6 Unique Ways to Measure Direct Mail Effectiveness (Including A Few You May Not Be Aware Of)

A direct mail campaign is a great way to reach your target audience, but how do you know if it’s really working? Even if you know that the piece of marketing collateral was received, how can you track results and evaluate which message resonates with your customers?

Track Direct Mail Effectiveness with these Helpful Methods 

At Heritage Printing, we KNOW direct mail. Effective direct mail campaigns need to include a call to action so you know that your message was received loud and clear. 

Almost everyone knows that there are multiple metrics you can use to evaluate the impact of digital marketing. But how do you measure direct mail effectiveness? Tracking the performance and conversion rate of a direct mail piece takes a little planning and a touch of cleverness, but it CAN be done. Best of all, many methods don’t add to the total cost of your mailing. 

If you’re ready to see real results, here are six unique ways to measure your direct mail effectiveness—including several ideas that may surprise you. 

1. Intelligent Mail Barcodes

Most organizations that send large mailings are familiar with intelligent mail barcodes (IMB) – the 65-bar codes used by the U.S. Postal Service to track outbound letters and flats. These tracking tools not only help reduce mailing costs but also offer these important capabilities:

• Marketers can use IMBs to verify estimated and actual delivery dates for mailings.
• IMBs enable marketers to tailor messages to improve the impact of their direct mail campaigns.
• Marketers can create automated marketing campaigns that coincide with specific direct mail triggers. For example, when a mailing about a special offer receives its final scan before delivery, the scan could trigger an email to recipients, reminding them to watch their mailboxes.

The USPS designed the IMB program for mailings of over 10,000 pieces. They also offer small business tools for smaller bulk mail projects with fewer pieces of mail. 

2. Trackable Phone Numbers

Another powerful way to measure customer engagement with your direct mail is by including a trackable phone number. A dedicated trackable phone number automatically forwards calls to your business line while enabling you to track how many calls your campaign generates. Phone calls are one of the most effective ways to track the success of a direct mail campaign.

Trackable phone numbers are even more valuable when conducting A/B tests on the effectiveness of your direct mail campaign. In other words, create two versions of your direct mailer, each with a different headline, message, or offer. Assign a different trackable phone number to each version and track which line receives the most calls. This method of direct mail tracking provides key performance indicators for your campaigns and is the best way to build on what’s working. 

3. QR Codes

QR codes are a common and convenient way to add interactivity to your direct mail campaigns. Most folks are quite familiar with QR codes used in restaurants and throughout advertising. When they receive the piece of direct mail, they’ll know what to do.

When a new customer scans a QR code with their smartphone, they’re taken to a landing page where they discover and act on your latest offer. As in the previous example, directing them to a dedicated landing page makes tracking visitors and responses to your offer easier. 

However, one limitation to remember is that QR codes require smartphones. If your offer requires your audience to view your request and then take action on their work computer, this innovative direct-response technology won’t work.

4. Trackable URLs

Why not add a trackable URL to your mailer that leads prospects to a custom landing page where they can learn more about your offer? Trackable or “vanity” URLs allow you to measure direct mail effectiveness quickly. Vanity domain names (such as acmeincspecialoffer.com) are inexpensive and easily set up to host one or more landing pages. 

A dedicated trackable landing page keeps prospects focused on one task and minimizes the distraction of other navigation options. Placing these pages on a dedicated website makes it easy to “hide” them from web search engines and other email marketing efforts. That means the only traffic these pages receive will come from your direct mail campaign. 

You can also use trackable URLs for A/B testing to measure and compare the results of your average response rate and understand the success of your campaigns. Create two versions of your mailer to guide recipients to two different landing pages. To measure your direct mail effectiveness, compare the number of visits each page receives and actions completed (downloads, event registrations. or product purchases).

5. Personalized URLs

Personalized URLs (PURLs) are another powerful tool to make your direct mailers more appealing to the target audience on your mailing list—and to determine which prospects are engaging with your offers. The simplest way to use PURLs is to create a customized landing page for your campaign. Then use digital printing to append each person’s name to the end of the custom URL (i.e., clickheritage.com/bobjones) or use a short, unique numerical code (for example, clickheritage.com/12345). 

Remember that PURLs must be easy for recipients to type into a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. You can even take this approach one step further by programming the landing page to use the PURL to display each prospect’s name and customized content just for them.

6. Coupon Codes

Another effective way to track response rates is by incorporating a coupon code or special offers into your direct mailers. These free offers and special discounts give recipients a powerful incentive to take immediate action. Customers could redeem these offers in stores, on websites, or over the phone, allowing you to track the number of responses to each of these touchpoints. Coupons are a simple way to track your marketing efforts and measure direct mail performance. 

Like the other techniques for measuring direct mail effectiveness we’ve discussed, you can A/B test different headlines, body copy, and offers to determine when a customer takes advantage of the offer. Measure which promotional codes provide the highest response rates and results in conversions (such as sales, downloads, or registrations).

Measure Response Rates to Get More for Direct Mail

Direct mail gives you great results. But it’s important that you know your efforts resonate with your customers. Use the tracking methods above to see just how effective your direct mail campaigns are. 

With the right tools, you’ll track key metrics to measure your direct mail effectiveness, reach your target prospects, and run an even better campaign. 

If you need guidance on these or other marketing strategies, we have a team of experts ready to help. Contact Heritage DIRECT today to discuss your direct mail marketing and measurement needs.