10 Print Metrics Businesses Need to Know for Campaign Success

You can set your direct mail campaign up for success through beautiful design, a compelling message, and precise targeting. Still, determining its success is almost impossible without the right campaign metrics. After all, if you don’t know where the goal post is, it’s hard to know if you’ve scored.

Print advertising metrics are the only way to evaluate your campaign’s success. You need to look carefully at the response rate, conversion rate, cost per response, sales revenue, and other indicators of performance.

Knowing how to track this data and analyze it correctly can be tricky. Fortunately, our experts are here to help. Troi Mailing offers analysis services so you can better understand what worked, what didn’t, and what you should do differently next time.

1. Response rate

When businesses are trying to understand the effectiveness of their latest direct mail campaign, the response rate is usually the first place they look.

The response rate measures how many recipients took action after receiving your mail piece. This action could be visiting your website, filling out a form, or calling a number. It provides insights into the initial engagement and effectiveness of your campaign. If your message successfully connected with audiences, then the response rate should reflect that.

Of course, a response rate on its own is only half the story. Different industries have different standards for response rates. Therefore, make sure you’re comparing your campaign’s response rate with the industry standard to get an accurate assessment of where your campaign stands.

For instance, successful not-for-profit renewal mailings have a response rate of 8—10%, whereas other industries may only see a response rate of 1—2%.

2. Conversion rate

The conversion rate goes beyond the initial response and examines the percentage of recipients that reached the desired end goal. Whereas the response rate might measure how many people visited a specific landing page, the conversion rate determines how many of those visitors then signed up for your newsletter or purchased a product. It is essential for assessing the true impact of your print marketing campaign metrics.

3. Cost per response

Determining the cost per response is a crucial step for understanding the total ROI of your marketing campaign. This metric is calculated by taking the total cost of the campaign and dividing it by the number of responses.

A highly cost-effective campaign has a lower cost per response, meaning you “got more bang for your buck.” It indicates that you likely crafted an engaging message, made a compelling offer, targeted the ideal client, and made other strategic decisions like using personalized printing and database segmentation.

4. Customer lifetime value (CLV)

Another campaign performance metric is the CLV, or customer lifetime value. It estimates how much revenue one customer will bring over the course of their relationship with your brand. A high CLV signifies that you have successfully built strong and long-lasting relationships with your customers. They’re loyal to you, prioritizing your goods and services over those of your competitors.

CLV is an essential metric in all types of marketing, including (but not limited to) print marketing. It gauges the quality of your customer relationships and helps you tailor your print materials to improve brand awareness, brand loyalty, and customer retention.

5. Sales revenue

Sales revenue is the ultimate campaign performance metric. It examines the volume of sales during and after the campaign. If your campaign was successful in driving business outcomes, then your sales revenue should have increased. Tracking sales revenue provides a clear picture of the ROI of your print marketing.

Of course, this metric is only relevant if you are trying to increase revenue with your direct mail campaign. If your campaign is exclusively striving to increase subscribers to your newsletter, for instance, you may not look at revenue at all.

6. Number of calls

Call tracking is one way to measure your print performance. By including a designated phone number on your campaign’s mail pieces, you can see how many recipients pick up the phone after seeing your special offer.

The volume (and quality) of the calls generated by your campaign provides prompt feedback on the effectiveness of your message. You can also use call tracking during A/B testing by including different numbers on different messages or designs.

7. Coupon redemption

Coupon redemption functions in the same way as call tracking. When a customer goes to make a purchase after receiving your postcard, brochure, or catalogue, they enter the coupon on your website or bring it to your store.

You can evaluate the appeal and effectiveness of your campaign based on how many coupons were used. The redemption rate offers clear insights into which incentives work best for your audience.

8. Website traffic

Increasingly, businesses are using multi-channel marketing to advertise their businesses. You may launch a direct mail campaign in order to drive traffic to your website or ecommerce store. Print materials are seen as being more trustworthy than online ads, making them the perfect tool for enhancing your digital presence in a world overwhelmed by digital advertising.

You can use Q-codes and personalized URLs (pURLS) to monitor spikes in website visits following your print campaign.

9. Customer feedback

Customer feedback is always valuable. It’s a qualitative campaign metric, meaning it focuses on the experiences and feelings of your customers. No numbers are involved!

By collecting and studying customer feedback, you can gauge customer sentiment and satisfaction. This has the potential to reveal significant revelations that can change how you do business and how you communicate with your audience. Surveys, reviews, and direct customer interactions unveil how you can improve to better meet their needs and align with preferences.

10. Brand recognition

Brand recognition is also harder to quantify. Nonetheless, it has a significant impact on your business. Strong brand awareness and recognition build trust among consumers and, ultimately, lead to sales and new customer acquisitions.

The more often a potential customer sees and interacts with your brand, the longer-lasting your impact is. Your brand stays top of mind, helping to ensure that when they are ready to make a purchase, they think of you first.

Tips for Tracking Campaign Performance Metrics

• Coupon codes
• Special phone numbers
• QR codes
• Personalized URLs
• Unique landing page
• Surveys

Analyze Print Advertising Metrics With Troi Mailing Services

Troi Mailing Services is your one-stop shop for all things direct mail. Not only do we offer professional design, printing, and fulfillment services, but we also gather important campaign metrics like response rate, conversion rate, and cost per response. That way, we can get a well-rounded understanding of the effectiveness of your campaign and identify areas for future improvement.

Our high-quality print, direct mail, and analysis services help you launch better and more effective print advertising campaigns.

To learn more about how we can help you understand your print advertising metrics, call Troi Mailing Services at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us online.