IN TODAY'S competitive environment, we are all aware of the benefits of 'getting your message out' to current and potential customers. But how do you measure the effectiveness of your promotion?

All businesses will set themselves different targets and will have an idea of what responses they would like to achieve from a campaign.

Depending on the type of promotion used, you can use various methods to determine how effective a particular campaign has been. If you submit a press release to a newspaper or magazine, it is very simple to measure the coverage gained and attach a value to it.

For example, if a release was featured in a local newspaper, its value can be calculated by measuring the actual amount of column centimetres it takes in the publication and multiplying it by the cost of advertising per column centimetre.

If you actively promote your website, one of the most popular and cost-effective ways of measuring its popularity is the use of a web statistics package. You can check a whole range of statistics relating to your website.

In terms of direct mail campaigns, used to advertise the products/ services of a business or inform a target audience of a particular offer, measuring effectiveness will depend on the type of campaign.

Effectiveness is usually measured by looking at the number of returns and then working them out as a percentage of the total sent out. For example, a financial organisation introducing a new credit card may receive a return rate of 2.5% compared to a rate of 55% for a free drinks voucher mass mailed to households with teenagers. However as a general rule, the return from a mail shot is relatively low.

When placing an advert for a special offer in a newspaper or magazine, it is often a good idea to include a promotional code or reference number which the customer must quote to receive a discount. This will allow you to monitor the effectiveness of advertising in each publication.

If you require any further business support or advice, call Tedco on 0191 428 3300, email enquire@tedco.org  or visit us at www.tedco.org

:: Carole White, business support manager, Tedco