Managing B2B contact lists isn’t glamorous, but if you’re running outbound email or nurturing leads, it’s what separates the pros from the people who just spray and pray. This guide is for anyone using Inboxlogy who’s sick of messy lists, duplicate contacts, or campaigns going out to the wrong folks. Whether you’re a one-person operation or wrangling a team, you’ll find practical steps here—no nonsense, no fluff.
If you’re new to Inboxlogy, it’s a tool built for B2B email campaigns and contact management. It’s not magic, but used right, it can keep your outreach organized and a whole lot less stressful.
1. Start With a Clean List—Or Clean Up What You’ve Got
Let’s be honest: most B2B lists are a mess. Before you even think about segmenting or setting up fancy automations, you need a contact list that isn’t riddled with outdated emails, duplicates, or “info@” addresses.
How to clean up your contact list in Inboxlogy:
- Remove obvious junk: Get rid of generic emails (like sales@, info@, or support@). These rarely convert.
- Deduplicate: Use Inboxlogy’s built-in deduplication tool. Don’t trust a manual scan—you’ll miss things.
- Check for bounces: If you’ve sent campaigns before, filter out emails that have bounced. These hurt your sender reputation.
- Spot the zombies: If someone hasn’t opened or replied in 12+ months, consider archiving them. They’re just dead weight.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over perfect data. Just get it “good enough” to avoid embarrassing mistakes—like emailing the same person twice.
2. Set Up a Logical List Structure
Inboxlogy lets you organize contacts into lists and tags (think of lists as broad buckets, tags as sticky notes for extra details). Don’t overcomplicate things—start simple.
A practical way to structure your lists:
- List = Source or Funnel Stage
- E.g., “Inbound Leads Q2,” “Event Contacts 2024,” “Cold Prospects”
- Tags = Details that matter for outreach
- E.g., “Decision Maker,” “Healthcare,” “Active Customer,” “Needs Follow-up”
What works: - Clear, descriptive names help everyone on your team know what’s what. - Limit the number of top-level lists (5–10 max). Tags can be unlimited, but again, only make as many as you’ll actually use.
What doesn’t: - Creating a list for every tiny segment (e.g., “Texas SaaS CEOs Who Love Golf”)—that’s what tags are for. - Letting tags become a free-for-all. Set some rules and stick to them.
3. Importing Contacts Without the Headache
Inboxlogy supports CSV imports, which is both a blessing and a curse. CSVs are flexible, but it’s easy to make mistakes that lead to messy data.
Steps for importing contacts the right way:
- Prep your CSV: Make sure columns match what Inboxlogy expects (First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, etc.). Get rid of weird formatting or extra spaces.
- Map fields carefully: Inboxlogy will prompt you to match CSV columns to its fields. Double-check—misaligned columns = a big mess.
- Assign to the right list: During import, choose which list(s) the new contacts should go into. Don’t dump everything into “General.”
- Add tags during import: If you know a group needs a specific tag (“Webinar Jan 2024”), add it now. Saves time later.
Common mistakes to avoid: - Importing the same list twice (hello, duplicates). - Forgetting to segment by source—hard to fix later. - Not scrubbing for bounced or invalid emails first.
4. Segmenting: The Heart of Effective B2B Email
Segmentation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the only way to send relevant, not spammy, campaigns. Inboxlogy makes this easy, but you have to actually use the features.
Common ways to segment in Inboxlogy:
- Industry: Target emails by vertical (e.g., “FinTech,” “Manufacturing”).
- Decision maker vs. influencer: Who actually signs the check? Tag accordingly.
- Deal stage: Cold lead, warm lead, customer, churned, etc.
- Geography: If location matters, segment by country or state.
- Engagement: Who’s opened, clicked, or replied before?
How to set up segments:
- Use filters: Inboxlogy’s contact view lets you filter by any field or tag.
- Save segments: Once you’ve filtered (e.g., “Healthcare CFOs in California, not yet contacted”), save the segment for future campaigns.
- Combine tags and fields: Don’t be afraid to stack filters. The more specific, the better your open rates.
What works: - Keep segments actionable—if you can’t tailor a message to the group, you’re probably slicing too thin. - Review segments every quarter. People move jobs, deals change, interests shift.
What to skip: - Segmenting just for the sake of segmenting. If you’re not going to do anything different for “VPs under 40” vs. “VPs over 40,” don’t bother.
5. Keeping Lists Up to Date—Without Losing Your Mind
Maintenance isn’t glamorous, but it saves headaches later. Contacts get old, people leave jobs, and you’ll want to keep your sender reputation clean.
Low-effort ways to keep your lists fresh:
- Automate bounces and unsubscribes: Inboxlogy can do this for you—turn it on and check occasionally.
- Set a regular review cycle: Once a month, archive or tag contacts who haven’t engaged in 6–12 months.
- Update fields when you get replies: If someone says, “I’m no longer at this company,” update or remove their contact right away.
- Add notes: Use Inboxlogy’s notes or custom fields to jot down key info (e.g., “Asked to follow up in Q3”).
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over real-time accuracy. B2B data is always a little stale. Just aim for “good enough” and fix obvious errors as you go.
6. Real-World Segmentation Scenarios That Work
Here are a few practical segmentation approaches for B2B that actually pay off:
- “Hot leads from last event”: Tag everyone who visited your booth, then send a tailored follow-up.
- “Inactive customers”: Segment past customers who haven’t bought in a year, send a re-engagement offer.
- “Demo requested, no reply”: Tag those who asked for a demo but ghosted—try a different approach.
- “Partner contacts”: Separate vendors, partners, or resellers from end customers. Different messaging, different goals.
Skip this stuff: - “Personality-based” segments (e.g., “Extroverts vs. Introverts”) unless you have data to back it up. Most B2B contacts just want you to get to the point.
7. Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Let’s keep it real—here’s what trips up most teams:
- Overthinking segmentation: You don’t need 20 micro-segments. Focus on what matters for your message.
- Ignoring old data: Outdated lists = wasted time and annoyed recipients.
- Failing to tag new contacts: Make tagging part of your import/upload routine.
- Letting everyone create their own system: Set some basic rules—otherwise, chaos.
8. A Quick Word on Compliance
No one likes legal talk, but do yourself a favor: always honor unsubscribes, and don’t buy sketchy lists. Inboxlogy has tools to manage opt-outs—use them. If you’re emailing in Europe or Canada, make sure you’re following GDPR/CASL basics. It’s not just about fines—it’s about not burning your reputation.
9. Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Sweat Perfection
Managing B2B contact lists in Inboxlogy isn’t rocket science, but it does take some discipline. Clean your list, pick a sensible structure, and actually use the segmentation tools—they’re there for a reason. Don’t chase perfection. The best approach is to keep things simple, review quarterly, and tweak as you go. The less time you spend fighting your lists, the more time you can actually talk to real people.
So go fix one thing today—your next campaign (and your future self) will thank you.