If you’ve ever stared at a mess of contacts and thought, “There’s got to be an easier way,” you’re not alone. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually get value out of their contact list—without getting buried in busywork or tech jargon. Whether you’re new to Linkwheelie or just want to clean up your process, here’s how to import and segment your contacts so you can actually use them.
Step 1: Get Your Contact List Ready (Don’t Skip This)
Before you even touch Linkwheelie, take a hard look at your contact data. Most headaches start with bad data—duplicates, weird formatting, missing info. Fixing these now saves you a ton of hassle later.
What to watch out for:
- Duplicates: Merge or delete them. There’s no value in emailing the same person twice.
- Weird formatting: “Bob Smith” and “smith, bob” aren’t the same to a computer. Standardize name fields.
- Missing info: If you need company names or phone numbers for segmentation, make sure they’re there.
- Useless columns: Strip out columns you never use. Less clutter means fewer mistakes.
Pro tip: Export a copy of your cleaned contacts as a CSV. It’s the most reliable format for importing.
What to ignore: Don’t overthink it. You don’t need every possible data point. Stick to what you’ll actually use—usually name, email, maybe company, tags, and a couple custom fields.
Step 2: Importing Contacts Into Linkwheelie
Linkwheelie makes importing pretty straightforward, but there are a few things to get right.
2.1. Map Your Fields Carefully
When you upload your file, Linkwheelie will ask you to match your columns to its fields. This is where bad imports happen if you’re in a rush.
- Watch for mismatches: “First Name” and “FName” won’t always map automatically. Double-check each field.
- Don’t map junk: If you see columns you don’t want in Linkwheelie, just skip them.
- Custom fields: If you have extra info (like “Lead Source” or “Interests”), set up custom fields in Linkwheelie before you import. Otherwise, that data gets lost.
What works: Take five extra minutes here. It’ll save you hours of fixing weird data later.
2.2. Handle Duplicates and Updates
Most tools—including Linkwheelie—let you choose what to do with duplicates.
- Update existing contacts: If you’re re-importing with new info, set it to update, not create new entries.
- Skip duplicates: If you want to avoid any risk of overwriting, choose “skip.”
- Ask yourself: Do you actually need to re-import, or can you use Linkwheelie’s built-in update tools? Sometimes it’s easier to edit in the app.
2.3. Test Import With a Small Batch
Don’t dump thousands of records in on your first try.
- Import 10–20 contacts as a test run.
- Check how they show up in Linkwheelie. Are the fields right? Any junk data?
- If all looks good, import the rest.
What doesn’t work: Blindly importing your whole list and hoping for the best. Fixing hundreds of mistakes is way more painful than fixing five.
Step 3: Start With Simple Segmentation
Segmentation is just breaking your contacts into useful groups. Don’t get fancy—start with what you’ll actually use.
The basics:
- Tags: The simplest way. Add tags like “customer,” “lead,” “newsletter,” or “VIP.”
- Lists or Groups: If Linkwheelie uses lists, create one for each major group you care about (e.g., “2024 Event Attendees”).
- Custom fields: For stuff like “Industry,” “Location,” or “Last Purchase Date.”
What to ignore: Don’t build a dozen segments you’ll never use. “Managers in Idaho who bought widgets in July” isn’t helpful if you only have three of them.
3.1. How to Tag or Segment in Linkwheelie
- During import, assign tags or values if your CSV includes them.
- After import, use bulk edit features to tag or categorize contacts.
- Avoid overlapping too much. If someone’s tagged as both “lead” and “customer,” things get confusing fast.
Pro tip: Stick to a handful of clear, mutually exclusive tags. You can always add more detail later.
Step 4: Keep Segmentation Useful (Not Just Pretty)
The temptation is to slice your contacts a hundred ways. Resist. Good segmentation is about action, not perfection.
Ask yourself:
- Will I actually use this group? If not, skip it.
- Can I easily update this segment as new contacts come in? If not, it’ll get out of date fast.
What works:
- Actionable segments: “People who haven’t opened an email in 90 days.” “Customers in healthcare.” “Event attendees 2023.”
- Review segments every few months: Delete or merge the ones you don’t use.
What doesn’t work: Overly granular segments that only make sense to you, or that you never use in campaigns.
Step 5: Automate (But Don’t Over-Automate)
Linkwheelie offers automation options—like auto-tagging based on form submissions or actions. These can save you time, but don’t set and forget.
Smart automation:
- Auto-tag new contacts from specific forms or sources.
- Trigger follow-ups for new segments (e.g., send a welcome email to “New Leads”).
- Set up rules to move contacts between segments as they interact with you.
Where automation goes wrong:
- Too many triggers: If every action creates a new tag or segment, your database becomes a labyrinth.
- No manual review: Automation isn’t a substitute for occasionally checking your data.
Pro tip: Start with one or two automation rules. Watch how they work. Add more only if they’re saving you real time.
Step 6: Clean As You Go
Even with the best setup, lists get messy. Make cleanup a habit.
- Deduplicate regularly: Linkwheelie has tools for finding and merging duplicates.
- Purge inactive contacts: If someone hasn’t engaged in a year, consider archiving or deleting.
- Audit tags and segments: Once a quarter, see which ones you’re actually using. Trash the rest.
What to ignore: The urge to make your database perfect. “Good enough” is fine—focus on what helps you take action.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Contact management can spiral out of control if you let it. The best advice? Start simple. Import only what you need. Keep segmentation actionable. Review your setup every few months and tweak as you go. It’s better to have a solid, usable system than a fancy one that’s impossible to maintain.
If you’re stuck, take a break and come back fresh. Most mistakes aren’t fatal, and you can always clean up later. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s a contact list that actually helps you do your job.