So you’ve got a pile of B2B leads in your marketing database. Some are red-hot, others are duds, most are... somewhere in between. You want to target the right people, not just blast everyone with the same message. If you’re using Ortto, you’ve probably seen the “dynamic filters” feature, but maybe you’re not sure how to actually use it for B2B lead segmentation that works in the real world.
This guide is for marketers, sales ops, and anyone tired of crossing their fingers and hoping their emails get through to the right accounts. No hype, just honest steps to get you from “spray and pray” to “actually targeting people who care.”
Why Segmentation in Ortto Actually Matters
Let’s be real: most B2B databases are a mess. Lists pulled from trade shows, webinar signups, maybe a few scraped contacts from LinkedIn. If you treat all these leads the same, you’ll waste money, annoy prospects, and make it harder for sales to close real deals.
Segmentation is about grouping leads by what matters—industry, company size, role, behavior, whatever lets you talk to them like humans instead of just “contacts.” Dynamic filters in Ortto let you build these groups (segments) and have them update automatically as new data comes in.
Dynamic filtering isn’t magic. It just saves you from having to run a new search every week or (worse) blasting your whole list with a generic pitch. Used right, it keeps your targeting sharp and your team’s sanity intact.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Dynamic filters are only as good as the data you feed them. If your fields are a mess—think “Job Title” sometimes being “Director” and other times “Dir.” or “D”—your segments won’t make sense.
Checklist before you start: - Make sure key fields (company, industry, job title, company size, etc.) are filled in for most leads. - Standardize field values where possible. Use picklists/dropdowns in Ortto when you can. - Ditch obvious junk: test emails, personal Gmail/Yahoo addresses (unless you’re targeting small business), or contacts with no activity.
Pro Tip:
Don’t obsess over perfection. If you wait for 100% clean data, you’ll never start. Just know your data’s flaws, and fix the biggest ones first.
Step 2: Define Segmentation Criteria That Matter (Don’t Overcomplicate It)
You could segment by 20 different things, but most B2B teams only need a few. Focus on what actually impacts buying decisions or messaging.
Common, useful B2B segmentation criteria: - Industry (e.g., SaaS, manufacturing, healthcare) - Company size (by employee count or revenue) - Seniority or role (decision maker vs. end user) - Engagement/behavior (downloaded a whitepaper, visited pricing page, opened last 2 emails) - Geography (if you sell differently by region or have territory-based reps)
Ignore:
- Super granular segments (e.g., “CMOs at companies with exactly 37 employees in Nebraska”) unless you have a massive list or niche use case.
- Vanity fields nobody actually uses, like “Favorite Color” (seriously, I’ve seen this).
Gut check: If you can’t explain why you need a segment to someone on your team in two sentences, it’s probably too complex.
Step 3: Build Segments with Ortto’s Dynamic Filters
Here’s where you actually use Ortto’s dynamic filters to set up your segments. It’s point-and-click, but there are some easy pitfalls.
How To Build a Segment
- Go to the “Audiences” or “Segments” section in Ortto.
- Click “Create new segment.”
- Set up your filters. For example:
- “Industry is SaaS”
- “Job Title contains ‘Director’ or ‘VP’”
- “Company size is greater than 100”
- Add behavioral filters for smarter targeting:
- “Opened an email in last 30 days”
- “Visited pricing page more than once”
- “Attended a webinar”
- Give your segment a clear name. (“SaaS Decision Makers - Engaged” beats “Segment 1” every time.)
- Save. Ortto will now keep this segment up-to-date as leads change or new ones flow in.
What’s Dynamic About It?
If a new lead matches your criteria tomorrow, they’ll be added automatically. If someone stops fitting, they drop out. No manual updates.
Things That Trip People Up
- Overlapping Segments: Leads can end up in multiple segments. That’s fine, just watch for conflicting campaigns.
- Too Many Filters: The more rules you add, the smaller (and riskier) your segment gets. Start broad, then narrow if you must.
- Missing Data: If your filter is “Job Title contains Director” and half your leads have no job title, you’re losing good contacts.
Pro Tip:
Test your segment size before using it in a campaign. If it’s pulling in 10 leads instead of the 500 you expected, check your logic or data quality.
Step 4: Put Segments to Work (Don’t Just Admire Them)
It’s easy to build segments, pat yourself on the back, and... never actually use them. Here’s what to do with your new dynamic segments:
- Personalized Email Campaigns:
Send content that’s actually relevant. Example: “How SaaS companies can cut churn” to SaaS execs, not generic “Check out our product!” blasts. - Sales Alerts:
Trigger a notification to sales when a lead enters a high-value segment (“VP at $10M+ company just downloaded our case study”). - Ad Audiences:
Sync your segments to LinkedIn or Facebook for targeted ads. (Ortto can connect to ad platforms, but double-check your integration settings.) - Lead Scoring:
Use segments to assign scores for “most likely to buy” instead of just “most recent activity.”
Avoid:
- Creating segments just because you can. If you’re not going to use them, skip it.
- Over-segmenting and ending up with a bunch of micro-lists nobody ever targets.
Step 5: Review, Test, and Tune (This is Where Most People Slack Off)
Segmentation isn’t “set it and forget it.” You need to check if your filters are working and your campaigns are hitting the right people.
What to check regularly: - Are leads flowing in and out of segments like you expect? - Is your segment size growing or shrinking? - Are campaigns to each segment performing better than generic blasts? (Open rates, replies, conversions—not just “sent” numbers.) - Are you getting complaints (“Why did I get this?”) from leads who don’t fit?
If something smells off: - Revisit your filters. Maybe your “Director” job title rule is missing “Head of” roles. - Fix your data. If half your leads are missing company size, consider making that a required field on forms. - Combine or kill underperforming segments. Fewer, better segments beat dozens of unused ones.
Pro Tip:
Keep a list (even a spreadsheet) of your active segments and what campaigns use them. Otherwise, you’ll forget what’s what in six months.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
Works: - Keeping segments simple at first. - Using both firmographic (company stuff) and behavioral (actions taken) filters. - Naming segments clearly so anyone can understand them.
Doesn’t Work: - Building segments for every possible scenario “just in case.” - Relying on fields that are never filled in. - Assuming your job is done once the segment is set up.
Ignore the noise:
You don’t need AI, predictive scoring, or a multi-step nurture for every segment. Start with the basics—get that right, and you’ll already be ahead of most teams.
The Bottom Line
Dynamic filters in Ortto are a solid way to keep your B2B segmentation sharp, but only if your data’s halfway decent and your segments are tied to real actions. Don’t overthink it. Start with a couple of segments that map to real business goals, use them, and tweak as you go. Most of the value comes from just sending better, more relevant stuff to the right people—no rocket science required.