THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Self-Serve
Stage: Trial / Onboarding / Live
Owner: CS
Last updated: 2025-12-19
TL;DR
The Industry Filter is a core filter for building accurate, high-performing lead lists.
It removes irrelevant companies and keeps results aligned with your ICP.
You can select industries directly or discover them using Data Visualization.
Always combine Industry with Keywords, Company Size, and Job Titles.
When you’d use this / Why it matters
Industry determines who your offer is actually relevant for. Even with strong copy, targeting the wrong industries leads to poor reply rates and wasted credits. The Industry Filter ensures your outreach stays focused on companies that can realistically convert.
Why the Industry Filter matters
Industry defines:
Buying behavior
Budget expectations
Relevance of your offer
If your offer is vertical-specific (for example, real estate marketing, healthcare HR tech, or e-commerce logistics software), choosing the wrong industries will:
Inflate your list with poor-fit companies
Lower performance
Dilute results
The Industry Filter keeps your list:
Intentional
Relevant
ICP-aligned
When you should use the Industry Filter
Always.
Industry is a foundational filter and should be used alongside:
Company Size
Keywords
Job Titles
Use it when:
You already know the verticals you serve (e.g. SaaS, Construction, Real Estate)
You want to explore new markets using keyword data
You need to exclude irrelevant sectors (e.g. Retail, Education)
How the Industry Filter works
ListKit provides two primary ways to use the Industry Filter effectively.
Option 1: Search and select industries directly
If you already know your target verticals, search and select them in the Industry field.
Common examples:
Real Estate
Construction
Financial Services
Software Development
E-commerce
You can select multiple industries to cover adjacent markets (e.g. Real Estate + Property Management + Commercial Real Estate).
Option 2: Discover industries using Data Visualization
If your niche is broad, or you’re unsure which industries apply, start with Keywords first.
Step-by-step:
Add ICP-related keywords
Let results load
Open the Data Visualization panel
Review the most common industries
Add relevant industries to the filter
Exclude unrelated industries
💡 Pro tip:
Data Visualization shows how ListKit’s AI interprets your keyword search across real company data, helping you refine faster and more accurately.
Example workflow
Step 1: Add keywords
Example: solar panels, renewable energy, clean tech
Step 2: Open Data Visualization
Top industries may include:
Renewable Energy
Environmental Services
Utilities
Construction
Step 3: Select industries
Include: Renewable Energy, Environmental Services
Exclude: Construction (if it doesn’t fit your offer)
Step 4: Refine further
Add Company Size
Add Funding
Add Job Titles
Example use cases
Example 1: Real estate automation
Keywords: real estate, property, brokerage
Industries: Real Estate, Property Management, Commercial Real Estate
Result: Only real estate companies, no unrelated firms
Example 2: SaaS outbound services
Keywords: software, SaaS, platform
Industries: Software Development, Information Technology, Internet, Marketing & Advertising
Result: Focused list of SaaS and tech companies
Example 3: Healthcare uniforms supplier
Keywords: medical, hospital, clinic
Industries: Healthcare, Medical Devices, Hospital & Health Care
Result: Excludes fitness, pharma, and unrelated sectors
Pro tips for best results
Start broad with Keywords, then refine with Industry
Use multiple industries if your offer spans adjacent verticals
Exclude industries that don’t match your ICP
Combine Industry + Funding + Company Size for stronger segmentation
Managed vs Self-Serve callouts
If ListKit runs campaigns for you (Managed Program)
We handle industry selection and refinement based on performance data. Share your ICP and exclusions, we’ll optimize the rest.
If you use ListKit self-serve (DIY)
Go to Search → Industry, select your target industries, then layer in Keywords, Company Size, and Job Titles before exporting.
Expected outcome
You should now be able to:
Select the right industries for your ICP
Discover industries using keyword data
Exclude poor-fit markets
Build cleaner, higher-converting lead lists
Final takeaway
Think of Industry as your map.
Keywords help you find the territory
Industry marks the exact regions worth targeting
Use both together to build cleaner lists, stronger campaigns, and higher conversion rates.