At Imbue, we’re always on the lookout for new and cost-effective marketing strategies for our clients. A new service available from your local post office called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) makes it easy and downright cheap for a business to leverage direct mail as a marketing strategy.
This screenshot shows the target area that was chosen. In this case it’s a one-mile radius around Imbue Creative.
Easy to Use
EDDM is easy to use: you don’t have to compile names and addresses—you simply identify neighborhoods where you want your mail piece sent. Just have it designed, printed, and drop it in bundles at the post office. Your mailing piece will be delivered to every property in the areas you specify.
Low Cost
Postage starts at 14.5 cents per piece, and you can get a quick cost estimate by using a nifty mapping tool on the United States Postal Service (USPS) website. The tool helps you to select the carrier routes that are closest to your business, and it’s simple to add or remove routes to see various postage estimates.
Here, we refined our selections to be under 5000. We can target the areas we left out another day! Click image to enlarge.
Two Program Options
Every Door Direct Mail-Retail lets you send up to 5,000 pieces per day, doesn’t require a postage permit, and you drop the mail at the front counter of the local post office.
EDDM (without the “Retail” designation) is for larger mailings, and you must submit your bundles at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU). A BMEU is the area of a postal facility where postal customers present bulk and permit mail for acceptance. You must take these mailings to the Post Office where you hold your permit. Call your local post office for more information, ie: there may be restricted hours for a BMEU.
This screenshot shows that we are over the limit of 5000 pieces to qualify for EDDM-Retail. Click image to enlarge.
Mailer Formats
There are a variety of sizing options for your mailer. Some typical examples are 6-1/2 x 9 in. postcards, 8-1/2 x 11 in. cards, and 4.25 x 14 in. tri-fold menus. Visit the USPS website for additional sizes and parameters.
Snail Mail Plus Digital Make a Great Team!
One might assume that digital marketing is currently the best way to generate business, but the right combination of direct mail and digital marketing can be a more-powerful way to gain attention and deliver your message. When people see consistent brand messages across multiple platforms, there’s a better chance it will stick in their minds and inspire them to act.
We think Every Door Direct Mail is a great way to get the word out about your business, especially when done alongside a digital or social media campaign. The price is right, and mailing to prospects in a particular area has never been easier.
Happy Mailing!
P.S. For more direct mail marketing tips, consider a free subscription to Deliver. It’s a digital magazine published by the USPS. At the least, go there and take a peek at their cool masthead illustration!
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