Frequently Asked Questions

Our comprehensive products, tools and resources allow you to engage with coaches and administrators in the interscholastic athletic marketplace.

GENERAL FAQs

How is the school and contact information collected?

We have been collecting and compiling school and contact information for 50 years. The information comes directly from the Athletic Director, coach, or administrator at the school. Profile data is gathered through various channels including information sheets filled out by the school and mailed to us or update on our website, fax, or phone.

How often is the school and contact information updated?

Keeping information updated is a year-round task and we update hundreds of records on a daily basis. We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring our information is kept as up-to-date as possible. Although it's entirely impossible to have 100% of the one million pieces of data we collect annually accurate, we do strive to collect missing and outdated information as quickly and efficiently as possible

EMAIL MARKETING FAQs

How many emails should I expect to land in the Inbox?

75% - 95% of emails sent can be expected to land in the inbox if you follow the best practices for sending out a mass email. You can download our list of Best Practices here.

What is a typical open rate on an email campaign?

  • 10% Open Rate is Good, 20% Open Rate is Excellent
  • Several factors can affect an open rate:
  • Time of Day and Day of Week email is sent
  • A good Subject Line
  • Frequency of emails sent (if you send out an email every day, your open rates will drop dramatically)
  • For more tips, download our Best Practices.

Can I use my email program (like Microsoft Outlook) to send mass emails?

  • Many ISPs (Internet Service Provider) limit the number of emails sent at one time. The typical limit only allows a single email to be sent to a maximum of 25-50 recipients, whether the emails are typed in or located within a group.
  • You must deal with the recipients who wish to unsubscribe manually. Although this can be manageable with a small list, it can be very time consuming and error prone when dealing with a large list of recipients.
  • Alternatively, there are many Email Service Providers who can send mass emails out for you. Many of these providers have pre-made email templates as well as tools to create a great looking email. They also provide reporting so you can track metrics of your campaign including open and click-through rates. You can find many programs simply by Googling "Email Service Providers."

What % of bounces should I expect?

A 5% - 17% bounce rate (for Athletic Director - Coaching Positions respectively) can occur within a Nationwide list.

Why would an email bounce or come back as "undeliverable"?

  • Email deliverability is not an exact science. Many factors contribute to an email being returned and can include:
  • Email Server is down. If an email server you are sending to is experiencing temporary problems or is down, then you will receive an undeliverable email message back. Although the email is good, the server is unable to accept emails at that point in time.
  • Only Whitelisted Emails are Accepted. Many times an email has to be whitelisted by the recipient in order for them to receive your email. If you are not whitelisted, you may receive an email back as a bounce.
  • Bad IP Address Reputation. If your IP Address has been blacklisted or has a bad sending reputation, it is possible for many ISPs to block your email from being delivered to the intended recipient. You can check your IP Address reputation across a variety of blacklists at www.mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx
  • Email was delivered as SPAM. Many email servers and spam filters respond to an incoming email differently. Although they may send back your email as "undeliverable" many times the email was simply delivered into a Junk or Spam folder where the recipient must then go and retrieve the email. Download our Best Practices for ways to avoid the Spam filter.
  • Email does not exist. Email churn is extremely large as schools are constantly having staff turnover as well as the changing of email domains and providers. At Clell Wade Coaches Directory, Inc., we do our best to stay on top of the churn by sending out our own emails regularly to all of our contacts as well as calling to verify any emails that do not go through.

CUSTOM LIST FAQs

Are telephone numbers and emails included?

Standard list orders will include names, school names, and complete mailing addresses based on your selections. By request, telephone numbers and email addresses may be added for an extra charge.

What format will I receive the data?

Most orders (excluding Pressure Sensitive Mailing Labels) can be downloaded through our List Manager in CSV, Tab-Delimited, or Excel file format.

How will my mailing list be delivered?

Once purchased, you will be able to download your mailing list by logging in and accessing your List Manager. Download instructions and login information will be provided in your order receipt via email.

What is the List Manager?

The List Manager is where all your downloadable lists are located within your account. The List Manager application is tied directly in to our database ensuring that every time you log in to your account and download a list, the list is updated with any daily changes being made.

Once my order is placed, what is the turn-around time?

Most orders are available within 24 hours of time of purchase.

eBROADCAST FAQs

What is an eBroadcast?

An eBroadcast is an email marketing campaign where we send the email on your behalf. We do not provide you with a file of email addresses. You may collect email addresses of prospects that respond to your offer.

How do I deliver my email?

When you rent email addresses from us, the price includes the setup and delivery of your email message.

What do I get in my campaign?

Our service includes the following:

  • Setup of your email message in Multipart MIME format. This allows recipients who have text only email to receive your message.
  • We test email campaigns and get your approval before launching.
  • Sending the emails.
  • Monitoring and tracking. We provide you with a report on how many times your email was opened and how many recipients responded to your message.

Will you create an HTML version of my message?

If you need assistance creating an HTML version of your message, we provide creative services. The fee is $100 per hour; average time is 1-2 hours.