Marketing campaign workflow for Tallyfy

Execute direct mail without dropping the ball

Direct mail campaigns involve multiple moving pieces - customer lists, creative assets, print vendors, timing. When things are tracked in spreadsheets and email threads, details slip through the cracks. This template keeps your campaign on track from planning through delivery.

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Run this workflow in Tallyfy

Import this template into Tallyfy and upload your customer lists and campaign guidelines using the kickoff form fields

Assign your marketing team to the campaign setup step with a 5-day deadline in Tallyfy to keep campaigns on schedule

Run each mail campaign through the same Tallyfy process so you can track status and keep historical records of what was sent

Import this template into Tallyfy

Process steps

Plan, Design, and Launch Your Direct Mail Campaign

5 days from previous step

task

1. Define Your Campaign Goal and Audience

Start by getting specific about what you want this campaign to achieve. A vague goal like "get more sales" won't help you make decisions later. Instead, aim for something measurable - like "drive 50 new appointment bookings" or "reactivate 200 lapsed customers from the past 6 months."

Once you've got your goal, pull your mailing list from the kickoff form and clean it up:

Remove duplicate addresses and any that are clearly outdated
Verify that zip codes match cities (this catches more errors than you'd think)
Segment your list - you don't have to send the same thing to everyone. A longtime customer should get a different message than someone who's never bought from you
If your list is over 500 addresses, consider running it through an address verification service like USPS CASS or SmartyStreets. Bad addresses waste money and hurt your delivery rate

2. Choose Your Mail Format

The format you pick should match your goal and your budget. Here's what works well in practice:

Postcards - Best for simple offers, event announcements, or reminders. They're the cheapest to print and mail, and recipients don't have to open anything to see your message. Oversized postcards (6x9 or 6x11) tend to outperform standard sizes
Letters in envelopes - Better for detailed offers, personal messages, or when you need to include something like a coupon or reply card. They feel more personal but cost more to produce
Self-mailers / Brochures - Good middle ground when you need more space than a postcard but want to keep costs lower than a full envelope package
Catalogs - Best for product-heavy businesses where browsing is part of the experience. Most expensive option, so make sure your margins support it

3. Write and Design Your Piece

This is where most campaigns succeed or fail. A few things that experienced direct mail marketers consistently recommend:

Lead with the benefit, not the feature - "Save 3 hours every week" beats "Our software has automation features"
Make your call-to-action impossible to miss - If someone glances at your piece for 3 seconds, they should know exactly what you want them to do next
Include a deadline or urgency element - "Offer expires March 31" or "First 100 respondents get a free gift" gives people a reason to act now instead of tossing it in a pile
Use a tracking mechanism - Unique promo codes, dedicated phone numbers, QR codes, or custom landing page URLs. Without these, you can't measure what's working
Keep the design clean - White space isn't wasted space. Cluttered mailers get thrown away faster

If you're working with a designer, share the brand guidelines from the kickoff form and give them the exact dimensions for your chosen format before they start.

4. Print and Mail

Before you approve a full print run:

Request a physical proof - colors on screen don't always match what comes off the press
Double-check that all phone numbers, URLs, and promo codes actually work
Have someone who hasn't seen the piece before proofread it with fresh eyes

When choosing a printer/mailer, ask about:

Turnaround time (most need 5-10 business days for print + mail)
Whether they handle USPS bulk mail permits (this can save you 30-50% on postage)
Their data security practices if you're sharing customer addresses

5. Track Results and Follow Up

Direct mail typically has a response window of 1-3 weeks after delivery. During that period:

Monitor your tracking codes, landing page visits, and phone call volume daily
Log responses in your CRM as they come in - don't wait until the campaign ends
If you're seeing strong early results, consider whether a follow-up mailing to non-responders would be worth the cost

After the response window closes, calculate your actual cost-per-response and cost-per-conversion. These numbers tell you whether to repeat, modify, or retire this campaign format. Teams that track these metrics over multiple campaigns usually see their results improve by 20-30% within the first year just from knowing what's working and what isn't.