Door Hangers vs. Postcards: Which Should a Local Service Business Use?
Use door hangers when you want to reach a few streets you can walk, such as the neighbors of a job you just finished, because they need no postage. Use EDDM postcards when you want to reach every home across several neighborhoods, because the Post Office does the delivery. Many service businesses use both.
How do the costs compare?
At similar sizes, the printing costs are close. The difference is how each piece reaches the door.
| Door hanger 4.25″ × 11″ | EDDM postcard 6″ × 11″ | |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 pieces | $409 | $399 |
| 5,000 pieces | $659 | $639 |
| 10,000 pieces | $849 | $799 |
| Delivery | You or your crew hang them | USPS delivers; EDDM postage per piece |
Door hangers print on 100lb cover stock with a die-cut hole for the handle. Postcards print on 16pt card stock. Both come buy-one-get-one: you pay for the smaller number in each row and receive the larger.
When are door hangers the better choice?
- Around a job site. Roofers, lawn care, HVAC and pest control crews can hang 20–40 on the surrounding houses in minutes: "We're working on your neighbor's home this week."
- When the area is small. A few streets is often too small to be worth planning an EDDM mailing.
- When you want no postage cost. The only cost after printing is the time to hang them.
- When a tear-off coupon helps. The long format leaves room for a coupon at the bottom.
One rule to know: anything without postage cannot go in a mailbox. Door hangers go on the door handle.
When are EDDM postcards the better choice?
- When you want whole neighborhoods. EDDM reaches every address on the carrier routes you choose.
- When no one is available to walk routes. You drop the bundles at the Post Office and USPS delivers them.
- For repeated, scheduled campaigns. The same routes, every month or every season.
How do you use both together?
A pattern that works for many trades: mail an EDDM postcard to the wider area each season, and hang door hangers on the streets around every job in between. The postcard builds recognition across the neighborhood, and the door hanger turns each finished job into an introduction to the neighbors.
See campaign plans for roofers and lawn care and landscaping, or compare sizes on our door hangers and postcards pages.
Tell us your service area and we'll suggest the mix. Call 512-573-1977, 7am–7pm Eastern, 7 days a week.