How to segment your B2B audience in Zeliq for targeted messaging

Want your B2B outreach to actually get a response? It starts with sending the right message to the right people—no one wants to feel like just another name on a list. This guide is for anyone using Zeliq who’s tired of spray-and-pray emails and wants to get real results from smart audience segmentation. If you’re a marketer, SDR, founder, or just the person wearing all the hats at your company, keep reading.

Why Segmentation Matters (and Where It Goes Wrong)

Let’s be honest: most B2B campaigns fail because they’re too broad. You might have a killer product, but if you’re sending the same email to a SaaS CEO and a manufacturing operations manager, don’t wonder why you’re getting crickets. Segmentation is how you cut through the noise.

But it’s easy to overcomplicate things. You don’t need 25 micro-segments or a PhD in data science. You just need clear groups with real differences—so you can send messages that actually mean something to each one.

Step 1: Get Clear on Your Segmentation Goals

Before you even open Zeliq, nail down what you want segmentation to do for you. Some common goals:

  • Personalize outreach: Speak to the pain points of each group.
  • Prioritize leads: Focus on segments most likely to convert.
  • Test messages: See what works for each audience.

Pro tip: Don’t segment just because you can. Segment because you need a different message, offer, or approach for different groups.

Step 2: Identify Segmentation Criteria That Matter

Not all data is useful. The trick is to segment on things that actually change how you’ll talk to someone. Here are criteria that usually work in B2B:

  • Industry: Are you talking to SaaS, retail, healthcare, manufacturing?
  • Company size: Startups vs. enterprises have wildly different needs.
  • Job title/role: CEO, Head of Marketing, IT Manager—they care about different things.
  • Location: Especially relevant for compliance, language, or regional offers.
  • Tech stack: For software companies, knowing what tools they use can change your pitch.
  • Intent signals: Have they visited your site, downloaded something, attended a webinar?

What doesn’t usually matter? Things like generic company descriptions or “number of LinkedIn followers.” Segment on stuff that will actually change your message—not vanity metrics.

Step 3: Clean Up Your Data First

Segmentation is only as good as your data. If your CRM or imported lists are messy, you’ll end up with garbage segments.

  • Standardize fields: Make sure “VP of Sales” and “Vice President, Sales” are treated the same.
  • Fill in gaps: If you’re missing industry or company size, try to enrich this before segmenting.
  • Remove junk: Get rid of obvious fakes, personal emails, or outdated contacts.

Don’t skip this step. A little cleanup upfront saves hours of headache later.

Step 4: Import or Sync Your Audience with Zeliq

Zeliq lets you pull in audience data from different sources: CSV files, CRM integrations, or manual entry.

  • CSV Import: Make sure your columns are mapped correctly (watch for misaligned fields).
  • CRM Integration: Connect your source (like HubSpot or Salesforce) and double-check the sync settings.
  • Manual Add: Only for small lists—don’t waste your time here if you have hundreds of contacts.

Pro tip: Do a small test import first so you don’t flood your Zeliq workspace with bad data.

Step 5: Build Your Segments Using Filters

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Zeliq has a filtering system—nothing revolutionary, but it works.

  1. Go to the Audience or Contacts section.
  2. Click “Add Filter.” You’ll see options like Industry, Job Title, Company Size, Location, etc.
  3. Stack filters to narrow down: For example:
    • Industry = “SaaS”
    • Company Size = “51-200”
    • Job Title contains “Marketing”
  4. Save your filter as a Segment. Give it a name that’s obvious—like “Mid-Market SaaS CMOs.”

Zeliq’s filters are pretty straightforward. If you want to get fancy (like “Job Title contains ‘Growth’ OR ‘Acquisition’”), you can use multiple filters, but don’t try to outsmart yourself. Start simple.

What’s Worth Trying

  • Test by splitting a big segment: If you have a segment that’s too broad, try splitting by company size or region.
  • Tagging contacts: Zeliq lets you tag people—use this for ad-hoc groups that don’t fit into your main segments.
  • Dynamic segments: If your data updates, make sure your segments do too. Zeliq lets you build segments that update automatically as new data flows in.

What to Ignore

  • Hyper-granular segments: If you create segments so small you only have 5 people in each, you’re wasting your time.
  • Overlapping criteria: Don’t build segments that are 90% identical—it just adds confusion.

Step 6: Create and Test Targeted Messaging

Now you have your segments. Time to craft messages that actually speak to them.

  • Address pain points: Reference industry-specific challenges or roles.
  • Use relevant social proof: If you’re writing to manufacturing, use a case study from that sector.
  • Avoid generic templates: People can spot a mail merge a mile away.

A/B testing: Zeliq lets you run simple A/B tests. Try two subject lines or intro sentences on your segments—see what gets replies.

Step 7: Review, Refine, and Keep It Simple

Segmentation isn’t a “set and forget” thing. Check your results:

  • Are certain segments getting more replies? Double down on what’s working.
  • Are some segments duds? Maybe your criteria are too broad or too narrow.
  • Is your messaging resonating? If not, tweak your copy, or revisit your segments.

Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t

  • Works: Segments based on clear business differences (industry, role, size), regular data cleaning, and messaging that feels like you did your homework.
  • Doesn’t work: Overly complex segments, lazy copy-paste messaging, or relying on vanity data.
  • Ignore: Fancy segmentation theories that sound good on LinkedIn but don’t actually help you write better emails.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It

The best segmentation is the one you can actually use. Start with a few meaningful segments, send targeted messages, and adjust as you learn. Zeliq gives you the tools, but you still need to bring the common sense. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done—just get started, pay attention, and tweak as you go. That’s how you’ll actually stand out in a crowded B2B inbox.