Every Door Direct Mail is a program the USPS developed to help get more businesses to see the value of, and use, direct mail. Every Door Direct Mail allows you to blanket specific neighborhoods, and is therefore great for regional businesses.
The USPS recently reported that 81% of households read or scan their mail DAILY – while 76% of consumers have been influenced to purchase from Direct Mail. These numbers are outstanding! You won’t find any other medium that offers this kind of visibility!
Not only do the numbers show the success of direct mail, I personally see great results from successful mail campaigns every week. The tough part is getting the word out about this. Many businesses are distracted by shiny objects and online marketing. They often overlook the proven success of Direct Mail.
Every Door Direct Mail is a type of campaign that allows you to mail to each residence within a neighborhood. The USPS will literally make sure every door gets YOUR sales piece. For example:
If you have a Pizza Shop and want to send an offer to everyone within a 2-mile radius of your restaurant, Every Door Direct Mail will allow you to hit that specific area for a VERY DEEP DISCOUNT. You can mail any size standard flat mail piece for only $0.16 – $0.215 per piece (postage only). Normally, the price to mail a standard flat would be double or triple the Every Door Direct Mail rate (depending on the size of the mail piece you are sending out).
PLUS:
You don’t need a postage permit.
You don’t need a list of names.
You don’t have to pay any annual fees.
All you have to do is show up at your local Post Office and drop off your mail.
If you have a regional business and you want to contact everyone within a specific neighborhood, then Every Door Direct Mail is a great fit for you.
However, there are a few drawbacks to Every Door Direct Mail that you should be aware of.
The USPS ONLY allows you to mail to everyone on a specific carrier route. You can’t segment out some of the names or addresses … you have to mail to EVERYONE on that specific carrier route. You can’t pick and choose.
Since you have to mail EVERYONE in the carrier route, you can’t segment age or income or previous buying habits. This makes it extremely difficult to sell products that have a limited group of buyers.
I want to be totally clear, this is only effective if you have a regional business that appeals to a broad audience … like a restaurant, tire shop, car dealership, etc.
You know your product and its audience better than anyone. If you have a specific buyer in mind, Every Door Direct Mail is probably not your best option. But if you want to reach every household or business in a limited area, this is a very cost effective way to meet your goals.