If you're reading this, you're probably tired of blasting the same email to every contact in your CRM and hoping for the best. You want your outbound campaigns to actually land with the right people. This guide is for marketers, sales folks, and anyone who uses Hubspot and needs a no-nonsense, real-world approach to segmentation that actually works—not just in theory, but when you're juggling a million other things.
Why Segmentation Matters (and How Hubspot Actually Helps)
Before you start fiddling with filters and lists, let's get real: segmentation is about sending the right message to the right person, not just ticking boxes. If you treat your contacts like a faceless blob, expect results to match.
Hubspot makes segmentation possible for most teams, but the reality is: it's only as smart as the data you have and the logic you use.
Here’s what works: - Segmenting by real behaviors (opened, clicked, replied, visited your site) - Using clear, simple criteria (industry, job title, lifecycle stage) - Regularly cleaning your lists
What doesn’t work: - Segmenting by “wishful thinking” (e.g., labels that aren’t actually filled in) - Overcomplicating with 20+ tiny segments you forget to use - Relying on incomplete or messy data
Ready to stop sending emails into the void? Let’s dig in.
Step 1: Get Your Data in Decent Shape
You can’t segment what you can’t see. If your contact data is a mess, start here. Don’t skip this, even if it’s boring.
Key fields to check: - Email - Name - Company - Job title - Industry - Lifecycle stage (Lead, Marketing Qualified Lead, Customer, etc.) - Last contacted / last activity date
Pro tip: Run a quick export of your contacts and look for blank or weird fields. If 40% of your contacts are missing job titles, don’t build a segment on that (yet).
What to ignore: Don’t obsess about “data enrichment” tools unless you have the budget and time. Manual clean-up or a simple import with correct fields goes a long way.
Step 2: Map Out Who You Actually Want to Target
Don’t let “segmenting” become another word for “guessing.” Be specific:
- Are you targeting new leads who’ve never replied?
- Customers who haven’t bought in 6 months?
- CEOs in SaaS companies in California?
Write down who you want to reach and what makes them different. This will save you hours inside Hubspot later.
Reality check: If you’re not sure who you should target, talk to your sales team (or just look at who actually replies to your emails).
Step 3: Choose Your Segmentation Method in Hubspot
Hubspot gives you a few options for splitting up contacts:
1. Static Lists
- What it is: A snapshot in time. Contacts added once, not updated automatically.
- When to use: One-off campaigns, events, or very specific manual lists.
- Limitations: Gets outdated fast if your contact list is changing often.
2. Active Lists
- What it is: Dynamic. Contacts are added or removed based on criteria you set—always up to date.
- When to use: Ongoing campaigns, nurturing, or when you want lists to stay fresh.
- Limitations: Can get confusing if you create too many overlapping lists.
3. Filters (Views)
- What it is: Quick, on-the-fly filtering inside the Contacts tab.
- When to use: For finding and exporting a group fast, or checking your data.
- Limitations: Not as useful for campaigns—you can’t email a filter.
Cut through the noise: Almost everyone should use Active Lists for outbound. Static lists are fine for small, one-off sends, but you’ll forget to update them.
Step 4: Build Your First Useful Segment
Let’s walk through a basic, but highly effective, segment: “Decision-makers in target industries who haven’t been contacted in the last 60 days.”
1. Go to Contacts > Lists
- Click “Create list”
- Choose “Active list” (unless you have a good reason not to)
2. Set Your Filters
- Job Title: Contains “Director” OR “VP” OR “Chief” OR “Head” (or whatever makes sense for your targets)
- Industry: Is any of [“Software”, “Consulting”, “Healthcare”, etc.]
- Last contacted: Is more than 60 days ago
You can add more, but don’t go wild. Stick to 3-4 key criteria max.
3. Give Your List a Clear Name
“Uncontacted SaaS Decision Makers – 60 Days” beats “Outreach List 2024 Q2 Final FINAL.”
4. Save and Review
- Double-check who’s in your list. Spot-check a few records to make sure the right people are included.
- If the list is too small, loosen your criteria.
- If it’s huge and unfocused, tighten them up.
Pro tip: If your data is spotty (e.g., missing job titles), adjust your filters or consider adding a fallback, like “Contact owner is known” or “Contact has been assigned a lifecycle stage.”
Step 5: Test and Iterate
Don’t assume your first segment is perfect. After you run a campaign:
- Check open and reply rates by segment.
- Update your filters if your results are weak.
- Archive or delete segments you’re not using—clutter is the enemy.
What to ignore: Don’t get sucked into creating dozens of micro-segments for every possible scenario. You’ll end up with “analysis paralysis” and little to show for it.
Step 6: Use Segments in Outbound Campaigns
Now the fun part: actually using your segments.
- When creating an email or sequence, select your active list as the audience.
- Personalize your messaging based on what you know (industry, job title, previous activity).
- Set reminders to review and refresh your segments every quarter or so.
Pro tip: If you’re sending a cold outbound campaign, always exclude current customers and people who have opted out. (Hubspot makes this easy.)
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Outdated lists: Don’t use static lists for ongoing campaigns.
- Messy data: Garbage in, garbage out. If your segmentation doesn’t seem to work, check your contact fields first.
- Over-segmentation: More lists ≠ better results. Focus on the segments that matter most.
- Ignoring engagement: Targeting people who never open emails is a waste of time.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Segmentation in Hubspot doesn’t need to be complicated. Start with a few high-impact segments, use them, and see what actually works. Update your lists as your business (and your data) changes. Don’t fall for the myth that more complex = more effective.
If you keep it simple and focus on what you actually know about your contacts, you’ll get better results—and spend less time lost in dropdown menus.