Published · By Hello Local · Direct Mail & EDDM
What Is EDDM and How Does It Work?
Learn how Every Door Direct Mail works, how local mailing areas are selected, and how businesses can use EDDM to reach nearby households without building a mailing list.
What Is EDDM and How Does It Work?
Every Door Direct Mail, usually called EDDM, is a USPS mailing service that lets businesses send advertising to selected local delivery routes instead of building a traditional mailing list. USPS provides an online tool for choosing neighborhoods and routes based on location and basic demographic information.
For a local business, the appeal is simple: put a physical message into nearby homes without collecting thousands of individual names and addresses.
But there is still more to a successful campaign than choosing a route and printing a postcard.
How EDDM Works
A typical campaign starts by deciding where the mailing should go.
That could mean neighborhoods close to a restaurant, communities inside a contractor's service area, or an area where a business wants more customers.
The mail piece is then prepared according to postal requirements and delivered throughout the selected routes.
For a business handling the process alone, that means dealing with the creative, printing, postal preparation, postage, and delivery logistics.
Do You Need a Mailing List?
One of the biggest differences between EDDM and traditional targeted mail is that businesses do not need to purchase a list of individual household addresses.
The mailing is based on selected postal routes.
That makes EDDM especially useful for businesses whose customers are primarily determined by where they live, rather than a very specific individual profile.
What Types of Businesses Can Use EDDM?
Examples include:
- HVAC companies
- plumbers
- roofers
- dentists
- restaurants
- auto detailers
- window tint shops
- med spas
- gyms
- real estate professionals
- pet services
The right question is not simply whether EDDM works for the industry.
The better question is whether 5,000 nearby households are a useful audience for what the business sells.
What Should Go on the Postcard?
A strong mailing needs one clear purpose.
That might be:
- request an estimate
- book an appointment
- visit the business
- call for a consultation
- join a membership
- scan a QR code
- learn about a new service
Trying to fit every service the business offers onto one postcard usually makes the message harder to understand.
Start with the action you want.
Build the campaign around it.
EDDM With Hello Local
Hello Local uses local direct mail to help Las Vegas and Henderson businesses reach 5,000 households per campaign.
Instead of requiring one advertiser to carry the full cost of the postcard, businesses from different categories share the mailing.
Hello Local also helps with the strategy, message, custom design, printing, postage, and mailing.
That means the business owner does not have to become an expert in postal preparation just to run a local campaign.
Want to see how the pricing works?