- Dedicated numberEvery call came from the mail
- Promo codeOnline and in-store
- QR or short URLA page only this mailer uses
- CouponCount them at the register
- MatchbackCompare buyers to the list
- Holdout groupUnmailed names as the baseline
- Ask"How did you hear about us?"
The methods
A dedicated phone number. A number used only on this mailing, forwarding to your normal line. Every call to it came from the mail. For businesses whose customers call, this is the most reliable method.
A promo code. A code printed on the piece and asked for at checkout or booking. It works for online orders and in-store redemptions.
A QR code or short web address. It sends people to a page that exists only for this mailing, so visits to it can be counted.
A coupon to bring in. Physical redemptions you can count at the register.
Matchback. After the campaign, compare your new customers against the mailing list. Anyone who bought and was mailed is a likely response, even if they never used the code. It needs a list, so it doesn't work for saturation mail.
A holdout group. Leave part of a list unmailed and compare its sales with the mailed part. The difference is what the mail added.
Asking. "How did you hear about us?", recorded every time. Simple and imperfect, but it catches what the other methods miss.
Use more than one
Codes get forgotten and numbers get saved and called months later. Two methods, such as a dedicated number plus asking, give a fuller count than either alone.
Questions
How do you track a postcard campaign?
Print something that exists only on that postcard, like a dedicated phone number, promo code or QR code, and count the responses it gets.
What is matchback in direct mail?
Comparing new customers against the mailing list after a campaign to credit sales to the mail, including people who didn't use the code.
Can I track EDDM mailings?
Yes, with a dedicated phone number, code or QR code. Matchback doesn't work because there's no list of names.