“I think we were busier during the promotion, but we’re not sure exactly where the response came from.” Does this sound familiar? You rush to get the direct mailing out, push to handle the responses, but overlook the tracking of your direct mail campaign. According to a Marketing and Business Development Council, with proper tracking, direct mail is highly accountable.

Why is it important to track your direct mail campaign? The obvious reason is to reveal your return on investment, but there are many more reasons. Tracking the campaign gives you information for future direct mail campaigns including how your list performed, which offers perform best, and what type of direct mailer is most effective.

Some of the ways to track your campaign are through the front end process of ordering lists, coordinating test cells, and coding the responses. If your company has a POS system or a barcode reader, you can use a mail piece that can have an encoded magnetic strip, like a plastic card mailer, or a barcode on it. These two options not only allow you to track who is redeeming the offers, but also enhances the security of the piece. By encoding a magnetic strip or including a bar code, you can restrict the use of your promotion, prevent staff from allowing people without your piece to receive the same benefits, and determine a time frame for the promotion.

Tracking your direct mail is a crucial element of any campaign, but it is one that is too often overlooked. By tracking your direct mail, you can improve the accuracy and redemption of future campaigns.

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