The Benefits of Informed Visibility Tracking with Print and Mail Services

When integrated with digital advertising, printed direct mail can significantly amplify response rates, creating a powerful, multi-channel marketing strategy. The strategy, made possible with Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV-MTR), is not simply combining two channels. It’s creating a cohesive, omnichannel experience that resonates with target audiences and drives action. Let’s explore how it works, give a real-world example, and highlight the benefits of implementing Informed Visibility in your marketing.

 

How Does Informed Visibility Work?

 Marketers track their mail campaigns at an individual piece level, allowing them to coordinate the communication and gain detailed visibility into the postal stream. The basic steps include the following.

• Direct Mail Printing: Unique, intelligent mail barcodes (IMb) are printed on each mail piece in the lower right corner of the envelope or self-mailer (e.g., a postcard). The barcode contains specific data on sortation, tracking, mailer ID, and job information.
• Mail Piece Scanning and Tracking: Each IMb is scanned throughout the mail processing and delivery phases. These scans provide data points to track the mail’s progress and predict delivery times.
• Coordinated Campaigns: Using triggers, marketers can coordinate campaigns that leverage the audience’s actions. An email, social media ad, or personalized phone call can be timed for when the direct mail piece is delivered, reinforcing the message and increasing the likelihood of customer engagement. If direct mail pieces encourage customers to make a phone call, companies can ensure call centers are appropriately staffed and ready as deliveries begin.
• Data Access: Marketers access the tracking data through Fineline Printing Group’s secure online customer portal.
• Analytics and Optimization: Marketers use data collected through Informed Visibility to analyze the effectiveness of their campaigns, make adjustments, and improve future mailings.

 

A Case for Informed Visibility

For one of our customers, a major state university in Illinois, accessing Informed Visibility through its Fineline client portal has helped transform how its admissions department approaches recruiting communications and community engagement.

More than 40,000 postcards, letters, and announcements have been tracked nationwide across four major marketing campaigns in recent years. The school’s admissions, recruiting, and community engagement teams appreciate unprecedented insight into the specifics of their mail’s arrival and effectiveness.

Outreach teams know when pieces of mail arrive at targeted homes, signaling them to schedule a timely phone call or other connections. The team has discovered that using multiple communication methods improves effectiveness.

When reply service is requested—such as with pre-paid RSVP direct mail postcard forms for campus visits, information sessions, recruiting weekends, or orientations—university event planners enjoy early, convenient access to insights on the number of replies coming back. Near real-time response-rate data helps event planners better anticipate needs and arrange campus visits and events.

With Informed Visibility, the school’s admissions team can better time when direct mail reaches homes based on variables they choose, such as inner-city and suburban vs. rural students. The university has adjusted plans for future mailings based on insights gleaned from previous advanced tracking and reporting.

 

What Are the Benefits of Informed Visibility?

• Enhanced Forecast – Informed Visibility provides detailed tracking information, including the date, time, and location of each scan during the mailing process and the status of the piece of mail.
• Improved Customer Service – Businesses can use Informed Visibility capabilities to provide customers with the most accurate and up-to-date information on the status of their mailings.
• Sense of Security – Informed Visibility is a natural partner with variable data printing services, which often involve creating custom, personalized materials containing sensitive information. From health insurance providers to credit card companies, organizations using variable data printing or mail pieces containing sensitive information benefit from extra monitoring and the watchful eye of Informed Visibility.
• Increased Efficiency – Informed Visibility allows organizations to track and monitor the performance of their mailings to help identify any potential areas for improvement or opportunities to A/B test with future delivery schedules.
• Cost Savings – By providing detailed tracking information, Informed Visibility helps reduce the number of lost or undelivered mailings, helping organizations save money on postage and costs associated with re-mailings.
• Data Analysis – Informed Visibility gives organizations access to a wealth of data and information about their mailings, including delivery times, near real-time locations, and delivery status.
• Customized Reporting – With Informed Visibility, businesses and organizations can customize their tracking and reporting options to meet their specific needs. Mailers can establish unique reporting delivery cadences, such as daily, weekly, or monthly reports, or can choose to receive notifications whenever a mailing is delivered or encounters a problem.

 

Fineline: Let Us Help You Find the Right Solution for Your Printing and Mailing Services

If your mailings require a higher level of tracking and reporting, or you’re ready to integrate your digital and print strategy, it’s time to connect with Fineline Printing Group. Our experts can help you achieve your goals. From initial consultation to printing through final fulfillment and delivery, contact Fineline to transform your creative printing and mailing process.