Best practices for exporting and sharing lead data from LeadFeeder with marketing teams

If you’re wrangling lead data out of tools like LeadFeeder and trying to hand it off to your marketing team in a way that’s actually useful, you’ve probably run into headaches. Maybe you’re stuck with clunky CSV files, or your sales and marketing folks are complaining about “bad” or “missing” leads. This guide is for the people who want to stop wasting time, skip the B.S., and just get lead data moving smoothly between teams.

Let’s break down what actually works when exporting and sharing lead data from LeadFeeder—without drowning in spreadsheets or endless email chains.

1. Get Clear on What Your Marketing Team Actually Needs

Before you even think about exporting, talk to your marketing team. Seriously. There’s no one-size-fits-all export, and guessing what they want is a good way to get ignored. Here’s how to nail it:

  • Ask for specifics. What fields do they need? (Company name, website, visit date, traffic source, etc.)
  • Find out how they use the data. Are they importing into a CRM, running ad retargeting, or just looking for trends?
  • Frequency matters. Do they want real-time updates, weekly exports, or just a monthly summary?
  • Format preferences. CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, or direct integration? Don’t assume everyone loves a spreadsheet.

Pro tip: If you’re getting vague answers (“just send us everything”), ask to see how they used the last export. That usually uncovers what actually matters.

2. Set Up Filters and Custom Feeds in LeadFeeder

Dumping raw data is a recipe for confusion. Instead, set up focused feeds that match what your marketing team cares about. In LeadFeeder:

  • Use filters to target specific traffic.
  • Filter by visit source (e.g., Google Ads, social campaigns).
  • Focus on certain company sizes, industries, or locations.
  • Exclude your own company, partners, or junk leads (like ISPs).
  • Create custom feeds for different marketing needs.
  • Example: One feed for “High-value prospects,” another for “Recent website signups.”
  • Name feeds clearly. “Q3 Paid Traffic Leads” beats “Feed #7.”

This saves everyone time and keeps you from exporting a mountain of noise.

3. Choose the Right Export Method

LeadFeeder gives you a few ways to get data out. Let’s run through the main options, with a reality check on each:

a. Manual Export (CSV/XLS)

  • How it works: Select leads, click export, download a file.
  • Good for: Occasional exports, small teams, or when you just need a quick snapshot.
  • Drawbacks: Easy to mess up. Files get outdated fast. Manual steps = human error.
  • Watch out: Formatting can get wonky if you’re moving between Mac/PC or Excel/Sheets.

b. Google Sheets Export

  • How it works: Send leads directly into a Google Sheet.
  • Good for: Teams that collaborate in Sheets, want live-ish data, or need to share links easily.
  • Drawbacks: Can get messy if too many cooks in the kitchen. Not great for huge data sets.

c. Automated Integrations (CRM, Slack, Email)

  • How it works: LeadFeeder can push leads to CRMs (like HubSpot or Pipedrive), email lists, or Slack channels.
  • Good for: Teams already living in their CRM or chat tools.
  • Drawbacks: Set up can be fiddly. Not every field always maps perfectly. Some integrations are more reliable than others.

What to ignore: Don’t bother with fancy “automations” unless the basics are working. Shiny doesn’t mean useful.

4. Clean and Standardize Data Before Sharing

Raw exports are rarely plug-and-play for marketing. Spend a few minutes cleaning your data before sending it on:

  • Remove obvious junk: ISPs, bots, and companies with no website.
  • Standardize fields: Dates in the same format, consistent company names, clean URLs.
  • Add context: Brief notes on what each field means if it’s not obvious.
  • Trim the fat: If a column is always empty (or never used), drop it.
  • De-duplicate: Nothing annoys marketers more than seeing the same lead ten times.

Pro tip: Save a “cleaned template” so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.

5. Actually Share the Data—Don’t Just Send Files

How you share matters as much as what you share. Here’s what works (and what’s a pain):

  • Cloud-based sharing beats attachments.
  • Use Google Sheets, shared folders, or a CRM everyone has access to.
  • Avoid sending big attachments via email—easy to lose, hard to update.
  • Give context every time.
  • A one-line summary (“Here are this week’s new leads from paid search”) helps.
  • Link to documentation or a legend if the columns aren’t self-explanatory.
  • Keep access simple.
  • Don’t lock it down so tight that marketing can’t even open the file.
  • But don’t make it a free-for-all, either—especially if there’s sensitive info.
  • Set up alerts or notifications.
  • If you’re using integrations, make sure the right people get pinged when new leads come in.

6. Build a Feedback Loop (Not a Black Hole)

Don’t just toss data over the fence and hope for the best. Build a simple loop so marketing can tell you what’s working (and what’s not):

  • Ask for feedback. Did the leads actually help? Were there duds? What would make the next batch better?
  • Tweak filters and exports based on real-world use.
  • Keep it informal. A quick Slack chat beats a monthly meeting no one wants.

The more you iterate, the less you’ll have to redo things down the line.

7. Watch Out for Common Pitfalls

Here’s where most teams get tripped up:

  • Exporting too much. More data ≠ more value. Quality beats quantity every time.
  • Ignoring privacy and compliance. If you’re exporting personal info, check with whoever handles GDPR or similar rules.
  • Letting exports get stale. If no one’s looking at last month’s leads, automate or kill the report.
  • No ownership. If it’s not clear who’s supposed to update or clean the data, it’ll fall through the cracks.

What Actually Works: A Quick Recap

  1. Talk to marketing. Don’t export in a vacuum.
  2. Use focused feeds. Filter out noise before exporting.
  3. Pick a sharing method that fits how your team actually works.
  4. Clean the data. Make it as easy as possible for someone else to use.
  5. Share with context, not just as a file dump.
  6. Get feedback and tweak as you go.

Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Exporting and sharing lead data from LeadFeeder doesn’t need to be complicated. Start with what your marketing team actually uses, get rid of the fluff, and make sharing as painless as possible. The fewer manual steps, the better. If something’s not working, adjust. Nothing here is set in stone—just don’t overthink it. A good-enough process you actually use beats a perfect process that never sees the light of day.