Direct mail remains a powerful tool to reach potential customers—but many automotive dealership leaders may grapple with accurately tracking the ROI of direct mail campaigns. In turn, this lack of visibility leads to missed opportunities to optimize campaigns and maximize their impact.

Epsilon Individual Automotive has helped over 10,000 individual dealers since 1986—and we want to work with you next. Read on to learn more about four essential tips you can use to measure your next campaign.

Setting Clear Objectives and KPIs

Before launching any direct mail campaign, it’s essential to establish clear objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This ensures that your campaign aligns with your overall dealership goals and allows you to measure its success effectively.

Start by defining SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For example, instead of a vague goal like “increase sales,” set a SMART goal such as “generate 15 additional vehicle sales within two months of the direct mail campaign.”

Common KPIs for dealerships include response rates, appointments scheduled, sales generated, cost per lead, and customer acquisition cost. Remember to tailor your KPIs to the specific goals of each campaign.

Implementing Unique Tracking Codes

Unique tracking codes are essential for accurately attributing leads and sales to specific direct mail campaigns. These codes can take various forms, including QR codes, personalized URLs (PURLs), or unique phone numbers.

By incorporating a unique tracking code into each direct mail piece, you can track the customer’s journey from initial contact to final sale. QR codes are particularly effective as they allow for easy smartphone scanning and can direct customers to a specific landing page or offer, as are PURLs (personalized URLs).

When implementing tracking codes, ensure they are seamlessly integrated into the design of your direct mail pieces. Maintain consistency in tracking code usage across all your campaigns to simplify data analysis and comparison.

Integrate CRM & Analytics

Integrating your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system with analytics tools is crucial for capturing, analyzing, and reporting on direct mail campaign data. Your CRM serves as a central repository for customer information, including lead sources and interactions.

By integrating it with analytics, you can track the entire customer journey, from initial response to final sale. This enables you to measure the true impact of your direct mail campaigns on your bottom line.

Leverage your CRM to segment your audience and personalize your direct mail offers based on customer preferences and past behavior. Within your analytics platform, track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and cost per acquisition.

Conduct Post-Campaign Surveys and Follow-Ups

 

Gathering direct feedback from recipients can provide invaluable qualitative insights into the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns. Consider sending out post-campaign surveys to a sample of recipients to gauge their perception of the campaign, its messaging, and its overall impact.

Ask questions about whether they found the offer relevant, whether they took any action because of the mailing, and what could be improved in future campaigns. Additionally, follow up with leads generated from the campaign to further understand their needs and preferences. This can help you tailor future communications and offers to increase conversions.

Analyzing survey responses and follow-up interactions in conjunction with quantitative data from your CRM and analytics will give you a comprehensive understanding of your campaign’s strengths and weaknesses.

Effectively Track Your Direct Mail Campaign

By setting clear objectives and KPIs, implementing unique tracking codes, integrating CRM and analytics, and conducting post-campaign surveys and follow-ups, you can unlock valuable insights into your campaigns’ performance and optimize your marketing strategy.

Let Epsilon Individual Automotive assist in delivering a dynamite direct mail campaign from start to finish. Contact our experts today to learn more about what we offer.