Why address validation is key to testing direct mail effectiveness
Going into any project without knowing what the anticipated outcome will be is a good way to lose money. With direct mail, there is a prominent need to measure the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. With the help of address verification software, companies can ensure their mail pieces reach targeted recipients. However, businesses and customers sometimes move and neglect to provide a forwarding address. The potential result is a lot of lost mail and an unsuccessful marketing strategy. As a result, it's crucial to understand how effective the advertisement or mailer is and to measure how effectively the mail is delivered.
Why measure direct mail delivery rates?
With much emphasis recently placed on digital communications for marketing campaigns, it's sometimes easy to forget just how effective direct mail is. In fact, a 2012 Epsilon Channel Preference Study found that 73 percent of consumers indicated direct mail is their preferred method of brand communications. One reason for this is because consumers can absorb the information at their convenience.
What's more, the U.S. Postal Service Household Diary Study indicated 76 percent of respondents who happened to be in their 20s reported they would make a purchase as a result of receiving a direct mail marketing item. Understanding data allows companies to pursue effective strategies no matter what is happening in other areas of marketing. RADical Database, which is part of the marketing firm Valassis, indicated the effectiveness of direct mail increased between 2009 and 2012. With a rise of 7 percent over the three years, more consumers are looking to their mailboxes for communication.
Testing effectiveness
But how fast should businesses expect mail to arrive? According to "The Hidden Costs of Misplaced Mail," published by U.S. Monitor, testing how quickly the mail is processed is helpful to optimize the direct mail strategy. The study highlighted one retailer that found mail which was sorted through one particular postal facility during a specific time of year increased the speed at which the mail was delivered.
Over the course of a direct mail campaign, knowing how quickly letters or a postcard arrives can improve the timeliness of the marketing materials and better engage consumers. With this in mind, mailing software is a worthwhile investment for businesses that want to make use of direct mail data. Companies can establish standards for when advertisements or information should be delivered and when they should expect a response.