Contact Management

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How does contact management work in ActiveCampaign?

Introduction

Contact management in ActiveCampaign is a crucial feature that allows users to organize, track, and engage with their contacts effectively. It empowers businesses to manage relationships with individual contacts smoothly, ensuring timely communication and personalized marketing efforts. Understanding how to manage your contacts well can enhance your marketing strategies, boost customer engagement, and ultimately improve your conversion rates.

Using ActiveCampaign's contact management tools, you can create, update, and segment your contacts based on their information and interactions, which is essential for effective marketing campaigns and customer service.

How to Access this Feature

To access the contact management features in ActiveCampaign, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your ActiveCampaign account. 2. In the left-hand menu, click on Contacts. 3. You will be directed to the Contacts Overview page, where you can view and manage your contacts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This section will guide you through the various functionalities of contact management within ActiveCampaign.

Creating Contacts

Contacts can be created in several ways:

• **Email-only Forms**: When a contact submits an email-only form:

  - If the provided email does not match existing records, a new contact is created.
  - If it matches an existing record, that record is updated.

• **Phone-only Forms**: When a contact provides only a phone number:

  - A new contact is created if the number does not already exist.
  - If it matches an existing record without an email, that record is updated.
  - If it matches a record that has an email, a new phone-only contact is created.

• **Email and Phone Forms**: When both email and phone number are provided:

  - A new contact is created if both are new.
  - Various combinations can result in updates or the creation of new contacts based on existing information, as detailed in the provided scenarios.

Managing Contacts

On the Contacts Overview page, you can manage your contacts effectively. Here’s how:

1. **Filter and Sort Contacts**: Use filters to sort contacts by their lists, statuses such as confirmed or unsubscribed, as well as tags. Adjust columns displayed by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner.

2. **Search Contacts**: To search for a specific contact, use the search field at the top right of the contact list. You can search by either name or email address.

3. **Advanced Search**: If you want to find groups of contacts that meet specific conditions, click into the search field and select Advanced Search. You can segment contacts based on tags, activities, locations, and other criteria.

Bulk Actions

To save time when managing multiple contacts, you can use the Bulk Editor, allowing you to add or remove contacts from lists, modify tags, and update fields all at once.

Tag Management

Tags help organize contacts and enhance segmentation. Access the Tag Manager by clicking on Tags in the Contacts Overview, where you can create, edit, and merge tags as necessary.

Custom Contact Fields

ActiveCampaign allows you to create Custom Contact Fields to store specific information that may be unique to your business. You can create various field types depending on the type of data you wish to store.

Contact Scoring

The Contact Scoring feature assigns scores to your contacts based on their engagement levels, making it easier to prioritize interactions with potential leads.

Database Sync

If you need to import contacts, the Database Sync option allows you to integrate contacts from MySQL, MSSQL, or PostgreSQL databases efficiently.

Exclusions Management

Use the List Exclusions feature to block specific email addresses from receiving communications, ensuring your campaigns are sent only to quality contacts.

Expedited List Cleanup

Implement the Expedited List Cleanup automation to remove unengaged contacts from your lists, which helps maintain the health of your subscriber base.

Configuration Options and Settings

Managing contacts effectively involves several configuration options:

• Custom Contact Fields: Create and manage fields that suit your data requirements.
• Contact Scoring: Configure scoring metrics based on your criteria for lead prioritization.
• Tags: Organize contacts to enable better segmentation and targeted marketing.
• Exclusions List: Manage blocked contacts to enhance communication quality.

Best Practices and Tips

- Regularly clean your contact list using the Expedited List Cleanup to maintain engagement rates. - Use tags strategically to create targeted segments for your marketing campaigns. - Utilize Advanced Search to segment your contacts effectively before running campaigns based on behavior or demographic criteria.

Common Use Cases

- **Lead Nurturing**: Use contact scoring to identify and prioritize leads for further engagement. - **Segmentation**: Organize contacts by behavior using tags and custom fields for more personalized communication. - **Data Import**: Use Database Sync to onboard large contact lists efficiently without manual entry.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with contact management, consider the following: - Ensure you have the correct permissions to access contact management features. - Verify that forms are set up correctly to capture the desired contact information. - Check for duplicates manually if contacts are not merging as expected.

FAQ

Q1: Can I manage contacts without an email address? A1: You cannot create a contact without either an email address or a phone number.

Q2: How many contacts can I have? A2: Only active contacts count towards your contact limit, regardless of how many lists they are subscribed to.

Q3: What happens if a contact unsubscribes? A3: Unsubscribed contacts will not receive emails but can be re-subscribed if they opt-in again.

Q4: How do I import contacts? A4: You can import contacts via the Database Sync feature or manually through CSV uploads.

Q5: What are contact tags, and how should I use them? A5: Tags are labels that help categorize and segment contacts. Use them to mark interests or engagement levels.

Q6: Is it possible to block certain email domains? A6: Yes, you can manage exclusions to block specific email addresses or domains.

Q7: How can I access custom fields? A7: You can create and manage custom fields from both the Contacts Overview and individual Contact Records.

For further information and resources, refer to the help articles linked throughout this guide. ```