EDDM vs Addressed Direct Mail: Which Should You Use?
Use EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) when your customers are most of the households in an area, such as homeowners near your shop or service area. Use addressed direct mail when your customers are a specific group spread across many neighborhoods, such as new movers, people over 65, or past customers. EDDM is cheaper and simpler; addressed mail is more precise.
How the two compare
| EDDM | Addressed direct mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives it | Every address on the carrier routes you choose | Only the names and addresses on your list |
| Mailing list | None needed | Bought, rented or your own customer list |
| Addresses printed | No | Yes, plus postal barcodes and presorting |
| Targeting | By area, with route-level age, income and household data | By individual: age, home value, life events, purchase history |
| Piece size | Must be a USPS flat (for example 6.5″ × 9″, 6″ × 11″, 8.5″ × 11″) | Letter-size postcards allowed (for example 4″ × 6″) |
| Setup effort | Low: choose routes, print, bundle, drop off | Higher: list, data processing, permit or mail house |
When EDDM is the better choice
- Your market is a place. Restaurants, lawn care, HVAC, plumbers, dentists and real estate agents serve the homes around them.
- You want reach at the lowest cost. No list to buy and no addressing. 10,000 EDDM-size 6″ × 11″ postcards cost $799 to print.
- You mail the same areas repeatedly. Saturating the same routes builds recognition month after month.
When addressed mail is the better choice
- Your customers are a small share of each neighborhood, such as pool owners, seniors or businesses.
- You are mailing your own customers for reminders, renewals or referrals.
- You want a personal touch, such as "Hi Maria, your furnace is due for service."
Can you use both?
Yes, and many businesses do: EDDM to win new customers around their best areas, and addressed postcards to keep the customers they already have. We print both. For addressed mailings we print the cards and you, or your mail house, handle the list and addressing.
Work out the numbers first
Estimate an EDDM mailing with the EDDM cost calculator, then see how many customers it needs to pay for itself with the break-even calculator. To choose areas, read how to choose EDDM carrier routes, or learn the basics on our EDDM printing page. Questions? Call 512-573-1977.
