Despite what many may think, direct mail continues to be an effective way to reach customers and engage with them. It’s even argued that direct mail leads to higher engagement rates than digital alternatives! But how do you ensure direct mail campaigns are effective? The answer lies in tracking and improving your response rates. In this blog, we’ll explore how to track and improve direct mail response rates, so that you can continue to meet your marketing goals. 

• What are Response Rates?

• How to Calculate a Response Rate for Direct Mail

• The Importance of Tracking Response Rates 

• Ways to Track Direct Mail Response Rates 

• 6 Ways to Improve Direct Mail Response Rates 

• Get Strong Direct Mail Response Rates with DMS

What are Response Rates?

A response rate is the number of respondents that carry out the required action of the direct mail campaign, whether that be visiting a website, buying a product or RSVPing to an event. The type of response being measured will therefore vary between campaigns, due to varying marketing objectives. 

How to Calculate a Response Rate for Direct Mail

There is actually a very simple formula for calculating direct mail response rates, which is: 

Response Rate = (Total Number of Mailers Sent / Number of Responses​) × 100

For example, if you sent out 1,000 mailers and received 50 responses, your response rate would be 5%. 

The Importance of Tracking Response Rates 

It’s important to track response rates for direct mail in order to understand if your campaign was a success. Many marketers will need to demonstrate that the investment of a direct mail campaign was worthwhile for the business and that it correlated with an increase in conversion. 

Tracking response rates can also help to understand an audience better. Seeing how they respond to different messaging, graphics or call-to-actions (CTAs) can tell you a lot about a consumer. 

In addition, tracking response rates provides businesses and marketers with tangible data that can be used for future decision-making. Evidence and data-based decisions are much more successful than those made based on guesswork. 

Ways to Track Direct Mail Response Rates 

There are many ways in which direct mail response rates can be tracked. Accurate tracking is imperative in measuring campaign success, so here are the most effective ways:

Unique URLs

Adding a unique URL or website landing page to your direct mailer, specific to your campaign, and directing recipients to visit it is a good way of tracking the amount of traffic the direct mail campaign drove, as well as any actions taken on the page and attributing them to the specific direct mail campaign. 

Unique Promotional Codes

Including unique promotional codes within your direct mail campaign is also an effective way of tracking response rates. Promotional codes should be specific to the direct mail campaign, allowing recipients to access a special offer or discount when they make a purchase. Post-campaign, you will be able to analyse how many codes were used, a.k.a the response rate, and thus the success of the campaign. 

QR Codes

QR codes are another effective way of tracking direct mail response rates. On the mailer, direct the respondent to scan the QR code with their smart device, which will take them to a specific landing page or app. There are two types of QR code, static and dynamic. 

A static QR code won’t provide any additional tracking details and will only allow the recipient to easily access the linked landing page. Therefore, it’s a good idea to link to a personalised landing page in order to track response rates. 

On the other hand, using a dynamic QR code allows you to track how the recipients have responded to the QR code, allowing for extra data such as the total number of scans, scan locations, the times scans took place, as well as the devices used. In this case, the number of unique scans could be classed as the response rate for the campaign. 

Personalised Phone Numbers

Personalised phone numbers also offer a great way to measure the response rate of a direct mail campaign. The amount of calls can be tracked for each number, providing a clear indication of which mail pieces promoted the most interest. 

NFC Technology 

Near Field Communication (NFC) is relatively new in the direct mail world but is becoming increasingly used as an effective means of tracking response rates. Recipients simply have to tap their smartphone onto the direct mail piece, which is embedded with an NFC chip, and they will be directed to a landing page, similar to a QR code but without having to use their camera. The action will be automatically tracked leaving marketers with real-time data on the campaign’s response rate.   

6 Ways to Improve Direct Mail Response Rates 

Now we’ve covered how to track response rates, it’s time to learn how to improve them. Here are five ways to improve direct mail response rates. 

1. Clean Your Mailing List 

Ensuring your mailing list is kept up-to-date and accurate is an effective way to improve your response rates. Old recipient addresses and spelling errors make for an outdated and arguably useless list that when used, could result in undeliverable mail, wasted costs and missed opportunities. 

2. Segmentation 

Segmenting your database and mailing lists is another way to improve direct mail response rates. Only sending direct mail that your audience is interested in and can relate to will naturally increase the response rates. If recipients receive something that doesn’t resonate with them, they are more likely to disregard it and throw it away. For instance, sending an over 50s cruise brochure to someone in their 20s is unlikely to result in a high response rate. 

Therefore it’s important to segment your audience and only send direct mail that is relevant to them. Popular and effective ways to segment your audience are by:

• Gender
• Age
• Income
• Location
• Spending/Buying Behaviour
• Interests & Lifestyle

3. Personalisation

Personalising a piece of direct mail, specific to the recipient, has been found to improve response rates. Research by Royal Mail shows that personalised mail is 35% more likely to drive an actual purchase than unaddressed mail. This is because it captures the recipient’s attention, makes them feel valued and overall improves brand loyalty. Effective personalisation includes their first and last name, referencing purchase history or mentioning their location. 

4. Eye-Catching Design

Design should never be overlooked. Spending time on an eye-catching design can help improve response rates. 

5. Strong Call-to-Action

A strong call-to-action (CTA) is essential for improving response rates. You want recipients to instantly know what you want them to do, whether that’s call a phone number or visit a website. Making the CTA as easy and clear as possible is key. 

6. Invest in High-quality Materials & Printing

The materials and printing quality is just as important as the design. In fact, the materials used can elevate a very basic design and transform it into something eye-catching and memorable. Working with a dedicated mailing and print house for direct mail will ensure you receive the very best high-quality results for your direct mail campaign, ensuring it stands apart from the competition. 

Get Strong Direct Mail Response Rates with DMS

DMS is a trusted direct mailing house that has worked with leading organisations, helping produce and deliver successful direct mail campaigns with great response rates. We have state-of-the-art printers and technology and work with high-quality materials to ensure we always exceed our customer’s expectations. With the help of our experienced team, you’ll be able to achieve tracked and improved direct mail response rates. 

Find out more about our direct mail solutions here.