MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
- Direct mail response rates don’t tell the whole story about direct mail performance.
- Digital integrations can offer unique and valuable insights into direct mail engagement.
- Digital integrations can also help reduce postage costs via the USPS® Integrated Technology promotion.
Even with the speed and relative ease of digital communication, direct mail has remained an engaging and effective way to grab attention. Response rate is one of the key ways in which companies evaluate how much attention their mailers are generating — it’s also a huge factor in determining the ROI of direct mail campaigns.
But this metric only provides one aspect of a campaign’s impact. Incorporate digital elements in print to create a multi-channel experience provides additional performance data that can tell companies a lot about how customers engaged with their mailers.
Here, we’ll quickly look at why direct mail response rates don’t tell the whole story when it comes to direct mail performance, and then we’ll look at a handful of important metrics companies can use to better quantify the success — and ROI — of direct mail campaigns.
Why response rates aren’t enough
A postcard that generates a 6% response rate may look successful, but it doesn’t matter if those responses didn’t translate into sales or if the recipient turned out to be a one-and-done customer. This data is also somewhat one dimensional in that it doesn’t demonstrate or convey how or to what degree recipients engaged with the messaging of your mailer.
This is where digital integrations can offer more detailed insights into mailer engagement, helping companies create additional print or digital communication touchpoints that continue the conversation with targeted audiences. This kind of data-driven, personalized outreach can be key in reducing customer acquisition costs and increasing customer retention.
Keep an eye on QR code scans
Everything from postcards to menus have QR codes because they’re an effective way to transform static print materials into a more interactive experience that seamlessly bridges the print and digital space. A scan shows intent in that the recipient was curious enough to take action, and the ability to see when and the kind of device used to scan a code offers a better look at consumer preferences and behaviors These metrics help companies quantify direct mail’s role in generating qualified website traffic and attributable revenue.
QR code metrics to track
- Scan volume: This metric measures how many people scanned the code.
- Unique vs. repeat scans: This refers to whether recipients engaged once or returned multiple times.
- Click-to-conversion rate: This is the percentage of scans that resulted in a purchase or form completion.
- Time per page view: With this insight, companies can measure how long users engaged with the landing page after scanning.
Monitor video views
Whether your digital integration takes them to a product demo, customer testimonial or brand story on your website, video is one of the most engaging forms of marketing content, and direct mail can serve as the trigger to drive the recipients to scan and watch.
Beyond the scan, video views show the quality of engagement. Someone who watches a full two-minute video is a more qualified lead than someone who leaves after two seconds. Companies can link these behaviors to eventual conversions to better understand the ROI from video-driven sales.
Video metrics to track
- View starts: The number of starts communicates how many recipients clicked through to watch.
- View completions: This is the percentage of viewers who watched the full video.
- Engagement drops: With this insight, companies can determine where viewers stopped watching, which can be a critical metric to direct future video length and messaging.
- Secondary actions: The metric measures whether viewers shared the video, clicked additional CTAs or requested more information.
Evaluate personalized URL (PURL) sessions
Because each PURL session is tied to a specific mail piece and recipient, they provide greater precision in tracking individual behaviors. companies are able to calculate cost per lead, cost per acquisition (CPA) and eventual lifetime customer value (CLV) with more accuracy than general website traffic.
PURL metrics to track
- Sessions per PURL: This indicates whether recipients return multiple times, helping demonstrate sustained interest.
- Form completions: This includes the number of visitors who filled out a lead form or requested more information.
- Conversion rates: This is the percentage of PURL visitors who became customers.
- Conversion timeline: With this data point companies can determine how long it took PURL visitors to convert after their first visit.
Look at AR and VR interactions
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can turn everything from a postcard to catalog into an immersive experience. From virtually trying on clothes to exploring a 360° showroom, AR and VR provide more immersive experiences for the recipient and more detailed engagement metrics for companies.
For example, a four-minute AR session demonstrates a deeper level of interest than a quick scan. When tied to conversion rates, this data demonstrates the long-term ROI of AR and VR integrations.
AR and VR metrics to track
- Activation rate: This metric looks at how many recipients launched the AR or VR experience.
- Interaction depth: This data point highlights whether recipients only engaged with one feature or with the entire experience.
- Session length: This refers to time spent in the immersive experience.
- Post-interaction conversions: This insight focuses on purchases or inquiries tied directly to the AR or VR session.
Direct mail response rate is no longer the only metric companies have evaluating the performance of their direct mail campaigns. By tracking several key touchpoints as a result of digital integrations, companies can analyze the quality and quantity of customer engagement to better understand the value of their investment in print.
Plus, the USPS® Integrated Technology promotion — which is part of the 2026 USPS® Promotions and Incentives Program — offers a 5% postage discount for mailers that incorporate digital technology in service of creating more dynamic, engaging mailers.
With The Heavyweights by Accent® Opaque, you can seamlessly integrate a variety of digital integrations to help paint a richer picture of direct mail performance. Contact us to learn more about what Accent paper can do for you.
