Can I track the performance of my direct mail campaigns in real-time?

Mail used to be difficult to measure. You’d send thousands of pieces into the world and hope they arrived when expected. Today, that’s changed. Modern mail platforms make it possible to track every piece in real time, see delivery progress, and connect offline mail to online actions within a single dashboard.

Track every stage of delivery

Ever wonder about that long barcode on the outside of letters or postcards? It’s called an Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb). It’s unique to each piece you send and functions like a package tracking number. 

As mail moves through the USPS network, the IMb makes it possible to track scan events such as mailed, in transit, processed for delivery, and delivered. When you use a mail platform like Lob, these events are surfaced automatically through your dashboard, or they can be pushed to other marketing or business intelligence software via API.

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Why it matters: Visibility into delivery helps you time follow-ups, measure campaign health, and coordinate across channels and teams. It’s also essential when you’re trying to hit regulatory deadlines that require you to time mail to avoid fines or other penalties.

Tie mail to digital engagement

Delivery tracking shows when your mail reaches the mailbox, but what about other performance metrics? QR codes, personalized URLs, and offer codes make it easy to connect physical mail to digital response data. You can see who scanned, visited your site, or made a purchase, and attribute those conversions directly to the campaign that drove them.

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Why it matters: Direct mail is just one part of an omnichannel strategy. Understanding what targeting, timing, and creative lead to audience response can help you optimize your sends and your budget.

Automate notifications and reporting

You don’t have to manually monitor dashboards to stay informed. Webhooks can send automatic notifications for key events, like when a mailpiece is sent or delivered, so you can trigger follow-up emails, pause ads, or alert your sales team at exactly the right time. 

Real-time reporting also lets you analyze performance by audience, message, or region and continuously refine future sends.

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Learn more about tracking your direct mail results.