Want a fast and easy way to grow your local service business? Try Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) marketing. It’s a cost-effective marketing strategy for:
- Landscapers
- Pet groomers
- Hairstylists
- Massage therapists
- Personal trainers
- Automotive detailers
- Mechanics
- Accountants
- Carpet cleaners
- Computer and phone repair services
- Caterers
- Window washers
- Lawnmowers
- Power washers
- Roofers
- Carpenters
- Painters
- Movers
- Home decorators
- House cleaners
- Childcare providers
- Photographers
- And many other local service-based companies
The following details how you can land ten new local customers in a week with an EDDM campaign.
Why EDDM works
Every Door Direct Marketing makes it easy to send promotional materials to every residential and business address within a defined zip code or neighborhood. EDDM marketing works, and the numbers prove it.
EDDM response rates vary between one percent and four percent. Around half of those who respond will ultimately become customers. Using those figures, you can predict how many new customers you can earn with an EDDM marketing campaign.
Let’s say you want to launch a postcard marketing campaign (postcards are among the cheapest mailers). We’ll assume a modest two percent response rate, and that half of your respondents will buy.
With those figures, you only need to mail 1,000 postcards to earn ten new customers.
- Number of postcards mailed: 1,000
- 2% response rate: 20 respondents
- 50% conversion rate: 10 new customers
What if your postcard underperforms? Worst case scenario might be a half-percent response rate, in which case you’d need to send 4,000 postcards to earn ten new customers.
- Number of postcards mailed: 4,000
- 0.5% response rate: 20 respondents
- 50% conversion rate: 10 new customers
As you can see, you can hedge your bets and practically ensure your postcard nets ten new customers. Then, you can estimate your ROI and predict how much money you’ll earn from those customers.
How much does EDDM marketing cost?
EDDM postcards are among the cheapest marketing tools available to local service-based companies. While standard postcard postage costs $0.35 per piece and commercial first-class costs $0.257 per piece, EDDM postcard postage is just $0.178 per piece. Not only that, but EDDM mailings do not require a mailing permit, which can cost $225, or a mailing list, which can cost $100 or more.
You can use free postcard templates to make your own postcards online, which eliminates graphic design fees, so your EDDM investment is limited to printing and postage. Here’s what it costs to print and mail 1,000 and 4,000 6.5-in. by 9-in. EDDM postcards, printed front and back on 14 pt. C2S gloss cover stock.
1,000 EDDM postcards
- Printing: $210
- Postage: $178
- Total: $388
4,000 EDDM postcards
- Printing: $520
- Postage: $712
- Total: $1,232
Now, you can predict your ROI. If you’re a landscaper, the average job might be worth $500. With ten new customers, you’d earn $5,000 gross. If your postcards yield a two percent response rate, that means you’d net $4,612. If you yield just a half-percent response rate, you’d net $3,768.
Of course, not all local businesses sell $500-plus landscaping services. If you’re a hairstylist, the average customer might spend $50 per visit. At a two percent response rate, that comes to $500 gross and $122 net. At a half-percent, you’d lose money – but you need to understand two things:
- First, your postcards will likely earn greater than a half-percent response rate
- More importantly, you need to consider the lifetime value of a new customer
So, if the average customer spends $50 per visit but visits 20 times, the lifetime value of a new customer might be $1,000. That means ten new customers are collectively worth $10,000! That’s a fantastic return for a $388 to $1,232 investment.
How to use EDDM postcards to earn ten new local customers in a week
We’ve established that EDDM marketing works, how much it costs and how to predict ROI. Here’s a step-by-step process for leveraging the power of EDDM marketing to earn ten new local customers in a week.
STEP 1: Map your mailer (30 minutes)
Use the U.S. Postal Service’s EDDM Online Tool to determine which zip codes and neighborhoods you want to send postcards to. This will help you target nearby local customers and identify exactly how many postcards you need to print.
STEP 2: Design your EDDM postcard (60 minutes)
Browse PsPrint’s design library to find a free postcard template that matches your brand and business. Then, use the online design tool to customize your postcard: upload your logo and images, adjust the text and add a special offer. When you’re done designing, you can download a free PDF to see exactly how your finished postcard will look.
STEP 3: Print your postcards (4 to 7 days)
Select printing options such as paper stock, quantity and turnaround time. Standard production time is three days, and standard shipping takes around four days, though you can opt for next day delivery. Your postcards will be printed and delivered to your doorstep within seven days. Note you can have your postcards bundled, which might be required by your local Post Office for EDDM delivery. The cost for bundling is minimal.
STEP 4: Deliver postcards to your post office (30 minutes)
Once your postcards arrive, simply drop them off at your local post office. They’ll take it from there. It typically takes just a few days for the post office to deliver all your EDDM postcards to every household in your local area.
As you can see, you can initiate your EDDM campaign in less than two hours and your EDDM postcards can be delivered to every home in your targeted area in about a week.
Adhere to postcard marketing best practices to maximize your response rate, and you can easily earn ten or more new local customers for your service-based business in a week. Get started today with discount EDDM postcard printing!
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