Tracking Direct Mail is an Absolute Must
Raise your hand if you’ve ever mailed a package to someone and wondered if it made it. Luckily most delivery services offer tracking that verify the package reached its ultimate destination. Phew, what a relief, right? When it comes to direct mail you should have the exact same expectations. The ability to track a direct mail piece from the time it enters the postal system to final delivery is a reality and something that should be required from any direct mail firm you’ve engaged.
Sophisticated direct mailers now have the technology to track each piece through the postal system, providing estimates for in-home dates and confirming actual received date in a real-time environment easily available via an online portal. From non-profits to print shops, this technology can reap significant rewards for any company investing in direct mail. Keep reading to learn how tracking direct mail helps companies to run more efficiently and to be prepared in any situation.
6 Reasons to Use Automated Tracking for Direct Mail Campaigns
- Verifies the direct mail reached its audience
Sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be shocked how often organizations assume their direct mail was delivered all the while scratching their head reviewing horrible campaign results. Just remember, the recipient can’t respond if they never received the piece. - Able to schedule direct mail follow-up campaigns with accuracy
The ability to project in-home dates allows teams to plan for follow-up staffing, but confirmation of in-home delivery means the follow-up timing will be right on. Imagine hiring staff to conduct follow-up and beginning only to find out the mailing was delayed and no one knows what your outbound staff is talking about. Not just embarrassing, but a huge waste of effort and money. - Ability to plan for order fulfillment and call center staff
Mail tracking is like a crystal ball, looking into the future planning real-time dates that staff is needed for order fulfillment, call center, or donor support. Again, here the tighter you can project the actual dates support is needed, the less waste for the organization. - Provide confirmation of mail delays that could impact results
Mail tracking always tells the truth, no guessing or best case scenarios. If the campaign for your organization is delayed due to snow storms or other unplanned situations, you’ll know right away. This knowledge in advance allows companies to plan for response delays impacting orders, donations, and cash flow. In an unplanned event all anyone can do is control their response; when it happens, tracking mail can serve as a powerful tool in your arsenal. - Know how many responses are coming before they arrive
Mail tracking also records business reply envelope (BRE) responses to know what’s coming back long before it hits the mailbox. For non-profits it can mean the ability to predict total donations yet to arrive and for any organization projecting orders pending receipt. How awesome would it be to see the future? - Evaluate and adjust campaign planning in real-time
Tracking responses from BREs delivers business intelligence which allows your team to make future campaign decisions with less lag time. If response rates are exceeding expectations, then start planning the next one. No need to wait till you have orders in hand. On the flip side, if it’s an epic fail, cancel the next campaign planned and mitigate losses.
Get your very own competitive advantage by using mail/response tracking on your next direct mail campaign. It’s like being able to see the future for your business… and who wouldn’t want that?
Three Dog Logistics is an expert at mail/response tracking technologies and will deliver your message at the lowest cost and fastest delivery speed possible. Remember, we take the bite out of postage and freight. Visit www.threedoglogistics.com or call 410-284-5494 extension 340 to schedule a complimentary consultation today.
