This is the second in a series about integrated marketing campaigns. If you want to be kept updated on new posts, subscribe on the form to the right. You can also read part 1 here.
Step 2: Add PURLs, QR Codes, or Other Tracking Software
If you’re creating an integrated direct mail campaign, and you’re producing printed pieces right from your marketing portal, you need to track the printed component. Without tracking the results, you can’t measure a campaign’s effectiveness.
So how does a marketer track these direct mail pieces?
There are a few ways. The first one’s pretty obvious: consult the post office. There are other cool options to consider, like adding something to the printed pieces themselves, which will drive recipients to your website.
1. Work with your mailing expert
Consult the post office directly, or work with your portal provider to find out your mailing options. Select your class of mail carefully in order to take advantage of USPS barcode scanning systems. Your advisors will help you figure out how to set up your database as well, so that you can take maximize all postal opportunities.
2. Use pURLs
An interesting and engaging way to integrate your print campaign with the web is to add a personalized URL (or pURL) to each piece. Here’s how that works:
You create a templated micro-webpage, generated in part from your database. This page is typically some sort of form that lets you collect additional data about the person who clicks on the link. As the printed piece is created on the system, a pURL is generated for each contact and printed on the piece.
Your offer on the printed piece has to be compelling, because the objective is to drive recipients to the web, where they’ll copy and paste their own pURL into their browser to see your offer.
When they get there, you’ll want to ask them for more information, which they’ll input into the form you’ve created. The data that you collect here means more information for your marketing team. Detailed reports can be created in real-time, delivering insights about the effectiveness of your pURL campaign, and providing new data at the same time.
3. Use QR codes
Another way to integrate the web with your direct mail campaign is by creating and printing a QR code on every piece. QR stands for Quick Response, and by now you’re used to seeing these busy little boxes everywhere.
A QR code is easy to generate and, like a pURL, is added to your direct mail automatically from the portal. Using a QR code is a good way to gauge the effectiveness of your campaign. You can identify who scanned the code as well as how much time they spent on the micropage created specifically for this code.
4. Use campaign-tracking software
Ask your portal partner if they offer web-based tracking and reporting tools for your multichannel campaigns (print, web, even email). Analytics can show you which channel pulls better.
Some software helps you track different things, such as who opened an email and when, and details on landing page activity.
These are all effective ways to track your printed components in an integrated direct mail campaign. They will drive prospects to your website, in one way or another, where they’ll engage with a form (or a fun contest or even a poll) that awaits them there. You’ll be able to track their activity, generate reports, and gather more data.
This is much more powerful a marketing campaign than simply mailing static postcards to your list.
