How Many Postcards Should a Small Business Mail, and How Often?
Most small businesses do better mailing fewer households more often than mailing a huge area once. Pick the routes that matter most, mail them several times over a season, and size your print run to cover every mailing at once. Printing the whole season in one run is usually far cheaper per card.
Why does frequency matter?
People rarely need your service the day a postcard arrives. A plumber, dentist or roofer wants to be the name a homeowner remembers when the need comes up. Seeing the same card, with the same name and phone number, several times builds that memory in a way a single mailing does not.
How do you size a campaign to your budget?
- Count households on your chosen routes (the USPS EDDM map shows this).
- Decide how many times you will mail them this season.
- Multiply to get total pieces.
- Pick the print tier that covers it.
- Add postage: pieces × the current USPS EDDM rate.
Example: 1,200 households × 4 mailings = 4,800 postcards. The 5,000 tier of 6″ × 11″ postcards is $639 printed, or 12.8¢ each, and covers all four waves.
Which print tier fits?
| Pieces needed | Tier (you pay for) | 6″ × 11″ price | Per card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 2,500 | 1,000 | $399 | 16.0¢ |
| Up to 5,000 | 2,500 | $639 | 12.8¢ |
| Up to 10,000 | 5,000 | $799 | 8.0¢ |
If your count lands just above a tier, it is often worth mailing one more wave or a few more routes to use the next tier: 10,000 cards cost only $160 more than 5,000.
How far apart should mailings be?
A common rhythm is every three to six weeks through your busy season, so the card is still familiar when the next one arrives. Time the first drop a few weeks before demand rises: spring tune-ups before the first heat, roofing before storm season, tax services in January.
How do you know it is working?
- Use a single, specific offer on the card and ask callers where they heard about you.
- Consider a separate phone number or code for the mailing so calls can be counted.
- Keep the routes that produce calls and swap out the ones that don't.
Compare sizes and quantities on our price list or the EDDM page, and see every postcard size.
Tell us your budget and service area and we'll size the campaign with you. Call 512-573-1977, 7 days a week.