If you’re tired of blasting out the same message to every lead and getting ignored, this is for you. Segmentation isn’t just busywork—it’s how you stop annoying people and start getting replies. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to segment leads inside Aeroleads so your outreach actually lands.
You don’t need to be a marketing wizard. You just need to know what to do (and what to skip). Let’s get to it.
Why Segment Your Leads Anyway?
You can have the fanciest outreach tools in the world, but if you treat a startup founder the same way you treat a Fortune 500 VP, you’re wasting your time. Here’s why segmentation matters:
- Relevance = Replies: People tune out generic messages. Segmentation lets you speak to their world.
- Higher conversion rates: The more your message matches their situation, the more likely they’ll bite.
- Less churn, less spam: You look more human and less like a robot.
But don’t overthink it. You don’t need 20 segments. Start with a few that make sense for your goals.
Step 1: Get Your Leads Into Aeroleads
Before you can segment anything, you need some leads in your Aeroleads account. There are a few ways to do this:
- Aeroleads Chrome Extension: Use it to scrape leads from LinkedIn, Crunchbase, or company websites.
- Manual Import: Got a CSV? Import it right from the dashboard.
- Manual Add: You can add leads one-by-one, but honestly, that gets old fast.
Pro tip: Check your imported data for messy fields or duplicates. Clean data = easier segmentation later.
Step 2: Decide How You Want to Segment
Don’t just copy what you see in blog posts. Think about your actual outreach goals. Here are the most practical ways to segment:
- Industry or vertical (e.g., SaaS, healthcare, retail)
- Job title or seniority (e.g., CMO vs. Marketing Associate)
- Company size (startup vs. enterprise)
- Location (country, region, or even city if it matters)
- Lead source (where you found them)
- Intent or interest (did they download something, attend a webinar, etc.?)
A few real-world examples: - Selling software? Segment by company size and job title. - Promoting an event? Segment by location. - Running a cold email campaign? Start broad, then refine based on replies.
What to skip: Useless or empty fields (like “fax number”). Don’t waste time segmenting by data you’ll never use.
Step 3: Tagging and Custom Fields in Aeroleads
Aeroleads doesn’t have a magical “segment” button, but it gives you tools to group leads:
Using Tags
- When you’re viewing a lead, you can add tags like “SaaS,” “NYC,” or “Decision Maker.”
- You can add as many tags as you want—just don’t go wild or you’ll never keep track.
- Tags can be edited or removed anytime.
Creating Custom Fields
- If Aeroleads’ default fields aren’t enough, you can create your own (like “Event Attended” or “Referral Source”).
- Go to the settings or import process and add your custom fields.
- Keep these simple and consistent. “Industry” should be the same everywhere—not “IT” in one place and “Information Technology” in another.
What works: Tagging is fast and flexible, especially for smaller lists. Custom fields are better for filtering and reporting, but take a bit more setup.
What doesn’t: Overcomplicating things. If you have 30 tags and 10 custom fields, you’ll spend more time sorting than selling.
Step 4: Filtering and Building Segments
Now that your leads are tagged and organized, you can actually create your segments.
- Go to your Aeroleads dashboard.
- Use the filter/search options to select leads by tag, custom field, or any default field (like company size or location).
- Combine filters for more targeted segments (e.g., “SaaS” tag and “New York”).
Once you’ve got a segment you like, you can: - Save the filtered view (if you’ll use it often). - Export the segment for outreach or import into other tools (like your email platform). - Edit tags or custom fields in bulk if you spot errors.
Pro tip: Name your segments clearly. “SaaS-NY-DecisionMakers” is a lot better than “List 3.”
Step 5: Personalize Your Outreach (But Don’t Lose Your Mind)
With your segments ready, it’s time to actually use them. Here’s where people get stuck: They think “personalized outreach” means writing 50 totally unique emails. Nope.
- One good template per segment beats 1000 generic messages.
- Use merge fields in your outreach tool (company name, first name, industry, etc.).
- Add a line or two that’s specific to that group (“As a SaaS founder in NYC, you probably…”).
What works: Personalizing at the segment level—addressing real problems or opportunities that group cares about.
What doesn’t: Overpersonalizing to the point where you can’t scale. Or sending “Hi {{FirstName}}, I see you work at {{CompanyName}}” and thinking that’s enough.
Ignore: Gimmicks like using weird fonts, emojis, or trying to be overly clever. Just be clear, relevant, and respectful.
Step 6: Test, Refine, and Don’t Get Stuck
Segmentation isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. Here’s how to keep your process sane:
- Track replies and results by segment. If your “Retail CEOs” segment never replies, maybe your message or segment is off.
- Adjust tags and fields as you go. Don’t be afraid to merge, split, or drop segments if you realize they’re not useful.
- Keep it simple. Start with 2-3 segments. Only add more if you see a clear need.
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to review your segments every month or so. Otherwise, things get messy, fast.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
There’s a lot of noise about “hyper-targeted” AI segments and fancy automation. Here’s what I’d skip:
- Super granular segments (like “NYC SaaS CEOs with a dog named Max”). You’ll get nowhere.
- Features you don’t use. Every tool has bells and whistles. Focus on what actually helps you send smarter outreach.
- Overly complex workflows. If you need a flowchart to explain your segmentation, it’s too much.
Quick Troubleshooting
Q: My imported leads have missing or weird data. Now what? - Clean the data in Excel/Sheets before uploading. Aeroleads can’t fix what’s not there.
Q: Can I re-tag leads later? - Yep, tags are flexible. Just edit anytime.
Q: What if I want to segment by something Aeroleads doesn’t capture? - Use custom fields, or keep that info in your CRM (and sync as needed).
Keep It Simple. Iterate.
You don’t need a PhD in segmentation to see better results. Start small, keep your segments meaningful, and tweak as you go. Most importantly: Don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “done.” The more you use Aeroleads’ tools, the easier it’ll get—and the more your outreach will actually work.
Ready to send messages people want to read? Segment smart, and get after it.