It is that time of year again. The time of year when everyone sends out their holiday marketing campaign, just in time to get ready for the New Year. You hope it will have the desired impact, but is there any way that you can really tell if your direct mail is having the desired impact.
The good news is that there are several ways you can measure the success of your campaigns. Here are a few tips.
Give it Time
It’s natural to want to see results from your direct mail campaigns immediately, but the truth is that most people overspend over the holidays, and they only really start getting back on their feet financially in February or even later. Do not expect to see results from your direct mail campaigns immediately, and measure results over the first quarter rather than the first month!
Focus on the Specifics
Hopefully, when you sent out your direct mail campaign, you were marketing a specific offer, product or service. If that is the case, focus on growth in those specific areas when you measure success. Consider the following:
- Number of inquiries about the offer, product or service
- Number of sales of the offer, product or service
- The increase in inquiries and sales from the same period last year (if not a new product, offer or service)
- The increase in inquiries and sales from the same period last year for a similar product, offer or service (if it is a new product, offer or service)
Ask Where Customers Heard About You
You should already be doing this as a matter of course, but if you are not yet, it is always a good idea to ask customers who call in or visit your website where they heard about you. This should be one of the first questions your sales team ask customers who call in.Particularly if you are running many different marketing campaigns and want to track how well they work.
Track Enquiries – Not Sales
Often, companies track sales as a method of gauging the success of a direct mail campaign. However, while sales are important, there may well be a disconnect between marketing and sales, and it is better to track enquiries, and then compare them to sales. This way, you cannot only tell if you are getting the reaction, you want from your direct mail campaigns, but whether you need to tighten up your sales response.
Plan for Next Time
Every direct mail campaign is an opportunity to learn for next time. Keep track of what worked. What do people mention the most often? Does placing a time limit on an offer help? Does having a coupon or discount code make a difference? Find out what made customers pick up the phone and call, and then use that information to improve future campaigns.
Holiday direct mail campaigns can be a great way to boost sales early in the year. The best campaigns offer something specific, and provide an incentive to call sooner rather than later. Like all marketing campaigns, measuring results is key, so make sure that you do not just set it and forget it!
