Lists and audiences have always been a sneaky powerful part of Nutshell—they let you seamlessly filter and sort all of your company’s contacts and leads so you can send the right message to exactly the right people.
Now when creating a list of your contacts, you can easily choose whether it’s a smart list or a fixed audience—so you pick whether it updates dynamically or includes a set group of your customers. Learn more below!
What are smart lists and when should you use them?
Smart lists are a group of your People, Companies, or Leads that update dynamically based on filters you’ve applied.
Smart lists are ideal when you want to send emails to an audience that may change, like companies that became customers within the last week or people who signed up for an event over the last month. You can apply any of Nutshell’s filters and segments to a smart list and it will dynamically update based on what contacts meet your filters.
What are fixed audiences and when should you use them?
Fixed audiences include only the contacts you’ve specifically added, and they don’t update dynamically unless you’ve implemented automation (i.e., add person to my “Newsletter List” when the tag “Newsletter” is added).
A fixed audience is the best choice when you’re creating a static email or SMS marketing audience, like a group of people who signed up for your newsletter. In Nutshell, contacts have to be manually removed from a fixed audience.
You can use each of these types of lists to save, share, and send messages to the right group of people.
How do I create lists and audiences?
Creating a new list is as simple as going to your Person, Company, or Lead pages in Nutshell and applying the filters you want. Then you can save your list, choose whether to make it dynamic or fixed, and share it with your team to ensure everyone has the information they need.
Shareable lists are available on Sales Pro plans and above.
Where are my lists and audiences?
Saved and shared lists as well as audiences are now accessible from a new sidebar in your People, Company, and Lead pages. Easily search for specific lists and audiences, or see your top lists and audiences at a glance—making it easy to quickly access the exact segment of contacts you need.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nutshell Smart Lists
1. What makes Nutshell’s Smart Lists “smart” compared to traditional contact lists?
Nutshell’s Smart Lists go beyond static, manually updated contact groups by offering dynamic, real-time segmentation. Unlike traditional lists that require constant manual upkeep, Smart Lists automatically update based on criteria you define. This means if a contact’s information changes or they meet new conditions (e.g., they open an email, visit a specific page, or reach a certain stage in your pipeline), they are automatically added to or removed from the relevant Smart List. This ensures your lists are always accurate and up-to-date, reflecting the most current state of your relationships without you lifting a finger.
2. How can Smart Lists directly improve my sales and marketing efforts?
Smart Lists are a game-changer for both sales and marketing by enabling highly targeted and personalized engagement. For sales, they help prioritize high-value leads, identify dormant accounts for re-engagement, and segment prospects based on their stage in the sales funnel, ensuring your team focuses on the right people at the right time. For marketing, Smart Lists allow you to segment your audience based on behavior, demographics, or engagement levels, leading to more relevant email campaigns, personalized content delivery, and higher conversion rates. This precision reduces wasted effort and significantly boosts the effectiveness of your outreach.
3. What are some advanced criteria I can use to build highly effective Smart Lists in Nutshell?
Beyond basic demographic filters, Nutshell’s Smart Lists shine with advanced criteria that allow for sophisticated segmentation. Consider using:
Behavioral data: Contacts who have visited specific pages on your website, opened certain emails, or clicked on particular links.
Engagement levels: Contacts who haven’t been contacted in X days, or those with a high interaction score.
Custom fields: Segment by industry, company size, product interest, or any other custom data relevant to your business.
Sales pipeline stage: Create lists for leads in “Discovery,” “Proposal Sent,” or “Negotiation” to tailor follow-ups.
Last activity date: Identify contacts who are actively engaging versus those who might need a re-engagement campaign.
Combining multiple criteria with “AND/OR” logic allows you to create incredibly precise lists for any sales or marketing initiative.
4. Can Nutshell’s Smart Lists integrate with other tools or automate workflows?
Absolutely! The power of Nutshell’s Smart Lists extends through its integration capabilities and automation features. You can connect Nutshell with various third-party applications (like email marketing platforms, customer support tools, or even your website analytics) to enrich your contact data, which in turn makes your Smart Lists even more powerful. Furthermore, you can set up automated workflows that trigger actions based on a contact entering or leaving a Smart List. For example, when a lead enters a “Hot Leads” Smart List, an automated task can be created for a sales rep, or a personalized email sequence can be initiated. This seamless integration and automation save significant time and ensure timely, relevant follow-ups.
5. What are the best practices for maintaining accurate and valuable Smart Lists over time?
To ensure your Smart Lists remain effective and provide maximum value, consider these best practices:
Regularly review criteria: Periodically check if your Smart List criteria are still relevant to your current goals. Market changes or new product offerings might require adjustments.
Ensure data quality: Smart Lists are only as good as the data they draw from. Implement processes to keep your CRM data clean, accurate, and up-to-date.
Avoid over-segmentation: While detailed segmentation is powerful, creating too many overly specific lists can become unwieldy. Focus on lists that serve clear strategic purposes.
Monitor performance: Track the success of campaigns or sales efforts driven by specific Smart Lists. This feedback helps you refine your criteria and improve future segmentation.
Archive inactive lists: If a Smart List is no longer needed, archive it to keep your workspace tidy and focused on active initiatives.
By following these tips, you’ll ensure your Nutshell Smart Lists consistently drive better engagement and results.
Ready to simplify list management and communication in Nutshell? Read our support article to learn more about how you can simplify and streamline communication using smart lists and fixed audiences!
Maximize Your Lists and Audiences!
Ready to get more out of your CRM lists? Start using smart lists to quickly create groups of contacts that update automatically!
