect saw your name twice before they ever read a sentence.
Other tools in the space
Lemlist offers LinkedIn as a paid add-on. Instantly is email-only. La Growth Machine is LinkedIn-first with email tacked on. HeyReach is LinkedIn-only. Each works in isolation; none ships true unified sequencing + AI personalization in one product at Mailgent's price.
What changes when you switch
- Reply rates typically jump from 2-4% (email-only) to 8-12% in the first month
- One bill, one inbox, one team training
- Personalization quality goes up because both channels share prospect context
- You stop losing replies that landed in the "other" tool
The takeaway
If you're still running email-only, you're paying full price for half the results. The best LinkedIn + email outreach tool isn't two tools held together with tape - it's one purpose-built sequence engine. Mailgent ships that out of the box.