If you’ve got a pile of B2B contacts and want to actually do something with them—like send the right message to the right people—this guide is for you. Segmentation isn’t just for massive sales teams or analytics nerds. It’s for any team that wants to stop wasting time and start getting responses. Here’s how to make your lists smarter using advanced filters in Keycontacts, without drowning in features or sales jargon.
Why Bother Segmenting Your Contacts?
Let’s get this out of the way: blasting every contact with the same pitch is a waste of everyone’s time. Segmentation means slicing your contact list into useful groups—so you can target, personalize, and actually see results.
Segmented lists help you: - Send relevant emails that don’t get ignored. - Prioritize your best-fit leads. - Avoid burning bridges with the wrong pitch.
But not every filter is worth your time, and more complexity isn’t always smarter. Let’s focus on what actually works.
Step 1: Get Your Data in Shape
Before you play with filters, make sure your contacts are worth segmenting. Garbage in, garbage out.
What matters: - Complete records: At minimum, you want company, job title, industry, and location. If you’re missing a lot, basic segmentation won’t work. - Consistent formatting: “VP Marketing” and “Vice President, Marketing” are the same thing—standardize them. - Duplicates: Merge or delete. Don’t waste time pitching the same person twice.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over perfect data. Just get the basics right. You can always clean up as you go.
Step 2: Decide What Segments Matter (and Ignore What Doesn’t)
It’s tempting to create a million segments (“Chicago SaaS CTOs who like dogs!”), but most of them won’t be useful. Focus on segments that actually help you take action.
Start with these: - Industry: Obvious, but powerful. Your approach to healthcare is different from fintech. - Company size: Messaging for a 10-person startup isn’t the same as for a 5,000-person enterprise. - Job function and seniority: Are you talking to decision-makers, or folks who pass on info? - Recent activity: If you track opens, clicks, or replies, segment by who’s actually engaged.
Usually not worth it: - Hyper-specific segments with just a handful of contacts. - Vanity data like “contacted via LinkedIn” unless you see a clear pattern.
Start simple. You can always add nuance later.
Step 3: Use Advanced Filters (The Right Way)
This is where Keycontacts’ advanced filters actually shine—if you use them with a plan.
Basic Filtering
- Single-field filters: Filter by one field at a time, like “Industry = Manufacturing.”
- Range filters: Great for company size or revenue. E.g., “Employees between 50 and 250.”
Combining Filters
- Stack filters: Combine fields to drill down. Example: “Industry = Software” and “Job Title contains ‘VP’.”
- Exclude contacts: Don’t forget negative filters. E.g., exclude customers or companies you already contacted.
Saved Segments
If you find yourself using the same filter combo over and over, save it as a segment. This saves time and keeps your team on the same page.
Pro tip: Name segments clearly. “2024 Q3 Target List” is better than “Segment 7b.”
Step 4: Build Segments That Fit Your Workflow
You don’t need to use every possible filter. Build segments that actually help you get work done.
Real-world ideas: - New leads: Contacts added in the last 30 days, not yet contacted. - Old but engaged: Anyone who opened an email in the last 90 days but didn’t reply. - Decision-makers in target industries: “Industry = Finance” AND “Title contains ‘Director’ or ‘VP’.” - At-risk customers: Current clients flagged as “Low Engagement” or “Churn risk.”
What to skip: - Segments you never use. If a segment sits untouched for months, delete it. - Overlapping segments that just confuse things. Clarity beats coverage.
Step 5: Test, Tweak, and Keep It Simple
You’ll never get segmentation perfect on the first try. That’s normal. The best teams keep it simple and adjust as they learn what works.
- Run small experiments: Try a segment, see how it performs, and refine. Don’t overhaul your whole system based on a hunch.
- Review regularly: Every quarter, look at your segments. Prune what’s not working.
- Get feedback: Sales and marketing should tell you if segments are useful—or just extra noise.
Watch out for: - Making segments so specific you end up with 5 people in them. - Relying on data you can’t keep updated (like “last event attended” if you don’t track it).
Advanced Tricks (If You’re Ready)
If you’ve nailed the basics, consider a few advanced moves. But don’t overcomplicate things for the sake of it.
- Layer in engagement data: Use email opens, clicks, or meeting attendance to find hot leads.
- Use custom fields: If you have niche data (like product interest), filter on it—but only if you actually use it.
- Dynamic segments: Some tools (like Keycontacts) let segments auto-update as data changes. This is great for “always-fresh” lists but make sure you trust your data.
Be skeptical of: - Overhyped “AI segmentation” features. They can be cool, but they won’t replace good, thoughtful criteria any time soon. - Black-box scoring systems. If you can’t explain why someone’s in a segment, you probably shouldn’t act on it.
Quick Troubleshooting: Why Isn’t My Segmentation Working?
- Bad data: Missing fields or inconsistent info will mess up your filters.
- Too many filters: If no one shows up in your segment, you’re being too picky.
- Changing definitions: Make sure your team agrees on what each segment means.
If something feels off, simplify your filters and start again. It’s usually a data or clarity problem, not a software one.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Useful, Not Complicated
The real point of segmenting B2B contacts in Keycontacts is to do something useful—not to build the fanciest segment tree you can imagine. Start with clear, actionable groups. Use filters that fit your actual workflow. Don’t get sucked into endless tweaking.
Segmentation isn’t a one-and-done thing. Build, test, and adjust as you go. If a segment helps you take better action, keep it. If not, toss it. Simple as that.
Now go clean up those lists and make your outreach a little smarter.