Get the Best Bang for Your Buck With Direct Mail
Last year, the U.S. Postal Service introduced a new mailing program entitled Every Door Direct Mail or EDDM for short. This program helps small businesses advertise in the area of their business with a saturated mailing. This is a very economical program that has shown great results since its implementation.
How Does EDDM Work?
This program allows a small retail or service business a way to saturate a mailing using the U.S. Postal Service’s carrier route system. For 16¢ each for postage you send a postcard or tri-folded document to every address in the carrier route. A provider such as AlphaGraphics can design and print the document, do the right paperwork and then the customer takes the prepared mailing directly to the front counter of the specific post office for that zip code.
In order to qualify for these mailings, the piece needs to exceed certain minimum dimensions which are larger than the normal mailing pieces and you need to mail more than 200 pieces in total. For the retail program, you cannot mail out more than 5,000 pieces per day. The piece needs to have the proper indicia and the mailing block needs to fit the requirements on each piece.
EDDM Has Its Benefits
No Mailing List is Required-The address block is the same on each piece. You use the term “Local Postal Customer” and the piece is handed out to each address in the carrier route.
Delivery is fast – Since the mailing is dropped off and paid for at the specific post office, the mailing usually gets delivered the next day.
No Need to Pay for a Postage Permit –The EDDM indicia is a standard indicia that does not require a permit.
Addressing Costs are Eliminated- All pieces have the “Local Postal Customer” pre-printed on the piece.
Your Piece is Larger Than Most- The minimum requirements for this program dictates that your piece will be larger than most pieces in your customers’ mailboxes. This larger size also allows you to include more information.
Postage is Cheaper-At 16¢ per piece, this is significantly cheaper than first class and other standard class mailings.
What Businesses Should Use This Program?
Restaurants
Dentists
Retailers
Auto dealerships and services
Real Estate Agents
Dry Cleaners
Schools
Small Medical (i.e. local health clinics and urgent care facilities)
Attorneys
Arts Organizations
Landscapers
HVAC Contractors
Fitness Locations
What Can You Do to Make Your Piece Successful?
Customer-Know your target customer. Even though your mail piece is going to every address in a carrier route, target your message to your type of customer. You need to attract your best customers and not everyone.
Creative-With the larger piece, you need to have your message “pop”. Using bright colors and messaging that gets noticed will help deliver your message and keep your mailing piece out of the garbage.
Clear-What overall message do you want to give to your customer? If they do not see your message within 3 seconds of scanning the piece, your message may not come across to them. If you have a blow-out coupon, make sure it is noticeable quickly.
Coupon-There needs to be a “call to action”. A great coupon is one of the best ways of getting the customer to pick up the phone or get in their car.
Continuous-Don’t just schedule a EDDM mailing once in a community. Schedule multiple mailings so that your message is seen many times.
Calendar-Schedule your mailings. Nothing hurts a campaign more that to discontinue the process in the middle.
AlphaGraphics Can Help You Succeed with EDDM
We, at AlphaGraphics can help you learn the EDDM process. We can design your piece, print it, prepare the paperwork and we can even delivery your pieces directly to the post office.
If your mailer exceeds 5,000 pieces, there are more requirements that you must meet to make use the EDDM discounts available. We are very knowledgeable with these requirements and we can help you navigate the process.
Give us a call at 480-413-1900 and we will gladly walk you through how this program works.