EDDM Postcards in Central Ohio: How Every Door Direct Mail Works

Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM, is a USPS program that lets a business mail a postcard to every address on the carrier routes it picks. You don't buy a mailing list and you don't print names or addresses. You choose the routes on a map, print oversized cards, bundle them the way the post office asks, and the carrier drops one at every door on the route.

For a neighborhood business in Columbus or Central Ohio, that means you can reach every house around your shop or service area in one mailing. I print EDDM postcards in Columbus and help with the route planning. Below is how the program works, how to pick routes, what to put on the card and when EDDM is the wrong tool.

How Every Door Direct Mail works

Every mail route has a carrier, and the carrier already visits every address on it. EDDM rides on that. You pick the routes, and your postcard goes to each home on them along with the regular mail.

USPS runs an online EDDM map that shows each route, how many addresses it has, and general information about the area, like age and household income ranges. You can usually choose homes only, or homes and businesses together. The USPS Every Door Direct Mail page has the current postage rates, size rules and how to pay.

Because EDDM skips addressing, the pieces have their own rules. They have to be larger than a standard postcard, and USPS sets the size limits and the postage. I keep your card within those rules, print it, trim it and bundle it the way the post office wants. Then I walk you through the drop-off so nothing gets turned away at the counter.

Picking carrier routes in Columbus and Central Ohio

Start with where your customers already are. A few examples:

• A roofer picks the routes around last month's jobs, where neighbors have already seen the trucks.
• A pizza shop or cafe picks every route inside its delivery or driving area.
• A dental office picks the neighborhoods closest to the front door.
• A real estate agent picks the same few routes they farm every season.

Routes follow ZIP codes, but they don't line up with subdivision names or city limits. A route in Hilliard, Westerville or Grove City might cover a few streets or a big piece of a neighborhood. Look at the map before you commit, and drop routes that are mostly apartments or businesses if you sell to homeowners.

If you're not sure where to start, send me your address, your service area and a rough idea of who your best customers are. I'll help you sort the routes before anything prints.

What to put on an EDDM postcard

An EDDM card lands in a stack with bills, catalogs and other mailers. Most people decide in a few seconds whether to keep it. Build the card for that moment.

• One headline that names the offer or the job, in the biggest type on the card.
• One clear offer, like a free estimate, a lunch special or a seasonal service.
• Your phone number in plain sight, not tucked in a corner.
• Your business name and logo, big enough that people recognize the second card.
• A photo that shows the food, the finished roof or the yard, not a generic stock picture.

Leave room for the postage marking the post office needs on every EDDM piece. I set that up so the design doesn't crowd it. First order? Design and setup are free, and I'll lay the card out with all of the above in mind.

EDDM or a mailing list?

EDDM sends your card to everyone on the route, whether they're a good fit or not. In return, there's no list to buy and no addresses to print. That trade works best for businesses that sell to almost every household: food, home services, lawn care and dental.

A mailing list goes only to the people you choose, like homeowners, a certain age group or your past customers. Each card costs more to address, but none go to the wrong house. If your buyer is narrow, a list usually wastes less.

Regular postcard printing fits the list route and smaller handouts. 500 standard 4 x 6 postcards on 14pt stock start at $55. EDDM cards have to be larger than that, so they cost more to print, and postage is separate and set by USPS. Tell me how many homes you want to reach and I'll quote the printing within 24 hours.

Mail the same routes more than once

The people who need a new roof or a new dentist this month aren't the same people who needed one last month. One mailing catches whoever happens to be ready that week. Mailing the same routes again keeps your name in front of the rest until they are.

Pair the mail with what you already do on those streets. Roofers and lawn crews can follow an EDDM drop with door hangers on the blocks where they're working. I wrote about that in door hangers for roofers and lawn care crews. Restaurants can match the card to a counter flyer or a menu insert, so people see the same offer twice. For more on what each trade prints, see marketing for roofing companies and branding for restaurants and food businesses.

Keep a simple log of which routes you mailed, when, and what the offer was. Ask new callers how they heard about you. After a couple of rounds you'll know which routes earn a repeat and which ones to drop.

Plan your first EDDM mailing

Pick a handful of routes near your best customers, settle on one offer and decide when you want the cards in mailboxes. That's enough to start. Send me your service area and offer or call (614) 561-3358, and I'll help with the routes, design the card and get it printed and bundled for the post office. You'll find me at 1193 Virginia Ave in Columbus.