Looking to run smarter, more targeted campaigns, but stuck wrangling your contact lists? This guide is for anyone who wants to get past the “spray and pray” stage and start sending the right messages to the right people—without going down a rabbit hole of overcomplicated software or buzzwords. If you’re using Revreply and want a clear, no-nonsense walkthrough on importing and segmenting contacts for actual results, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get your contacts loaded, cleaned up, and ready to go—without the headaches.
Step 1: Prep Your Contact List Before Importing
Here’s the honest truth: the most time-consuming part of any import is fixing messy data before it ever hits your CRM. Revreply isn’t magic—it can’t untangle duplicates, missing emails, or cryptic fields after the fact.
What to do: - Start with a spreadsheet (CSV or XLSX work fine). Only include columns you’ll actually use—think email, first name, company, industry, etc. - Check for duplicates. If you’ve got the same contact showing up more than once with different info, sort and merge them now. - Standardize fields. Make sure “Company” isn’t sometimes “Co.,” “Inc.,” or blank. - Double-check emails. Mistyped addresses are dead weight. - Delete irrelevant columns. No one needs “Fax Number” from a 2005 trade show.
Pro tip: Keep a “Source” column (e.g., “Webinar 2024” or “Inbound Lead”) so you can slice your data later.
What to ignore: If you’re just testing, don’t waste hours cleaning every field. Try a small import first to see how Revreply handles your real data.
Step 2: Navigate to the Import Tool in Revreply
Logging into Revreply, you’ll find the import feature in the Contacts or Audience section—different versions might label it slightly differently, but it’s usually obvious.
How to get there: - Log in to your Revreply account. - Go to “Contacts,” “Audience,” or similar in the sidebar. - Look for an “Import” button or link. If you can’t find it, check under a dropdown menu (sometimes it’s hidden under “More Options”).
Heads up: If you’re on a trial plan, there might be a limit to how many contacts you can import at once. Check before you upload 10,000 records and wonder why nothing happens.
Step 3: Upload Your File and Map Fields
Now for the part where most people get tripped up: mapping your spreadsheet columns to Revreply’s fields.
What you’ll see: - A prompt to upload your CSV or XLSX file. - A preview screen showing your columns (like “Email,” “First Name,” etc.). - A way to “map” each column to a field in Revreply (sometimes it guesses, but double-check).
What works: - Map only what you need. If you don’t use “Birthday” for campaigns, skip it. - Watch for mismatches. If your file says “Company” but Revreply calls it “Organization,” make sure you connect those dots. - If you get an error about bad data, check your file for weird characters or empty cells in required fields.
What doesn’t: - Don’t try to import super-nested or weirdly formatted data (like multiple contacts in one cell). Revreply—not surprisingly—won’t handle it well.
Pro tip: If you have custom fields (say, “Lead Score” or “Industry Vertical”), set those up in Revreply before you import. Otherwise, you’ll have to go back and redo your mapping.
Step 4: Choose Import Options (Deduplication & Updates)
Revreply usually gives you choices about what to do with duplicates and whether to update existing contacts.
Common options: - Skip duplicates: The system checks for existing emails and ignores repeats. - Update existing contacts: If you’re adding new info (like a phone number), this will overwrite old data. - Add as new: Useful if you want everything imported, but be careful—this can create a mess.
What works: Unless you have a good reason, let Revreply update existing contacts with new info. If you want a backup, export your contacts first.
What doesn’t: Importing the same list over and over with “add as new” creates a nightmare of duplicates. Avoid unless you want to spend your Saturday cleaning up.
Step 5: Wait for the Import & Review Results
Large imports can take a few minutes. Don’t panic if you don’t see everything instantly.
What to check: - Scan the import summary for errors or skipped rows. - If a bunch of rows failed, download the error report—usually it’ll highlight bad emails, missing required fields, or data that just didn’t fit. - Spot-check a handful of contacts in the system. Make sure data is in the right fields and that custom fields look correct.
Pro tip: If you see a lot of skipped contacts, it’s almost always because of duplicate emails or missing required fields. Fix the file and try again.
Step 6: Start Segmenting—Don’t Overthink It
Now your contacts are in Revreply, but blasting everyone with the same message is a rookie move. Segmentation is where you get real ROI.
How to create a segment: - Go to “Segments,” “Lists,” or whatever your version of Revreply calls it. - Create a new segment. You’ll see options to filter contacts by field—like “Industry,” “Job Title,” “Source,” or any custom field. - Set conditions (e.g., “Industry is SaaS,” “Source contains ‘Webinar’,” “Last contacted before 2023-12-31”).
What works: - Start simple. Group by basic stuff: industry, region, purchase stage, or source. - Use “AND”/“OR” wisely. “AND” narrows, “OR” widens—it’s easy to accidentally build a segment of zero people. - Save frequently-used segments. Don’t rebuild filters every time.
What doesn’t: - Don’t build 20 micro-segments from day one. You’ll never keep up with the content. - Don’t segment on fields you barely trust (like job titles scraped from LinkedIn).
Pro tip: If you added a “Source” column during import, you can quickly segment by where leads came from—super handy for targeting by campaign.
Step 7: Use Segments for Targeted Campaigns
Here’s where it pays off. Instead of blasting everyone, you can now send the right message to the right group.
How to use your segments: - When you create a new campaign, choose your segment as the recipient list. - Personalize your messages using merge fields (like “Hi {{first_name}},”) but don’t get carried away—no one likes robotic personalization. - Test your campaign with a small segment before hitting “send all.” It’s easier to fix a mistake with 20 people than 2,000.
What works: - Tailor your content to segment needs. For example, send product updates to existing customers, or intro offers to new leads. - Watch your metrics—open and click rates should go up as your targeting improves.
What doesn’t: - Don’t use every field for personalization. “Hi {{company_size}} Team!” is a giveaway you’re just filling in blanks.
Pro tip: Try A/B testing subject lines or offers within a segment to see what actually works—don’t assume you know.
Step 8: Keep It Clean—Maintain Your Contacts and Segments
Even the best import gets stale. People change jobs, emails bounce, and lists decay.
How to stay sane: - Regularly export and back up your contacts. - Clean up bounces after every campaign. Remove or update emails that no longer work. - Update fields as you gather more info—don’t let your CRM turn into a graveyard.
What works: Schedule a review every quarter. Even five minutes cleaning up can save you hours down the road.
What doesn’t: Ignoring your segments. Outdated lists lead to lower engagement and more spam complaints.
Quick Recap: Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good
Importing and segmenting contacts in Revreply isn’t rocket science, but it pays to keep things simple:
- Prep your data before importing—don’t rely on software to fix everything.
- Segment on what matters, not just what’s available.
- Use what you’ve built for real campaigns, and adjust as you go.
Don’t sweat getting it perfect the first time. Start small, test, and keep iterating. The best campaigns aren’t the most complex—they’re the ones that actually get sent.