6 Ways to Measure the Direct Mail Impact in a Digital Marketing Era for Local Businesses

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, local businesses still leverage direct mail, but measuring its impact requires innovative strategies. We’ve gathered insights from founders and CEOs, focusing on methods like tracking engagement with QR codes and attributing sales to unique promo codes. Here are six expert methods to quantify the success of your direct mail campaigns in the digital age.

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Track Engagement With QR Codes

One of the approaches to ascertain the influence of direct mail in the digital marketing age for local enterprises involves using exclusive QR codes on every piece that is mailed. This is how it’s done.

1. Develop Unique QR Codes – Make separate QR codes for each campaign sent by mail. The availability of several online tools makes this process easy and fast.

2. Link to Dedicated Landing Pages – Each of these codes needs to be linked to a landing page dedicated specifically to the relevant campaign. This will then help in keeping track of traffic and engagement influenced by such a direct mail piece.

3. Monitor Engagement – Use analytics tools to follow activity on these pages. Metrics, including page views, length of stay on the page, and conversion rates (e.g., downloads, form submissions, or purchases), give an accurate idea about the efficacy of direct mail campaigns.

4. Integrate With CRM Systems – Combine data gathered from these scans with your CRM system. In turn, this enhances the understanding of customer behavior as well as helps you nurture leads that come out from the initiative.

5. Conduct A/B Testing on Variants – Find out which combination of landing page designs and different QR codes will generate better results. This can improve future direct mail campaigns through an iterative process.

Local businesses can effectively measure the impact of their direct mail campaigns by using distinct QR codes, bridging the gap between physical and digital marketing.

Pankaj Kumar, Founder, Naxisweb

Personalize URLs for Accurate Tracking

Embedding personalized URLs (PURLs) in direct mail has transformed our measurement approach. Each PURL directs recipients to a custom landing page, allowing us to track responses and engagement accurately. This strategy provides clear insights into the effectiveness of our campaigns and integrates seamlessly with our digital analytics tools. The detailed data help refine our tactics, ensuring we maximize the impact of both direct mail and digital marketing efforts.

Joshua Odmark, CIO and Founder, Local Data Exchange

Combine Landing Pages and Call-Tracking

In today’s digital marketing landscape, direct mail remains a potent tool for local businesses, especially when integrated with digital tracking methods. At Rail Trip Strategies, we’ve found great success by combining the use of dedicated landing pages and call-tracking numbers in our direct mail campaigns to measure their effectiveness precisely.

For each direct mail campaign, we create unique landing pages that are only accessible through a specific URL or QR code included in the mail pieces. This approach allows us to track exactly how many people visit the page directly from the mailer. By analyzing the traffic and behavior on these landing pages—such as time spent on the page, actions taken, and conversion rates—we gain valuable insights into the engagement level and interest generated by the mail campaign.

Simultaneously, we use call-tracking numbers that are exclusive to each direct mail campaign. These unique phone numbers help us identify which calls to the business are a direct result of the mailing. By monitoring metrics like the number of calls received, the duration of these calls, and any subsequent sales or bookings, we can assess the direct mail’s impact on lead generation and customer acquisition.

This dual approach not only quantifies the effectiveness of the direct mail in driving online and phone-based interactions but also provides a multi-dimensional view of how different segments of the target audience respond. Some recipients are more inclined to engage online through landing pages, while others prefer direct phone contact.

By integrating these digital tracking techniques with traditional direct mail, we enable local businesses to bridge the gap between offline and online marketing. This synergy enhances the measurability of direct mail campaigns and boosts overall marketing efficiency by providing a clearer picture of customer preferences and behaviors.

Reed Daniels, Owner, Rail Trip Strategies

Use UTM Parameters on Unique Landing Pages

Measuring the impact of direct mail on local businesses can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. Here’s a powerful method I recommend: unique landing pages with UTM parameters.

Let’s break it down. Create a specific landing page for your direct mail campaign. This page should be unique and not used anywhere else. On this landing page, showcase the offer or information from your mailer and include a clear call to action.

Now, the secret sauce: UTM parameters. These are trackable codes you add to your landing page URL. They tell you exactly where the traffic to that page originated from—in this case, your direct mail campaign.

By using UTM parameters, you can track metrics like clicks, conversions (purchases, sign-ups, etc.), and even user behavior on the landing page. This data provides a clear picture of how your direct mail campaign is driving traffic and engagement online.

Here’s an example: let’s say you’re a local bakery promoting a summer discount through a postcard. Your postcard includes a unique code to redeem the discount. You can create a landing page with the code pre-filled and use UTM parameters to track how many people visit the page after receiving the postcard.

This method offers a multi-dimensional view of your direct mail campaign’s impact. It goes beyond just response rates and gives you valuable insights into customer actions online, making it a perfect fit for the digital marketing era.

Adil Farooq, CEO, Silverstone Technologies

Implement Custom Coupon Codes

Measuring the impact of direct mail (or most marketing channels) is something most local businesses do not do well at all. For direct mail, specifically, the suggestions I have depend on the type of local business:

1. For a local business that sells directly through their website (local boutique, etc.), I recommend a custom coupon code that they can use on-site, in-store, or over the phone. This should be a limited-time offer to prevent misuse, and your commerce system can then report on the usage of that code.

2. For a business that primarily sets appointments over the phone, the direct mail piece can say, “Mention code XX to save $50 off your first service.” The customer service rep should ask each new customer if they recently received a flier in the mail and ask for the code. Your CRM system must be able to report on this so you can determine which mailing piece worked the best.

Most mail companies can even produce mailers with different codes on every piece of mail. I don’t think this is necessary most of the time. My recommendation is to try 2-5 different designs with a unique code on each one and determine which one works best before you scale it up!

Elliott Kosmicki, Founder & President, Major Impact

Attribute Sales to Unique Promo Codes

One effective method is using unique promo codes tied to your direct-mail campaigns. Each mail piece can include a specific code that recipients can use when making a purchase online or in-store. By tracking these unique codes, you can directly attribute sales to your direct-mail efforts. This provides clear data on the effectiveness of your campaign and encourages customer engagement by offering a tangible incentive. Additionally, analyzing the redemption rates of these codes can help you understand which offers resonate most with your audience.

Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital

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