Snailtalk

You’re reading this, so I assume you track your mail. (If you don’t, we really need to talk.)   

Good for you – it’s not even optional anymore. 

The question most people answer with mail tracking is this:  

Where is my mail? 

This is the Wrong Question -  It’s not a very valuable question. 

Now, here’s my question for you:  

Do you “actually do something “ with that information? 

The Illusion of Tracking 

In my experience, most organizations: 

• Look at reports after the fact 

• Glance at dashboards 

• Maybe push a report to a client 

• Then… move on.  

Mail delivered, tracking done. That’s not control. That’s observation. 

If your tracking doesn’t change what you do next, it’s just decoration. Tracking isn’t about knowing where your mail was. It’s about deciding what you do next. 

Taking Control 

The real value in mail tracking is control. Making your mailings more effective because of the intelligence you are gathering through tracking the mail. Using tracking allows you to control your mail, and that is its real value.  

Mail tracking tells you when your direct mail was delivered. You need to use this information to dig a little deeper:  

• How does that impact your campaigns?  

• What day of the week was it delivered?  

• Was it when you expected?  

• How does the response measure compared to delivery? Which delivery characteristics maximize response? 

•  How can you use that knowledge to adjust future mailings to be more effective? 

These are the questions that bring value – better questions lead to better mail. 

Setting Expectations 

How do you set expectations for your biggest client? Or for your boss? Are you making “educated” guesses or are you sharing the data that can predict delivery. Delivery performance isn’t about how fast something can be delivered -  it’s about whether it arrives when you promise, and when it needs to for the campaign to succeed. 

Acting on What You Learn 

Do you change your campaign strategy based on what you have learned? If response is best when mail is received on Saturday, what steps can you take to get more mail delivered on Saturday? If you want to optimize call volume to your call centers so they get the same predictable number of calls every day, how do you do that? When should you mail it? How should you mail it? 

This Isn’t One-and-Done 

These aren’t questions you answer once. These are the control systems you need in place to get the most out of your direct mail – powered by mail tracking. You should be able to make every mailing a little better as you better understand how your mail travels. You will be (and must be) the greatest expert on your mail. There is value in that. 

What to Do Next 

Here are some thoughts on making your mail more effective with tracking. 

• Track your mail. All of it. 

• Don’t get hung up on scan percentages. Perfect data is a distraction.  

• Focus on timing, not just completion. 

• Look at your response vs delivery. Note any characteristics that may equate timing to improved response. 

• Use tracking in conversations – not just reports.  

You don’t need perfect data – you need useful data. 

Of Course, People Want to Know Where Their Mail Is 

That’s human nature. But don’t ever stop there with mail tracking. 

Timing is everything. 

And tracking – used properly – is control. 

Ready to turn mail tracking into measurable results? Let’s show you how—get in touch for a quick walkthrough.