If you’re handling B2B campaigns, you already know that the quality of your contact list—and how you slice it—makes or breaks your results. This isn’t about just dumping a bunch of emails into a tool and hoping for the best. You’re probably here because you want to make importing and segmenting contacts in Convrt less painful, and actually useful. Let’s skip the fluff and get into what actually works, what’s a waste of time, and how to set yourself up for fewer headaches down the line.
1. Clean Up Your Data Before You Import
Let’s be real: nothing slows down campaigns faster than a messy contact list. Convrt is good, but it can’t work miracles if your data is garbage.
What to do:
- Dedupe ruthlessly. Double entries = double the unsubscribes and embarrassing mistakes.
- Standardize fields. Make sure names, company names, and job titles are consistent. Decide if it’s “VP” or “Vice President” and stick with it.
- Check emails. Use a bulk verification tool to weed out bounces and typos. Bad emails hurt your sender reputation.
- Remove obvious junk. No more “test@test.com” or Mickey Mouse contacts. They’ll just skew your results.
Pro tip: If your list is huge, sample a few hundred records and spot-check them. Don’t wait until after you import to discover issues.
2. Map Your Fields—Don’t Just Click “Next”
During the import process, Convrt will ask you to map your spreadsheet columns to its contact fields. Most people just speed through this. Don’t.
What to watch for:
- Custom fields. If you track industry, lead score, or CRM IDs, make sure these have a home in Convrt—or create the fields first.
- Date formats. “05/06/2024” means different things in different countries. Pick a format and convert everything to match.
- Don’t ignore required fields. Convrt might let you import without key data, but you’ll regret it later when you’re segmenting.
Honest take: The import wizard will let you breeze through, but fixing mis-mapped fields after the fact is a pain. Spend the extra 10 minutes now.
3. Tag and Segment During Import—Not After
Segmentation is where most B2B marketers fumble. If you wait until after import to tag or segment, you’ll end up chasing your tail.
Best practices:
- Add tags as you import. Convrt lets you assign tags to batches. Use this for high-level slices: event leads, webinar registrants, etc.
- Map to segments. If you already know how you’ll target (by industry, region, company size), set these up as segments or tags from the start.
- Don’t overcomplicate. You don’t need 50 tags. Focus on segments you’ll actually use—think “Decision Maker,” “Customer,” “Lost Deal.”
- Document your rules. Write down what each tag/segment means. Otherwise, your team (or future you) will get confused.
What doesn’t work: Tagging everyone with everything “just in case.” You’ll end up with a messy, useless system.
4. Use Smart Segmentation—But Don’t Chase “Perfect”
Convrt gives you plenty of ways to slice and dice your contacts: filters, tags, custom fields, dynamic segments. The trick is not to get overwhelmed.
How to be smart:
- Start basic. Segment by the things that matter most for your campaigns: job function, buying stage, company size, etc.
- Test dynamic segments. Try setting up rules like “Show me all contacts in the SaaS industry who’ve opened an email in the past 60 days.”
- Review segments regularly. People change jobs, companies merge, lists get stale. Set a quarterly reminder to clean up segments.
Caution: Don’t spend weeks building out 30 different segments before you’ve even run your first campaign. Start simple, see what actually moves the needle, and adjust.
5. Watch Out for Common Pitfalls
Even with good tools, it’s easy to trip over the same mistakes everyone else does.
Keep an eye out for:
- Mixing up leads and customers. Accidentally sending a sales pitch to your best client is a classic (and cringeworthy) mistake.
- Not syncing with your CRM. If you’re using Salesforce, HubSpot, etc., set up two-way syncs or regular imports. Otherwise, you’ll end up with “ghost” contacts in one system.
- Ignoring GDPR and privacy. If you have contacts in the EU, get explicit consent and keep the audit trail. Don’t roll the dice here.
- Messy unsubscribe data. If someone asks out, make sure Convrt and any other system you use are updated—manually if needed.
What to ignore: Overly complex “lead scoring” models if you’re just starting out. Focus on segments you can actually use.
6. Run a Test Import Before Going All-In
This sounds obvious, but most people skip it until it bites them.
Here’s what to do:
- Import a small batch (100–200 contacts) first.
- Check how fields, tags, and segments show up in Convrt.
- Send a test campaign to yourself or colleagues using these contacts.
- Look for weird formatting, missing data, or obvious mistakes.
- Fix any issues, then do the full import.
Pro tip: Keep your original import file. If you need to roll back, you’ll be glad you did.
7. Keep It Simple—But Document Everything
You don’t need a fancy taxonomy or a 50-page SOP. But you do need to write down how you’re organizing things, even if it’s just a shared Google Doc.
Why bother:
- Future you (or your teammates) won’t remember why you tagged 500 people as “Q2-Prospect.”
- Consistency beats complexity every time.
- When you onboard a new team member, clear documentation saves hours of headaches.
8. Don’t Set and Forget—Iterate as You Go
Your first import and segmentation structure won’t be perfect. That’s normal.
How to stay sharp:
- Review campaign results by segment. If a segment isn’t performing or is too broad, tweak it.
- Archive or merge tags and segments that don’t get used.
- Ask for feedback from sales or anyone using the lists. They’ll spot issues you miss.
Honest truth: No tool, Convrt included, will magically “fix” a messy process. But if you keep things simple and review regularly, you’ll do better than 90% of B2B marketers.
Wrapping Up: Start Simple, Iterate Often
Contact imports and segmentation don’t have to be a nightmare. Clean your data, map thoughtfully, tag only what matters, and don’t sweat perfection. The best systems are the ones you actually use—and keep improving. Don’t be afraid to start small, make mistakes, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually get B2B campaigns off the ground without losing your mind.