If you run campaigns and want to reach the right people, you know your contact list is half the battle. But the “how” of actually getting your list into a tool, cleaning it up, and slicing it into useful groups? That’s where most folks get stuck. This guide is for anyone using Meet who wants their contact lists to actually work for targeted campaigns, without wasting hours wrestling CSV files or falling for buzzwords like “AI-powered audience intelligence.”
Let’s cut through the noise and get your contacts organized for real results.
Step 1: Prep Your Contact List Before You Import
Before you even open Meet, do yourself a favor: clean up your list. The better your data going in, the less you’ll want to pull your hair out later.
- Start with a spreadsheet. Excel or Google Sheets is fine.
- Stick to the basics: First name, last name, email address, maybe company or role if that matters for your campaigns.
- No weird formatting. Avoid merged cells, extra header rows, or comments in the file.
- Watch out for duplicates. Meet will try to help, but it’s always better to clean these up ahead of time.
- Check for missing emails. No email, no campaign. Fill gaps or delete those rows.
Pro tip: If you’re pulling a list from a CRM or website export, open it and scan for columns you’ll actually use. Ditch the rest.
Step 2: Import Contacts into Meet
Now, let’s get your list into Meet. You basically have two routes: manual entry (fine for a handful of contacts; tedious for more), or uploading a file (the way most people should go).
A. Uploading a File
- Save your list as a CSV. That’s usually “File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv)” in Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open Meet and go to Contacts.
- Look for an “Import” or “Upload Contacts” button. If you don’t see it, check the sidebar or the top-right menu—it’s rarely buried.
- Select your CSV file and start the import.
- Meet should show you a preview. Make sure columns line up—sometimes the importer guesses wrong.
- Map columns if prompted. Double-check that “email” matches to “email”—not “address” or some other field.
- Watch for errors or warnings.
- Skipped rows? Duplicates? Invalid emails? Meet should flag these. Decide whether to fix them now or ignore.
- Confirm and finish the import.
- Don’t close your browser until it’s done. Most imports are quick, but big lists can take a few minutes.
B. Manual Entry (If You Must)
- Hit “Add Contact” and fill in the details. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. You get the idea: only do this for one-offs.
What works: Importing from a clean CSV is 10x faster and less error-prone.
What doesn’t: Copy-pasting giant lists rarely ends well. Formatting gets mangled, and you’ll spend double the time fixing it.
Step 3: Check for Duplicates and Errors
Don’t assume everything imported perfectly. Even good platforms like Meet can’t read your mind.
- Sort by email address. Do you see repeats? Remove extras or merge them if Meet gives you that option.
- Scan for blank names or weird entries. Sometimes columns shift and you get odd data in the wrong fields.
- Bounce back to your original spreadsheet if you spot a pattern—like every phone number is off by a digit. Fix once, re-import if needed.
Pro tip: If you’re importing a huge list, try a small test batch first. That way, if something explodes, you don’t have to clean up 5,000 rows.
Step 4: Segment Your Contacts for Targeted Campaigns
Here’s where most marketing tools overpromise and underdeliver. “Segmentation” just means breaking your big list into smaller groups you can actually use. The trick is to keep it practical.
A. Decide How You Want to Segment
Ask yourself: What groups do I actually want to message differently? Some ideas:
- By role or job title (e.g., managers vs. staff)
- By company or industry
- By engagement (opened last campaign, clicked, etc.)
- By location (city, state, country)
Skip the fancy stuff unless you really need it. Over-segmenting just gives you more lists to manage and less data per group.
B. Tag or Group Contacts in Meet
Most platforms, including Meet, offer ways to “tag” or “group” contacts. Here’s how to keep it simple:
- In Meet, find the segmenting option.
- Look for buttons labeled “Tags,” “Lists,” “Groups,” or “Segments.”
- Create your first tag or group.
- Name it something obvious: “NYC Conference 2024,” “Customers,” “Leads,” etc.
- Select contacts to add to the group.
- Use search or filters—by email domain, company, or any field.
- Bulk-select and apply your tag/group.
C. (Optional) Use Filters for Quick Segments
If you don’t want to maintain lots of static groups, use filters:
- Filter contacts by any field (e.g., all with “@company.com” emails).
- Save frequent filters if Meet allows. That way, you don’t reinvent the wheel each time.
What works: Start broad, then narrow down. It’s easier to split one big group than wrangle a dozen tiny ones.
What doesn’t: Don’t tag every little thing. You’ll just end up with “tag soup” and no idea who’s who.
Step 5: Test Your Segments Before Sending a Campaign
You’ve got your groups—now make sure they’re not garbage.
- Preview the contacts in each segment. Do they make sense? Any randoms sneak in?
- Send a test campaign to yourself or a colleague. Double-check the emails look right, and the right group gets the right message.
- Fix mistakes before you blast. Better to catch it now than after 2,000 people get the wrong offer.
Step 6: Maintain and Update Your Lists
Contact lists aren’t “set it and forget it.” People change jobs, leave companies, or just don’t care anymore.
- Clean up bounces and unsubscribes. Meet should help flag these. Remove or suppress them regularly.
- Update segments as your needs change. Don’t be afraid to merge groups or delete old tags.
- Re-import new contacts periodically. Just don’t create duplicates—some tools let you “update existing” on import.
What works: A quarterly clean-up is usually enough for most teams.
What doesn’t: Letting your list rot for years. That’s how you end up with a 30% bounce rate.
Stuff You Can Ignore (For Now)
You’ll see a lot of noise about “AI-powered segmentation,” “predictive lists,” and “hyper-personalization.” Here’s the truth:
- Most of these features are buzzwords or only help if you have a massive, complex list.
- For 99% of campaigns, simple segments by role, company, or engagement are more than enough.
- Focus on getting the basics right—clean imports, clear segments, and not annoying your contacts.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Importing and segmenting contacts in Meet isn’t rocket science, but it does pay to take your time up front. Clean lists and simple segments beat fancy tools every time. Start with the basics, run a few campaigns, and tweak things as you learn.
Don’t chase the latest shiny feature unless it actually solves a problem you have. And if you run into trouble, chances are it’s a formatting issue or a segment that’s gotten too complicated. Go back, simplify, and keep moving.
Happy campaigning—and remember: the best list is the one you actually use.