On the surface, EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) seems like a no-brainer: less postage, a large format, and route saturation. But before diving into EDDM, you should know its pros and cons compared to traditional direct mail. Here is more information about EDDM services we offer at Zpress.com.
EDDM
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Pros
+ Less Expensive
EDDM is about one-third the cost of traditional direct mail because the post office doesn’t have to touch it. The pieces don’t have to be scanned as they are generic to each recipient in the selected carrier route.
+ More Bang for Your Buck
Get a two-sided Super Jumbo postcard or full-page flat mailer that costs less than a direct mail mini-sized postcard. It’s also true that EDDM standard sizes are generally larger and go up to a full 8 ½ x 11 flat mailer. Because there is more space, people tend to overwork the extra space, resulting in a crowded and sometimes unreadable format.
+ ZIP Code Domination
Carrier routes are geographical regions a postal carrier covers within a 5-digit ZIP Code area. The number of addresses on each route can vary between 200 to 2000. You can purchase as many carrier routes as you want with EDDM. Remember that you are charged per/address, not per/carrier route. You can if you're going to dominate by saturating carrier routes or ZIP Codes. Just know it could get pricey.
Neutral to Negative
+/- Carrier Routes, Not Farms
For ease of delivery, EDDM is restricted to USPS carrier routes. This means you may or may not get all your geographic farm in one carrier route because carrier routes don't always overlap—although they frequently do. You could end up paying for more than one carrier route to get the right geographic coverage.
+/- Regarding Absentee Owners
Using EDDM means that your marketing goes to every home in the route, regardless of their homeownership status. If you want to get in front of just homeowners, this isn't possible with EDDM. Whether you like it or not, you will get some non-owner occupied residences.
Cons
- Minimum Quantities
The minimum quantity for EDDM is 200, and most carrier routes average 500 households. If your farm of 250 is located in a carrier route of 600, you will have to mail to all of them or none at all.
- No Personalization
All information on EDDM is static and cannot be tailored. For example, homeowners' names, addresses, or any other personal information is not allowed. This also means that you can’t show a map of the homeowner's home or offer the Corefact Home Estimate as a call to action.
- Delivery Can’t Be Controlled
Typically, bar codes are printed on every piece of direct mail so the post office and consumers can track their mail. With EDDM mailers, there are no bar codes, meaning neither you nor the post office can track their delivery.
- "Do Not Mail" Does Not Apply
EDDM goes to everyone and doesn’t distinguish the households that may have opted out via one form or another. There is no way to remove a household from the EDDM list. If anyone in your farm has asked to be taken off your mailing list, they will still get your EDDM mail.
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