Direct Mail, Direct Mail Guide, Marketing

Direct Mail Guide: Tracking Response (Part 4 of 4)

This post is the fourth and final installment in our four-month direct mail guide series. We are walking you through the basics of direct mail. In part one, we reviewed why now is a great time to spend marketing dollars on direct mail. If you missed part one, you will find it here.

In part two, we discussed the planning and creation of a direct mail offer and mail piece. You can find that here.

In part three, we talked about direct mail preparations by discussing “the list,” meaning the postal mailing list, and preparing print and mail. You can find part three here.

Tracking Response

Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to attribute marketing success to the source. With direct mail, it’s crucial to establish tracking protocols before your campaign heads to print. Tracking is done in various ways, including using promotional codes, selecting phone numbers, unique IDs, and more. With response tracking, you will be able to replicate campaign success continually. It might sound complicated, but with help from ANS, we’ll make it simple. For help tracking the results of your direct mail campaign, call us.

top response rate tracking methods for direct mail

Key Codes

Another helpful way to track response rates is by assigning unique key codes to each list you send mail. A keycode is a series of numbers and letters associated with a particular database. At ANS, we typically use a set of two letters and three digits to make keycodes (see below).

Key Code Sample

When you order data for your next event campaign, ask the data company to assign unique keycodes for each list. These key codes can be used as a registration or discount code, and allow you to track which registrants came from which list. If the keycode is applied online, individuals can input it as a promo code. If the key code received over the phone, the keycode for each registrant should be carefully recorded.

Landing Page Links

In addition, if your event attendees or buyers can purchase or sign up online, create unique URL links for each list you sent mail. Tracking is accomplished by creating a separate landing page link for each database you are mailing to or, if you want to direct registrants to an existing webpage, you can create different UTM links for the same URL. UTM links allow you to use Google analytics to track traffic going to your website from each different UTM link. Utilizing a free service like bitly.com can keep your URL simple and easy to manually input.

Phone Numbers

Lastly, if you have multiple phone numbers for your business, you can assign alternate phone numbers to different campaigns. While this a very straightforward tracking method in concept, it requires that the individual answering the phones to be diligent in recording from which line the call came.

There you have it, the basics of planning a direct mail campaign. Want to talk to a direct mail expert now? Click the button below or call one of our experienced direct mail experts at 1-800-434-1851.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *