If you’re running outbound or nurture campaigns, your list is everything. Messy contacts mean wasted time, annoyed prospects, and campaigns that flop. This is for marketers, founders, and sales folks who want practical ways to get more out of Lemlist—not just another list of features. Let’s get into what actually works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to managing and segmenting your contacts for targeted campaigns.
1. Start With the Right Data — Or Don’t Bother
Before you even open Lemlist, look at your raw contact data. If you’re pulling lists off LinkedIn, scraping, or buying leads, you’re probably starting with some junk. Here’s what to do first:
- Ditch obvious trash: Remove bounces, generic emails (info@, sales@), and duplicates before import.
- Fill in the blanks: The more gaps in your data, the less you can personalize. At minimum, have first name, last name, and company.
- Standardize fields: Make sure job titles, industries, and locations are consistent. “VP Sales” and “Vice President of Sales” are the same thing—pick one format.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a big list, use a spreadsheet to clean things up before you ever touch Lemlist. It’s faster and less painful.
2. Organize Your Lemlist Lists From Day One
Lemlist lets you create lists (“campaigns” and “segments” in their lingo), but it’s easy to end up with a spaghetti mess if you’re not careful.
How to keep things simple:
- Create lists based on use—not just source. If you run multiple campaigns (e.g., cold outreach, webinar invites), make a list for each purpose, not just “Q2 Leads.”
- Name lists clearly. “SaaS CEOs - US - Q2 2024” beats “List 1.”
- Avoid dumping everything into one mega-list. You’ll regret it when you try to segment later.
What doesn’t work: Trying to fix list chaos after the fact. Spend five extra minutes naming and organizing up front—it’ll save hours later.
3. Use Custom Fields to Enable Smart Segmentation
Lemlist supports custom fields, which is where the real targeting power lives. If you want to send different messages to different people, you need details to sort by.
What to set up:
- Role, industry, company size, location—whatever matters for your campaign.
- Intent signals or tags (e.g., “attended webinar,” “requested demo,” “existing customer”). Don’t overthink it, just pick what’s actionable.
- Date fields so you can filter by recent signups, last contacted, etc.
How to use them:
- When you import, map your spreadsheet columns to Lemlist’s fields (including custom ones).
- Update these fields regularly—either manually or by re-importing with updated data.
What to ignore: Adding a bunch of fields you never use. Only track what you’ll actually segment or personalize with.
4. Segment for Relevance, Not Just for the Sake of It
It’s tempting to slice your audience into tiny groups, but more segments isn’t always better. The goal is to make your message feel personal, not to make your life harder.
Smart ways to segment:
- By persona: e.g., “Marketing Directors” vs. “Sales Managers”
- By company size or industry
- By engagement: “Opened last email,” “Clicked link,” or “Never replied”
- By stage in your funnel: New prospects, warm leads, existing users
When segmentation goes wrong:
- If your segments are too small, you’ll spend more time than it’s worth.
- If you don’t actually change your messaging for each segment, you’re just adding busywork.
Practical test: If you wouldn’t write a different email for a segment, don’t bother making it.
5. Keep Your Lists Clean — And Prune Ruthlessly
Old, stale contacts kill your deliverability and waste your effort. Lemlist has some basic hygiene features, but you need to stay on top of it.
Regular cleaning routines:
- Remove bounces and unsubscribes every month.
- Archive non-responders after 2-3 campaigns. Don’t keep hammering inboxes that never reply.
- Spot-check for typos and weird entries (you’ll be surprised what slips through).
Pro tip: Use Lemlist’s built-in filters to quickly find contacts who haven’t engaged in months. Delete or export them—they’re dead weight.
6. Use Tags for Flexible, Ad-Hoc Segmentation
Sometimes you need to group contacts on the fly—this is where tags come in. Tags can be layered on top of lists and segments for extra flexibility.
How to use tags well:
- Tag contacts based on campaign actions (“invited-to-webinar,” “clicked-demo-link”).
- Use tags for temporary groupings (“VIP prospects,” “needs follow-up”).
- Combine tags with filters to pull up just the right group.
What not to do: Don’t turn tags into a second list system. Too many tags = confusion.
7. Automate Where You Can (But Don’t Trust It Blindly)
Lemlist offers some automations (like auto-archiving bounced emails, or syncing via Zapier). Use them, but keep an eye on things—they’re not foolproof.
What’s worth automating:
- Syncing with your CRM: Keep fields and statuses up to date.
- Auto-tagging based on actions: E.g., add a “clicked” tag if someone hits your link.
- Removing bounces/unsubscribes: Let Lemlist handle this so you’re not chasing ghosts.
Stay skeptical: Automations break. Double-check that they’re working as expected, especially after any major changes to your campaigns or integrations.
8. Test, Iterate, and Don’t Get Precious
No list is perfect, and what works this month might flop next month. The best marketers treat their lists as living things.
What to do:
- Test different segmentation strategies. If one approach isn’t getting replies, try new angles (e.g., by seniority instead of by industry).
- Don’t be afraid to merge or split segments if your results change or your audience shifts.
- Review your metrics after every campaign—opens, replies, and bounce rates tell you if your targeting’s on point.
What to ignore: That feeling you need to get everything perfect before you launch. Start small, get feedback, then tweak.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
You don’t need a PhD in list management. Most teams overcomplicate things and end up with a tangle of lists, tags, and fields they never use. Focus on clean data, clear segments, and regular cleanup. Use Lemlist’s features, but don’t become a slave to them. The goal is simple: the right message to the right person, as easily as possible. Iterate, learn, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.