How to track EDDM campaign responses and performance

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) campaigns have become a popular way for businesses to reach their local audiences. However, the success of any EDDM campaign relies on tracking responses in order to measure effectiveness and optimize future campaigns. In this blog, we’ll uncover how response rates are calculated, and will delve into the tools and strategies for tracking EDDM responses, the types of metrics you should monitor, and ways to improve response rates.

What are EDDM response rates?

EDDM response rates refer to the percentage of recipients who take the desired action in response to your mailer. This action could be anything from redeeming a coupon, scanning a QR code, or making a phone call.

Response rates serve as a key performance indicator (KPI) for the effectiveness of your campaign, revealing how well your messaging, design, and offers resonate with your target audience. According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail has an average response rate of 4.4%, compared to just 0.6% for email marketing, but this figure may vary based on factors like industry and audience targeting.

How are EDDM response rates calculated?

Calculating EDDM response rates involves dividing the number of responses or conversions generated by your mailer by the total number of mailers distributed, then multiplying by 100 to express the result as a percentage.

For example, if you sent out 5,000 mailers and received 250 responses, your response rate would be calculated as follows:

Why is tracking EDDM responses important?

Tracking your Every Door Direct Mail responses allows you to:

1. Measure ROI: Understand the revenue generated versus the cost of your campaign.
2. Refine targeting: Identify which geographic areas or demographics respond best to your message.
3. Optimize messaging: Determine which offers, designs or templates, or CTAs resonate most with your audience.
4. Enhance future campaigns: Build on your learnings to increase efficiency and effectiveness over time.

Tools for tracking EDDM campaign responses

Here are several tools and techniques businesses can use to monitor the effectiveness of their EDDM campaigns:

1. Unique tracking phone numbers

Consider using a unique phone number for your EDDM campaign. Services like CallRail or Grasshopper provide detailed analytics on call volume, duration, and location of callers, giving you insight into how your campaign is driving engagement.Custom QR codes

2. Custom QR codes

QR codes are a simple yet powerful tool. By including a unique QR code on your mailer, you can track how many recipients scanned the code and visited your website or landing page. Tools like Google Analytics and Oppizi’s free QR code generator with built-in analytics make it easy to track these interactions.Notably, QR code scans increased by 26% from 2020 to 2022, highlighting their growing popularity in tracking offline-to-online interactions.

3. Personalized URLs and UTM parameters

Creating a unique landing page or adding UTM parameters to your URLs enables you to track web traffic originating from your EDDM campaign. For example, tools like Google Analytics can tell you how many visitors landed on your page through the specific URL included in your mailer.

4. Coupon codes

Including a unique coupon code in your EDDM mailer allows you to track purchases or inquiries directly attributable to your campaign. This is particularly useful for businesses offering discounts or special promotions.

5. Customer surveys

Sometimes, the simplest approach is to ask new customers how they heard about your business. Adding this question to your sign-up or checkout process can provide direct feedback on the effectiveness of your EDDM efforts.

How to improve EDDM response rates

Once you’ve implemented tracking tools, your next goal is to optimize response rates. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Targeted design: Creating your EDDM campaign with eye-catching visuals and a clear call-to-action (CTA) is essential. Make it easy for recipients to understand your offer and what they need to do next.
• Compelling offers: Discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers tend to drive higher engagement. Experian found that including personalized offers in marketing can boost response rates by up to 29%. While EDDM campaigns cannot be personalized for individual recipients, they can still be tailored to specific local groups or demographics, ensuring relevance and increasing engagement.
• Timing: Try timing the delivery of your EDDM campaign when your audience is most likely to act. For example, restaurants might see higher response rates if they send campaigns mid-week to encourage weekend visits.
• Follow-up campaigns: Repetition builds brand awareness. Sending multiple mailers to the same audience over time can improve response rates.

Frequently asked questions about EDDM tracking

How can I improve my EDDM response rate?

Focus on creating a compelling offer, designing an eye-catching mailer, and using tools like QR codes and personalized URLs to drive engagement. Testing different designs, offers, and mailing times can also help optimize your campaigns.

How do I know if my EDDM campaign is successful?

When planning any campaign, it’s important to begin by setting SMART objectives to create clear, measurable goals. Track key metrics such as response rate, conversion rate, and ROI to evaluate success. By comparing these metrics to your initial objectives, you can assess the overall effectiveness of your campaign.

How Oppizi can help you track performance

Oppizi simplifies tracking and analyzing your EDDM campaign performance with its centralized dashboard. By offering a clear view of response rates and conversions, Oppizi empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions.

The dashboard’s intuitive design simplifies data analysis, empowering you to refine future campaigns and achieve even better results. With Oppizi, you can achieve higher response rates and foster deeper connections with your audience, ensuring that every campaign becomes a stepping stone to greater success.

Final thoughts

Tracking responses is a cornerstone of any successful EDDM campaign. By using tools like custom QR codes, tracking phone numbers, and unique URLs, you can gain actionable insights into the performance of your efforts. Coupled with strategies to maximize response rates and a clear understanding of success metrics, these tools ensure your campaigns drive meaningful results.

At Oppizi, we make setting up and managing EDDM campaigns effortless. With our cutting-edge platform, you can reach your target audience efficiently and measure impact with precision. Don’t wait: launch your EDDM campaign with Oppizi today and see how we can help your business grow!