Direct Mail Increases Response Rates by 25%

A national financial services client sought a way to increase direct mail responses and, ultimately, close more transactions. Through comparative testing between mail pieces that did and did not utilize MindFire (Booth N2272) personalized URLs, here’s how Summit Direct Mail was able to deliver a better solution and increase effectiveness of the overall campaign. 

Challenge: Increase Direct Mail Response

The client tested personalized URLs intending to increase responses on their control package. The client mails two million pieces per month of customer acquisition packages to various data sources. Because the client operates in the financial services environment, it must adhere to strict compliance and security policies.

Solution: Test the Power of MindFire

Relying on years of experience within the MindFire platform, Summit Direct Mail created a personalized URL to comply with all national company security standards. In addition, various domain names, placements, and positions were tested to determine their impact. 

The client control package was tested with the personalized URL against a control package without the personalized URL. The program compared results over six months.

Result: Minimum of 25% Average Lift in Transactions

The control package with the personalized URL won every month, hands down. The client experienced a visit rate of 0.2% to 0.4%, with an average personalized URL visit rate of 0.3%. The client also experienced a lift variance ranging from 20% to 30%, with an average lift in completed transactions of 25%+. Impressive, indeed!

The Tactic Behind the Results

Personalized URLs can capture additional warm leads in addition to your current mail/lead generation efforts. The MindFire Technology solution with a robust reporting process it allowed the financial institution to see not only those that responded to the campaign, but also those that just looked at the website and were warm leads. The reporting allowed the client to retarget those warm leads with SMS and call center follow-up to increase response rates and ultimately transactions. 

In today’s marketplace, an integrated direct marketing campaign starts with direct mail and utilizes the internet and telephone for a total solution. The old model of direct mail-to-phone response has morphed into direct mail-to-Internet scenarios. But the same challenge exists: How do I maximize my ROI?

MindFire’s personalized URL lead conversion system does six powerful things:

• Personalize your campaign. Statistics prove that a prospect is much more likely to respond to a direct mailer when the proposition is directed to them personally. A personalized URL does that, and directs readers to a personalized website (e.g., JoeSmith.companyname.com).
• Motivate a direct mail response. By using personalized URLs, you can improve your direct mail-to-Internet response by as much as 40%. Most people are more willing to give you information when they receive a reward for their time. Personalized URLs are explicitly designed for that purpose, and make it easier for respondents since the information is all pre-populated.  
• Enable real-time reporting is key. With personalized URLs, everything the respondent does is tracked, enabling your clients to see responses broken down by list mail, week template, teaser, envelope, and demographics. That means you (and they) know exactly who is responding and what they are doing. This valuable intelligence leads to retargeting and better conversions.
• Enjoy easy-to-use analytics. We deliver comprehensive direct mail analytics that tell you the exact delivery and response status of each mailer you send. All of it boiled down into useful metrics that help pinpoint precisely what works and what doesn’t. You’ll enjoy world-class data at your fingertips — and it’s all supported by our concierge service. We will do all the work for you.
• Survey your lead responses. Traditionally, a telemarketer would conduct a short survey to qualify the lead. Now with the Internet as a direct mail campaign tool, you can use online surveys to capture and qualify your leads.
• Quantify your results. The program provides you with a comprehensive tracking report, which allows you to continuously tailor your campaign to maximize your campaign’s ROI.