Direct mail continues to be a viable marketing resource for businesses. While it’s important for brands to maintain and engage using their digital channels, direct physical mail is still a powerful channel for driving results. But, like all methods of marketing, companies need to monitor and analyze their metrics to ensure their efforts are effective.
With direct mail campaigns, it’s essential to track your response rates. But how can you know if you’re generating a good response rate? Here are some tips to enhance your effectiveness and achieve optimal response rates every time.
Direct mail campaigns are still wildly effective
According to the Association of National Advertisers, or ANA, direct mail marketing demonstrates a 37% higher response rate than email campaigns. And companies realize that while their industries are focused on digital engagement, there is a strategic positioning advantage for using direct mail.
Direct mail statistics
As companies diversify in choosing which marketing channels drive the best response rates and results, direct mail continues to be effective. Explore these latest statistics supporting the effectiveness of putting physical offers in consumers’ hands.
- 60% of consumers who receive a catalog in the mail will visit the company’s website, according to USPS.
- Oversized envelopes drive the highest response rates of 5%, according to the Data & Marketing Association.
- Companies experience a 125% increase in inquiries from consumers who receive both physical catalogs and digital emails, according to HBR.
- Companies also experience a 49% increase in sales conversions from consumers who receive both physical catalogs and digital emails, according to HBR.
- Direct mail postcards to a house list of recipients produce an ROI rate of 92%, which is comparable to the digital email’s ROI rate of 93%, according to the ANA.
When considering a direct mail campaign for your business, it’s important to establish a method for monitoring response rates. For example, the average response rate for a general prospect list is about 5%. In contrast, the average response rate for sending direct mail campaigns to customers you already have data and personas is higher, at about 9%.
Measuring response rates for your campaigns
With the right metrics in place, you can be sure you’re executing results-driven efforts with each direct mail campaign you send. Explore these insights to help you develop your analytics and tracking methods.
Methods for measuring
The general calculation for measuring the response rate of a direct mail campaign is as follows: (Number of Responses / Number of pieces mailed) x 100.
Here are features you can implement to help you measure direct mail responses.
- Unique Offer Codes: These can help track offers as they’re redeemed, matching the transaction with the unique identifier or discount.
- Promotional URLs: Use dedicated landing pages to funnel direct mail responses, allowing you to track the digital engagement driven by the mail pieces.
- Personalized URLs (PURLs:) Consider using unique identifiers to draw more attention to your campaigns.
- QR Codes: Track the number of scanned QR codes for each campaign, analyzing the promotional URL or UTM.
- Phone Numbers: To track response rates by phone number, create a unique number to call for each campaign, and collect the results.
In addition to these, you can also utilize some of the more “old school” methods of measuring direct mail campaigns. These include tracking bar code scans upon processing or in-person visits to a brick-and-mortar location to redeem a bar code scan for savings.
Factors that impact your campaign response rates
In addition to tracking your direct mail response rates, look for ways to improve them. Consider these ideas to help drive better engagement with your direct mail recipients.
- Campaign Types: Be sure to define the type of direct mail campaign you’re launching, which may include acquisition, cross-selling, reactivation, retention, or upgrading initiatives.
- Data: Make sure the data you’re using is up-to-date and accurate. You can also distinguish between personalization and segmentation of your mail lists for more precise targeting and results.
- Audience and Location: Have a clear definition of who your target audience is. Additionally, make sure you’re choosing the right geographic locations for the product or service you’re selling.
- Offers and Messaging: Your direct mail recipients will respond if the content is compelling and the offers are attractive. Allow for personalizing and segmenting, but make sure every message aligns with your audience. And if your offer is time-sensitive, choose the right delivery method to ensure timely delivery.
Methods for improving your direct mail response rates
If you’re looking to improve your direct mail response rates, here are some suggestions that can help drive better results.
- Combine your email and direct mail campaigns for increased reach and frequency.
- Design your campaigns with triggers and customer buying preferences at the core.
- Verify any recipient lists before sending by using the National Change of Address database.
- Personalize your campaigns whenever possible. Customization converts.
- Offer unique selling points by differentiating your brand from competitors in the space.
- Incentivize conversions with deals, discounts, and time-sensitive value propositions.
- A/B test your campaigns ongoing to try new offers and formats.
When you’re ready to start harnessing the power of direct mail for your business, make sure to track your response rates and partner with a team that is experienced in postal mail regulations and all other aspects of direct mail marketing.
At Ritter’s Printing & Packaging, our team has years of experience in design, format, print, data, personalization, and mailing services to make your direct mail campaign easy, efficient, and effective.
Give us a call today at 954-771-72004 and partner with the leading direct mail services company in Fort Lauderdale.
