By: Chris Barr
Since its launch, Every Door Direct Mail® has been a massive success for small business owners, Non-Profit organizations – and the United States Postal Service® (USPS®).
The program has made direct mail advertising more accessible, more user-friendly, and provided postage rates that even the smallest budgets can afford. As such, thousands of advertisers now better understand the direct mail process, and use it frequently as a core part of their marketing mix.
In fact, EDDM® is so accessible that there have been several reports of individuals using the solution to find lost pets — successfully.
Now, it’s easier than ever to reach prospects without the headache-inducing requirements surrounding mailing lists, data processing, tabbing, ink jetting, or other traditional “mail house” expenditures. It can be used to reach specific carrier routes (similar to neighborhoods), entire ZIP Codes™, or even cities, at deeply discounted rates.
And with EDDM®, every targeted address receives a “solo” offer – without ads from competitors.
Why Use Direct Mail?
Easy.
At EveryDoorDirectMail.com, any advertiser can plan and launch an “all-inclusive” direct mail campaign in less than ten minutes – online. Every order includes a free design template (as needed), full-color printing, all required mail prep services, all required USPS documentation, and yes, even the postage too. There is zero paperwork and no trips to the Post Office® required using this all-inclusive solution.
Multiple Uses.
Direct mail can be used to increase awareness, generate local support, enhance lead generation, drive sales, and develop new revenue streams. From fundraisers to sales, EDDM® provides benefits for nearly every promotional application.
Visibility.
Dollar for dollar, no other advertising solution delivers the same impact as direct mail. Direct mail is invasive and requires physical handling. In other words, mail pieces “force” physical interaction, triggering a sensory experience on multiple levels (touch, sight, smell, etc.) which other forms of communication fail to deliver. When a prospect has a direct mail offer in hand, they are forced to view the offer and decide, “Do I want this or not?”
Deeply Impactful.
A physical offer has the potential to provide a deeper and more personalized experience among recipients – especially when it comes to direct response marketing. Direct mail is also delivered from the USPS, one of the world’s largest organizations and most trusted entities. Mail offers also build trust and credibility at the local level, where residents and communities ultimately decide if you are a valued organization or business.
By comparison, direct mail is like a handshake or eye contact – which elicit a physical and emotional response. Digital ads, while valuable in their own right, deliver a far less impactful experience when it comes to visibility and credibility.
It Works.
According to The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), advertisers spent $168.5 billion* on direct marketing in the U.S. in 2012. This accounted for 52.7% of all advertising expenses. Even more astounding, direct marketing accounts for 8.7 percent of total US gross domestic product and produces1.3 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 7.9 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.2 million US jobs.
It’s safe to say that direct marketing, works.
Different Ways to Use Every Door Direct Mail®
Mail by Radius 
A recent business report indicated that 85% of consumers spend their disposable income within a 5-mile radius of their home. So in theory, a majority of your business advertising should be aimed within this particular radius (with some tweaking based on your local area knowledge).
If you are wondering how to target by radius, it couldn’t be any easier (see image, right):
Using U-Select™ (the online mapping tool), you can effortlessly target a 5-mile radius by clicking on the “Radius” button located in the top navigation menu (see image).
Step By Step Instructions:
1. Go to U-Select™ Online Mapping Tool
2. Enter any address and ZIP Code
3. Select “Radius” option from top navigation menu
4. Click on preferred carrier routes
A Real World Example
Imagine a pizzeria using EDDM® to reach every local home. Obviously, pizza and food products have mass appeal – so virtually every household is a prospective customer. The pizza shop owner can run a 5-mile radius around his location, and deliver menus or coupons via EDDM® to every local mailbox. The owner may even want to include business addresses in an effort to receive catering business or work/office orders. This is a great example of a radius-based campaign used effectively.
Mail by Drivetime
Another new, and popular way to deliver mail is by targeting prospects using drivetime. 
Drivetime works using the same GPS data available in your vehicle or on your smartphone. You enter a starting address and then target homes within a defined drivetime from that location.
If you are wondering how to target by drive-time, it’s just as easy as targeting by radius.
Using U-Select™ (the online mapping tool), you can effortlessly target addresses by clicking on the “Drivetime” button located in the top navigation menu (see image).
Step By Step Instructions:
1. Go to U-Select™ Online Mapping Tool
2. Enter any address and ZIP Code
3. Select “Drivetime” option from top navigation menu
4. Click on preferred carrier routes
A Real World Example
From my experience (over seven years in direct marketing), medical and healthcare services benefit from drive-time targeting. In most cases, consumers won’t drive thirty minutes for a pizza. However, patients will drive five, ten, or even thirty minutes for healthcare services – especially when it comes to serious medical concerns. From dentists, to medical specialists, and even Lasik treatment centers – drivetime targeting is often a great starting point.
Advanced Demographic Targeting with Heat Map ROI™
Not every business and organization needs to mail to every carrier route in a particular market. Why you might ask? In many cases, a mailer might be directed
towards a targeted demographic.
Demographic selections are used when a business or organization wants to target fewer addresses, in exchange for more targeted results. This method can provide better response rates and greater return on investment (ROI).
What is Demographics with Heat Map ROI™? 
Demographics with Heat Map ROI™ is a new feature designed now available as a feature within the U-Select™ online mapping tool for EDDM®.
Now, you can easily identify and target postal carrier routes which contain the highest percentage of ideal prospects, based on demographic criteria.
Available Demographic Selections:
Choose up to (3) selections with any EDDM® campaign.
• Household Income
• Age
• Home Ownership
• Gender
• Presence of Children
Heatmap ROI™ can be used to improve your direct mail performance, for FREE.
In Summary…
EDDM® is the easiest way to harness the undeniable power of direct marketing. There is no better way to ensure you put your specific offers directly into the hands of prospective customers or supporters. From sales, to fundraising, to charity work — EDDM® delivers a powerful punch at deeply discounted rates.
Try Every Door Direct Mail® today.
Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee you’ll love it.
Good luck, and happy marketing!
EVERY DOOR DIRECT MAIL®, EDDM®, EDDM RETAIL®, EDDM BMEU™, UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE®, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE®, USPS®, U.S. POST OFFICE®, POST OFFICE™, and ZIP CODE™ are trademarks of the United States Postal Service® and are used with permission under license.