Every Door Direct Mail

The USPS launched its Every Door Direct Mail program, EDDM, with the idea of making direct mail easier and more accessible to small businesses. It is a good idea. Acquiring mailing lists and postal permits and meeting all of the requirements of the USPS for bulk mail can be more of a burden than many small businesses can handle. With EDDM you can do a mailing without applying individual names and addresses to each mailing piece. You can target a city or pinpoint a specific neighborhood.

EDDM is especially beneficial to small retail stores that rely on traffic within their own neighborhood for a good part of their business. Pizza places, dry cleaners, convenience stores, small restaurants, deli's, auto mechanics, maintenance services, beauty salons, and similar businesses can all benefit from direct mail advertising at a lower cost. Even businesses with generally larger geographic markets, like auto dealers, roofers, or heating and air conditioning providers can increase their market share in a specific neighborhood through EDDM.

Of course, there are some requirements. You have to mail at least 200 pieces, but fewer than 5000. They must be standard flats and weigh less than 3.3oz each. You can plan your mailing yourself using the tools provided online by the USPS. Or you can use a mail service provider, like CR Print, to plan, prepare and deliver your mailing piece to the post office. Either way, you save the cost of buying a mailing list, a permit, and individually addressing each piece.