Call to get a quote today!
(603) 823-8042
Call to get a quote today!
(603) 823-8042
Much of the information on our website and our quotes won't be of much use if you don't understand list lingo. Below we've tried to shed light on some of the industry terms we bounce around and answer some of the common questions. Do you still have questions? Ask away!
The price says $60/M. Does that mean I can get 5,000 records for $60?
The M stands for thousand. (Remember when you thought learning Roman Numerals in second grade was useless? The list industry has found a use for them!) Our mailing lists are all priced at a cost per thousand records. For example, if the price is shown as $60/M and you want to purchase 5,000 records, the base cost will be $60 x 5 = $300.
How does the Minimum Pricing work?
Every list has a minimum price, which translates to a minimum number of records. For example, if the list price is $60/M, and the minimum number of records is 3,000, then the minimum base price of the list is $180 ($60 x 3). If the targeted criteria you are looking for has a list with only 1,000 records, your cost is the minimum price of $180.
When do I run into Select Charges?
It's often a good idea to target a specific segment of a list. For example, you probably don't want every single doctor in America, you might really need just Cardiologists who work in hospitals in a 40 mile radius of your seminar location. In this case, your quote will be based on the base price, plus select charges for physician specialty, hospital location, and rooftop radius. Unlike the base price, select charges don't have a minimum - if there are only 403 records in your targeted list, the select charges will only apply to those 403 records.
What does the NCOA thing you keep talking about do for me?
This refers to the National Change of Address database which is maintained by the United States Postal Service. Not only are our full databases run against the NCOA database regularly, but every ordered list is compared to the NCOA database the day it ships so the new addresses for people and businesses that have moved are appeneded to the list, ensuring that you reach your audience at their most recent, accurate address. Since 2% of the population moves every month, this added step is essential to make sure the money you spend on postage isn't wasted! It's also why our quotes state that the actual quantity of your order will probably be lower than the quoted number, since we expect to lose some records through the NCOA process. We want to make sure you have the absolute most accurate addresses possible so you can mail with confidence.
And what's this about Delivery Point Validation?
All the addresses in our databases are checked to ensure that they are valid USPS delivery points. This is a step further than checking that an address is within an acceptable address range specified by zip+4 - this validation confirms that there is a dwelling or place of business at that specific address.
Why would I need this CASS Certificate you sent with my order?
The Coding Accuracy Support System improves the accuracy of delivery point codes, ZIP+4 codes, 5-digit ZIP Codes, and carrier route codes on mailpieces. In order to qualify for automation discounts on large bulk shipments, you have to provide certification that this verification step was taken, so we include the CASS Certificate with every order shipped.
Do I need to be concerned about the DNC List?
This acronym stands for the national Do Not Call Registry. Our consumer telephone numbers are scrubbed against this registry database regularly to ensure that you only receive phone numbers for people who are not on the DNC List. Some telemarketers are exempt from using the DNC Registry, including political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors. If you are one of these exempt companies, we require that you sign a waiver confirming that you are exempt. All other telemarketers must provide their Subscription Account Number (SAN) when ordering telephone numbers.
How does the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 affect my email campaign?
Congress passed this set of rules that marketers must follow in order to send commercial email messages - which really boil down to good marketing practices: 1. Don't be misleading and make sure your email is obviously a commercial message (no tricking people!). 2. Include your physical address. 3. Provide a way for recipients to tell you they don't want any more messages from your company and honor their request. Our email addresses are CAN-SPAM compliant - they have opted-in to receive third-party messages, and are verified frequently to ensure that they are valid email addresses.
What is a Suppression File?
If you have sent out a commercial email - either to a rented list or your in-house list - most likely, some recipients asked to be removed from future mailings (or, "opted-out" in lingo-speak). You need to keep a database of all these opt-out requests and from that point forward, any emails you send must not include those opted-out email addresses. When you order an email campaign, we will ask you to supply your database of opted-out email addresses to suppress them from our database, ensuring that they don't receive your email and make a costly fuss about it.
In what format do you need my email message?
You need to supply two versions of your email message. The first version needs to be written in HTML code. Do not create your message in Microsoft Word and then save it as .html - the code that MS Word generates is not usable. Do not just forward an email message - we need the actual .html file. You can use a program like Adobe Dreamweaver, CoffeeCup, or any other HTML editor to create your message - some programs don't even require any knowledge of HTML code to get great results.
Still have a question that wasn't answered here? Please ask away!
