EDDM vs Direct Mail: which one should you use?

Both EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) and Direct Mail deliver postcards to your customer. They are not the same thing. Picking wrong wastes money.

EDDM: blanket a neighborhood for cheap EDDM lets you mail to every address on a USPS mail-carrier route. Postage is about 20 cents per piece (vs ~50 cents for standard direct mail). No address list required, just pick the routes by ZIP code.

Best for businesses where any household in a geographic area could become a customer:

• Restaurants (anyone in 1-mile radius might come in)


• Auto repair shops


• Realtors farming a neighborhood


• Home services (HVAC, plumbing, lawn care)


• Local political campaigns

The trade-off: you cannot target by income, age, or any other demographic. Every door gets the same piece.

Direct Mail: target specific people Direct Mail uses a purchased mailing list (homeowners over 50, businesses with 10+ employees, recent movers, etc.). Postage is higher, but you can be surgical.

Best when:

• You sell to a specific demographic (luxury services, B2B, etc.)


• You have an existing customer list to remail


• The lifetime value per customer justifies $1-2 per piece

Cost comparison (5,000 pieces) - EDDM 6.5x9 postcard, full service: about $1,400 ($0.28/piece all-in) - Direct Mail 6x9 postcard, full service: about $2,500 ($0.50/piece all-in) - Standard postcards print-only: about $300

The difference is mostly postage and list cost, not printing.

Rule of thumb If your customer is "anyone within 2 miles," use EDDM. If your customer is "homeowners earning $150K+ in this ZIP," use Direct Mail with a list.