It may be easiest just to do nothing. That’s what a number of businesses think when they consider focusing their marketing efforts. They come to that decision, or that thought, in good conscious too. With so many direct marketing channels through which to reach consumers, it can be understandable to become overwhelmed. That apathy though is a fatal business mistake. Instead of giving up, let’s look at one tool that can help you reach local customers directly with astonishing results – EDDM Postcards.
What is Every Door Direct Mail? Your Cost-Effective Direct Mail Marketing Solution
Every Door Direct Mail is a cost-effective direct mail marketing tool offered by the United States Postal Service. It’s perfect for small businesses because it allows you to send postcards to carriers for a third of the cost of a first class stamp. You don’t need any special mailing list or addresses beforehand – the USPS will send out your campaign to every address in a given zip code!
EDDM is an easy and affordable way to reach 5,000 homes and businesses per day with your message. We can help you target specific zip codes for distribution of your brochures, flyers, and other advertising materials. Plus, we offer “one stop” solutions for all direct mail marketing products and services at lower costs than traditional methods. Contact us today to learn more about Every Door Direct Mail and how it can benefit your business! Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS product and service that allows you to mail to every address in a select area. It’s the perfect solution for small businesses that want to reach more potential customers without having to manage names, addresses, or postage permits. The USPS takes care of all of the details and has a mail permit specifically designed for retailers.
The Benefits
The benefits of being able to manage and, in effect micro-manage, your messaging can be exponential. This is because you’re speaking to a very specific set of customers.
Take, for example, the neighborhood restaurant. If you want to attract more business, you could go door to door and hang menus. That tactic costs time not to mention the materials costs. For a fairly low price though you can send out a concentrated EDDM Postcard to houses in the surrounding area, inviting them to stop in for a “Neighbor Special.” This type of visceral, targeted marketing is really only available through programs like EDDM. Also you don’t need to buy a list anymore!
In addition to promoting a special event and driving in customers on one night, EDDM Postcards can help build awareness. People may drive by your location all the time and think “We should stop there sometime.” By keeping your place top of mind you can turn that drive-by traffic into actual stop-in traffic.
The “Non-Blanket” Approach
It’s not uncommon for businesses to take a blanket approach to their marketing efforts. Plastering the town with ads, billboards, radio spots, emails, and more often ends up having the unintended effect of the messaging just becoming white noise.
Utilizing EDDM postcards provides you with the opposite result. You are reaching a specific subset of the population with a message that is relevant to them. By limiting your audience, you can actually increase your sales!
Make People Feel Special
Information moves fast and everyone wants to know the latest, now. When someone can be that person in their group, the influencer who can share something new, they get a special feeling. It’s a feeling that makes them feel good.
When you’ve got a new product or service, these influencers can help spread the word, but they have to get the word first. Reach out with a specific EDDM Postcard announcing your latest and greatest. When the cards are engaging and direct, these influencers will be more inclined to share their messaging. Imagine after a Little League game, they turn to the other parents and say “Hey, let’s go to ______, I just heard about a special they have.”
Or discussing with their neighbors a “new lawn service” that looks really great. All because of EDDM Program.
Tell a Story
Every marketer knows that it’s rare that you can get a magnificent increase in sales from just one ad. It takes time.
It’s possible to be sure, but it’s certainly the exception. Those who plan on it being their marketing strategy are sure to be disappointed.
EDDM Postcards give you an opportunity to take the time you need. In fact, they can do more than increase a sale, they can increase your brand. The difference being, of course, creating a one-time customer vs. a loyal brand ambassador.
Use the EDDM Postcard experience to tell your story across several mailings. Introduce your company, make an invitation, play up your local connections. You’ll discover that residents respond well to companies that are close to them and seem to have their best interests at heart.
Look and Feel
It’s important to take advantage of the EDDM format for how it can target and reach customers but it’s equally important that the message those customers get is strong. That’s why it’s important that your postcards have a professional look and feel to them.
People a sub-conscious understanding that is a company puts out shoddy ads, their work will be sub-par. But when an ad is polished and direct…
Cost Effective
When you hear USPS, you might immediately think that EDDM Postcards will be cost-prohibitive for you. After all, the price of stamps seems to rise every year so it would make sense that a program like this would have a heavier cost to it.
Well, that kind of thinking is wrong. Currently, the USPS has an “intro” rate of $0.185 for EDDM Postcards. (In some instances that cost can actually start at $0.174!)
Next Steps
So here’s the thing, EDDM Postcards are a part of the USPS. You could certainly lock yourself in a conference room for a few days and try and make the system work for you. But why? Catdi Printing is a trusted partner with the USPS and we know all the ins and outs of the EDDM program.
When you’re sending EDDM, you’re asking people to trust you, the expert in your particular field. This is a time though when you should heed your own advice and turn to someone who can help you not just use, but master the EDDM system.
Remember it’s not just about mailing some postcards, it’s about creating engaging messaging inside of an impact-full design, and then delivering that to a targeted, qualified audience. All you should be focused on is helping customers and counting your sales at the end of each EDDM-driven day.
When you’re ready to let EDDM work for you call the professionals at Catdi Printing, we’d love to talk.
