How to Track Calls and Results From a Direct Mail Campaign
To track a direct mail campaign, give it something only that mailing has: a unique offer code, a dedicated phone number or a special web address. Then ask every new caller how they heard about you, count the customers it brought in, and divide the cost of the mailing by that number to get your cost per customer.
1. Use an offer that only appears on the mailer
"Mention code FALL25 for $25 off" or "Bring this card for a free dessert." When someone uses it, you know where they came from. Change the code for each mailing, area or design you want to compare.
2. Use a dedicated phone number
A call tracking number forwards to your normal line and counts every call. Many people keep a postcard on the fridge for weeks and call much later, so a separate number for each campaign catches calls you would otherwise miss. Many services offer local numbers for a small monthly fee.
3. Ask every caller
The simplest method costs nothing: "How did you hear about us?" Write the answer down every time, in a notebook or your booking system. Callers often copy the number off a card or search your name online, so asking is the only way to connect those calls to the mailing.
4. Use a special web address or QR code
A short page address like yoursite.com/fall, or a QR code that points to it, shows in your website statistics how many people came from the card.
5. Do the math
- Cost per call = mailing cost ÷ calls received
- Cost per customer = mailing cost ÷ new customers
- Return = (profit from those customers − mailing cost) ÷ mailing cost
Example: a mailing to 5,000 homes costs $1,500 including printing, shipping and postage. It brings 30 calls and 12 new customers. That is $50 per call and $125 per customer. If each customer brings $300 in profit, the mailing returned $3,600 on $1,500 spent.
The free direct mail break-even calculator does this for you, and the EDDM cost calculator gives you the mailing cost to start with.
6. Give it time and compare like with like
- Count results for at least four to six weeks after the mailing lands.
- Change one thing at a time, such as the offer or the size, so you know what made the difference.
- Count repeat business. A customer who stays for years is worth far more than the first job.
A tracked mailing is the start of a better next one. See how to write a headline and offer that gets calls and how often to mail, or call 512-573-1977 to plan your next campaign.
