In the world of contact management, filters are the unsung heroes that help you streamline and organize your data effectively. This article will guide you through the process of creating, saving, and utilizing filters to enhance your workflow. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to filters, we'll cover everything you need to know to make the most of this powerful tool.
Creating Filters:
To begin, let's understand what a filter is. A filter is essentially a data point that you select to sift through and categorize your contacts. Follow these steps to add a filter in your contacts management system:
Access Filters: Locate the "Add Filter" icon, typically situated on the right side of your Contacts search bar.
Saving Filters:
Now that you've created your filters, it's essential to know how to save them for future use. Saving filters ensures that you can quickly access your custom filter configurations without the need to recreate them each time. Here's how you can save your filters:
Select Data Options: Choose the specific data criteria you wish to filter your contacts by, making sure it suits your intended purpose.
Save Filter Set: Click on "Save Filter Set" to preserve your custom filter settings.
Name Your Filter: Assign a meaningful name to your filter to easily identify its purpose and content.
Set as Default Filter: Opt to set your filter as the default one. This will place it in the "Default Filter" section on the left-hand side of your Contacts page. Your default filter will be accessible across all Roster Accounts associated with your brand, making data retrieval more efficient.
You can access Saved Filters in the top right of the contacts page:
Sharing Filters:
Sharing filters is a collaborative feature that allows you to make your filters accessible to others within your organization. Here's how you can share your filters:
Share with Others: Click on "Share with Others" to enable access to your filter.
My Filters and Shared Filters: Your shared filter will appear under "My Filters" in your account, and it will also be accessible under "Shared Filters" on other Roster accounts associated with your brand.
Default Filters:
Default filters serve as master filters that can be used as a starting point for your contact management. Roster often provides a set of default filters to kickstart your organization efforts.
Exploring Data Source Definitions:
Apart from the obvious data sources like Social Mentions and Instagram Followers, there are some less apparent data sources that are equally valuable. Here are a few examples:
Data Source: Filter contacts based on how their data was uploaded into Roster, including CSV uploads, social listening mentions, Shopify customers, Mailchimp, or any other method.
Bio: Organize contacts based on specific keywords found in their bios.
Contact Stage: Sort contacts by their stage (e.g., Prospect, Pending Application, Ambassador, Invited, Nominated, Declined). This feature helps you target specific groups of contacts efficiently.
Best Practices:
Here are some best practices for optimizing your filter usage:
Tagging: Consider adding tags to filter sets to help identify groups of contacts and streamline campaign management.
Customer Properties: Don't forget to leverage customer properties. Create filters based on specific data points gathered from custom properties to refine your contact lists. For instance, you can filter contacts who own a particular product.
Conclusion:
Filters are your gateway to efficient contact management. By creating, saving, and sharing filters, you can enhance your workflow, save time, and make better use of your contact data. Remember to explore less obvious data sources and adhere to best practices to make the most of this powerful tool in your contacts management system.