Key takeaways
- A list groups leads by a rule; a campaign is the outreach a list receives.
- Base list rules on fields that are filled in and accurate.
- Keep each lead in one active campaign so nobody receives two pitches.
- Exclude customers, open deals and opt-outs before every send.
- Refresh lists before each send, since people change roles and companies.
What is the difference between a list and a campaign
A list is a group of leads who meet a rule; a campaign is the series of messages that group receives.
Keeping them separate helps. One list, such as heads of operations at UK retailers, can feed several campaigns over time, and one campaign can be reused for a similar list.
How do you decide which list a lead goes in
Apply the list rules in a fixed order, so a lead that fits more than one lands in the most specific match. For example, check past customers before retail, and retail before all UK companies.
Without an order, the same lead ends up in different lists depending on who built them, and two colleagues may write to it in the same week.
How do you stop leads receiving two campaigns at once
Mark leads as active while they are in a campaign and exclude active leads from every new list. Before each send, remove the groups that should never be included:
- Customers and open deals, which sales already owns.
- Leads already in an active campaign.
- Anyone who has opted out or asked not to be contacted.
- Leads whose address has bounced.
How should you name and maintain lists
Name lists by who is in them and when they were built, and review them before each use. A name like "UK retail, head of ops, Nov" tells a colleague what the list holds and how old it is.
Remove leads who changed jobs, merge duplicates and archive lists no campaign uses any more.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsEach Find fresh leads run lands its leads as CRM contacts in a segment, in Beta. Admins add custom fields for your list rules, and you can merge duplicate records and restore deleted ones from the Bin.
- CapabilityOutreach contentA template send delivers a template to a CRM segment through Gmail or Outlook and asks for your approval first, in every execution mode.
Common questions
Should lists be static or update automatically?
Static lists suit a one-off campaign, because the audience stays fixed while you measure it. Rule-based lists that update suit ongoing programmes, as long as someone checks what joins them.
How big should a campaign list be?
Large enough to learn from and small enough that one message fits everyone. If you are tempted to add caveats for part of the list, split it.
What should you do with leads who fit no list?
Leave them out of outreach until they do. Review them now and then, since a pattern among them can reveal a segment you have not defined yet.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
