Who do I call when I have questions or need more information?

Contact customer support by Email or call (866) 201-5673.
Customer Support hours are 8:00am to 6:00pm Central Standard Time.

For Ready to Go Campaign Help, please find your state in the list below and contact the corresponding Marketing Desk Specialist for assistance.



Lisa Taylor
US States Covered: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin
Contact Information: Email: v-listay@microsoft.com
Phone: 866-478-9736

Melissa Steward
US States Covered: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Contact Information: Email: v-melste@microsoft.com
Phone: 866-476-1831

Availability

For Print and Mail and Bulk Print and Ship Shipments:
Availability tells you the earliest that your item can be shipped. Please note that it is not the day you can expect your order to be delivered; rather it is the day that it will shipped.

For Email Shipments:
Availability is the earliest that your email will be sent to your recipient list.

Customizations

Customizations are sections of copy that you can change or areas where logos and images may be specified. Required Customizations are noted with an asterisk (*).

Delivery Options

Select the Print and Mail shipment option if you wish to have your items sent directly to your Contact List. Your addresses will be postal sorted for you. You will be able to choose between standard and first-class mail during the process of ordering your item.

Select the Bulk Print and Ship shipment option if you wish to have your items shipped directly to an address in Your Address Book.

Select the Email shipment option if you wish to have your items sent directly via electronic mail to your Contact List.

Select the Download shipment option to download a high resolution, print-ready PDF of this piece.

DPI (Dots per Inch)

DPI (or "dots per inch") is a measure of printing resolution - the higher the dpi, the greater the image quality and the better your finished piece will look. For print items, images should have a dpi of 300. For images on the web and in email, 72 dpi is the standard.

If your images do not meet these dpi standards, you will notice that they will look "pixellated" in appearance.

To resize and set the dpi for your image, use a program like Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. In Photoshop, select "Image," then "Image Size." Make sure "Constrain Proportions" is checked and the resolution is set at 72dpi for web or 300dpi for print. Lastly, enter in new pixel/size dimensions to resize your image, and Save.

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GIFs and JPGs

These are graphic file formats used on the Internet. If you need information on getting your logo converted into this format Contact customer support by Email or call (866) 201-5673.
Customer Support hours are 8:00am to 6:00pm Central Standard Time..

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JPGs, PNGs and TIFFs

These are graphic file formats used for print. If you need information on getting your logo converted into this format, Contact customer support by Email or call (866) 201-5673.
Customer Support hours are 8:00am to 6:00pm Central Standard Time..

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Launch Date

For Print and Mail and Bulk Print and Ship Deliveries:
The Launch Date tells you the earliest that your item can be shipped. Please note that it is not the day you can expect your order to be delivered; rather it is the day that it will shipped.

For Email Deliveries:
The Launch Date is the earliest that your email will be sent to your recipient list.
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What is the Difference Between Standard and First-Class Postage?

Standard Mail has a maximum weight limit of 15.9999 ounces (less than 1 pound). The minimum quantity that can be sent via Standard Mail is 200 pieces or approximiately 50lbs of mail and is generally matter that is not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals and are generally priced as bulk rates.

For beginning mailers, Standard Mail is often the best choice because postage rates are very low.

More information on Standard Mail can be found at the United States Postal Service Website.

First-Class Mail has a maximum weight limit of 13 ounces. The minimum quantity that can be sent via First-Class Mail at discounted rates is 500 pieces.

Many beginning mailers use First-Class Mail cards and letters because, if you mail at single-piece rates, there’s no special payment method, no mailing permit, and no extra time to presort the mail.

More information on First-Class Mail can be found at the United States Postal Service Website.
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Business List Purchase FAQs

How often are the databases updated?
infoUSA Databases change by roughly 65% per year. Data is matched and cleaned monthly with the USPS National Change of Address, ZIP+4 and Delivery Sequence File to standardize and keep the addresses accurate.

What sources are used to create the databases?
The infoUSA databases are updated from sources that include yellow pages, white pages, newspapers, incorporation records, real estate deed transfers and various other public sources. To keep the business databases current, over 20 million phone calls are made per year to verify the name of the owner or key executive, their address, number of employees, number of PC's, fax numbers, e-mail addresses and other information.

How is the data compiled?
Data specialists scour thousands of sources daily to add new data, update existing records and eliminate duplicates.

Where does the Business Information come from?
  1. 5,200 phone books, annual reports and other business directories are split apart and catalogued to find information on nearly every business in the nation.
  2. Each record is hand-keyed and called to make sure you have the most reliable information available.
  3. Next, public record data is added from county courthouse filings, SEC and 10k filings, and Secretary of State data.
  4. 50,000 new businesses are added every week from sources such as new business registrations and utility hookups so you can be the first to reach a hot new prospect.

How accurate are the databases?
More than 20 million phone calls are made per year to verify and collect additional information for the infoUSA databases. You can expect to have the highest deliverability rates in the industry with only 5-10% undeliverables. You can even expect higher deliverability rates in industries with lower levels of turnover.
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Tips for Better Marketing

Target your list

Try mailing to brand new businesses or new movers to the area. Those groups tend to make the majority of their purchase decisions with the first 60 days. Reach them first and you can win their loyalty and business for many years.

Discover who your current customers are and market to more people or businesses just like them. Market to groups with whom you have a proven track record.

Try a new market. If you know who your customers are you also know who doesn't buy from you. You may be able to pinpoint/find a niche or area that you haven't yet targeted.


Calculate the success of your direct mail

Response rates vary on the product, the offer, the look of the mailer and your list. The industry standard is somewhere between a one and three percent response rate. Sounds low? Wait.

Ask yourself - does your customer buy more than one of your products in his/her lifetime? The test of success depends on how much a customer is worth to you over the next 5, 10 or 20 years. Keep in mind that one new customer is a potential referral source to many other new customers.

Direct mail works because in many cases one new customer pays for the entire mailing. Remember that you will get undeliverables. The industry standard is 5-10% undeliverable.


Ten successful uses for direct mail

Here is a checklist of the most important uses of direct marketing. Review the list and mark those items that apply to your business. It's the quickest way to see other direct marketing opportunities you may not have considered, and help you use direct mail to its fullest.

You can use direct mail to:

  1. Increase volume of sales among current customers
  2. Cross-sell additional products
  3. Build or improve relationships with customers and prospects
  4. Acquire new customers
  5. Establish a referral program
  6. Sell your products directly
  7. Persuade dealers to stock more of your product
  8. Obtain qualified leads for your sales force
  9. Test and measure different offers
  10. Survey your prospects and find out what their opinions are

Remember this simple rule. Keep your name in front of your existing customers. That way, they won't forget about you and go somewhere else. Mail six times a year to your active customers. For your very best customers, visit them in person at least once a year to wine and dine them.


Three reasons to use direct mail
  1. Speed
  2. Focus
  3. Measurability

In today's fast-paced marketplace, you must respond more quickly to problems and opportunities than ever before. Other forms of communication can take months. With direct mail you can get a message out within days or hours.

Plus your dollars will be spent more cost effectively because they are concentrated on your top prospects in a personalized way. You choose exactly who you want to communicate with. You have much more control and focus with direct mail. Naturally, this increases the effectiveness.

Better yet, the results are directly measurable. Many customers test different approaches to determine what will work best.