If you’re running outbound campaigns, you know that sending the right message to the right people is everything. Spray-and-pray emails are a waste of everyone’s time—including yours. This guide is for anyone who wants to use Reply to actually target their outreach, not just dump a giant list and hope for the best.
I’ll walk you through how to segment and import contacts into Reply so you can build smarter campaigns—and avoid the headaches that come from messy lists or poor targeting.
Why Segmentation and Importing Matter (No, really)
Before we get into the “how,” let’s get real: segmentation isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between being ignored and getting replies. If you throw everyone into one giant list, you’ll end up with a lot of unsubscribes or, worse, spam reports.
What works: - Importing clean, well-segmented lists. - Using fields that actually mean something for your campaigns (like industry, role, or buying signals). - Taking 10 minutes up front to segment—so you don’t waste days cleaning up messes later.
What doesn’t work: - Relying on generic CSVs with no context. - Mixing cold and warm contacts in the same campaign. - Hoping Reply will magically know who belongs where. (It won’t.)
Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Get Your Contact List in Order
Don’t import junk. If your list is a mess, your campaigns will be a mess, too.
What you need before you import:
- A spreadsheet (CSV or Excel) with your contacts.
- At least these fields: Email (required), First Name, Last Name. Add others that actually matter (like Company, Job Title, Industry, or any segmentation tags you use).
- Consistent formatting—don’t mix up column names or dump entire mailing addresses into one cell.
- No duplicates. Seriously, check for them.
Pro tip:
If you’re using a list from LinkedIn, Apollo, or somewhere else, always open it in Excel or Google Sheets first and clean it up. Fix capitalization, remove weird characters, and double-check the email column. The extra 5 minutes is worth it.
Step 2: Decide How You’ll Segment
Here’s where you set yourself up for targeted campaigns later. Think about what actually makes your audience different. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Common segmentation fields: - Industry or vertical - Company size - Job title or seniority - Geography - Previous engagement (have they talked to you before?)
Don’t go wild with 20 columns unless you actually plan to use them. More fields = more room for errors.
What works:
A few high-impact fields that tie directly to your campaign messaging.
What to ignore:
Random details you’ll never use (e.g., “Favorite Color”). Keep it relevant.
Step 3: Prepare Your CSV for Reply
Reply eats up CSVs, but it’s picky about formatting. Here’s how to avoid headaches:
- First row = header row. Make sure your column names are clear and don’t repeat (e.g., don’t have two “Email” columns).
- No formulas or merged cells. Just plain data.
- UTF-8 encoding. If you see weird characters after upload, it’s probably an encoding issue. Export as UTF-8.
- No blank rows. Delete any empty lines at the end of your CSV.
Naming conventions:
Call your columns what they are: “First Name,” “Company,” “Industry.” You’ll map these in Reply, but clear names make it easier.
Step 4: Import Contacts into Reply
Here’s the step-by-step for actually getting those contacts into Reply:
- Log in to Reply.
- Go to the “People” section (sometimes called “Contacts” depending on updates).
- Click the “Import” or “Add People” button.
- Choose “Import from file (CSV/Excel).”
- Upload your file.
- Map your columns.
Reply will try to auto-detect, but ALWAYS double-check. Make sure “Email” maps to “Email,” “Company” to “Company,” etc. - Decide how to handle duplicates:
- Skip: Don’t import contacts that already exist.
- Update: Update existing contacts with new info from your file.
- Create new: (Not recommended—leads to duplicate chaos.)
- Pick a list or create a new one.
Lists help you organize contacts for future campaigns. - Confirm and start the import.
Heads up:
If you get an error, it’s almost always due to a formatting issue—missing required fields, weird characters, or duplicate emails.
Step 5: Tag or Segment Contacts in Reply
Importing is just the start. Now, tag your contacts so you can actually target them later.
How to use tags and custom fields: - In Reply, you can add tags to contacts (e.g., “Marketing Directors,” “SaaS,” “NYC”). - You can also create custom fields if you want to get more granular (like “Product Interest”). - Use filters to segment your lists—combine tags and fields to build super-targeted groups.
What works:
- Tagging by campaign relevance (e.g., “2024 Product Launch”).
- Using a consistent tagging system—don’t create a tag for “Marketing” and another for “marketing team.” Pick one and stick with it.
What to ignore:
- Over-tagging. If you create 50 tags, you’ll never use most of them.
Step 6: Build Your Campaigns Using Segments
Now you can actually use your segmented lists for targeted campaigns.
- Go to “Campaigns” in Reply.
- Click “New Campaign.”
- Choose your audience—filter by tags, lists, or custom fields.
- Double-check who’s in your segment before launching. (Seriously, check. You don’t want to send a “Hi, CTO!” email to a marketing intern.)
- Personalize your messaging using the fields you imported.
- Hit send (or schedule).
Pro tip:
Start with a small test batch. Make sure your emails look right, the fields merge properly, and you’re not embarrassing yourself by sending “Hi ,” to anyone.
What to Skip (For Now)
There’s a lot of hype about “AI-powered segmentation” or “predictive lead scoring.” Unless you’re running massive, high-volume campaigns, focus on doing the basics well:
- Clean data.
- Relevant segments.
- Actual personalization.
You can always get fancier later, but 90% of results come from getting the fundamentals right.
Troubleshooting: Common Import and Segmentation Issues
Problem: Contacts aren’t importing
Fix: Check your CSV formatting. Make sure the “Email” column exists, there are no blank rows, and text encoding is UTF-8.
Problem: Duplicate contacts
Fix: Use the “Skip duplicates” option, and clean your list before importing. Reply won’t always catch subtle differences (like extra spaces).
Problem: Fields not mapping correctly
Fix: Double-check your CSV headers and mapping step. If necessary, rename columns in your file to match what Reply expects.
Problem: Segments are too broad or too narrow
Fix: Adjust your tags or custom fields. Sometimes it’s easier to update inside Reply after import.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t need a PhD in CRM to do this well. Start with one or two segments, import a clean list, and run a small campaign. Learn what works, tweak as you go, and keep your data tidy. Overcomplicating things is where most people get stuck.
Bottom line: Segment smart. Import clean. Don’t overthink it. The more you do this, the easier it gets. Good luck!