Why EDDM Should Be in Your Marketing Playbook
Have you ever received a piece of mail addressed to someone generic like “postal customer” or “our neighbor”? These are Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) pieces, a service offered by USPS that allows organizations to take advantage of census data in targeted mailings. You select a specific mail route, and USPS delivers your mailer to every address within that route. With a solid strategy, some data about your target audience, and a well-produced piece of collateral, this could be the tool you’ve been looking for. Here are some of the reasons we love to love EDDM:
- Direct mail is more impactful than you might think.
Digital marketing is everywhere—help your brand stand out by marketing with mail. Read more in our previous post Adding Direct Mail to your Marketing Plan. - You have the power to target specific audiences informed by census data.
Using the EDDM tool online, you can select neighborhoods and mail delivery routes that best represent the audience you are targeting. The tool provides census data to help inform your route selection. Upon selecting a route, you can see the number of households, the average income of each household, the age groups of the individuals in that area, average household size, and cost of postage to mail to that selection. All of this information is in one place for your convenience to choose the mail route that best matches your target audience. - No list-buying, only postage payment.
In choosing to mail a piece via EDDM, you are choosing a variation of postage—of USPS Marketing Mail actually—rather than buying a mailing list with specific names and addresses. This is what makes EDDM such an affordable option. The price of EDDM postage is actually less expensive than mailing first class to individuals with specific addresses, plus you save the cost of purchasing a list. - Anyone can send EDDM Retail.
There are two categories of EDDM: Retail and BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit). Organizations, businesses, and even individuals can send mail via EDDM Retail without any kind of permit. There are some limitations: EDDM Retail users cannot send more than 5,000 units/day and are required to drop the mail off at the post office local to the delivery route. - We have access to EDDM BMEU.
While EDDM Retail is a quick and easy option, EDDM BMEU can be even less expensive (depending on selected routes) and gives you more flexibility. But there’s a catch: you have to have the necessary permits to mail EDDM BMEU. Luckily, More Vang has the right permits, so you can qualify for EDDM BMEU if you mail through us. There are no limits on volume for EDDM BMEU and users aren’t required to drop the mail at any specific post office, which gives you access to more zip codes and routes. There is also a special non-profit rate associated with EDDM BMEU.
Select specific routes and household attributes using the EDDM online tool.
What type of mail should I send via EDDM?
You can mail any USPS Marketing Mail Flats with EDDM. Check out the exact specs that qualify flats here.
This type of mail lends itself nicely to advertising upcoming deals, sharing new menus, announcing community events, and otherwise working to expand your audience.
Are you a restaurant bringing back your pre-COVID happy hour menu? Welcome your customers back with an EDDM postcard listing the deals they’ve been waiting for.
Are you a charter school opening up enrollment next month? Send prospective families a mailer to notify them of the opportunity.
Remodel a gorgeous historic home to bring back its original charm? Show off your work to other historic homeowners with targeted marketing mail.
Whether you’ve been doing direct mail for years or you’re looking to launch your first campaign, EDDM is a great option for leveraging data, reaching a highly targeted market, and staying on budget.
Interested in more resources? Check out this EDDM User Guide created by USPS or reach out to our team!