Sending postcards is just the first step in a successful direct mail campaign. To truly understand its impact—and ensure your marketing dollars are well spent—you need to measure results. Tracking performance not only shows what works but also helps refine future campaigns for even better ROI.
1. Define Your Goals
Before your postcards even leave the printer, clarify what you want to achieve. Are you aiming for:
- Increased foot traffic to your store?
- More phone inquiries or appointments?
- Website visits or online purchases?
- Brand awareness within your neighborhood?
Having clear goals makes it easier to track success and determine whether your campaign met your objectives.
2. Use Unique Tracking Methods
To measure responses accurately, incorporate trackable elements on your postcard:
- Phone Numbers: Use a dedicated phone number for the campaign to see how many calls come directly from your mailer.
- Promo Codes: Assign a unique discount or offer code to the postcard. This allows you to track redemptions and conversions.
- QR Codes or Short Links: Encourage recipients to scan or visit a specific landing page. Analytics tools can then show how many people followed through.
By assigning distinct identifiers to each campaign, you can measure exactly how effective each mailer is.
3. Track Response Rates
The response rate is the percentage of recipients who act on your offer. For example, if you send 5,000 postcards and 200 people respond via phone, email, or website, your response rate is 4%. Industry benchmarks suggest direct mail response rates for local businesses typically range from 4–9%, depending on targeting, offer, and design.
Tracking response rates lets you see which messages and offers resonate most with your audience. It also helps in adjusting your strategy for higher conversions in future campaigns.
4. Monitor Conversions
Beyond initial responses, track actual conversions—the number of recipients who make a purchase, book a service, or become loyal customers. While response rates show engagement, conversions measure real business impact.
For instance, if 200 people respond to your postcard but only 50 make a purchase, your conversion rate is 25%. Understanding this helps you calculate ROI and determine the true value of the campaign.
5. Analyze Timing and Frequency
The timing of your campaign can influence results. Track when responses occur to identify peak engagement periods. Additionally, measuring results over multiple mailings shows how frequency impacts response rates. Some campaigns improve significantly with follow-up mailers, reinforcing your message and brand presence.
6. Gather Qualitative Feedback
While numbers are important, customer feedback can provide valuable insights. Ask new customers how they heard about your business. A simple question during a phone call or at checkout can reveal whether your postcard campaign drove traffic. This helps refine messaging and design for future campaigns.
7. Adjust and Optimize
Once you’ve tracked responses, conversions, and feedback, use this information to optimize future campaigns. Test different offers, headlines, designs, and mailing lists. Iterative improvement ensures each campaign becomes more effective and cost-efficient.
Conclusion
Direct mail works best when it’s strategic—and measuring results is a crucial part of that strategy. By defining goals, using trackable elements, monitoring response and conversion rates, analyzing timing, collecting feedback, and optimizing campaigns, local businesses can maximize ROI and make informed decisions.
Tracking success transforms a simple postcard mailing into a data-driven marketing strategy. It ensures every dollar spent contributes to growth, customer engagement, and long-term business success.