Printed marketing materials—such as brochures, flyers, business cards, posters, and catalogs—remain a cornerstone of many businesses’ marketing strategies. They can drive brand awareness, generate leads, and even directly contribute to sales. However, in today’s digital world, it's crucial to measure the effectiveness of these materials to ensure they’re working as intended and delivering a return on investment.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through various ways to measure the success of your printed marketing materials, so you can make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.
1. Track Response Rates
One of the most straightforward ways to measure the effectiveness of printed marketing materials is by tracking the response rates. Whether you’re including a call-to-action (CTA) or a special offer on your flyer or brochure, the response rate provides a clear indicator of how many people are engaging with your materials.
- Unique Phone Numbers or Emails: Include a unique phone number or email address on your printed materials that’s separate from your other marketing channels. This makes it easy to track how many inquiries come from the printed piece.
- Custom URLs: You can include a unique URL or QR code on your materials that directs people to a landing page designed specifically for that campaign. By tracking how many visitors land on the page or how many sign up or make a purchase, you can gauge how effective the printed material was.
Example: If you send out brochures with a discount code for your store, track how many people use that code when they make a purchase.
2. Use QR Codes
QR codes are an excellent way to bridge the gap between offline and online marketing. By including a scannable QR code on your printed materials, you can track how many people are engaging with your content and moving to your online presence.
- Trackable QR Codes: There are tools and platforms that allow you to generate trackable QR codes. These codes will provide data on how many people scanned the code, when they scanned it, and where they came from, helping you understand the level of interest in your printed materials.
- Engagement Metrics: Once people scan the QR code and are directed to a landing page or website, you can track engagement metrics such as time spent on the page, clicks, or conversions.
Example: A direct mail campaign with a QR code linking to a special offer or event registration page can provide insights into how well your printed materials are performing.
3. Monitor Sales Conversions
Ultimately, the goal of most marketing materials is to drive sales or conversions. To measure the effectiveness of your printed materials, you need to track how many sales can be attributed to them.
- Coupon Tracking: If you’re offering discounts or promotions through your printed materials, make sure to track which sales come from those specific offers. This could be through coupon codes, unique URLs, or reference codes tied to the printed materials.
- Sales Analysis: After distributing your materials, compare sales data before and after the campaign. If you notice a spike in sales or an uptick in the number of customers using your printed promotional codes, it’s a good indicator that your materials are driving conversions.
Example: A flyer with a discount coupon in your store could be tracked by how many customers use the coupon to make a purchase.
4. Customer Feedback and Surveys
Another effective way to measure the effectiveness of your printed materials is by gathering direct feedback from your customers. You can use surveys, interviews, or simple follow-up questions to assess how well your materials resonated with them.
- Post-Purchase Surveys: Include a short question in your post-purchase survey asking customers how they heard about your business. If a large portion of responses mentions your printed materials, it’s a clear sign they were effective.
- Incentivized Feedback: Offering a small incentive (such as a discount or freebie) for customers to share their thoughts on your printed materials can provide valuable insights into how they perceive your marketing collateral.
Example: After a direct mail campaign, ask customers if they received a piece of mail, and if so, whether it influenced their decision to purchase.
5. Measure Brand Awareness and Recognition
Printed marketing materials also play a critical role in building brand awareness and recognition. While this might not always lead to immediate sales, it’s important to measure the long-term impact on your brand’s visibility.
- Brand Recall: You can use surveys or focus groups to determine how well customers recall your brand after seeing your printed materials. Ask participants to identify your brand’s logo, tagline, or key messaging from the printed material.
- Social Media Mentions: Track any increase in social media mentions or online searches following the distribution of your printed materials. If people begin to talk about your brand more after seeing your printed ads, it indicates that your materials are making an impact.
Example: A series of posters placed around town might lead to more online searches for your business or increased activity on your social media channels, which signals that your printed materials helped raise awareness.
6. Use Direct Mail Return on Investment (ROI)
If you’re using direct mail as part of your printed marketing strategy, calculating ROI is an important step in determining effectiveness. The return on investment for direct mail campaigns is calculated by comparing the cost of the campaign to the revenue generated from the responses.
- Total Campaign Cost: Include the costs of design, printing, and mailing.
- Revenue Generated: Track the sales or conversions directly linked to the direct mail campaign.
Example: If you spent $2,000 on printing and mailing materials and saw a return of $10,000 in sales, your ROI would be 5:1. This means for every $1 you spent on the campaign, you earned $5 in return.
7. Track the Lifecycle of Your Materials
Some printed marketing materials, like brochures or catalogs, may be kept by customers and referenced multiple times. Tracking the lifespan of your materials can help you understand how they contribute to long-term relationships and repeat business.
- Customer Retention: Measure whether customers who received printed materials are more likely to return or make repeat purchases.
- Long-Term Engagement: Monitor if customers keep your brochures or catalogs as a reference and if they eventually make a purchase after reviewing the material multiple times.
Example: Customers who keep a product catalog might reference it several times before making a purchase, so track how long it takes for the material to convert into sales.
Conclusion
Tracking the effectiveness of your printed marketing materials is essential to ensure that they are driving engagement, sales, and brand awareness. From response rates and sales conversions to customer feedback and brand recall, there are several metrics you can use to gauge success. If you need help designing and measuring your printed materials, reach out to CherryTree Agency. We can guide you in creating materials that not only look great but also deliver real, measurable results for your business.
