Is EDDM Really the Least Expensive Direct Mail Option?

About 92% of shoppers say they prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions. With that in mind, many business owners consider EDDM. EDDM is short for Every Door Direct Mail. It’s a marketing technique that can contact and saturate an entire geographical location. This is because it is the cheapest way to get mail out. But before your business invests in an EDDM marketing campaign, it’s important to be aware that EDDM postage is not always the cheapest or best option. Why? These 3 reasons may surprise you…

EDDM:

Print Cost and Fulfillment:

When it comes to EDDM, you may get a good postage rate for getting your piece in the mail, but what you have to be aware of is your direct mail piece has to be a Flat Size piece. What that means is you can’t do a regular postcard or letter size piece to qualify for that discounted postage rate. And Flat size mail pieces are generally more expensive to produce because they are larger sizes (must be over 6.25” high or 11.5” long to qualify).

Another key thing to know is that you have to bundle your mail in groups of 50’s and actually deliver them yourself to the retail post office locations that distribute the mail to those carrier routes, unless you are doing projects of over 5000 pieces. A Carrier Route Saturation mailing on the other hand, allows you to use a regular postcard or letter size piece, while mailing your piece to an actual address through the regular mail stream.

Bad Addresses:

One aspect of EDDM that many people neglect is the inevitable fact that your company could essentially waste up to 10% of materials. This is due to sending to addresses that are vacant or are otherwise bad addresses. In an EDDM mailing, you are unable to remove any bad addresses or do not mail addresses. So, you essentially waste money and resources by mailing to every home in the route. You can avoid this by using a regular Saturation list. In which you can remove bad addresses, do not mail records, businesses trailers and PO boxes. Which allows you to hit a more defined market, at a cheaper postage rate.

Low ROI:

The EDDM program was designed for retail locations to get their information out to the closest neighborhoods around their location. In theory it is a cost effective tool to get your name out there, however it does not provide businesses a measurable ROI method. Because you can’t filter who you are sending to, you end up not mailing to a person but a house, which make it extremely hard to get a high ROI on your direct mail. Prospective customers respond to direct mail when it is relevant and personalized to them. The EDDM program does not allow you to do that with your marketing piece because every piece is the same in the mailing.

Ultimately, EDDM is a good method for reaching every single mailing address in a given area, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect for every situation. For all of your direct mail printing needs, consider Modern Mail and Print Solutions, where we make every effort to respond to all queries within four business hours. We always prioritize structure and accuracy, and we’re willing to work with all of our clients to give them the best customer service experience possible. For more information, contact us today.