In an increasingly digital world, is direct mail dead? If you ask annual giving professionals, the answer would be a resounding no. According to a recent AGN poll, over 90% of those surveyed said they think printed direct mail is still as important and effective as digital channels. 

This is certainly the case at Kent State University. According to Leigh Greenfelder, Senior Associate Vice President and COO, “Direct mail remains a very relevant piece of our omni-channel communications and solicitation strategy. As long as it performs well, we continue to rely on it and continuously tweak our strategies to ensure our budget is well spent.”

But don’t take other’s word for it. It’s important to analyze and evaluate your own direct mail efforts and judge for yourself. Doing so will help you determine what is working and where you can improve. Here are 5 tips to help guide you.

1. Use appeal codes – Tracking individual mailing’s performance is essential through appeal codes. By assigning a unique appeal code to each mailing segment, you can pinpoint which campaigns are driving the best results. This data can also inform the timing, design and messaging of future mailings.
2. Focus on key metrics – Assess the effectiveness of your direct mail efforts by monitoring dollars raised, donors generated, average gift, and response rate for each segment and your mailings overall. These indicators provide a snapshot of how well your appeals are performing and resonating with your audience. Tracking these metrics consistently will help identify trends and make data-driven decisions for future mailings.
3. Compare outcomes – Are some appeals doing better with younger alumni? How does direct mail stack up to email campaigns or social media fundraising? To truly understand how your direct mail is performing, compare outcomes against other segments, mailings, and channels. Benchmarking your results against other institutions can also tell you when your efforts are not aligned with others in your industry.
4. Share and discuss results – Analyzing direct mail effectiveness shouldn’t happen in a vacuum. Share your findings with your team, leadership, and even volunteers. A collaborative review can generate new insights and foster buy-in for adjustments to your strategy. Sharing results also underscores the value of your work and helps build institutional support for future efforts.
5. Keep it simple – While segmentation can improve personalization, too many segments can dilute your message and increase costs without a clear return on investment. Focus on high-impact segments like recent donors, lapsed donors, reunion classes or affinity groups. A targeted and straightforward approach will help streamline efforts while remaining effective.

Direct mail remains a powerful tool for annual giving, but its success depends on regular evaluation. By tracking basic metrics, simplifying segmentation, using appeal codes, and benchmarking outcomes, you can ensure your campaigns stay effective and impactful in today’s multichannel world.