This is the second lesson in our series about the Contacts area. We're going to talk about the importance of using Fields to make managing contacts a whole lot easier. You can also watch the video to get a good idea of how they're used and how to create them. You will also learn how to set one up, and how they relate to uploading new contacts.

The Contacts Area is where you manage all of the connections you’ve made. One of its features is the Fields area and it’s extremely important in keeping track of contact information. Before you upload new contacts or start using Forms, the first step you should take is setting your Fields.

Where Can I Find The Fields Area?

Once you’re in the Contacts Area you can click on the Fields button on the grey navigation bar.

What Fields Are Automatically Included?

Channel includes a number of common Fields that you can use for categorizing and keeping track of customers. Every new Channel user will have these Fields available:

Step 1: How Do I Add A Field?

Here’s how to add a Field in Channel:

1. Click Contacts, then click Fields.
2. Click the Add New Field button.
3. In the Field Name box, type the name of the new field, e.g., “Job Title”
4. Click the Create Field button.

You can set a new Field by clicking the Add New Field button. All you have to do is label your new Field and determine if it is a Text, Numeric or Date. I highly recommend that you almost always use the Text option since it gives the most leeway when it comes to character people can use when filling out your lead forms.

Here’s more information on your 3 basic options:

• Text – If there’s a chance someone will use a number or symbol to fill out a Field, then you should really use the Text option. Even if a number is part of an entry it is best to stick with this one.
• Numeric – This option is really for entries that are strictly numbers based. If there are any symbols or letters, then an entry won’t be uploaded correctly. A phone number is a perfect example. Most of the time a person will use a dash ( - ) or parenthesis ( ) when filling out their phone number. This won’t work with the Numeric option when someone fills out the Field, but Text would be fine.
• Date – The date option should rarely be used due its need for strict formatting rules. I would suggest that you use either the Text or Numeric option instead. 

See the above video for setting new Fields to help manage your Channel account to suit your company’s needs. Keeping up with your Fields will mean that you can always count on successful additions to your Contacts area, and help you keep on top of your marketing efforts.