Over the past few years, direct mail has experienced a massive resurgence in popularity for Alexandria and Arlington businesses, thanks in part to the high costs of online advertising.
While most companies focus the bulk of their marketing budget on online channels such as paid ads and social media, there are others who are taking full advantage of the huge benefits that direct mail offers.
The only catch to running a successful direct mail campaign is that you have to know what you’re doing. This starts with your mailing list and ends with how you track and measure the campaigns. While you can hire a
direct mail expert to help you with your next campaign, there’s also another option:
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) from the U.S. Post Office.
We’re going to take a look at the value and benefits that EDDM offers and provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision as to whether this marketing channel is right for your business.
What is EDDM?
Every Door Direct Mail is often presented as an affordable way of saturating an entire neighborhood with mailers. It allows small businesses and other organizations to promote themselves in the local community without spending an arm and a leg on postage costs or renting a list.
Once you create an account, you can use the EDDM online tool to choose precisely which locations that you wish to target. You can also use the powerful filters to segment your recipients by age, income, or household size. The tool pulls its information from the U.S. Census data, so it’s one of the more accurate ways of targeting.
Why Use EDDM?
There are many reasons why an Alexandria or Arlington business would want to use EDDM. For example, perhaps you’re opening up a new location or running a coupon promotion. You would head over to the USPS website and select the geographical area(s) that you wish to target. You then drop off your mailers at your local post office, where they will be delivered to the neighborhoods that you targeted.
You can also use EDDM to prospect for new customers. This method of advertising usually works very well for local companies in competitive niches like auto repair or service-based jobs such as plumbers and electricians. There’s a good chance that your local competitors are not taking advantage of direct mail to market themselves, so you’ll have little to no competition for the mailboxes of new prospective customers.
Benefits of EDDM
There are a few reasons why some Alexandria and Arlington businesses will choose an EDDM campaign over a traditional direct mail one:
- You don’t need a mailing list. This is one of the biggest hurdles for many companies—buying or compiling a mailing list can be expensive and time-consuming. With EDDM, simply log into the tool and select the geographical area(s) that you wish to target. The Post Office will then deliver!
- Postage rates are around 17.6 cents. This is far cheaper than a traditional direct mail campaign.
- You have complete and total control over the timing of your campaign. If you’d like to send out a mailer right before an event or holiday, you can schedule it in advance to ensure it will get delivered by that date.
- A Bulk Permit is not required to take advantage of all of the benefits of Every Door Direct Mail.
What About Design?
There’s one thing that both direct mail and EDDM have in common—you need to have a great design for your mailer. A poorly designed mailer won’t have the same impact or effect as one that was designed to convert.
This is where AlphaGraphics of Alexandria and Arlington can help. Our
expert graphic designers will sit down with you, learn more about your business and what you’re trying to accomplish. They will then come up with some design suggestions for the mailers.
The Benefit of a Printer
Working with a professional printer, such as AlphaGraphics of Alexandria and Arlington offers you several distinct advantages. For starters, you can rest easy knowing that your mailers were professionally designed, and your campaign managed and tracked.
You also have a wide selection of papers, envelopes, and other unique finishes to choose from. This will allow you to create a highly custom mailer that will be sure to pique the curiosity of the recipient.
Every Door Direct Mail Design and Help in Alexandria and Arlington
EDDM is a great marketing channel that has fewer barriers to entry than a traditional direct mail campaign. It’s great for those businesses who are just starting out as well as those who are looking for more customers.
If you’re struggling with your direct mail marketing campaigns, or you’d like to talk to an expert, give AlphaGraphics of Alexandria Va. and Arlington Va. a call. We’ve helped countless local businesses and organizations over the years design and create the perfect EDDM campaign that delivered measurable results.
If you’d like to learn more about our direct mail or EDDM services, give us a call at (703) 549-2432 or
contact us on our website.