If you’re sitting on a pile of old emails and names, you know the pain: outdated info, missing titles, no phone numbers, and half the LinkedIn URLs are probably dead. But before you toss that list or spend hours Googling, there’s a smarter way—data enrichment tools. This is for marketers, founders, and sales folks who need to squeeze more value from what they already have. Let’s walk through how you can use Aeroleads to breathe new life into those stale contact lists.
Why Bother Enriching Old Contact Lists?
Let’s be blunt: an old contact list is mostly dead weight unless you bring it up to date. Here’s what data enrichment can actually do for you:
- Find missing info: Job titles, company names, direct phone numbers, and real LinkedIn URLs.
- Update what’s changed: People move jobs and companies all the time. A list from even a year ago is probably way off.
- Segment smarter: More data means better targeting—no more “spray and pray” emails.
But don’t expect miracles. No tool is perfect, and enriched data can still be off. Treat it as a starting point, not gospel.
Step 1: Get Your Contact List Ready
Before you touch a tool, clean up what you have. Garbage in, garbage out:
- Standardize your headers. Use columns like “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Email,” “Company,” and “Website.”
- Remove obvious junk. Delete rows without emails or with fake addresses.
- Save as CSV. Aeroleads works best with .csv files. Excel or Google Sheets can export to this.
Pro tip: The less clutter in your file, the less likely the tool will choke or spit out weird matches.
Step 2: Sign Up and Get Oriented with Aeroleads
Head over to Aeroleads and sign up for a free trial or a paid plan. They’ll push you toward their Chrome extension, but for list enrichment, you can work directly from their web dashboard.
What’s good: - Simple interface, not a lot of fluff. - Credits are easy to track, so you know when you’re running out.
What to ignore: - All the “real-time prospecting” hype if you’re just enriching a static list. That’s a different workflow.
Step 3: Upload Your List for Enrichment
Here’s where things get real:
- Find the “Upload” or “Bulk Upload” option in the Aeroleads dashboard.
- Upload your cleaned .csv file. Map your columns to the fields Aeroleads expects (they’ll prompt you).
- Select enrichment options. Usually, you can pick what you want: emails, phone numbers, company, etc.
Heads up: Aeroleads burns credits for each successful result, not just each row you upload. Failed matches usually don’t count against you, but double-check their policy in case it changes.
Step 4: Let Aeroleads Do Its Thing (and Watch for Issues)
After you upload, Aeroleads goes to work matching and adding data. Depending on your file size, this can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to an hour.
What to watch: - Match rate: Don’t expect 100%. For older or obscure lists, 30-50% is common. B2B data is messy. - Field accuracy: Phone numbers and LinkedIn URLs are usually better than personal emails, which can be hit or miss.
What doesn’t work well: - Lists with only first names and no emails. The more info you give, the better the matches. - Super-niche industries or non-English names—most tools struggle here.
Step 5: Review and Download the Results
Don’t blindly trust the output. Take a few minutes to spot-check:
- Scan the results in Aeroleads. Look for weird or obviously wrong data—sometimes company names get mismatched.
- Export the enriched file. Usually another .csv, which you can pull right back into Excel, Sheets, or your CRM.
Pro tip: Randomly pick 5–10 rows and Google the info, especially if you’re about to email these people. If something looks off, it probably is.
Step 6: Clean Up and Merge with Your Original Database
You probably don’t want to overwrite your original data. Here’s a sane approach:
- Keep old and new data side-by-side for a while. Add new columns, don’t replace.
- Use formulas or scripts to fill in blanks or update only if the new info is better.
- Flag “no match” rows so you don’t waste time on duds.
If you’re using a CRM, import carefully. Most major platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) have import wizards—use them, and always back up first.
Step 7: Put the Data to Work—But Don’t Get Sloppy
Now you’ve got a cleaner, richer list. Here’s what to do next:
- Segment by role, company size, or industry. Don’t just send a giant blast.
- Double-check compliance. For EU or California contacts, make sure you’re not breaking privacy laws.
- Test a small batch. Send your first emails to 10–20 people and watch for bounces or angry replies.
What to avoid:
Blasting out emails to the full list. Trust but verify—nothing tanks your sender reputation faster than a mess of bounces.
Honest Pros & Cons of Using Aeroleads for List Enrichment
What works: - Easy to use, even for non-technical folks. - Decent results if your input data is good. - Saves you a ton of manual research time.
What doesn’t: - Match rates can be low for older or obscure contacts. - Data isn’t always fresh—people change jobs constantly, and no tool is magic. - You still need to do a manual review. Automation gets you 80% of the way.
Ignore the hype:
You will not get 100% verified, super-accurate data for every contact. No tool can promise that—not Aeroleads, not anyone.
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of Aeroleads
- Start small. Run a small batch before burning all your credits.
- Combine with LinkedIn. If Aeroleads can’t find info, sometimes a quick LinkedIn search fills the gaps.
- Keep your lists fresh. Enrichment is a snapshot, not a set-it-and-forget-it fix. Update quarterly if you can.
- Don’t just collect data—use it. More info is only good if you actually act on it.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Enriching your old contact lists with Aeroleads isn’t rocket science. Clean your file, upload, spot-check, and put the new data to work. Don’t get sucked into chasing every last detail or expecting perfection. Start small, learn what works for your audience, and keep refining. The goal isn’t a perfectly polished database—it’s to spend less time guessing and more time reaching people who might actually care.