What have been your best and worst direct mail results and why? Like how many calls in relation to how many pieces you sent? What was a disaster? What was a huge surprise success? How did these affect your habits and ads? What are your average results too?
1st time spent 1200 and broke even. but that will never happen again.
Last year, first time ever, didn’t even realize it was something other people did. We designed and mailed out 4000 postcards to a customer list we bought (residential customers with houses values over a minimum). We mailed them out in batches of 1000 and did it 4 different times in the year (march, may, August, October). We got approximately 50 customers, and our ROI was was about 400% ($4 for every $1 spent).
We didn’t track phone calls, but I’d guess we scheduled about 80% of the calls. We also had some success door-to-door, and we got quite a few referrals.
We’re gonna try eddm this year, and we’re gonna mail out to more. So this means a lot of our market will be seeing our name for the second time. I’m excited to see what happens.
I’m along with Dave, did 5000 last year to all different areas. Made back just a little more than I spent.
But I understand what I did wrong and will do like TJGibson and hit the same area 3 or 4 times this next round.
TJGibson - Did you change the card or send the same one each time?
What was done wrong or rather lesson learned
Blasting 5k out there one time is not as effective as mailing 2500 twice to the same homes.
This, along with a lot of focus on how we are targeting our “Jane” is going to be our system for the large amounts of cards we paln in sending.
Our first attempt with eddm was over the fall. Small test area of about 1100 homes. A card hit each home once a month for the months of October, November, and December.
October = 1 call, didn’t get the job.
November = 8 calls, landed 6 of them.
December = 7 calls, landed 4 of them.
No calls since December.
Our ROI was about 2.5 to 1. However, 3 customers did sign quarterly contracts for outside only cleaning, so that number will rise over the year on those jobs.
I plan on doing it again this Spring with a few changes to the card. Overall though, I was happy with the results.
Well I have never done postcards other than a few i did last year just to try it and I learned lessons about timing, design, and message. I only sent out 1k 4 by 6 postcards and barely broke even. I just ordered postcards today in preparation for the spring and am excited to see the ROI on these new ones
3300 cards 16 calls .004 response rate
10 jobs .003 conversion
But with 2.5 roi it must been good. but how do you plan to get those numbers to improve a little bit? or is that to be expected?
3200 with home value over 300k, 15 calls 12 jobs made double cost, again to the same homes a month later less calls less jobs but still doubled money back, this year we are doing 8k flyers a month same homes
to say it another way
.4% response rate
.3% respond and convert rate
63% conversion ratio
those stats look good for it being some of your first runs Brian!
.5 - 1% is what I keep seeing more and more often as the “range”, you are right there
and a 2.5 ROI is approaching what I hear most looking for to define as “successful”: 3x
Anyone out there get over 1% response rate yet?
So did you roughly gross $2500.
you can’t argue with 2.5 roi, i know i have done lot’s worse with some dumb marketing
Actually that’s the crazy thing, Justin. We mailed to 4000 separate addresses and got about a 1.1% scheduled rate. My wife designed a separate postcard for each batch of 1000.
This year we’re gonna try mailing out to separate addresses, but we’re gonna pick one section of our area and mail out multiple times there to see if it increases our return.
We’re so stoked to implement some of the suggestions we’ve come across in the board. Last year we knew nothing and got 65 customers. How many can we get this year? 
Oh sorry, I misunderstood you.
Can anyone else that mailed to the same addresses multiple times answer whether they used the same card or different?
I used different.
Is a 1% response unheard of? How bout .5%?
Thanks guys! A lot of responses. Keep them coming!
I should have finished reading before I asked the above question.
But more answers would be great!
I don’t have all the numbers in front of me… But offhand, I have gotten as low as .05% (2 calls on 4k cards) and as high as .8% (~40 calls on ~5k cards). Needless to say the first did not break even, but the second roi was 3.something to 1. Booked 30 or 32, Avg ticket was in the $280 range.
