What’s the difference between Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) and Direct Mail?
It’s no secret that direct mail is a great marketing tool to send a message and share your brand. However, you may be wondering – should I use EDDM or full-service Direct Mail? To help you make the right choice for your business and your marketing goals, we have created an overview of the two.
Every Door Direct Mail
Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM, is a service of the USPS that allows your business or organization to send saturated mailings to geographical areas of your choosing at a discounted postage rate.
How Every Door Direct Mail works:
You choose specific USPS mail routes, and the mail carriers will drop your mailing to every door along that route. You can target a particular zip code, neighborhood, or pick different routes that fit your goals. EDDM also gives you the option to filter by age, income, or household size. Read more about how EDDM works on the USPS website.
When is it best to use EDDM?
This option is ideal for those wishing to cover specific neighborhoods and reach as many people as possible in an area.
EDDM is great for B2C businesses, especially those with a storefront location, such as local retail businesses. This is because EDDM will mail to every residential address along your chosen mail route, calling them to make their way to your location.
This option is also great for real estate agents looking to market homes in particular neighborhoods. Non-profit organizations can also benefit from using EDDM to reach as many potential donors or volunteers as possible.
Use EDDM to announce your grand opening, promote a special event or sale, or just get your name out to individuals local to your business.
The benefits
EDDM is great because the postage is cheaper than regular direct mail, and you can saturate areas of your choosing. EDDM Retail® USPS Marketing Flats currently cost $0.191 per piece (USPS).
This option can also be considered an “easier” option because you don’t have to purchase a mailing list – unlike with full-service direct mail. You just design and print your postcards, select your routes you want to reach, and then the USPS will do the rest.
The downsides
With EDDM, there are some aspects that may not be ideal for your business purposes. For example, the USPS has specific size requirements for all EDDM postcards. Plus, the response rate for EDDM can typically be lower than with a targeted direct mail campaign. This is partly because EDDM mailings are less personalized, as the recipient name will not be included.
Full-Service Direct Mail
If you want more control over who receives your postcards, full-service direct mail is the way to go. With a typical direct mailing, you have a number of options to choose from. This service gives you the choice to reach past, current or potential customers and clients. And, the materials you use to send your message is completely up to you.
How direct mail works
Unlike EDDM, which requires you to choose a mail route, direct mail requires you to provide a mailing list of individuals you want to reach. Your mailing list can be as simple as sending to your list of current customers.
Or, you can pay for a mailing list via a third party list vendor, or through a direct mail servicer. With mailing lists, you can target specific demographics such as income, age, sex, marital status, political affiliation and more. Plus, you can reach businesses of your choosing if you’re B2B!
When is it best to use direct mail?
If you’re looking to reach specific individuals or businesses, this is the right option for you. With direct mail, you can customize your mailing lists as much as you need in order to cater to your campaign goals.
You can use a direct mail campaign to share updates with current customers, generate new leads, or promote an upcoming business event.
Whether you’re B2B or B2C, you can benefit from using full-service direct mail. A direct mail servicer can help you design, print and mail your pieces.
The benefits
Full-service direct mail allows for ample customization. With the option of a targeted mailing list, you can send pieces to specific individuals at their home addresses, or to businesses. This allows you to personalize your mail pieces as much as you like by adding recipient names and catering content to their preferences and interests.
Direct mail campaigns give you the opportunity to target the people that you think will garner the highest response rate, leading to a higher ROI for your campaign.
Plus, with direct mail, there are no limitation to the size of your pieces, unlike with EDDM. That means you could send brochures, catalogs, flyers and more using a direct mail service. Postage cost will vary based on the size and the weight of your mail-pieces.
The downsides
A downside of full-service direct mail compared to EDDM is the cost. EDDM has a discounted postage rate, whereas the cost of a typical direct mail campaign is going to depend on the type of mail, the printing cost, the materials used, as well as the cost of the mailing list.
Which direct mail option is best for you?
It’s up to you what direct mailing is best for your business and your campaign goals. Want to announce the grand opening or re-opening of your local shop? Saturate the neighborhoods nearby with Every Door Direct Mail. Want to target younger prospects with a new product offering? Full-service direct mail is your best bet to get the highest response rates.
If you need help determining which option works best for you, contact us, we would be happy to help you!
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