Control the Outcome of Your Direct Mail Campaign

First-time direct mail clients often ask this question:

What response rate can I expect from my direct mail?

Understanding rates and statistics are beneficial to helping you manage your expectations. According to the Direct Marketing Association, the average response for a direct mail campaign is around 2-4% depending on the type or mailing and who its going to. That means that anywhere from 2-4% of recipients responded back to the direct mail piece in some way. Whether a phone call, e-mail, or a walk-in, these clients found themselves interested in what they saw.

How do you beat the stats and improve your own statistics? It’s all about control and variance.

Controlling the Campaign Outcome

Your direct mail piece is only as good as its marketing. Here are some ways you can improve your numbers and see your profits soar.

1. Establish a “control” campaign. This campaign will be used to help you set the standard for the ROI going forward.
2. Add a discount to your “control” campaign that includes an expiration date.
3. Keep track of the customers who utilize the discount in the given period of time.
4. Repeat with the next marketing campaign; however offer a different discount, send to a different demographic, or use a different design. This campaign will be your “variant” campaign.
5. Lastly, experiment. Keep track of your ROI for each campaign to compare and contrast what worked and what did not.

Make singular changes to your campaign to really make the most of your experiment. The best way to see an ROI is to continue to experiment and try out new things.  Moreover, it’s important to keep a consistent campaign. It can at times be difficult to see a significant ROI unless you create a constant campaign that lasts from three months to a year.

Want more details or advice on how to control the outcome of your direct mail? Give us a call. We would love to speak with you. 800-394-9393